Showing posts with label semis. Show all posts
Brazil vs Netherlands: 3rd Place Match
FIFA World Cup 2014
Brazil vs Netherlands: Battle of bruised egos
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.
"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.
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
FIFA World Cup 2014: Neymar Thankful He's Not in a Wheelchair Now
Neymar Jr Injury
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.
Brasilia, Brazil: Neymar became emotional when talking Thursday about the injury that ruled him out of the World Cup, saying that if the knee to his back had been slightly more to one side he "could be in a wheelchair" right now.
The Brazil striker 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.
"It's difficult to talk about a move that (happened) in such an important moment of my career," he said.
Neymar fractured his third vertebra when defender Juan Camilo Zuniga hit him from behind in a challenge late in the quarterfinal match against Colombia.
"If it had been 2 centimeters to the center...," he said, struggling to stay composed. "I could be in a wheelchair."
The 22-year-old striker complained about Zuniga's challenge, although he said the Colombian called to apologize.
"I don't know if he was trying to hurt me, but if you understand football you know that it was not a normal challenge," Neymar said. "I can't protect myself when I'm not facing the play. The only thing that can protect me from someone coming from behind are the rules. I couldn't protect myself and I ended getting hurt."
Neymar had been recovering at home but returned to the team's training camp on Thursday. He will travel with the squad to Brasilia to support them in the third-place match against the Netherlands on Saturday.
Neymar said the injury led to "the worst week of his life," one that culminated - in his absence - with Brazil's 7-1 thrashing by Germany in the semifinals. He said he didn't know how to explain what happened, and that it would be "unfair for this group" to be remembered by that result alone.
"It would have been all right to lose, but not like this. It was unbelievable, inexplicable," Neymar said. "I don't have the words to explain what happened."
He said the loss was "part of football," and that he thought Brazil had the potential to rebound and win the next World Cup.
"We can't lower our heads," he said. "It will hurt for a long time, but better days will come."
He wished luck to Germany and Argentina in Sunday's final, but said he hopes the South Americans will come out on top. He plays at Barcelona with Argentina stars Lionel Messi and Javier Mascherano.
"I'm not cheering for Argentina, I'm cheering for my teammates," he said.
Neymar said that it would be good for football to have Messi winning a world title.
"He deserves to be a world champion," he said. "I'm Messi Football Club."
Louis van Gaal Reveals reason behind Semifinal Loss
Argentina vs Netherlands
"I asked two players ahead of Vlaar to take the first penalty," van Gaal said.
"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."
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