July 2 - Quarter-Finals - Holland vs. Brasil

[jpg75]

Probably the game of the tournament so far...

[BearcatSA]

Brazil in blue with white shorts, the colours in which they won their first ever WC.

[BearcatSA]

Wow!

[thescottc]

I expected this to be a close game, but Brazil have been totally dominant in the early-going.

[BearcatSA]

Van Persie really needs to have a big game, considering the behaviour he has displayed recently.

[thescottc]

Silly play by Robben, it was obvious to everyone in the park knew what he was trying to do, plus there were no other orange shirts near enough to get to the ball.

[BearcatSA]

Brazil look pretty comfortable in every area of the field. Great save by the keeper off of Kaka's curler. De Jong has a strong engine, so perhaps the Dutch need to ditch van Bommel for another attacker (Elia?), perhaps 10 minutes into the second half?

Much has been made of the (lack of) quality of the turf: is that the stuff from Manitoba?

[jpg75]

Brasil are much closer to a second goal then the Dutch are to their first. Brasil look solid in every facet of the game, goalkeeping, defence, midfield and attack.

Holland need to stop trying to pass the ball into the net and take some shots. Twice Robben had a chance to shoot and chose to hold on to the ball and got swarmed by blue shirts...

[thescottc]

Robben flops, Holland equalizes.

[BearcatSA]

Julio Caesar has his Rob Friend moment and the Dutch level!

[thescottc]

And now they're ahead. What a shocker!

[BearcatSA]

Well earned goal by the Dutch. Near post flick on for Sneijder to head home. Let's see what kind of mettle the Samba boys have now!

[thescottc]

Stupid foul there to get sent off by Melo, may seal his team's fate after a lousy performance by him prior to that.

Robinho's right to get in Robben face though. He's been diving like a South American all game.

[BearcatSA]

I get the feeling that the Dutch might lose a guy on a second caution.

[BearcatSA]

Massive props, Holland!!! Well earned. Great second half by the Oranje!

[Jeremy]

Really good game! Good performance by the ref too.

[BearcatSA]

I'll give the pitch an F, however: did you see how it completely disintegrated at the corner flag when Huntelaar was shielding the ball from Juan? There were also some absolutely wicked hops on basic ground passes in the second half.

[thescottc]

Man of the Match: Robben.

He didn't do anything of note except draw fouls. Got them the free kick that equalized, then was involved in the foul that got Felipe Melo sent off.

[SCF08]

Yeeeeeeeeeeeesssss!

First half was Brazil's
Second half was ours

We were **** after 2-1 though. Should have score a lot more but who cares......Uruguay or Ghana in the semi's :D

[redhat]

Congratulations Netherlands! Great tactical match ... congrats JohnTv....

[BearcatSA]

Goat horns for Felipe Melo: own goal and red card. In contrast, Ooijer played a really strong second half and made a vital block on Kaka late in the match, so props to him.

I have to add, though, that it was Melo's excellent slide rule pass that set up the first goal. Amazing how fortunes can change in the span of 90 minutes.

[john tv]

oh well I was cheering for Brazil,to bad,I guess these Dutch play better soccer,bastards to upsett Brazill.I suppose they now will go into the final against Germany or the Argies.Deja vue,1974 or 1978 this time on a neutral field.

Amazing and a credit to the great Dutch system.

[BearcatSA]

Yeeeeeeeeeeeesssss!

First half was Brazil's
Second half was ours

We were **** after 2-1 though. Should have score a lot more but who cares......Uruguay or Ghana in the semi's :D

I was hoping to read your posts during the first half. Do you only sing when you're winning? (just kidding...great comeback by your boys).

[rick10]

ref play to one sided

A lot of dutch players deserved a yellow card (van vommel)... But again the dutch played well the second half..

Brazil made one big mistake in the first goal and they pay for it ...

It looks like the dutchs are heading to the final, i dont think uruguay or ghana are going to represent an upset ..

[SCF08]

oh well I was cheering for Brazil,to bad,I guess these Dutch play better soccer,bastards to upsett Brazill.I suppose they now will go into the final against Germany or the Argies.Deja vue,1974 or 1979 this time on a neutral field.

Amazing and a credit to the great Dutch system.
Won every World Cup Qualifier
Won every World Cup Friendly
Won every World Cup Match

16 million dutchies vs 200 million brazilians


I agree that Van Bommel deserved a yellow but the ref didn't have the best game. He should have sent off Bastos as well on the other side. He didn't make any match deciding decisions though that were wrong. The only thing that he needed to do was sent Melo off because that was really poor stamp. Both teams behaved poor and the ref couldn't control the game.

