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The 65-year-old was relieved to come through the first game with three points after falling a goal behind last Thursday
Luiz Felipe Scolari has told his Brazil side they mustn't concede first when they take on Mexico on Tuesday night.
The host nation fell 1-0 down to Marcelo's own goal in the first half, before two goals from Neymar and a late Oscar strike secured a 3-1 comeback win.
The result means Scolari is still unbeaten as Brazil boss at the World Cup, having guided the country to glory back in 2002.
However, the 65-year-old is refusing to rest on his laurels ahead of the clash with their South American rivals, after recognising the difficulty of the task ahead.
"We mustn't concede first," he told Times of India.
The best thing about football is that you cannot control and pick and choose what favours you. There will be factors that you can't control.
"So, it's better to concentrate on those factors which are in your hand rather than those which are not.
"Mexico regularly feature in the final rounds. So, they have a rich history which can boost their confidence."
Scolari was also quizzed over the penalty awarded to his side when Fred was adjudged to have been brought down in the penalty area.
Croatia boss Niko Kovac hit out at the decision - which appeared a harsh one on his side - after the game, but the Brazil boss thought otherwise.
"The referee gave his decision and that’s it. We have to accept every decision from the referee and for me, it was a legitimate penalty. So, I had no questions."
Koo Ja-Cheol: We have moved on from Ghana disappointment
By Peter Staunton in Cuiaba
Jun 17, 2014 12:45:00 PM
Korean preparations for World Cup ended in disarray as their west African opponents won 4-0 but the Mainz midfielder believes the squad are in the right frame of mind
South Korea captain Koo Ja-Cheol says his side are in the right frame of mind despite a poor sequence of results in the run-up to the World Cup.
The Asian side begin their Group H campaign on Tuesday in Cuiaba against Russia but their warm-up matches have not been positive.
Ghana defeated the Taeguk Warriors 4-0 in Miami in their final friendly before the tournament and Hong Myung-Bo's side have won only two of six matches in total in 2014.
Nonetheless, Mainz midfielder Koo believes the Ghana result has helped the squad frame things positively.
"After the Ghana match, the atmosphere was not great," he admitted. "But, thanks to that match, we talked a lot and thanks to those talks we were able to share our thoughts.
"We discussed how we need to be able to take chances and why we allowed them to have goals so easily.
"While we were training and preparing for Russia we created a positive atmosphere and became more confident. We are fully prepared and confident for tomorrow's match.
"The process up to now hasn't been easy. We have been on the pitch and experienced difficulties. We know what we have to do. We learned our lessons as to what has to be done at the World Cup."
Korea coach Hong Myung-Bo knows the importance of a strong start in Group H with Algeria and Belgium also vying for qualification. He says his primary focus against Fabio Capello's Russians will be avoiding defeat.
"The first match sets the tone and it does impact the rest of the matches," he said. "In our case, we would like to win the first match but we have to make sure we play a game we don't lose."
The sides met in November in a friendly and, despite being on the wrong end of the result, Hong has taken the positives from that display.
"We know the competition is very different. Last time we met in Dubai we lost 2-1 but we thought we played a good game. Thanks to that match our players became confident so it was a good match.
"Capello is a world famous coach so I am sure that will impact the Russian team to a certain extent. But our players will not be affected by that. I personally respect him very much."
Hong takes with him to Brazil a sizable contingent from the squad which served him so well at the London Olympic games. Korea earned the bronze medal in 2012 and, despite their relative lack of experience, Hong is fiercely loyal to his group.
"We have a young team, they are very energetic, that is true," he said. "But compared to their youth, I think they are wise in their judgement and their decisions. Our players will lead the future of Korean soccer.
"I fully believe in them. I've believed in them from the beginning and I will continue to believe in them. That will not change."
Belgium 2-1 Algeria: Fellaini and Mertens seal World Cup comeback
Jun 17, 2014 6:49:00 PM
Sofiane Feghouli scored the opener from the spot, but Marc Wilmots' men turned up their game in the second-half to defeat the African nation
World Cup dark horses Belgium bounced back from going a goal behind to beat Algeria 2-1 in their opener on Tuesday.
