Gol menakjubkan Tim Cahill Piala Dunia menentang Belanda telah mendapat tepukan global termasuk pujian daripada nama-nama terbesar dalam bola sepak.
Cahill menjerit, voli kaki kiri ke bahagian atas Belanda’ bersih sahaja 60 beberapa saat selepas bintang Belanda Arjen Robben membuka jaringan dalam perlawanan Kumpulan B di Porto Alegre.
Australia mendahului pada separuh masa kedua selepas kapten Mile Jedinak menyempurnakan peluang menerusi sepakan penalti, tapi akhirnya kalah 3-2 kepada pihak Belanda yang telah mengalahkan juara bertahan Sepanyol 5-1 dalam perlawanan pertama Piala Dunia.
Belanda sepatutnya melintasi Australia untuk mencekik ke atas baki Kumpulan B. Tim Cahill dari Australia, Walau bagaimanapun, mempunyai rancangan lain.
Tendangan voli kaki kiri Cahill, mungkin gol terbaik Piala Dunia 2014, mengejutkan Belanda. Selepas meraikan gol Robben, Belanda’ pertahanan tidak dapat memintas bantuan lob yang cantik daripada pemain pertahanan Ryan McGowan. Dari sebelah kiri, Cahill menggunakan satu sentuhan yang cantik dari jarak, which hit the crossbar and then went down and into the goal past goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen.
The performance by the lowly-ranked Socceroos stunned the world with the biggest talking point being Cahill’s great goal, the fifth for the 34-year-old in three World Cup appearances.
Former England international Philip Neville, who played with Cahill at English Premier League club Everton, declared it a better goal than the lauded effort by Robin van Persie in the Netherland’s win over Sepanyol.
#TimCahill has now scored more #Worldcup goals than Ronaldo, Messi and Rooney combined. Sorry lads. Well done Roo’s pic.twitter.com/60jlPJI5m7
— GFE Sport (@GFEsport) Jun 20, 2014
Is that better than rvp’s goal vs Spain? I think it is!!
— Philip Neville (@fizzer18) Jun 18, 2014
Wow! Tim Cahill has scored an absolute stonker!
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) Jun 18, 2014
The underdog Australians managed to keep the ball deep in Netherlands territory for portions of the match, but couldn’t score until attacking from the air. For much of the first half, the Aussies have held their ground. They surprisingly have controlled possession for 55 percent of the match, and have out-shot the Dutch, 5-2.
Via abc.net.au dan ibtimes.com