It is called the Losers Final, but for the losing semifinalists, Brazil and the Netherlands, Saturday's third place playoff game in Brasilia becomes one where damaged reputations can be repaired and hurt egos soothed. 

Still, all this is just humbug for the hurting Dutch...

 
"This match should never be played, I've been saying that for 10 years," thundered the Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal after his team had been bundled out by Argentinian goalkeeper Sergio Romero in the semifinal in Sao Paulo. In charge of his last match as the Dutch coach before he takes up the job at Manchester United in the coming season, this consolation prize is not what he was looking for as a farewell. 

"There is only one award that counts and that is becoming world champions. The worst thing is that there is a chance you are going to lose twice in a row, and in a tournament in which you have played so well, you go home as a loser. This has got nothing to do whatsoever with sport... not in my view," he said, mincing no words

Scolari will be forever be known as the Brazil manager under whom the Selecao plunged to its worst-ever defeat in its football history. 

"I know my career will be marked by this defeat," he said after the 7-1 mauling, but still offered a forwardlooking approach when he said, "We have an obligation to move on, thinking about the next goal, which in this case is the match for third place in Brasilia." 

Up until then, nobody had given the third-place match any thought, but Scolari saw that as an opening for a belated shot at redemption. "I know it's a much smaller dream than what we all wanted but we have to honour the shirt of the national team," he said, attempting to sound sage-like about the freefall of his team. 

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source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/football/fifa-world-cup-2014/top-stories/Fifa-World-Cup-2014-Brazil-vs-Netherlands-Battle-of-bruised-egos/articleshow/38241239.cms

Brazil star striker Neymar cried as he recalled the injury, saying "God blessed" him and prevented a more serious injury. Neymar had to stop talking for several seconds, lowering his head and putting a hand in front of his eyes.

"They refused. Vlaar in my view was our best player. Unfortunately he didn't score," he added.

"Our penalties against Costa Rica were incredible. That should have given us confidence," said van Gaal.

"You have to maximise the first penalty shot,"

Van Gaal said he would have brought in Tim Krul, the replacement goalkeeper , who faced the penalties shootout & starred in victory against Costa Rica, to take over from regular goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen.

"But I had already used my 3 substitutes at that time."

Related:

Romero takes Argentina to Final

Sergio Romero inspired Argentina to a 4-2 victory over the Netherlands on penalties and FIFA World Cup Final for the first time since 1990.

After 120 goalless minutes in Sao Paulo, the 27-year-old Romero repelled Ron Vlaar’s spot-kick before making a stunning save from Wesley Sneijder to send the Argentines into a showdown with Germany at the Maracana for the Trophy.

The first half was a very tense, chance-shy affair. Messi had Argentina’s best opportunity, with a centrally-positioned free-kick from the edge of the box, but he curled it straight into the hands of the Netherlands' goalkeeper Jasper Callisen.

Ezequiel Gonzalez bravely ducked his head between flying boots from a corner, but the he was unable to keep his effort down, while the sliding Ron Vlaar did well to intercept a low Ezequiel Lavezzi cross before Gonzalo Higuain could pounce on the chance.

The Netherlands, however, struggled to get the ball to danger man Arjen Robben and failed to force Sergio Romero into a save before the half-time.

Full Match Report and Stats

MATCHDAY PREVIEW – The second semi-final at Brazil 2014 features another tussle for supremacy between Europe and South America, with the Netherlands and Argentina renewing acquaintances in Sao Paulo. The two teams most famously contested the Final in 1978, when Argentina won 3-1 after extra time to record their only success in four FIFA World Cup™ meetings with the Oranje.

He will have to make do without injured lieutenant Angel Di Maria, but the player whose absence will arguably be felt most is Nigel de Jong. Missing his favourite midfield enforcer, Louis van Gaal could be tempted to change his system, deploying a pair of holding players to keep Messi quiet.

The Bayern Munich winger has been caught offside 21 times overall, but he is never afraid to try his luck in front of goal and brings energy and intensity to the forward line. That said, it would be short-sighted for either side to focus on Messi and Robben alone, with the likes of Robin van Persie and Gonzalo Higuain having already shown their pedigree in Brazil.

