By RYAN TOLMICH
After the 5-1 thrashing at the hands of the Netherlands last week, today is do-or-die for the defending world champions.
Spain faces a must-win situation when they take on South American powerhouse Chile today, as anything less than a win will all but confirm a group stage exit for the 2010 champions. For their part, Alexis Sanchez and Chile are coming off a 3-1 victory over Australia and any sort of result should make them emerge from Group B into the knockout stages.
In Group A action, Croatia will look to bounce back from a controversial loss to Brazil on Thursday when they take on Cameroon. Tuesday’s draw between Brazil and Mexico means that the Croatians will need to pick up at least a point to essentially make their third and final group stage matchup with Mexico an elimination game.
Finally, Spain’s tormentors, the Netherlands, is also back in action today when it takes on Australia. The Dutch have become heavy favorites in group B, but the Australians will pose questions of their own via the always-threatening head of Tim Cahill.
If you will be watching today’s matches, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.
Enjoy the action (TV listings after the jump):
TODAY’S WORLD CUP SOCCER ON TV
12 p.m. – Australia vs. Netherlands – ESPN
3 p.m. – Spain vs. Chile – ESPN
6 p.m. – Cameroon vs. Croatia – ESPN