Neither Brazil or Netherlands will get their names on the trophy, but pride and redemption are on the line for two teams who could use a little bit of both but for different reasons.
3rd place match: Brazil vs. Netherlands
Result: 3-0 victory for the Dutch
Goalscorers: 3' penalty Robin van Persie (Manchester United), 17' Daley Blind (Ajax), 90+1' Georginio Wijnaldum (PSV)
Bookings: 2' Thiago Silva (PSG), 9' Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich), 36' Jonathan de Guzman (Swansea City), 54' Fernandinho (Manchester City), 68' Oscar (Chelsea)
Lineups
Brazil (4-2-3-1)
Julio Cesar (Toronto FC); Maicon (Roma), Thiago Silva (PSG, captain), David Luiz (Chelsea), Maxwell (PSG); Paulinho (Tottenham), Luiz Gustavo (Wolfsburg); Ramires (Chelsea), Oscar (Chelsea), Willian (Chelsea), Jo (Atletico Mineiro)
Changes from last match
Dante, Marcelo, Fernandinho, Hulk, Bernard, and Fred were taken off the starting lineup to be replaced by Thiago Silva (back from suspension), Maxwell, Paulinho, Ramires, Willian, and Jo.
Subs:
Fernandinho (Manchester City) 46' for Luis Gustavo
Hernanes (Lazio) 57' for Paulinho
Hulk (Zenit) 73' for Ramires
Netherlands (5-3-2)
Jasper Cillessen (Ajax); Dirk Kuyt (Fenerbahce), Stefan de Vrij (Feyenoord), Ron Vlaar (Aston Villa), Bruno Martins Indi (Feyenoord), Daley Blind (Ajax); Georginio Wijnaldum (PSV), Jordy Clasie (Feyenoord), Jonathan de Guzman (Swansea City); Robin van Persie (Manchester United, captain), Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich)
Changes from last match
Injuries to Wesley Sneijder and Nigel de Jong meant that their World Cup ended in their defeat to Argentina, which also meant Clasie and de Guzman got to start.
Subs:
Daryl Janmaat (Feyenoord) 70' for Daley Blind
Joel Veltman (Ajax) 90' for Jordy Clasie
Michel Vorm (Swansea City) 90+3' for Jasper Cillessen
So yeah, in case you weren't aware or you were still in denial or thought that was just an outrageous dream, Germany beating Brazil 7-1 actually happened. A result that has sent possibly the biggest soccer/football nation in the world in shock, disbelief, and depression. But they still had one game left against another formidable opponent. Wesley Sneijder got injured in the warmup so Jonathan de Guzman was a last minute edition to the starting lineup. This would be Dirk Kuyt's final appearance for the Dutch national team, after playing for Netherlands for over 10 years since 2004 (since his Feyenoord days, which lasted until he moved to Liverpool and now Fenerbahce). What was awesome about both managers Luis Felipe Scolari and Louis van Gaal was how many players they let play in this World Cup. Every field player for Brazil made at least one appearance in this tournament (only backups goalies Jefferson and Victor being left out), while van Gaal went a step further and had all 23 Dutch players (including all 3 goalies) make at least one appearance in this tournament. In this game, quite simply, everything went Netherlands's way. There was some controversy surrounding their first two goals though. Thiago Silva's foul on Arjen Robben forced the penalty but it's debateable whether it was inside or outside the box. If it was inside the box, Thiago Silva should've been red carded and Netherlands should've been given a penalty. If it was outside the box, it should've been a yellow for Silva and free kick for Netherlands. Instead it's a yellow for Silva and a penalty kick for Netherlands. And the ball in that led to the 2nd goal seemed to have happened in an offside position but it was not called. Even then the goal could've been avoided if David Luiz just kicked it out for a corner or throw in. Instead, he conveniently kicks the ball right to Daley Blind to score his first ever international goal. Georginio Wijnaldum's goal was totally legit and it capped what was another frustrating night for Brazil. Brazil did play better, they had more possession and looked more dangerous. But they still lacked that creative spark and killer instinct that seemed essential for Brazil to have with their players from previous generations. For Netherlands it's a positive way to exit the World Cup, for Brazil, it merely added insult to injury.