After being left stunned by Sofiane Feghouli's first-half penalty, Belgium coach Marc Wilmots made two tactical changes that paid dividends as substitutes Marouane Fellaini and Dries Mertens both found the net to secure victory in Belo Horizonte on Tuesday.
Having missed the past two global showpieces, Belgium were caught flat-footed as Feghouli gave Algeria a surprise 25th-minute lead.
The 24-year-old was hauled down by Jan Vertonghen as they stretched for a left-wing cross and Feghouli punished him by sending Thibaut Courtois the wrong way with his spot-kick.
Belgium applied plenty of pressure and eventually got themselves back in the game as Fellaini levelled with a perfectly-placed header in the 70th minute.
Victory was assured with 10 minutes to play when Mertens capped a flowing move, the Napoli midfielder lashing the ball past Rais M'Bolhi.
A cautious start from both sides saw the game bereft of early chances, with Belgium dominating possession and Algeria restricted to breaks on the counter attack.
M'Bolhi was the first to be forced to make a save in the 21st minute as Belgian playmaker Axel Witsel unleashed a powerful strike from 20 yards, but the goalkeeper was equal to it and made a good stop.
Three minutes later, Algeria were gifted the lead as Faouzi Ghoulam raced down the left-hand side unopposed and delivered a perfect cross to the back post that Feghouli looked to get onto.
However, Vertonghen pulled him back inside the penalty area as the Valencia winger stretched every sinew to reach the ball.
Referee Marco Rodriguez had no hesitation in pointing to the spot, with the Tottenham defender booked for his crude tackle. Feghouli duly rolled the ball calmly into the back of the net.
Belgium resumed their control of possession after the goal and Witsel tested M'Bolhi again with 10 minutes of the half remaining, but the 28-year-old was able to parry the shot away.
Wilmots introduced Mertens at half-time in an attempt to lift his team going forward, and it nearly had an immediate impact as he delivered a corner that Witsel headed over at the back post.
Eventually Belgium's pressure forced a leveller, though, as Wilmots' third sub, Fellaini, restored parity with 20 minutes remaining.
Kevin De Bruyne, who had been very quiet up to that point, found room on the left and whipped in a cross to the near post for the Manchester United midfielder.
Fellaini was able to get himself in front of his marker and sent a flicked header crashing off the crossbar and into the back of the net.
Mertens then ensured Wilmots will be lauded as a tactical genius in the 80th minute after a lightning-quick break from Eden Hazard led to the winner.
The Chelsea man drew two defenders before finding his team-mate and Mertens made no mistake.
Belgium show Manchester United how to use Fellaini
Jun 17, 2014 9:50:00 PM
The much-maligned midfielder emerged from the bench to change the course of the game against Algeria, revelling in a role much more suited to his talents
By Ben Hayward at the Estadio Mineirao
Marouane Fellaini was a happy man. After a difficult season at Manchester United, the midfielder was forced to begin Belgium's World Cup campaign on the bench on Tuesday, but it was his introduction which changed the course of the game against Algeria. Without him, all looked lost.
Much maligned at Old Trafford, Fellaini is a cult hero for Belgium fans. Many wore wigs in tribute to the 26-year-old's astonishing afro; others sang songs in his honour before kick-off. They loved him before the match. Now they adore him.
Belgium had been tipped to make waves at this World Cup, their first since 2002, but Marc Wilmots' men made hard work of the first half and found themselves behind after Jan Vertonghen gave away a needless penalty and Valencia's Sofiane Feghouli converted from the spot.
Algeria's disciplined defence dealt comfortably with the Europeans after that and unsurprisingly, the ineffective Nacer Chadli was replaced at half-time by Dries Mertens. Striker Romelu Lukaku was withdrawn next, short of the hour mark, having failed to touch the ball a single time inside the Algeria area.
But it was the third substitution which woke up Belgium. Mousa Dembele departed and Fellaini came on to line up alongside Axel Witsel in midfield and the Manchester United man immediately improved the Red Devils - something which wasn't said very often at his club last season.
