2014 FIFA World Cup™ 3rd Place: Brazil vs Netherlands, pre-game discussion.

To be honest, normally I'm not too bothered by 3rd place games, but for this one I'm quite intrigued to see how Brazil react... and Holland of course.... in order for Holland to get one over their rival Germany - they'll have to hit at least 8...

 

As a brazilian who wants the best for the country, I'll be supporting Netherlands in this one.
I hope they give Brazil a trashing to be remembered.

This is the only way to bring down the "6-minutes blackout thesis".

In order to bring CBF down and rearrange everyything, we need to leave the tournament in shambles so everyone can be sure about how bad the team is and how terrible the whole preparation was.

Holland 5-0 is what I'm hoping for.

Bring it on!

PS: this is still the best World Cup ever and I'm really proud of Brazil - the country.

 

Brazil 8 - Holland 7.
4 red cards.
2 broken legs.

 

Louis Van G doesn't want to play. Scolari is an arrogant, repulsive, big-headed old douchebag according to his own team and you should see the things his enemies say. Positively rated XXX. This might be the first match in history that will go 90min without anyone kicking the ball.

 

There is NOTHING good that can come from a third place game. The players are tired. The game means nothing. They are playing on very short rest and the Dutch with miniscule rest. There are only two potential outcomes.
1. A very boring game where the players take no chances (which is what I would do).
2. It turns violent because one or two guys go in with an attitude and somebody gets seriously hurt.

Just one more case where FIFA needs to pull their heads out from where the sun doesn't shine and make some changes to their archaic view of football.

 

I am in doubt, watch this game or skip it.
Its a pointless exercise imposed on 2 teams just for the money.

But ok, I might as well watch a part of it. Last 20 minutes or so.

I don't think it is appropriate to wish any of the teams good luck

 

Technically, should this thread even be in the "knockout rounds" subforum?

I suppose it's like a high profile friendly to start rebuilding.

 

For the brazilian fans: http://brasil.elpais.com/brasil/2014/07/09/deportes/1404935771_815011.html

I like this analysis a lot.

 

LVG is absolutely right. Imagine making it to the semi finals, which is a big deal for any team, and then losing twice. It's way too much disappointment. The two semi finalists should just be listed as being in joint 3rd place.

In any case, I like Holland and I feel bad that they've never won a World Cup despite being worthy of it many times, but after Brazil's loss, I can't help but feel for them (especially David Luiz and Thiago Silva) and all their supporters. Can't both teams just win?

 

@Pandore,

I think the Seleção want to play one last game in this WC to try to mitigate some of the bad taste they left in the fans' mouths and create a slightly better impression. It probably won't work very well.

 

Weird
By their public declarations I would have say the opposite

 

I hope it works. I feel for Holland too, so it's hard for me to root for one side, so I will just root for both. I will say though that David Luiz's post match interview almost made me cry!

Brazil should be proud regardless. They hosted an amazing world cup and they are still way more successful than any of us. We've all had our ups and downs with our teams. I was depressed for weeks in 2006 after France lost in the final and probably even more depressed for how my biggest idol was disrespected. Eventually, I started to look forward and focus less on the past. Anyway, all I'm trying to say is that hopefully Brazil can use this as a catalyst for significant and positive change.

 

This is one World Cup game I never bother to watch. I agree with Van Gaal that it should be scrapped.

 

I would have hated if Argentina had had to play for the third place
Better going home

 

Brazil will come back as sure as the sun will rise tomorrow
And I am argentine.

 

I understand it must be frustrating to have to play this match -- especially if the Dutch media seem to call it a "troostfinale" (consolation final) more often than "Third-Place match" -- but it also strikes me as poor sportsmanship to come across as being a sore loser who doesn't want to play anymore because he wasn't #1. Ok then, field a B-team, get your FA and players some cash, and improve your seeding chances for the next WC. In short, quit whining and play the game.

 

I think it's about giving the teams in the final 3 days rest. It's better that way and frankly the 3rd place game was always a better game than the final itself
France 98 was the exception

 

It is usually more fluid and therefore more entertaining, but it is strange to (usually) see so little tension in a World Cup match. To be honest, I watch it only because at that moment, there is no other match to watch.

 

imho you are a tiny bit quick with judging Tuco. Sore looser and poor sportsmanship?

The point is everyone is (or should be) at the tournament wanting to win it or get as far as possible.
Not getting into the final (or advanced) should be the end.

You don't see games for places #5 till #8 do you? Well, it is because advancing thru the knockout
round(s) is basically just that, loose = out, winner advances.

For the #3/#4 someone at FIFA masterminded that there should be enough ppl willing to pay for that game.
Hence it is played, winner gets a shiny medal "#3", FIFA more money.

But in the end, a tournament has very little to do with places #3 and lower.
I don't remember who was #3 on any other previous WC, not one.

If this view makes me 'a sore looser' or 'bad sportsman' I agree we disagree.

 

Or anyone with any kind of slight knock.

 

I agree, we disagree. =)

You do make good points, and I see where you're coming from. All the same, I think the key issue here is that different teams see the third place match differently, precisely because they had different expectations surrounding their performance in the WC.

When I look back on previous bronze matches, I recall seeing some good matches, most of which featured 'surprise' semi-finalists (Sweden, Croatia, Turkey, Uruguay). These teams treated the "meaningless" match meaningfully insofar they displayed a real intention to go out and win. This is similar to how already-disqualified teams approach their final ("meaningless") group match: they don't all see it as a boring chore.

Moreover, last WC's third place match gave Müller and Forlan the chance to fight it out for the Golden Boot, something not all players consider meaningless. In that respect, a third place match can be seen as a reward for teams to play another WC match.


That said, I agree with those who say referee's should receive special emphasis to actually cut down on so many of the dirty fouls we've seen this WC.