Jun 18, 2014 2 min read

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – The king is dead. The World Cup will have a new champion.

Just like France in 2002 and Italy in 2010, defending champion Spain is going home tail between its legs after losing 2-0 to Chile Wednesday.

But the Netherlands, the other winner Wednesday, defeating Australia 3-2, look like an increasingly good prospect to take the throne Spain vacated.

Croatia and Cameroon played in the late game Wednesday.

Chile delivered the mortal blow to an uninterrupted 6-year era of dominance for Spain, the European and world champions whose dazzling footballers ran out of puff in Brazil. They were made to look vulnerable last week in losing 5-1 to the Netherlands and then simply plain ordinary by a physical and quick Chilean side.

Demolishing Spain showed the Dutch can be spectacular. Toughing out a come-from-behind 3-2 victory against Australia showed them to also be resilient and cool under pressure – vital qualities for the knockout rounds that start June 28.

With no points from its first two games, Spain will play for pride when it meets Australia – also winless in its first two games – in their last match Group B match Monday.

Then it will be “adios” and a return home to the inevitable post-mortem of how a team that played like clockwork in defending its European title two years ago could fall so far, so quickly.

Only Italy – winners in 1934 and 1938 – and Brazil – champions in 1958 and 1962 – have won back-to-back World Cups.