Fall guy | Fellaini flopped in a deeper role for United last season
Fellaini adopted the role of a central striker when Belgium had the ball and dropped deep into midfield when Algeria were in possession. His aerial and physical presence clearly unsettled the North Africans and the more direct approach soon paid dividends as the 26-year-old headed home Kevin De Bruyne's superb cross to equalise after 70 minutes.
And 10 minutes later, the comeback was complete. De Bruyne won back possession, Eden Hazard advanced and squared for Mertens to smash home the winner in a hard-fought 2-1 success. It was harsh on Algeria, but Belgium's quality eventually told.
None of it would have happened, however, without Fellaini.
"I was on the bench but that's the coach's decision," he said after the game. "We have a lot of great players. I was happy to score the goal. It was a great cross from De Bruyne and it gave us confidence. We found our rhythm much more after that.
"At the moment I am just focused on Belgium and I'm happy to have scored."
De Bruyne, who played a pivotal part in both goals, was named man of the match, but it was Fellaini who changed the game, with Algeria noticeably ruffled as soon as he was introduced.
"We had some difficulties and were taking too many touches of the ball," Hazard said. "Algeria are a solid team and they made it really difficult, but after Marouane's goal we were much better. The equaliser changed the game."Afterwards, former England striker Gary Lineker joked on Twitter: "Manchester United should sign the Fellaini that plays for Belgium."
At Old Trafford, the 26-year has often been used just in front of the defence. He is no deep-lying playmaker, however, and that showed. His poor performances last season and the fact United had paid Everton €32 million for his services saw the midfielder widely ridiculed by fans of rival clubs as the team toiled and ended up in seventh spot.
But Tuesday's cameo proved he can be extremely effective when utilised correctly. At Everton, he hit 12 goals in 36 appearances from an attacking midfield position in 2012-13 (compared to none in 21 games last term). There, his aerial ability and impressive movement caused problems aplenty for rival defences, just as it did at the Mineirao on Tuesday.
So Belgium showed Manchester United just what they were missing - and whether Fellaini stays or leaves Old Trafford this summer, he'll surely be restored to his rightful role next season.
Luiz Felipe Scolari's men failed to take their chances throughout the 90 minutes as they and El Tri shared the spoils
Brazil failed to impress in Fortaleza on Tuesday as the hosts and favourites to lift the World Cup were held to a 0-0 draw by Mexico.
Having won their opening fixtures last week, both sides came into the clash knowing a win would all but assure them of a place in the second round.
Unlike much of the action previously seen at the finals, what followed was a disjointed affair devoid of any real pattern, although the hosts created the clearer goalscoring opportunities.
Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa put in an excellent display and made a superb save in each half, scooping Neymar's header away following a pinpoint Dani Alves cross in the first period before keeping out Thiago Silva's free header five yards out with just three minutes remaining.
Brazil dominated the latter stages, but ultimately Luiz Felipe Scolari's side failed to deliver the goal the home crowd so desperately craved, and the stalemate leaves the two teams locked on four points at the top of the group.
Cameroon and Croatia meet in Group A's next game on Wednesday, with each knowing defeat would see them exit the tournament.
Brazil made one alteration to the side that defeated Croatia in the opening match, Ramires coming in for the injured Hulk, while Mexico were unchanged from their win over Cameroon.
After a slow start to proceedings, Mexico's Hector Herrera had the first meaningful effort in the 24th minute. Julio Cesar tipped a rasping 25-yard drive over the crossbar, although the officials failed to see the touch and awarded a goal-kick to the hosts.
Brazil's response was immediate, Neymar rising highest to head Alves' cross towards goal, but Ochoa flew to his right to brilliantly claw the effort away.
Ochoa was called into action again 10 minutes before the break, this time making a much more routine save from Fred's header after the forward met Neymar's right-wing corner.
The North Americans hit back as Jose Vazquez momentarily worried Cesar with a swerving effort from the edge of the box which ultimately flew wide in the 41st minute.
Paulinho was then denied by Ochoa shortly before the break, the goalkeeper rushing from his line to block the midfielder's poked effort following a driven Neymar set-piece.
