Goals: Netherlands—Persie 3’ (penalty) Blind 16’ Wijnaldum 90'+1
Recap: After 90 minutes of irrelevant football, the Netherlands were able to capture a 3-0 victory over Brazil and finish the 2014 World Cup in third place.
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An awarded penalty allowed the Dutch to capture an early 1-0 lead. After just three minutes, Brazil found themselves in the hole once more. A mere 13 minutes later, a familiar feeling returned to the host nation. Daley Blind’s finish inside the area doubled the Netherlands’ advantage and continued the string of embarrassing results for the Selecao. Brazil had little if anything to offer from there, finishing the match with a paltry two shots on goal. Georginio Wijnaldum's finish in stoppage-time sealed a 3-0 victory for the Dutch.
Key Moment: It didn’t take long for Arjen Robben to impact the match. A darting run toward the area forced center-back Thiago Silva to pull him down just outside of it. The official cautioned Silva when a red was deserved. He also awarded a penalty when a free-kick would’ve sufficed. Though, it should be of note that FIFA law states: If a defender starts holding an attacker outside the penalty area, but continues holding inside the penalty area, the referee shall award a penalty. Either way, the Netherlands captured a 1-0 lead as a result of the foul. It went all downhill from there for Brazil.
Man of the Match: He’s not a FIFA Golden Ball finalist for no reason. Robben is leaving Brazil with his imprints all over it, finishing the match with five dribbles won and six fouls drawn.
Lesson Learned: Brazil were never true World Cup contenders. Many pointed to the fact that the tournament was being held on their soil, but that alone doesn’t dictate the terms of a football match. Having David Luiz as your center-back and Fred or Jo as your striker does. That’s not enough quality to compete with the world’s elite. When true test came, that’s what ultimately showed for Brazil.
Up Next: Both teams return home to prepare for the next World Cup cycle.
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
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