[Cheeta]

Very niggly for long spells but still a super match to watch.

de Jong out for the semi. Normally a huge loss in my books but I think less so given the next opponents. Robbin MoTM, hands down.

[SCF08]

Very niggly for long spells but still a super match to watch.

de Jong out for the semi. Normally a huge loss in my books but I think less so given the next opponents. Robbin MoTM, hands down.
De Jong out is a blessing in disguise for this game. He should always be playing against the bigger teams but not against Uruguay or Ghana.

We can bring in a more attacking threat with Afellay or Van der Vaart and that will make it easier.

[BearcatSA]

The Stekelenburg save off of Kaka in the latter stages of the first half was absolutely class and vital at a crucial moment in the match.

[john tv]

First these Dutch coaches and now the players.
What an amazing credit to that youth system.I may even have some answer which I learned when I put a tv series together on Ajax.
They have this educational system,which means trhat if you play for Ajax you must do well at school.Poor grades mean you don't play on any team.The Educational staff has the right to stop a kid from playing,grades come first.They will make tutors available to help those that need it.The emphasis are strictly on overall success.I believe that these kids are overall just smarter which shows on the field.
This approach has been copied by other Ere Divisie teams I believe.They are just very smart, highly skilled and well coached players.Intelligence is never been brought up but it is so important.It shows in many areas.

[SCF08]

http://cache4.asset-cache.net/xc/102580471.jpg?v=1&c=NewsMaker&k=2&d=77BFBA49EF87892102A727B1636DE2E64BA638D75AA99243 696EF7DA579563FC1330599D12997344E30A760B0D811297

[beachesl]

ref play to one sided

A lot of dutch players deserved a yellow card (van vommel)... But again the dutch played well the second half..

Brazil made one big mistake in the first goal and they pay for it ...

It looks like the dutchs are heading to the final, i dont think uruguay or ghana are going to represent an upset ..

I do not agree, I think while the ref was okay, he generally favored the Brazilians on the close calls. The Brazilians really acted like jerks, especailly Dunga, who had been a real gentleman before this in qualifying and up to now in South Africa.

Interesting reaction in Argentina. Watched it in a cafe where all the Argentinians were constantly out of their seats cheering for Holland. They fear and loathe the Brazilian team (tho they love and admire Brazilians, it is only Chileans they truly hate). After the match, the streets exploded as if it was Argentina who had won the match. One Argie explained to me that they almost always lose to Brazil, so they are happy they have been eliiminated.

EDIT: Congrats to johntv, SCF08 and all the dutch fans here, your team is playing the cleanest and best fottball since 1988 (they were really dirty against Argentina in 2006 tho, hopefully they will not resort to that if they make it to the final).

[Unnamed Trialist]

Definitely the best match of the WC so far, the football was superb.

I went in thinking I was in favour of the Dutch, but they were outplayed in the first half, and indeed until their goal. Brazil were smart, came out fouling and intimidating, but also combined well together, up the middle, fast, precise playmaking.

For the Dutch, I was thinking the whole 1st half, what a bunch of individualists, no team play, no coordination together. Late to every divided ball. And you also thought, hey, these guys have a few top players but a lot who are second rate, which I still believe. Just Van Bommel is an embarrassment, I can't figure out how they have no one better. Heitinga and Ooijer as centre backs, that is not a world class combination. Gio is reliable but MLS retirement material as I see it. No killer striker, no one able to play in the box. Those are serious drawbacks. But still, Holland has enough class elsewhere to compensate, so they stayed in it despite being outplayed and out hustled.

So what happened? The goal was a great break, and I think it was definitely Julio Cesar's fault, they had 5 defenders for three strikers, plus the keeper, and he ran into his own defender. If he hadn't the ball would have probably gone the right direction. But even worse was the Brazil reaction: none at all. They simply shut off and the whole story went the other way, Holland started humming, playing all wide and stretching the pitch helped them, they played around the Brazilians who lost control of the midfield. I was sure they'd eventually react and recompose, but they didn't, and the Dutch winner was well deserved.

A great performance by Holland, proves you have to insist and have faith. But I still think this team has some serious holes and does not have the quality in too many parts of the field to win this Cup. Sorry to the Oranje friends, but that is how I see it.