The opening of the second period matched that of the first with neither side able to assert themselves, Vazquez and Herrera both fizzing shots just over the bar from distance in the only efforts of note prior to the hour mark.
Neymar sent a 30-yard free-kick narrowly wide in the 63rd minute and went close again six minutes later, jinking into space inside the penalty area only to see his strike repelled once more by Ochoa.
Suddenly the hosts looked more lively, substitute Jo dragging an effort wide from a tight angle after being slipped in by fellow replacement Bernard, and Silva planting a header straight at Ochoa when it seemed easier to score.
Raul Jimenez brought a smart stop out of Cesar in stoppage time as the game became stretched, but both sides had to settle for a draw that means they each remain in control of their own fate.
The Sevilla forward has sustained a muscle injury that looks set to keep him out of his side's clashes with Cote d'Ivoire and Japan
Colombia striker Carlos Bacca is set to miss the rest the remainder of his side's World Cup group games due to a muscle injury.
The Sevilla forward pulled up with the issue during a training session on Sunday and subsequently underwent a scan on the complaint.
Colombia's medical team have now determined that Bacca could be unavailable for up to 10 days, meaning that he is a major doubt for Colombia's final Group C clashes against Cote d'Ivoire and Japan.
"After the assessments made by the Colombia medical staff, led by Dr Carlos Ulloa, it was determined that Carlos Bacca suffered a grade one muscle injury, which requires a treatment period of seven to 10 days," the Colombian Football Federation wrote on its official website.
With Monaco striker Radamel Falcao having failed to recover from a serious knee injury in time for the World Cup, Bacca's injury further depletes Colombia's options up front.
However, River Plate forward Teofilo Gutierrez was among the scorers in Colombia's 3-0 triumph over Greece in their Group C opener last Saturday, while Jackson Martinez and Adrian Ramos are also available to coach Jose Pekerman.
Mandzukic return a huge boost to Croatia, says Pranjic
By Alex Fisher
Jun 17, 2014 6:02:00 PM
The Bayern Munich man returns from suspension for his side's all or nothing clash with Cameroon in Manaus on Wednesday
Croatia midfielder Danijel Pranjic expects his side to pose more of an attacking threat against Cameroon following star striker Mario Mandzukic’s return from suspension.
The Bayern Munich forward missed his country's defeat to Brazil in their Group A opener last Thursday after being sent off in the second leg of their qualification play-off victory over Iceland.
However, he has now served his ban, meaning coach Niko Kovac will be able to unleash him in Croatia's crucial clash with Cameroon, who were beaten 1-0 by Mexico in their first game.
And Pranjic, who also missed out against Brazil due to injury, believes his team will be better off with Mandzukic leading the line.
"Mandzukic definitely makes us stronger and you can't replace him like-for-like," the 32-year-old told Fifa.com. "He's prepared to go out and die for the cause.
"Nikica Jelavic did really well against Brazil but Mario is Mario. We need him. We're a totally different team without him."
Kovac’s side will be desperate to get off the mark following their 3-1 defeat against, suffered in controversial fashion with complaints that a number of key refereeing decisions went against them, and Pranjic warned his team-mates that it’s now win or bust.
“It's all-or-nothing for both teams,” he said.
“The losers will pack their bags and go home. We have to be ready for everything and play like it was our last match.”
The 36-year-old's injury is not as serious as first thought and there was also good news regarding Mattia De Sciglio, Daniele De Rossi and Andrea Barzagli
Italy have been given a huge boost ahead of their World Cup clash with Costa Rica after captain Gianluigi Buffon returned to training.
The veteran goalkeeper sat out his country's 2-1 victory over England in Manaus last Saturday due to an ankle injury but Italy's team doctor Enrico Castellacci confirmed on Monday that he was hopeful Buffon would not miss any further games in Brazil.
And the 36-year-old now appears to be in line for a return in Recife on Friday, with Mattia De Sciglio, Daniele De Rossi and Andrea Barzagli also playing some part in Tuesday's session.
"Good news for Cesare Prandelli," the FIGC announced on its official website. "Buffon, De Sciglio, De Rossi and Barzagli returned from injury and are on the road to recovery."
