2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil - Predictions/Discussions/Updates

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Final Scoreline for Match 61 (SEMI - FINAL #1):

BRAZIL - 1
(Oscar 90')


GERMANY - 7
(Muller 11', Klose 23', Kroos 24', 26', Khedira 29', Schurrle 69', 79')

This, ladies and gentlemen, is called complete and utter demolishing. In a display of brutal soccer which preyed on the host team's non-existent defense, the boys from Deutsche Land struck 4 goals in a span of 6 minutes!! Yes, you read that right.

No, this was no ordinary practice match or a friendly, but the Semi-Final of World Cup 2014.

Indeed, if someone told you before the match started that the scoreline would read 5-0 Germany after the first 30 minutes of play itself, you might tell him to go and get his brains checked. But that's how things happened.

Muller started the rout in the 11th minute by heading the ball in through a neat pass, and the floodgates opened from the 23rd minute onwards. Miroslav Klose got his record-making goal then and went past Ronaldo (Brazil) as the highest goal-scorer in World Cup history. And, as if Germany had suddenly found Brazil's defense with it's pants down, became really brutal. Tear after tear rolled down many a Brazil fans' cheeks, while Germany just blasted them in one after the other - Tony Kroos sent 2 goals in 2 minutes, and Sammy Khedira came in and helped himself to a goal 3 minutes later. It's as if the German boys were lining up, yelling "me! me!", and thumping them in relentlessly one after the other.

The half-time score read 5-0 Germany, and that's when I went to sleep. Scolari's men wouldn't have wanted to step back into the field for the second half, and could you blame them for that? Completely humiliated, dejected and morose, Brazil's players had lost all of their fighting spirit. As if more punishment was in store, Andre Schurrle came in as a substitute for Miroslav Klose in the 58th minute, and exactly 11 minutes later, converted a superb pass from skipper Lahm to score a goal for himself. And when he penetrated Brazil's defense yet again to score his 2nd goal, Germany's 7th, in the 79th minute, the stadium might as well have gone empty. By the time Oscar got one back for Brazil in the dying seconds of play, not many hands were raised to clap for him or applaud his effort.

Germany 7, Brazil 1. Brazil's heaviest defeat in any World Cup match since 1934, and it put an end to their undefeated streak at home since 1975. One of the most humiliating and sad losses a top soccer team had to endure in their entire soccer history.

Come to think of it, even Neymar and Thiago Silva's presence might not have helped much, either.

Germany look every bit like a set of hungry wolves, ready to pounce. It certainly seems like the 2014 World Cup is theirs for the taking, and now they should be really, really strong favorites to lift it on July 12th.

[Angra]

Zzzzzzz

What an anticlimax..

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Final Scoreline for Match 62 (SEMI - FINAL #2):

NETHERLANDS - 0 (2)


ARGENTINA - 0 (4)

Fascinating match, with neither team giving the other an inch! Argentina really upped their game for the second-most crucial game of their campaign, and how it payed dividends in the end.

More than the aggression, it was a tale of superb defense by both teams. Time and again, Arjen Robben and Lionel Messi were thwarted and prevented from entering the marked areas. The chances which came were few and far between, specially in the regular halves. At the 90-minute mark, scores were still 0-0.

The Dutch had tried a different 3-2-3-2 formation to be a bit more penetrative and attacking, but that didn't help their cause much. Van Persie had little to do and towards the end, he was doing defensive duties by keeping Messi on check. A dubious offside call for Higuain deprived Argentina of what could have been their first goal, which replays showed was a legit goal. A double change at around the 78th minute to bring in Palacio AND Aguero also failed to materialise much, as neither player possessed the ball enough to make a difference. In the final few minutes, Robben missed a great chance to score as well. The scoreline might have read 1-1 at the end of regular time.

Extra Time didn't have much action in the first 15 minutes, as players started to get weary. Van Persie was substituted for Huntelaar, but even that move didn't help much. Palacio missed a fantastic chance when he headed the ball straight into the keeper's hands, else the match would have ended right then and there in Argentina's favor.