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Germany have advanced to the FIFA World Cup Final with a sensational 7-1 drubbing of Brazil at the Estadio Mineirao in Belo Horizonte. The brilliance of Joachim Low's side was matched only by the ineptitude of the hosts, who suffered their heaviest-ever defeat and became the first team to concede seven in a knockout match at the world finals.

Most of the pre-match coverage had focused on the impact of Neymar's absence but, once the game got underway, it was clear that Thiago Silva - Brazil's captain and defensive rock - was the man they would miss most. Without him, A Seleção's defending was shambolic, with Germany able to slice their way through at will.

The tone was set by the opening goal after just 11 minutes, when Thomas Muller was allowed to steal in completely unmarked to casually volley home from Tony Kroos's outswinging corner. But there was no lesson learned. The hosts' defence continued to afford Germany's forwards the freedom of the penalty area, and it was no surprise when they were ruthlessly punished again 12 minutes later.

Salt was rubbed in Brazilian wounds by the identity of the goalscorer, with Miroslav Klose not only doubling the Germans' lead, but taking his World Cup tally to 16 to surpass Seleção legend Ronaldo as the tournament's record scorer. Again, the marking was non-existent, with the Lazio striker allowed two shots from close range, the first of which was blocked by Julio Cesar, with the second slotted routinely inside the right-hand post.

It was the spark for an incredible six-minute period, during which the Brazilian net bulged four times. Next up, with the pick of Germany's goals, was Tony Kroos, who crashed in a first-time left-foot shot from the edge of the area after Muller had mis-kicked from Philipp Lahm's low cross. The Bayern Munich midfielder was impressive throughout and, a minute later, he made it 3-0 with another goal that owed much to Brazil's hesitant defending.

The guilty man on this occasion was Fernandinho, who allowed himself to be robbed by Kroos midway inside his own half and could only watch as the Germany No18 exchanged passes with Sami Khedira before passing into the net with Julio Cesar stranded. Even at this early stage, it was clear that the game was over as a contest, but though the Mineirao crowd was stunned, there was much, much worse to follow.

Germany's fifth goal was a near carbon copy of their fourth, though with Khedira the finisher rather then the supplier, side-footing confidently home from Mesut Ozil's pass. Brazil had not conceded five goals in a World Cup match since 1938, and while they won on that occasion - beating Poland 6-5 - there was never any chance of a comeback here.

Indeed, It took until the second half for Brazil to provide any kind of response, and even then they found Manuel Neuer in typically imposing form. The German keeper has been one of the players of the tournament and he again shone, first in blocking Oscar's outside-of-the-foot shot and then in pulling off a fantastic double save from substitute Paulinho when a goal seemed certain.

As it was, when the net next bulged, it was a German replacement who was celebrating. Again, the ease with which the Europeans scored was staggering, with Lahm given time and space to pick out Thomas Schurrle for the most straightforward of close-range finishes. And Germany weren't finished yet, with Schurrle again finding acres of space to control and volley left-footed off the underside of the bar, completing the hosts' suffering. Oscar did score a fine last-minute goal, evading Jerome Boateng before shooting high beyond Neuer, but to describe it as a consolation would be stretching the truth.

via: www.fifa.com

Marco Rodriguez whistles for half-time and the Estadio Mineirao is still in disbelief of the scoreline as the two teams head back into the tunnel. Five goals 18 minutes have given Germany an all but insurmountable lead, and Luiz Felipe Scolari will need to work a second-half miracle if Brazil are to find a way into the Final.

 For the first time in FIFA World Cup™ history, both semi-finals at Brazil 2014 will conjure memories of showpiece games from years gone by.

The Netherlands will tackle Argentina on Wednesday eager to avenge their Final loss in 1978, when La Albiceleste prevailed 3-1 after extra time on home soil. Before that, however, the honour of raising the curtain on the last-four stage goes to a pair of global giants, with five-time winners Brazil keen to repeat their triumph at Korea/Japan 2002, where Ronaldo and Co lifted the Trophy after downing three-time champions Germany 2-0.

Brazil now stand on the verge of another decider courtesy of a 2-1 success against Colombia. It was their most probing display of the competition so far, yet the hosts have been gripped by doubt ever since. The sight of Neymar leaving the pitch on a stretcher hadSeleção fans biting their nails, and their worst fears were promptly confirmed when the gifted talisman was ruled out of the rest of the tournament with a fractured vertebra.