With all four players available to coach Cesare Prandelli, Italy were able to train together as a full squad for the first time since Buffon suffered his injury last Friday.
“Right after the injury on Friday evening, [Buffon] thought he had to leave the World Cup, but now as time passes he knows that this isn’t the case,” said Castellacci.
"Yesterday he wasn’t able to play, he is in therapy and today we’ll do other checks and if necessary, other diagnostic tests. We will try to recover him as soon as possible even if his health is priority."
Prandelli, though, may choose to leave the veteran out in order for him to make a full recovery as Italy have one eye on the knockout stages.
The former Croatia international has told the current crop of national stars to be careful after they were pictured skinny-dipping by journalists
Ex-World Cup star Igor Stimac has told the Croatia squad to be more careful when they get their kit off in future after pictures of them naked appeared in the national press.
Players including Vedran Corluka, Dejan Lovren and Mateo Kovacic were snapped swimming naked in the swimming pool at their Praia da Forte training camp, and the squad reacted angrily when photographs were subsequently published by Croatian newspapers.
The players decided to call a press silence as a result, banning journalists from any contact with the World Cup stars. But Stimac, a star of the Croatia side that reached the 1998 semi-finals, insists that the players simply need to be more selective about where they go naked in future.
“Players should watch out where they take off their panties,” insisted the former Hajduk Split and Derby County defender, who went on to coach his country between 2012 and 2013.
“We often didn't wear our panties back in 1998, but no photos were ever published.”
Croatia face Cameroon in Group A on Wednesday in Manaus with their World Cup future on the line following a controversial 3-1 opening night loss to Brazil.
Ex-World Cup star Igor Stimac has told the Croatia squad to be more careful when they peel off in future after pictures of them naked appeared in the national press.
The 27-year-old underwent knee surgery last month but is confident he will be able to feature in the clash at the Maracana
Arturo Vidal is confident he will be fit for Chile's crucial World Cup clash with Spain and that he will play through the pain barrier if necessary.
The Juventus star underwent minor knee surgery last month and was only able to play an hour of Chile's 3-1 win over Australia in their opening Group B game last Friday.
Victory over Spain in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday could seal qualification for the last 16 and Vidal has indicated that he should to be available.
"I'll try to be 100 per cent," he said. "Physically I think I am fit. I feel good and I've tried very carefully in training.
"My knee has responded very well.
"Playing against Australia was my decision. As I said, I wanted to play at the World Cup even if it meant risking my knee."
Vidal went on to say that Spain will provide a stern test at the Maracana, dismissing any notion that the reigning world champions are past their best and suggesting that they are actually better than they were four years ago.
"We'll have to be very strong," the 27-year-old continued.
"Are they burnt out? I don't think so. Spain have increased in quality and have more technical players.
"If you stop to look at this Spain and the one in South Africa, I believe this is stronger. We'd take a draw, but we'll go out to win as always."
Del Bosque: We were complacent against Netherlands
Jun 17, 2014 10:42:00 PM
The 63-year-old has admitted his players may have approached their World Cup opener with the wrong attitude and insists his side's fate is in their own hands
By Greg Stobart at Estadio Maracana
Vicente del Bosque has admitted Spain may have been complacent heading into their 5-1 demolition at the hands of Netherlands.
The World Cup holders threw away a lead to lose their first game of the tournament meaning defeat to Chile at the Maracana on Wednesday would see them eliminated from the group stage.
Del Bosque is expected to make changes to his starting line-up and has admitted his players may have approached the Netherlands clash with the wrong attitude.
"Complacency may have been an issue in our first game," said Del Bosque in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday.
"I think we have to realise we lost a very important match and accept the criticism. There have been many criticisms and I agree with them. I don’t want to defend our performance in the last match."
The coach has already revealed he knows the starting team he will select against Chile and has called on his players to show their character on Wednesday.
He added: "The reality is we have it in our hands, no-one else’s, and that's what we have to look at. People show what they are made of when times are tough.
"I know my line-up, but I'm not going to tell you. I want a strong squad right up to the start of the game. Knowing the line-up might upset the mood of the players."