Watching Ghana-Uruguay now, of course both are a full step behind, or two, they make poor decisions on the pitch, you see this and say, good teams, nothing more. Either clearly inferior to the Dutch, who are clear favourites to see the final now.

[SCF08]

^^^ Mark van Bommel is our most important player!!

He is a top top class player. He is a real leader...wins an incredible amount of balls/tackles and pisses off opponents. Every team wants to have a player like him and every opponents dreads to play him.

[earlimus]

I have always found myself on the fence with Van Bommel, and today's match was a perfect example of why. He's one of the best holding mids out there, no question, however he's also a filthy player at times. How he escaped even a single yellow in the second half is beyond me. He needlessly came in from behind on several occasions, all of which on a different day would have been yellow's.

I don't dislike him because he plays so rough, but rather that he's a hypocrite of the highest rank. He'll look ready to tear someones head off for diving one moment, and then go down easier Robben the next. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for the dutch, and today attacking football came out on top, but Netherlands can consider themselves lucky that Van Bommel finished the match on the field.

[loyola]

I was cheering for the Netherlands but I have to agree with UT on Van Bommel. Not a good performance today.

Anyways, great game to watch and probably the highest quality game so far in the tournament. I'm so glad Brazil is out!!!

Ref had a good game I thought but Robinho should've received at least a YC for all that whinning.

[Unnamed Trialist]

^^^ Mark van Bommel is our most important player!!

He is a top top class player. He is a real leader...wins an incredible amount of balls/tackles and pisses off opponents. Every team wants to have a player like him and every opponents dreads to play him.

Sorry, but as a Barça fan I can honestly say, the absolutely worse decision maker on the field I have ever seen in our jersey. Watch him walk everywhere now, he walks, and point to where he thinks the ball should go, lazy about 60% of the game, he annuls himself. Apart from that he is an atrocious passer. Probably the most untalented player I have ever seen play for Barça, and for me the worse player on the pitch for Holland. Which is why, logically, Holland plays out wide: not to avoid the other team's midfield, but to avoid their own player!

Edit: just thought of someone as bad for FCB: Fabio Rochemback, two of a kind.

[john tv]

VanBOMBER was excellent a leader a motivator a fighter and one of the hearts and soles.
It's funny watching my Dutchies I find it always so very refreshing the way they play. Typical Dutch and no one has that unique style.Which brings me to the other refreshing and very typical Dutch look.These amazing blond Dutch girls,,yes refreshing,full of spirits,glamouros,pretty,stylish,great legs and a great finish.Dutch style soccer the refreshing look on life from a different angle.
I just read a story about the best ever looking woman and yes she was Dutch,Audrey Hepburn.
The other funny side that CBC figured that Brazil was going to win and the mobile was set up at a Brazil bar and area.
So they missed all these blonds.Well Tuesday a whole lot of Dutch bars are wide open,oddles of flags,faces,wooden shoes and beer.They are around Dufferin on Fraser Ave,or Betty's on King,Niedermayer on Leslie,etc.etc
Holland should win and the final,scary but again,the Dutch have the names experience and style.

[BearcatSA]

I like De Jong: he's quick into the challenge and is a faster player with better range than van Bommel. The latter's probably better at the "crafty" stuff.

[RJB]

Stupid foul there to get sent off by Melo, may seal his team's fate after a lousy performance by him prior to that.

Robinho's right to get in Robben face though. He's been diving like a South American all game.

If this is where Robinho had a hissy fit and wagged his finger at Robben, then no, he wasn't right. On that play, Robben was clearly clattered by the defender. Robben was getting wacked all day long, a clear tactic by the Brazilians that didn't work at all.

[john tv]

Thanks Peaches,it is amazing how many Dutch fans we have in other countries,Canada included.
You are always apprehensive when they play hoping for the best and fearing the worst.
This game was just that.Who is going to beat Brazil after being down 1-0 NOBODY.
It was surreal and totally unexpected.I did think that the Brazillians made it a mandatory thing to get rid of Robben any chance they had.I wonder what they discussed prior to the game and who was assigned to injure him out of the game.It was that obvious to me.It backfired and they lost the game because of that crazy assignment.

[Unnamed Trialist]

I agree with John TV and said it earlier, the way to stop Holland is to "deactivate" Robben. I think because he was so injury prone in the past there is this idea that if you pressure him a bit, on the limit, you can take him out.