Elimination Analysis: Brazil
Who could've seen this coming? A year ago Brazil won 5 of their 5 games at the FIFA Confederations Cup, winning the trophy in a stunning 3-0 victory over then reigning World champions Spain. This victory had the proud South American nation where soccer is an integral part of life excited and hopeful for the World Cup the following year. They did have a strong team on paper, with players playing in big clubs like Chelsea, Barcelona, and Real Madrid, but this wasn't anything like a classic Brazilian team no matter what you put it. And despite the confidence you think these Brazilian players had, they lacked the talent and the mental power to sustain the pressure that was put on them by their home fans. Yes playing in Brazil was a boost and like many experts said, maybe Brazil's run would've been a shorter one if this World Cup was played outside of Brazil, but there was an expectation that Brazil needed to win on their home soil to make up for their missed opportunity in 1950 to do it then. Time after time though Brazil had under performed. They really struggled in their opener against Croatia with Marcelo being the first Brazilian player to OFFICIALLY score an own goal at the World Cup (I believe Felipe Melo had an own goal vs. Netherlands in 2010 but it wasn't counted as one). They couldn't score against Mexico in a 0-0 tie. They let Cameroon score on them, one of the weakest and most disorganized teams of the tournament. They had to get through penalties to beat Chile and if Mauricio Pinilla's shot is just a little bit lower it goes in and knocks Brazil out but luckily it hit the post. And a bit of David Luiz magic (who played horribly in the two Brazil games that followed) and Carlos Sanchez sloppiness gave Brazil the win over Colombia. Yes Brazil still made the top 4 but that's not the way we're used to seeing Brazil progress in the World Cup. And this is definitely not the way a team like Brazil should go out of the World Cup: Losing 7-1, their biggest loss EVER in their history, and then losing again 3-0 to lose back to back home games for the first time since the 1940s. Just unbelievable. The most positive thing I can say about Brazil is that they can afford to have one bad spell from an objective point of view. Arguably Brazil has the proudest history in international football with 5 World Cups, 4 Confederations Cups, 8 Copa Americas, and 4 Pan American games, and I might still be missing a thing or two. This will take some getting over, something Brazilians don't do easily because of how much the sport means to them, and we'll see how long Brazil's struggles last, especially now that they have to qualify for World Cups again. Surely these bad days won't last forever and Brazil should be able to be a decent team still, but they will have to earn whatever they can.
Elimination Analysis: Netherlands
Always the bridesmaid never the bride. Another World Cup where Netherlands's run can be best summed up as "so close yet so far". They didn't make it to the final before being denied their first ever World Cup this time, but losing to Argentina on penalties in the semifinals is how close they were to the Maracana. For a Dutch fan it definitely seems frustrating. Yes, they're still a great team and they're still better off than most other teams in the world. They also greatly improved on their 2012 Euro performance and exceeded their expectations at this World Cup (it's weird to think of them that way now, but before the tournament many people favored Spain and Chile to progress and leave Netherlands in the dust). They definitely fought hard to get as far as they did against a stream of decent opponents that included Spain, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, surprise package Costa Rica, and feisty underdogs Australia who scored 2 against them. Unlike their finalist buddies from the last World Cup Spain, this Dutch team was young and much different than the team that played in South Africa. Only 7 of these 23 players were in the 2010 South Africa squad: Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie, Nigel de Jong, Dirk Kuyt, Wesley Sneijder, Michel Vorm, and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, and those seven plus Ron Vlaar and Tim Krul were the only survivors from the 2012 UEFA Euro Squad. The entirety of Netherlands's defense was pretty inexperienced, but they definitely stepped up, especially Ron Vlaar and Daley Blind. This team played as a cohesive unit throughout the campaign even when missing some players like Kevin Strootman and Rafael van der Vaart. From Robin van Persie's "flying dutchman" goal to Tim Krul's surprise appearance to win the penalty shootout over Costa Rica, they definitely didn't lack in the entertainment department either. It's players like these who keep the Dutch hopeful that someday they will win a World Cup. Though in Russia the likes of Dirk Kuyt, Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie, and Wesley Sneijder will either be past their prime or not on the team entirely, players like Georginio Wijnaldum and Memphis Depay look like they can fill in in a few years time and keep the Orange strong.
Up Next
Final: Germany vs. Argentina
One team survived Portugal, Ghana, USA, Algeria, France, and Brazil. The other survived Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iran, Nigeria, Switzerland, Belgium, and the Netherlands. One team is known by most through their star player, while the other team doesn't quite have a star player but a constellation that shines brightly as one star. Argentina looks to tie Germany's record with their 3rd World Cup win, with Lionel Messi leading the way in a chance with destiny to write his name in history alongside Diego Maradona. Germany looks to tie Italy's record with their 4th World Cup win. This golden generation, which includes Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger, and Thomas Muller, has come close to the title but not close enough the past 3 World Cups and this is their chance to rid themselves of those demons and win the title they so desperately want. Germany looked the more impressive but despite all the doubt Argentina are still in it as well. The World Cup is on the line and it's coming to it's conclusion. Either Argentina will win the World Cup in their rival Brazil's soil or Germany will become the first European nation to win the World Cup in South America. It will definitely be a tense encounter and hopefully a fantastic game.
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