The 54-year-old hopes to send the world champions out of the tournament at the Maracana and will make a late decision on Arturo Vidal's fitness
By Greg Stobart at Estadio Maracana
Chile coach Jorge Sampaoli says it would be great if his side were to dump Spain out of the World Cup when they face the holders on Wednesday.
Vicente Del Bosque's men will exit the tournament if they lose to Chile at the Maracana after their humbling 5-1 defeat to Netherlands in their Group B opener.
Chile won their first match of the tournament against Australia and Sampaoli is now aiming to eliminate Spain from the tournament.
"If we play well tomorrow, win and kick them out of the World Cup it will be very positive for us," Sampaoli said in his pre-match press conference on Tuesday.
"We know Spain need to win tomorrow and that they are out if they lose.
"This is obviously something we are bearing in mind. We will choose a side that suits playing against a team that must win to stay in the tournament."
The Chile coach is unlikely to make any changes to the team that started against Australia but revealed he would wait until Wednesday before making a final decision on midfielder Arturo Vidal, who played for an hour on Friday on his comeback from knee surgery.
"I said it would be difficult for him to join us [at the World Cup] because he had a serious injury and he had surgery," said Sampaoli.
"However, he played against Australia and we will see how he feels now. We will assess tomorrow whether he can play, he’s been training this week and he’s really eager to play. He will play some minutes."
The Cameroon striker says a persistent knee problem means it is now unlikely he will be available for his side's crunch World Cup Group A clash with Croatia on Wednesday
Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o believes that he needs a "miracle" to face Croatia on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old played in Cameroon's opening 1-0 World Cup Group A defeat to Mexico on Friday, but has failed to take any part in training since that game.
And after admitting a knee problem flared up as early as the ninth minute of that game, the former Barcelona striker is hoping for some divine intervention.
"I am hoping the gods grant me a miracle and that I am able to defend my dear, beautiful country," Eto'o told Cameroon Radio-Television CRTV.
"If this is not the case, I will always play my role as captain and especially as the big brother to push my young team-mates to victory."
Eto'o may miss the rest of the group stage after revealing the injury had bothered him for a long time.
"For three and a half months, I have not had the time to recover. You could see that even in the build-up to the World Cup I hadn't had a lot of practice until the friendly against Germany."
After their loss to Mexico, Cameroon head into Wednesday’s clash against Croatia seeking to keep their qualification hopes alive, before they take on tournament hosts Brazil in their final Group A match next Monday.
Cameroon coach Finke had already confirmed Eto'o failed to train over the weekend and his absence means one of Vincent Aboubakar or Fabrice Olinga are likely to be called upon in Manaus.
Eto'o 'won't succumb to blackmail' over allegations
Jun 17, 2014 11:00:00 PM
The 33-year-old has been accused of "treason" for his role in a pre-tournament strike over bonus payments, but says he will soon "come up hard" on the people behind the headlines
By Sam Lee at the Arena da Amazonia
Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o insists he will not succumb to "blackmail" and has promised to reveal all about the heavy criticism he has been receiving once the World Cup is over.
The striker is battling to be fit for Wednesday's Group A match with Croatia but has also had to contend with negative headlines in his homeland, including claims of "treason" and revelations from an ex-girlfriend.
The Indomitable Lions refused to board a plane to Brazil over a bonus payment dispute and also shunned a ceremonial flag handover with the country's prime minister, and Eto'o promises to distribute the names of those "who do not love the country".
"I would like to tell you what I really think but it’s more important to talk about the match and the rest of the World Cup," he told reporters.
"We will not stop at the first group phase, even though a lot of people are hoping for our demise. Believe me, after the World Cup, all the attacks I have been the victim of, I will answer to every single person.
"I will give the names of the people behind the stories and I will let the people of Cameroon know who loves and who does not love the country.
"We do not want to succumb to the pressure of other people who have other interests at heart.
"I want to defend the group. I am the captain. As I told you I am protecting all the players form these rumours and gossip from outside.
"I am not somebody who succumbs to blackmail. After the World Cup I will come up hard on them. I will talk a lot, I will give names. People can attack me, they can say what they want, I don’t care.