And so we entered the Penalty Shootout. The Dutch went first.

Dutch 1st kick - Saved by Romero, Argentina's keeper.
Argentinian 1st kick - Scored by Messi. 1-0.
Dutch 2nd kick - Scored by Robben. 1-1.
Argentinian 2nd kick - Scored by Garay. 2-1.
Dutch 3rd kick - SAVED AGAIN! 2-1 still.
Argentinian 3rd kick - Aguero takes it and scores. 3-1.
Dutch 4th kick - Kuyt scores. 3-2.
Argentinian 4th kick - Maxi Rodriguez scores. 4-2, and ARGENTINA WIN!!


An entertaining match till the end. Shame it had to be decided by Penalty Shootouts. The Dutch never had good luck with this part of soccer, so they should have shown a bit more urgency in the normal time itself by gunning for the goal. As things stood, Argentina won and are now through to the FINAL where they meet Germany.

As for the Oranje, they are only left to ponder - what if?! The 2010 Finalists bow out in the Semi-Final stage in 2014. They meet Brazil in the playoff for the 3rd place now.

[MichaelMyers]

I predict the Argentinians will come out sluggish after an extra time match yesterday and one less day to rest. Germany takes it 3-1.

[Angra]

Another brazilian nightmare has begun. Poor bastards.

[roshiq]

Can't say how many more times the 5-time winner is going to win the World Cup in future but one thing's for sure...the world of football will always love to talk about & never forget about this 2014 World Cup team of Brazil!:danger:

[Angra]

Originally Posted by roshiq

Can't say how many more times the 5-time winner is going to win the World Cup in future but one thing's for sure...the world of football will always love to talk about & never forget about this 2014 World Cup team of Brazil!:danger:

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Final Scoreline for Match 63 (3RD PLACE PLAYOFF):

BRAZIL - 0


NETHERLANDS - 3
(Van Persie 3' PK, Blind 17', Wijnaldum 91')

Easy to come back from broken bones, but how do you make a comeback with a broken spirit?

The Brazil team of yore, having suffered a battering from Germany in the semi-finals, came in to showcase their talent one final time in WC 2014 in this match, which many (including myself), say that it should be scrapped from the WC itinerary, as it is an absolutely useless and demoralising fixture. But, more worse things were in store for the South American soccer wizards, and more tears were in store for their hardcore fans.

Brazil were defending like absolute schoolboys! Skipper Thiago Silva returned for this match and in the 3rd minute itself, pulled Robben's shirt hard inside the penalty box, and the Dutchman absolutely flew into the ground. The referee pointed to the spot, and Robin Van Persie converted an easy chance. 1-0 Netherlands in the 3rd minute itself.

Credit to Brazil as well for counter-attacking. At least 3 shots went in front of goal without any contact whatsoever, else it would have been 3-1 Brazil easily. But, as their non-existent and horrendous defense would have it, David Luiz tried to clear a Robben shot but headed it straight into Danny Blind's path who calmly thumped it back past Luiz, into the Brazilian goal. 2-0 Netherlands in the 17th minute.

Brazil missed 2 more chances before the break. The number of misses by their strikers and their sloppy defense made their fans miserable. Even small kids were seen shedding tears and watching the proceedings with open, gaping mouths. No sort of motivation could help them - even the crowd's nonchalant Mexican Wave was of no use.

Second half saw possession and defending from the Dutch, until the first minute of extra time when Wijnaldum converted a wonderful Janmaat-Robben combo to thunder the 3rd goal in. Brazil were playing without any real purpose till then, and the Brazilian players looked sucker-punched out of the game.

Netherlands won comfortably, and became worthy 3rd place winners. As for Brazil, they need to revamp a lot of things without Scolari at the helm now (he's sure to step down). They will have to build a much better team around Neymar, but more importantly, they will need to fix their collective shattered spirits to get back into competitive action again.

[MichaelMyers]

V, Brazil's week has been scarier than any horror movie made in the past year. Fact.

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105 minutes and no goals. Exciting match so far.

Someone send Angra and Zwoti to play for Argentina, and let's have that winning goal already!