Netherlands get the bronze
There was no redemption for Brazil in the 3rd / 4th Play-off match as Robin van Persie put the Netherlands ahead from the spot after two minutes; with Blind adding a second after 17 minutes and Wijnaldum scoring late on, the home side trooped off to another chorus of boos.
The question isn't so much what happened to the host nation at the end but, rather, how did they get this far in the first place? Just a few weeks ago we were expecting great things - or so the pundits told us anyway - from the men in yellow, and now they look terribly mortal. There were some players out there tonight who looked mentally shattered and I'm not sure some will really find their way back.
When Brazil beat Colombia in the quarter-final, one pundit opined that the Colombian's played the shirt and not the team. I'm sure many have done that in the past - I've certainly witnessed it on many occasions with Brazil teams I wasn't sure were really that good but went on to win the trophy - but I think this week may have shattered that forever.
Even when not at their best, Brazilian teams have always had something in reserve; an extra bit of mental pressure that usually tells - particularly in the big competitions. Now that has gone and players like Hulk, Fred, Paulinho and David Luiz not only look ordinary but also terribly vulnerable. Worse still; Jo - one of the players bought in to try and ensure Brazil at least got something from this World Cup - looked even worse than the players already in the team. The suggestion that there is nothing coming through for Brazil is unmistakable.
Nevertheless, this shouldn't detract from the performance of the Dutch who looked bright, lively and inventive. It's just a shame they seemed to lose their way in mid-week against Argentina as a Germany v Holland final would be much easier for an England supporter to stomach.
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