I don't condone this of course, just observing that it is indeed part of any game plan vs. Holland. Though I think it is better just to start with "force him onto his right foot always", a cleaner way than trying to crack him open outright.

Thing is, Robben was not only on form but very dedicated defensively, he reminded me of Villa for Spain vs. Portugal, both in great physical condition, which is no small thing coming off a long season with European competitions included.

Comment on reffing: I thought he was excellent. You cannot be "perfect" in the sense of nailing everything, and that was a very hard game to ref, probably the most demanding so far in this WC. The only miss for me were the two clear yellows by Van Bommel the leader and great inspiration of Holland late in the game, one cutting off a counter in the centre circle, the other at the top of the box. But by then the ref just wanted to get out alive it seemed. But he was very good, I liked him overall.

[Trillium]

Which brings me to the other refreshing and very typical Dutch look.These amazing blond Dutch girls,,yes refreshing,full of spirits,glamouros,pretty,stylish,great legs and a great finish.Dutch style soccer the refreshing look on life from a different angle.
I just read a story about the best ever looking woman and yes she was Dutch,Audrey Hepburn.
The other funny side that CBC figured that Brazil was going to win and the mobile was set up at a Brazil bar and area.
So they missed all these blonds.Well Tuesday a whole lot of Dutch bars are wide open,oddles of flags,faces,wooden shoes and beer.They are around Dufferin on Fraser Ave,or Betty's on King,Niedermayer on Leslie,etc.etc
Holland should win and the final,scary but again,the Dutch have the names experience and style.

It was fun to watch at the after party..yes they had some tears at games end but two samba songs later the bar was pumping and singing and having a very very good mid-day festa here in Sao Luis... but my point to you john tv is this dutchman... spent his time doing samba and carimboo with a lovely morena..... as to great finish um.. pretty sure her finish could out finish... any of your pigtailed blonde lovelys from Holland, ps remember Surinam.

[Trillium]

First these Dutch coaches and now the players.
What an amazing credit to that youth system.I may even have some answer which I learned when I put a tv series together on Ajax.
They have this educational system,which means trhat if you play for Ajax you must do well at school.Poor grades mean you don't play on any team.The Educational staff has the right to stop a kid from playing,grades come first.They will make tutors available to help those that need it.The emphasis are strictly on overall success.I believe that these kids are overall just smarter which shows on the field.
This approach has been copied by other Ere Divisie teams I believe.They are just very smart, highly skilled and well coached players.Intelligence is never been brought up but it is so important.It shows in many areas.

Are you saying some of our top players and or former coaches in the MNT might lack intelligence off the field ? ... so they are challenged to apply it on the field ?

[jonovision]

I agree that van Bommel was poor in the first half, just like the rest of the Dutch team. But his work rate, and that of the rest of the team, especially Kuyt, in blunting Brazilian attacks was responsible for so much of the Brazilian frustration. Kuyt must have run 10 miles in that game.

But even when Holland was down 1-0, I wasn't convinced it was lost. The main reason was the utter petulance constantly on display from this Brazilian team. Robinho was the biggest culprit on the field (remember him screaming at Robben on the ground after the latter had clearly had his foot dragged out from under him) but it all stems from Dunga, a most unlikeable man with the worst sideline demeanor I've ever seen from a professional coach.

The first goal was a strange comedy of errors as well. The way Cesar went up, even if it hadn't taken a deflection I don't think he makes a solid play on the ball. It either glances off his arm or falls to someone else. But we'll take it. I watched all the matches on PVR last night after spending a few days in the wilderness, so I was a bit of a blur during GER-ARG, but I did seem to recall the announcer there saying that the o.g. has now been credited to Sneijder. Is this true?

[BearcatSA]

The way Cesar went up, even if it hadn't taken a deflection I don't think he makes a solid play on the ball. It either glances off his arm or falls to someone else.

Though on this occasion he got beaten to the ball by his own man (Melo), it reminded me somewhat of the Friend goal he gave up two years ago.

[jpg75]

it reminded me somewhat of the Friend goal he gave up two years ago.

I thought the same thing right after it happened.

[kododude]

I was expecting Brazil to win. But Holland is putting up a good fight too. I personally think that Brazil could have been doing better than that. They are the number one football team in the world. How could they lose in the quarter finals. I was excited about them winning but it turned the other way round. But in fact, the game was nice, Holland did a really great job at scoring goals. But felipe melo’s action was way over the limit.