In another heartless display, Brazil capitulated to a more disciplined and energetic side, comprehensively losing 3-0 to the Netherlands.
Many hoped Thiago Silva’s return to . the side from suspension would add some stability at the back, especially after their calamitous 7-1 loss to Germany, but Silva proved no better than his cohorts, when after 4 minutes he brought Arjen Robben down and the referee awarded a penalty. Robben had been put through on with the GK, and Silva was left with no choice but to cynically grab the flying Dutchman to prevent a sure goal. Silva received a yellow card when he surely deserved a penalty, but replays also showed that Silva felled Robben outside of the box. Nonetheless, Robin Van Persie stepped up to the spot and rifled his penalty into the top left corner, leaving Julio Cesar with no chance of saving the spot-kick.
13 minutes later the Brazilian defense was found out yet again, when Jonathan de Guzman burst down the right flank and delivered a rasping cross, only for David Luiz to head the ball back into play for Daley Bling to collect and smash into the roof of the net. 2-0 to the Dutch, and the game seemed over for the visibly despondent Brazil side.
The rest of the game played out fairly comfortably for the Dutch, Robben consistently getting behind the Brazil defense and drawing fouls. Brazil continued to fight, but they were short on quality and effort, with only Oscar and Ramires making the Dutch sweat. The Oranje Army piled on the misery in the 90th minute, when Daryl Janmaat raced down the right flank and delivered an intelligent, teasing ball across the box for Georginio Wijnaldum to finish at Cesar’s near post. Game. Set. Match.
Holland finish in 3rd, having finished runners-up in 2010, a result many will see as a successful one, given many pegged them to falter at the group stage. Brazil, on the other hand, will view their 4th place finish as an unequivocal failure on par with their 1950 World Cup Final loss to Uruguay.
