The ramifications of Brazil’s humiliating and disastrous defeat at the hands of Germany at the Estadio Mineiro in Belo Horizonte are yet to be played out fully, with not even the Prime Minister of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff able to pacify the angry and grieving multitudes of the country. The sports minister of Brazil, Mr. Rebelo, says that “the defeat has left deep scars on the nation’s psyche”. Brazilian football legends such as Zico, who is now a revered expert on the game, have lambasted the entire Brazilian team, from the players and the coach to the administrators and the ruling government. Many have called what happened against Germany on June 8, the darkest period in Brazilian football’s rich history.
When the World Cup began amid massive protests by organizations representing teachers, government servants and factory workers, the only result that was acceptable to the nation was a victory on July 13 at the Estadio Maracana in Rio de Janeiro. That was the pact between the people of Brazil and Luiz Felipe Scolari, and it was on the basis of this deal that the World Cup was allowed to go on without any subsequent protests or agitations. In fact, until the semi-finals against Germany, the whole of Brazil was a nation in celebration – the celebration of the beautiful game of football. But now, this has turned into a massive nationwide mourning, which one would associate with a defeat in a war or a major natural calamity. Brazil is a nation in a crisis, unable with to live with the fact that its beloved national football team, which is affectionately called by the people as the selecao is hardly as good as the great hype surrounding it makes it out to be.
[one_third last=”no”][content_boxes layout=”icon-with-title” iconcolor=”” circlecolor=”” circlebordercolor=”” backgroundcolor=”#cdefc4″] [content_box title=”” icon=”play” image=”https://www.indiabet.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/bet365.png” image_width=”100″ image_height=”40″]
Deposit Match
Read Review[/content_box] [/content_boxes][/one_third]
[one_third last=”no”][content_boxes layout=”icon-with-title” iconcolor=”” circlecolor=”” circlebordercolor=”” backgroundcolor=”#cdefc4″] [content_box title=”” icon=”play” image=”https://www.indiabet.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/rajah-bet.png” image_width=”100″ image_height=”40″]
Deposit Match
Read Review[/content_box] [/content_boxes][/one_third]
[one_third last=”yes”][content_boxes layout=”icon-with-title” iconcolor=”” circlecolor=”” circlebordercolor=”” backgroundcolor=”#cdefc4″] [content_box title=”” icon=”play” image=”https://www.indiabet.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/888sport.png” image_width=”100″ image_height=”40″]
Deposit Matches
Read Review[/content_box] [/content_boxes][/one_third]
Until recently, Luiz Felipe Scolari, the head coach of the Brazilian national football team was the most popular man in Brazil, affectionately called Felipao. The team was said to be “Scolari’s Family”, so well knit it was, with all players united and committed to one cause – winning the World Cup for their country. Today, Scolari is treated with derision and contempt. Scolari could hardly explain Brazil’s great loss to its people, saying that his players had suffered from a “black out” in the semi-finals against Germany. Nobody has come to Scolari’s aid, with even Neymar’s agent criticizing him openly on Twitter, calling him arrogant and accusing him of not having any real strategy to take him team forward in the tournament. Even Dilma Rousseff, the Prime Minister of Brazil has come in for great criticism from the people of the country, and has had to face the prospect of being abused by the entire crowd at Estadio Mineiro at Belo Horizonte.
What of David Luiz, the inspiration defender and captain of Brazil against Germany? Luiz, who was once the hero of Brazil is today the personification of its greatest humiliation. His tears at the end of the semi-finals have eloquently expressed what the World Cup today means to Brazilians. What was to be the greatest World Cup in the history of football is today a nightmare for Brazilians, and something they would rather forget in a hurry – if not for the fact that their government has already spent $11 billion on it.
It is in such an environment that Brazil take on Holland for the play off for the 3rd and 4th positions at Estadio Nacional in Brasilia. It is a match that nobody in Brazil wants. But sadly, they have no choice in this and the match will have to be played.
Holland have no such problems. Holland are a satisfied group of players despite losing the semi-finals against Argentina. This is because Louis Van Gaal’s side didn’t have to face the same burden of expectation from their countrymen as the Brazilian side does. They are more than happy to have come so far, and would really like it if they could leave Brazil with a win in their last match against the home team. The very last thing Brazil wants is another defeat, but sadly this is the most likely possibility as the Brazilian team is in no position to stop the rampant Arjen Robben and his men from leaving the tournament on a high.
Arjen Robben has been one of the very best players of the World Cup and would be competing with Lionel Messi, James Rodriguez and Thomas Mueller for the Fifa Golden Ball, which is an award given to the best player of the World Cup. He has been brilliant throughout the tournament, and it would be nice to see him leave Brazil as a winner.
This match is very simple to predict, and we don’t see any result other than a comfortable victory for Holland and further national humiliation for Brazil. Sadly, Brazil will find out yet again that there are no hiding places on the football field. 4 – 1 to Holland.
