The third place play-off is constantly looked at as somewhat of a "loser's trophy". While two demoralized teams do contest the match, it gives a third team the chance to take home some medals. Previously, famous nations have contested the battle fiercely such as Germany, Uruguay and Portugal. Whether Brazil and Netherlands will do so with pride remains to be seen.
Brazil is extremely demoralized coming into this match, considering the manner in which they lost in the last four. The Dutch, meanwhile, are tired, having gone 120 minutes in both the quarterfinals and the semifinals. However, they have a few reasons to want to win this. First of all, Dutch teams have not been able to win this contest in their history. They lost to Croatia, 1-2, in 1998 in the third place play-off.
Secondly, Arjen Robben has been nominated for the Golden Ball. Yet another good performance in this match could see him receive the award. Memphis Depay has also been nominated for the Best Young Player Award. He could stake his claim in this match if Louis Van Gaal hands him a start. The other two nominees, Raphael Varane and Paul Pogba are already out of the competition.
Van Gaal will be able to take a medal back with him to remind himself of all the astute tactical decisions he made and how far his system carried a rather limited Dutch side, especially when compared to Dutch sides of the past. He has set a foundation for the team; they can now build towards the future.
Brazil meanwhile can at least bring some smiles back on the faces of their fans who screamed and shed tears as they saw their team being torn apart by Germany.
Which group will be able to lift themselves up and win this match? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
Brazil vs Netherlands line-ups:
Brazil's first XI: Julio Cesar, Thiago Silva (c), David Luiz, Paulinho, Oscar, Maxwell, Ramires, Luis Gustavo, Willian, Jo, Maicon
Netherlands' first XI: Cillessen, Vlaar, De Vrij, Martins Indi, Blind, Van Persie (c), Sneijder, Robben, Kuyt, Clasie, Wijnaldum
Where to watch the match: Live Streams, Live Scores, Start Times, TV Channels:
Watch Brazil vs Netherlands live on Saturday, July 12, 2014:
In the US at 16.00 EST on:
- On TV: ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Univision Deportes USA, Univision USA
- Online & Apps:ESPN Deportes+, ESPN3 Online-App, Univision Deportes En Vivo, WATCH ESPN
- Audio / Radio: ESPN Deportes Radio, ESPN Radio, Futbol de Primera Radio, SiriusXM FC
In Canada at 16.00 ET on:
- On TV: CBC, Mediaset Italia, TLN, Univision Canada
- Online & Apps: CBC Sports Live Streaming, ICI Radio-Canada En Direct,
- Audio / Radio: Radio Canada - CBC
In the UK at 21.00 BST on:
- On TV: UTV, STV Scotland, ITV 1 UK
- Online & Apps: The ITV Player
- Audio / Radio: BBC Radio 5 Live, TalkSport Radio
In Australia at 06:00 (Sunday) on:
- On TV: SBS One Australia
- Audio / Radio: SBS Radio 3, SBS Radio 4
For complete details of match listings and live scores, visit the Brazil vs Netherlands match page.
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