FIFA World Cup 2014: Brazil 0-3 Netherlands

Two early goals from Robin Van Persie and Daley Blind were enough to knock the wind out of Brazils sails and a stoppage-time goal from Wijnaldum ensured a comfortable victory for the Dutch as they finished third in a World Cup for the very first time. Billed as the game that would salvage a modicum of pride back for the hosts, it ended up being just as bad as the semi-final against Germany.Here are the five talking points from the game.

#1 World Cup of dreams turns into a nightmare for Brazil

This was supposed to be the tournament in which Brazil banished the ghosts of 1950 when they lost to Uruguay in the final. Instead, over the course of two games, they were given a harsh reality check and shown what they really were: a barely functional team who were carried into the semi-final by a superstar who was injured for their final two games.

The only saving grace for Brazil up until the quarter-final was Neymar and once he got injured, there was only ever going to be one result. But nobody could’ve predicted the capitulation that followed.

In a matter of two games, Brazil conceded 10 goals and the hopes of 200 million people were crushed. After the humiliation at the hands of Germany, victory against the Dutch would’ve provided only scant consolation to the grieving hearts, but the hosts couldn’t manage that as they bowed out of their own World Cup with the worst defensive record in the tournament.

#2 Netherlands looked the hungrier of the two sides

After the semi-final loss against Argentina, Arjen Robben claimed that he couldn’t care less about this game and his coach echoed his sentiments by saying how pointless this fixture really was. But the opening minute put to rest any claim that this was going to be an easy game for the hosts. Unlike the previous two games, the Dutch started the match on the offensive and within two minutes had their goal.

From the minute they scored, they wanted another to make sure that the game was sealed. Before they got the second goal, they showed the difference between the sides. While some might claim that the Dutch players aren’t world beaters by any means, they showed the hunger and the desire to get to the ball and command the ball.

Brazil on the other hand, looked devoid of ideas and in the end, paid for it with their second consecutive home loss in 74 years.

#3 Brazil fail to learn their lessons

Before the start of the game against the Netherlands, Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said that he had learnt from his mistakes and promised that his side would go out and salvage some pride against the Dutch. From the opening minute onwards, it didn’t look as though they would. The loss of Thiago Silva was mentioned as one of the major reasons for their loss against Germany, but even he didn’t fare much better as he was beaten by a simple long ball and a flick on and conceded a penalty inside the second minute.

While Silva was lucky to stay on the pitch, he would have hoped he hadn’t, after David Luiz’s misplaced header gifted the Dutch their second goal. From then onwards, there was a glut of nasty fouls which went unpunished and by the end, the hosts were lucky to have finished the game with 10 men.

The third goal perhaps showed how awful Brazil have been defensively in the tournament. With the clock winding down, Brazil had four players inside their penalty box and only Wijnaldum inside for the Dutch. What should’ve been a routine clearance turned into a goal for the Dutch thanks to the poor positioning of the defenders, who finished with the worst defensive record of any side in the history of the World Cup.

#4 Did PSG really pay 50m for David Luiz?

Although David Luiz scored two goals, one of which is probably a contender for the goal of the tournament, the enduring image of this World Cup will be one of the central defender looking up at the heavens, for some divine intervention. For some of his football has been nothing short of awful. For all of his precise passing and his powerful shots, positionally Luiz was all over the place.

Whether it was misplacing simple headers, or getting caught up further forward or caught dawdling on the ball or making a hash of an easy clearance, you name the defensive error, David Luiz would’ve committed it.

By the end of the tournament, PSG must’ve been left scratching their heads and wondering why they signed a central defender who couldn’t defend to save his life. Mourinho might have made some bad calls at Chelsea so far, but his decision to sell David Luiz whilst making him the world’s most expensive defender is proving to be a master stroke with every passing day.

#5 Dutch return home unbeaten and unbroken

Before the start of this tournament, not much was expected out of this Dutch side. Some people back home were even predicting that they would fail to even get beyond the group stages. And they weren’t wrong in thinking so, for the team had an inexperienced defence and a three-man attack, all of whom were above 30 years. Their midfield wasn’t the most creative and there was a sense of pessimism surrounding the side that came into the World Cup on the back of incredibly low expectations.

Not only did they thrash that notion by beating defending World Champions Spain 5-1, they also became the first Dutch side to finish an entire tournament unbeaten and also equalled their previous record of most goals in the tournament.

Defensively resolute and tactically flexible, the Dutch showed that if you have a fighting spirit and the will to win, anything is possible. And if it weren’t for a shoot-out this un-fancied bunch of Dutch players would’ve been playing in their fourth World Cup final. In the end, third place isn’t bad for a side who were expected to go out in the group stages.