Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal has heaped praise on Australia as he believes they gave his Dutch team a scare despite the fixture ending with a 3-2 victory for the European side in Porto Alegre.
The Oranje defeated the Socceroos thanks to a second half goal from Memphis Depay after a Robin van Persie equaliser earlier in the second half.
Speaking to the media after the match, Van Gaal questioned the penalty that was awarded to the Aussies and admitted he was surprised that his side were trailing during the match.
“I think there was no penalty on the first goal and I don’t know how many fouls we were on the end of, but the referee is the one who must draw the line,” Van Gaal stated.
“Australia played with passion and belief. I knew we were going to have problems against them, but it was amazing that we were trailing twice.”