Eto'o has been struggling with a knee injury for the past few months, and has played through the pain barrier for Chelsea.
The Cameroon doctor had earlier this week stated that Eto'o needs 10 days to rest following a recurrence in the first-round match against Mexico, but he insists he will fight until the last minute to feature on Wednesday.
"In football everybody is hungry," he added. "Whether or not I can play, I wasn’t going to tell people, we don’t want to give information to our opponent. All teams do that, I cannot give you an answer even though I might already know if I can play. Even if I knew I would not tell you.
"I will do everything in my power to be on the field with my partners. I don’t know how many minutes but it is important that the group remains together.
"I am important but the team is more important than me. I believe in this group, I believe in this team, if I start tomorrow I will do my best as usual, if I’m not I will do my best from the bench so we can win the match."
Postecoglou: Australia can't sit back against flying Dutchmen
By Matheus Harb in Porto Alegre
Jun 17, 2014 6:27:00 PM
Sitting back against the Oranje is a recipe for disaster, according to the Socceroos boss, who knows his team will have to improve from their Chile showing
Australia coach Ange Postecoglou is demanding his side take an adventurous approach into their World Cup clash with the Netherlands on Wednesday.
The Dutch produced the performance of the tournament so far by thrashing defending champions Spain 5-1 on Friday.
And Postecoglou, whose side opened their Group B account with a 3-1 defeat to Chile, believes sitting back against such a talented side could be harmful.
“I can’t see why we should worry more [after Netherlands' win], we have been preparing for it all this time," he said at Tuesday's pre-match press conference.
“We’ll have to be much stronger defensively, you saw what their attack did to Spain. But we are at risk if we just think about defending.
“There will be only one outcome if we just do that, so we will also have to do well on attack.
“Look at Spain. They would have had better luck if they had attacked better. And that’s what we should have in mind."
Postecoglou is aware of the attacking threat posed by Louis van Gaal's men - Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie and Wesley Sneijder all impressed against Spain - but the former Melbourne Victory boss accepts there is more to the Oranje than just their marquee trio.
“It will be hard to face the likes of Robben and Van Persie, we know that, but others also might step up if you leave them too much space. We’ll try to work on this in a collective manner," he added.
“It will be a great challenge, there’s a lot at stake for both sides. Netherlands can assure qualification, and it will be the end for us if we lose. So I’m expecting a high quality encounter.”
Defender Ivan Franjic is out of the World Cup with a pulled hamstring, with Ryan McGowan his likely replacement at right-back.
The Manchester United midfielder believes opening-game defeats for both sides mean their clash in Natal will see the sides attempt to take the game to one another
Japan's Shinji Kagawa expects World Cup opponents Greece to be on the offensive in Thursday's Group C clash after Alberto Zaccheroni's men were beaten by Cote d'Ivoire in their opening fixture, as they surrendered a lead to lose 2-1.
The Manchester United man lamented Japan's inability to take anything from their opening game and says there is no room for caution in their remaining fixtures.
With Greece also suffering defeat in their first fixture in Brazil, via a 3-0 loss against Colombia, Kagawa feels that both teams will need to go for broke in Natal later this week.
"We were never really in control of the game against Cote d'Ivoire," he told AFP.
"Greece will attack us because they lost too. We have no option but to attack."
Goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima added that he is confident that the Samurai Blue have spirit to respond to their disappointing start in Brazil.
"We just have to give 100 per cent to win the game," he said.
"We have a good group and we have confidence as well so we can't lose our next game. We believe in ourselves."
Japan have made it out of the group stage in two of their last four World Cup appearances - reaching the last 16 in both 2002 and 2010.
The Schalke midfielder lamented the Black Stars' failure to overcome the United States on Monday evening, insisting that victory is now essential against Joachim Low's men
Kevin-Prince Boateng expressed his frustration with Ghana's loss to the United States, admitting they are now under pressure to win against Germany.
The Black Stars fell behind in the first minute to Clint Dempsey's strike and, though they levelled through Andre Ayew late in the game, Jurgen Klinsmann's side sealed a 2-1 win through John Brooks' header four minutes from time.
