Brazil vs. Netherlands: Final score 0-3, Oranje comfortably win 3rd-place playoff
Brazil’s World Cup ends in a whimper with a 3-0 loss to the Netherlands in the third-place game.
The Netherlands cruised past Brazil, 3-0 in Saturday's World Cup third-place playoff in Brasília. The Oranje scored twice early in the first half and comfortably withstood the ensuing pressure from the impotent hosts before adding a third late in the game.
If this was supposed to be a chance for the Seleção to reclaim some respect after being humiliated by Germany in the semifinal, it will go down as a missed opportunity.
It took the Netherlands only three minutes to break the deadlock, with Robin van Persie netting from the penalty spot after Arjen Robben was tugged down by Thiago Silva. The incident appeared to occur outside of the box, though a spot-kick was awarded and the defender escaped with only a yellow card.
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Brazil responded by bombarding the Dutch box with crosses, though they were almost invariably gobbled up by the Oranje center backs.
At the other end, Brazil's defensive woes continued. The Netherlands doubled their advantage in the 17th minute, when Daley Blind collected a David Luiz knockdown inside the box and calmly dispatched his shot into the roof of Júlio César's net.
From then until the break, the Netherlands were cruising. Brazil didn't capitulate as they did against Germany, but they never looked like getting back in the game after going down two. Their best chance of the half came just over five minutes before the interval, though Oscar's driven free kick flashed wide off the head of Luiz Gustavo.
The hosts didn’t look much better after the restart. They still struggled to convert their possession into goalscoring chances, and failed to seriously test Dutch goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen. Ramires wriggled into space on the edge of the box just short of the hour, though he dragged his shot wide of the far post.
Brazil should have at least had some joy with just over 20 minutes left, when Oscar was clearly tripped in the penalty area by Blind. However, the referee again made the wrong call and booked the attacker for simulation.
The Netherlands capitalized to score a third in the first minute of stoppage time, when substitute Daryl Janmaat jinked down the right and laid on an assist for Georginio Wijnaldum in the box. A miserable World Cup campaign ended on a fittingly bad note for the Seleção.
Brazil: César; Maxwell, Silva, Luiz, Maicon; Gustavo (Fernandinho 46’), Paulinho (Hernanes 57’); Willian, Oscar, Ramires (Hulk 73’); Jô.
Goals: None.
Netherlands: Cillessen (Vorm 90+3’); Martins Indi, Vlaar, de Vrij; Blind (Janmaat 70’), Clasie (Veltman 90’), Wijnaldum, Kuyt; de Guzmán; Robben, van Persie.
Goals: van Persie (pen. 3’), Blind (17’), Wijnaldum (90+1’)
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