World Cup 2014: The Netherlands wins 3rd-place game, Brazil embarrassed
I guess FIFA has to have a consolation game, so Saturday afternoon at Estadio Nacional in Brasilia, the nation's Capital, the Netherlands added insult to the injury Brazil has suffered since their footballers were humiliated in the semi-final by Germany.
The Dutch played like THIS was the finale and the host country made a pedestrian effort that ended in defeat. In the third minute Thiago Silva, who is fast in my mind becoming a punk, hauled down Arjen Robben as he approached the Brazil goal with the ball. Silva, who sat out the semi-final because of yellow cards, was called for a penalty and that allowed the Netherlands a penalty kick. Captain Robin Van Persie had no problem scoring and the Netherlands was on its way.
In the 17th minute, Daley Blind collected a clearing header from David Luiz and on his weak foot, drilled the ball past a still dazed Julio Cesar and the Dutch led 2-nil, and it stayed that way to the half. It seems to me that the men in the yellow shirts just plain gave up. I've said this before and I will keep saying it. Without Neymar Jr, Brazil is nothing. Yes they have some other gag players, but where were they against Germany and they were MIA on Saturday. Too bad, because the passionate, rabid Brazilian fans deserve better.
Brazil's best chance to get back in the game came in the 68th minute. Oscar was driving towards the Dutch goal when Daley Blind tripped him up. Oscar embellished the foul by spinning while going down. Referee Djamer Haimoudi pulled out his yellow card, on Oscar for flopping! Blind went down a heap and had to be carried off on a stretcher, never to return. So instead of a penalty kick, Brazil got nothing but another yellow card. And to add insult to injury, Georginio Wijnaldum beat Cesar easily in the 91st minute. Brazilian fans started to whistle their disapproval of what their heroes could not accomplish. Julio Cesar was a huge embarrassment giving up 10 goals in two games. Brazil players received a couple of red cards, Paulino in the 57th minute, and Ramirez in the 73rd minute, but what do they care, the tournament for them and Brazil is over. Netherlands wins 3-nil.
Now Sunday, the final game of the 2014 FIFA World Cup takes place. Brazil's President, Dilma Rousseff, will attend. Germany is a slight favorite to win. They are not going to whip Argentina like they did Brazil, but I pick then to win their fourth World Cup gold ball trophy. It would be their first victory since the unification.