With Ghana still to play Portugal and Germany, they face a struggle to progress beyond Group G, a reality Boateng freely accepts.
"We know that we need to win now," the 27-year-old told the DFB's official site.
"And we also know that there will be no easy task against Germany. But we will prepare and try to give our all for it.
"The first game is always the most difficult and somehow always the most important and we just went to sleep. We must not now hang our heads - we have another game in four days."
Boateng, who has 12 caps and two goals for his national side, faced stern criticism in Ghana when he retired from international football in 2011 - only to reverse his decision two years later - but was dismayed by coach Kwesi Appiah's decision not to start him against the Stars and Stripes.
"Yes, I was surprised that I did not play from the start," he complained after coming on as a substitute in the 59th minute.
"Apparently the coach had different ideas."
Commenting on the exclusion of Boateng and Michael Essien in the starting line-up, Appiah defended his tactical approach, but conceded that his team now face a difficult battle to qualify for the second round.
"Kevin and Michael are good players," he said. "But I opted for a 4-4-2 and found that Jordan Ayew and Asamoah Gyan worked well in training.
"The early goal for us was a disaster. Now we need two wins to still qualify for the knockout stages, even if it is difficult."
Ghana face Germany on Saturday in their second Group G game.
Ex-England boss Glenn Hoddle feels that the World Cup hosts were "very lucky" to beat Croatia in the opening game and argues that there is too much pressure on their key man
Former England manager Glenn Hoddle believes that Brazil need to step up in order to stop Neymar from having to try to win the World Cup on his own.
The hosts saw off Croatia 3-1 in the first game of the tournament on Thursday, with the Barcelona star scoring twice, but benefited from some controversial refereeing decisions.
Though impressed by Neymar's confidence, Hoddle argues that the Selecao do not offer much else about which to get excited, leaving the finals "wide open".
"Brazil were very lucky with their win, which was due to refereeing decisions and goalkeeping errors," he wrote for williamhill.com.
"Brazil got away with it. Croatia certainly did enough to merit a draw.
"This was not the Brazil of the 1970s or the '80s. Luiz Felipe Scolari is playing it very tight and the team are relying on magic from Neymar.
"If Neymar isn't pulling the strings then Brazil look a very ordinary team.
"This leaves the tournament wide open and Brazil will need to improve a lot if they are going to be successful against better teams in this tournament – starting [on Tuesday] against Mexico.
"The sign of a truly great player is that you don't actually have to be at your best on occasions but you can still affect the game and you could see the belief in Neymar when he stepped up to take the penalty.
"He knew he was going to score (although it shouldn't have been a penalty in the first place) but there is an awful lot of pressure on his young shoulders for Brazil to go all the way in this tournament."
Uruguay-England referee's neutrality not considered - Fifa
By Kris Voakes in Brazil
Jun 17, 2014 4:41:00 PM
The assignment of Carlos Velasco Carballo to officiate Thursday's game in Sao Paulo had caused some consternation, but the governing body says the Spaniard is free to take charge
Fifa has moved to clear up controversy over the selection of referees at the World Cup after the designation of a Spaniard for England’s Group D clash with Uruguay on Thursday.
Carlos Velasco Caballo has been handed the assignment despite previous attempts to ensure that officials come from a neutral confederation.
But a Fifa spokesperson has insisted that referees will be considered for selection regardless of their continent of origin.
“Quality is always the first criteria of selection,” the world governing body’s head of media Delia Fischer confirmed on Tuesday.
“The second criteria is that he is not the refereeing his own team or taking charge of a game in which his national team is playing. Those are the only criteria on the selection of referees.”
The issue of refereeing assignment has come under the spotlight since questions were raised over Yuichi Nishimura’s selection as referee for the opening game between Brazil and Croatia.
The Japanese awarded a debatable penalty to the host nation before later ruling out a Croatia equaliser, with many believing that he had been handed the game in part due to his neutrality of confederation.
Velasco Caballo has been on the Fifa referees list since 2008 and also featured at Euro 2012, taking charge of the opening fixture between Poland and Greece in which both teams had a man sent off.
