FIFA World Cup 2014 Results, Analysis - Brazil vs. Netherlands: What We Learned From Dutch's Third-Place Win
The misery continued for Brazil in the third-place match of the 2014 FIFA World Cup as the hosts were destroyed 3-0 by the Netherlands Saturday.
The team conceded 10 goals in two matches and finished the tournament with 14 goals against, the most ever for the nation in the tournament. Latin Post.com takes a look at some observations from the match:
1. Fragile Brazil
Remember how the Spanish responded after getting blown out 5-1 by the Dutch? They played an awful game against Chile that lacked confidence. Brazil responded in the same exact fashion after its brutal defeat against Germany on Tuesday. Two minutes in, the Dutch ran up the pitch and Arjen Robben wound up speeding past Thiago Silva. The Brazilian defender could not keep up and decided to pull him down. There is debate about whether it was a true penalty, but there could also be an argument that Silva was the last man and should have merited a red. Whatever the case, Brazil was down 1-0 just minutes in.
Then the second goal came a little while later and the team looked like it would continue to capitulate after going down 2-0. The hosts started to find scoring opportunities, but they continued to look susceptible on the counter.
2. David Luiz, the defensive liability
During the 7-1 destruction at the hands of Germany, many stated that David Luiz's defense was atrocious and that the team lacked the calming presence of captain Thiago Silva.
Silva was at fault for the opening penalty and could have easily been kicked out of the game minutes in. But even his return to the side did not settle his team or his defense partner. Paris Saint-Germain must be looking at this game and cringing, as their defense is made up of Silva, Luiz and Maxwell, who started in this match. Luiz continued to push up the pitch and was often caught out of position on Dutch counters. The Netherlands' second goal falls squarely on Luiz's shoulders as he decided to head an aerial clearance right into the center of the penalty area, where Daley Blind had time and space to control the ball -- with two touches no less -- and fire home the goal. Luiz's decision was disastrous, but the fact that Blind was wide open and had that much time to score is unexplainable.
3. Oscar the Trainwreck
After the brilliant performance against Croatia in the opener, the Chelsea star has gone on to have an atrocious World Cup. His first touch in the game against Germany was a point of ridicule and he was no better in this match. He had one opportunity in which a long ball found him in behind the German defense; he would have been on a breakaway if he would have controlled it properly. But alas, as has been the case throughout the past few games, he was unable to corral the ball and quickly lost it. It summed up his entire game. He had some nice link-up plays in the second half and was victimized for diving late in the game. It was a horrible tournament for the Brazilian.
4. Determined Dutch
A lot of people in the Dutch camp stated that the third place game was pointless, including manager Louis van Gaal. And yet, the team came to play with tremendous determination. The two goals in the opening 20 minutes signaled a desire to put the game away quickly. The fact that Holland came so close to adding more in the second emphasized that they were looking to put down the hosts. The final goal was a fabulous team effort full of intelligent passing and timing.
5. What Does the Future Truly Hold for Hosts?
Over the course of two games, Brazil has proven that it is a fragile side capable of being picked apart by top sides. The team as a whole needs massive restructuring if it is to make a run in four years.
But the question beckons: who is going to step in and improve this team aside from Neymar?
Now that Brazil has been exposed, will the team simply cruise through the qualifiers as in years past with such top sides as Colombia, Chile and Argentina standing in their way? Paraguay, Ecuador and Uruguay are probably also seeing this and thinking that they might have a great chance of taking down Brazil in qualifiers for 2018. Time will tell how this ship gets righted, but the Selecao, the mascot of the sport, is in a dire state.