World Cup: Match 57 - Brazil vs. Netherlands

VS.






The Quarterfinal match-up that most foresaw when the groups were drawn, that many lamented for coming too early, and some even called the "real final" of World Cup 2010 was the best of the tournament so far.Holland is rightly described as the best team never to win the World Cup. Recently, they had looked excellent, unstoppable at times. They qualified for South Africa 8-0 with 17 goals for and only 2 against. They had also been perfect this year, beating US and Mexico 2-1, Ghana 4-1, and Hungary 6-1 after conceding the first goal. I would describe the Netherlands as a bored cat playing with a mouse that it has already caught. So long as the mouse keeps quiet, it dies without much pain. But should the mouse lash out, like Ghana or Hungary did, all the claws would come out.The group stage caught little of the Dutch's interest and they coasted through it without challenge (one of two teams with a perfect winning record). Slovakia also failed to cause alarm in the second round. For this reason, I feared the worst: after facing little competition in their previous 4 games, how could the Dutch possibly gear up for Brazil, who had faced much more formidable opponents in Chile, Portugal, Ivory Coast, and even surprisingly staunch North Korea. In my eyes, the Netherlands were doomed against Brazil, and though I sported a Dutch jersey, I did not dare to hope.

My fears were realized the moment the whistle blew. Brazil played the most beautiful soccer I have ever seen in my life and in the 10th minute scored an incredible goal. Felipe Melo made a brilliant pass on the ground from the center circle that sliced between the Dutch center backs and found Robinho on the run, who put it away first-time in classic Robinho fashion. It was an unbelievable pass, but the defensive laxity of the Dutch was equally unbelievable. Andre Ooijer, who will turn 36 the day of the final, was the immediate scapegoat. He had started the game unceremoniously when Joris Mathijsen injured himself during the pregame warm-up. But the entire Dutch back line were to blame, as winger Arjen Robben was actually the only one chasing down Robinho when he scored.

After the goal, Brazil's dominance continued and the Dutch had little to say about it. Both in passing and dribbling, the Dutch were completely outclassed. Even Robben had been neatly packaged to a box labeled 'Return to sender.' The Brazilians had developed the killer defense against his killer left footed shot. Instead of standing in front of him, they lingered on his left, making it impossible for him to cut the ball onto his left foot. They stood so far to his left, in fact, that his view of the goal was completely clear. If only he could rip it with his right...

The Dutch were completely unraveled again in the 31st minute, when Robinho did up three defenders down the left side, passed it despite a foul to Luis Fabiano, who found Kaka at the top of the box. Kaka maneuvered the ball into position and let fly a curling shot toward the upper 90. With all hope hanging in the balance, the Dutch keeper, Maarten Stekelenburg made a sprawling save that reminded all of us what the word meant. Reaching with his right hand toward the left corner, he just barely managed to bat the ball away. The Dutch weathered the last 15 minutes of the half and retreated to the locker room, lucky not to be bleeding more.At this point I said, "If the Dutch don't score right at the start of the second half, it's over." It was a very big if. Brazil were playing better than I'd ever seen them play. They would need to come out completely asleep to concede a goal. In fact, Brazil were undefeated when leading at halftime (35-0-2) and had only been beaten twice when scoring first (53-2-4)!!!

Miraculously, marvelously, majestically, that's just what happened. I can't explain it but the teams that stepped back on the field were not the same as those that left it. Suddenly, Brazil seemed sluggish and Netherlands alive. Robben became a true pest. It was as if, during the break, he had devised an entirely new way to play the game. Instead of attacking the goal, he invited defenders to attack him, waiting until the very, very last second to poke the ball out of reach. He would be clearly in no position to get the ball, but when the Brazilian tackles sent him flying into the air or sprawling onto the grass, it was hard to argue. Brazil even moved Michel Bastos to the other side, after he got carded for repeated attempts on Robben's ankles. Robben drew 8 fouls over the course of the game.

In the 53rd minute, the man who had crafted Brazil's goal crafted their undoing. Trying to head away a cross from Wesley Sneijder, Felipe Melo only skimmed the ball...and got in Julio Cesar's way in the process. From there, Sneijder's beautiful cross just continued on its merry way into the back of the net. A goal for Sneijder! A goal for the Netherlands!! A goal for the whole world!!!

Then, in the 68th minute, on a corner kick by Arjen Robben, the Dutch achieved the unthinkable. Dirk Kuyt beat his defender to the near post and flicked it onto the head of the shortest player on the field, none other than Wesley Sneijder (5'7"). After flipping the ball into the far corner and watching it ripple the net sweetly, he ran off laughing and slapping his bald head. I could watch this goal over and over and over again. For me it was the best moment of the World Cup, not only because I so badly want the Dutch to win it all, but also because I'm so glad Brazil are out. I don't hate them or anything, it's just that their penchant for winning is making the World Cup boring. Five times is ridiculous. They've won it on every continent it's been played on...(until now!). They are so good, so beautiful to watch, and that's why it's so exciting to see them lose! YYEESS!!!











Felipe Melo sealed Brazil's fate in the 73rd minute, when Robben's improvised come-foul-me strategy finally overcame him. Frustrated at what he thought was diving, Melo lashed down at the down forward with his cleat and earned himself a straight ejection. After noticing just how involved Felipe Melo was in this game, I took a closer look at Holland's second goal, just to search for some plausible connection, no matter how outlandish. It was better that I could dream: guess who was marking Sneijder when he scored???

Felipe Melo is a villain in Brazil but a hero around the world!

The rest of the game was...weird. With only ten men and a goal behind, Brazil's chances didn't look good, even as they flung forces forward. The Netherlands had several GOLDEN opportunities on counter-attacks but didn't really seem interested in scoring, somehow. Honestly, they would outnumber the Brazilians 4-2 in the box and just sit on the ball until they lost it. I've heard of wasting time, but this was ridiculous! Especially when another goal is so much more effective at protecting a lead... Maybe they did it out respect? Or maybe they did it because they were still couldn't believe their luck... I'm still having trouble!

This is the best thing that's happened for the World Cup since Zidane ousted Brazil in the quarterfinal of the last one or at least since Michael Ballack got injured, freeing Germany of his 176lbs of dead weight.

And on a funnier note, The Curse of the Nike Write The Future Commercial has reaped its last victim! Hahahaha! Ronaldinho even before the tournament started. Franck Ribery and Fabio Cannavaro in embarrassing group-stage eliminations. Didier Drogba out of the group stage as well. Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo out in the second round. And Robinho, who wasn't even in the original commercial, is now Nike's last victim (I hope). I'm pretty sure they scrambled to shoot his "future" once all their other stars fell out of the sky...Nike, Nike, Nike. For a company named for the goddess of victory, this is a disaster.

FUNNY COMMENTARY:

About the Brazilian head coach:
"Dunga means dopey. He was named for one of the seven dwarves."
"Maybe grumpy would have been more appropriate."

No idea:
"I promise that will be talked over many a cappuccino."

They are sweet:
"Oh the tears in Rio tonight!"