FIFA World Cup 2010, Quarterfinals: Brazil vs Netherlands Match Preview
It’s down to the Final 8 in the FIFA World Cup 2010, and countless fans are to be brought to fever pitch as the excitement unfolds with the first quarterfinals played between Netherlands and Brazil. Indeed, what a mouth-watering encounter we have in prospect at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
It will effectively be the ‘Joga Bonito’ from Brazil versus ‘Total Football’ from Netherlands, but winning is the ultimate goal, be it beautiful free flowing football, or getting downright dirty on the football pitch.
Road to the Quarters:
Brazil:
Brazil were pretty much the default favourites to win the World Cup, alongside Argentina and maybe Spain. Although their first match against North Korea did not go according to plan, they did show glimpses of Samba magic that the world has becomes so accustomed to over the years. North Korea came out with a game plan and they stuck to it, managing to keep the South Americans out for a good part of the game. However, Brazil did manage to get two goals past them and conceded one. The next game was when they really came to the party; Ivory Coast was shred to pieces and the Africans were left chasing shadows for most of the match. A convincing 3-1 drubbing really announced the arrival of the 5 time world champions. Even though that win ensured their passage through to the Final 16 of the World Cup, there was still the final group match that everyone had been waiting for. The all important Brazil Portugal tie was, however, in simple words an anticlimax. Brazil did have an edge over the Europeans at the start, but just faded away and almost went in their shells in the 2nd half being totally dominated by Portugal and were left defending in their box as the match ended 0-0. The Final 16, though, was a different story. They were up against their South American neighbours Chile, and it looked as if Brazil knew every move of the opposition before they even started it. It was one way traffic throughout, with passages of strong play from Chile; but Brazil won 3-0, booking a date with Netherlands in the final 8.
Netherlands:
As for Netherlands, they have been consistent in the tournament, and on that they should have the upper hand. A convincing 2-0 win in the first game against Denmark proved that they do belong at the World Cup (Netherlands did not qualify for the 2006 World Cup). There was speed, fluency and proper planning in the Dutch side. The 2nd match, though, was a much tougher task, as a resolute Japan team, who play with an organised set up, made life difficult for the team that play total football. The Europeans were made to work very hard for a 1-0 win. But the 3rd match saw them once again resurface as one of the most attractive teams in the World Cup. A 2-1 thrashing of Cameroon meant they qualified to the Final 16 with a 100% record, where the met Slovakia, who are not European giants by any stretch of the imagination, and Netherlands, led by the brilliant Robben on the left side, came out easy winners in the end with 2-1.
Team News:
Brazil will not have the services of Elano, who scored in the first 2 group games, as he has a bruised bone in his right ankle. Felipe Melo, who missed the last game, has also not recovered from an ankle injury. The beast Julio Baptista has a bad knee, and to add to that, midfielder Ramirez is suspended. Dunga will certainly be short handed as far as the bench strength of Brazil is concerned. The manager would also have the tension that 3 of his players, Fabiano, Juan, Melo, Kaka, are all one booking away from suspension.
On the other hand, Netherlands have no such worries, as they have all 23 players in full form to choose from, but Van Marwijk is expected to stick to the same team that started against Slovakia. The Dutch also have their share of players who, if they get another yellow, will miss out on the semifinal (should they progress). The list includes Van der Wiel, Kuyt, De Jong, Van Persie, Van der Vaart, Robben, Stekelenburg and Van Bronckhorst.
Head-to-Head:
These teams are no strangers to each other. Over the years, there have been 10 matches between the two. Brazil have a slight edge with 3 wins as compared to 2 by Netherlands, and 4 ended up as draws.
And as far as World Cups are concerned, there have been 3 matches between the two: Netherlands beat Brazil 2-0 back in 1974 to make it to the final (Netherlands lost in the final), in 1994, Brazil won a quarterfinal against Netherlands on penalties when the match ended 1-1, and the same thing happened in the semifinals four years later (1994).
So it’s tough to call: on paper, yes, Brazil should be able to win, but Netherlands have been by far the more consistent team, and in past matches have also proven that they really can make winning a difficult proposition for the opposition.
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