Brazil, a World Cup Favorite, Is Sent Home
PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa — Brazil had never really been under duress in the World Cup until the quarterfinals on Friday. How would it react, with resilience or agitation? Could it take a punch or did it have a glass jaw?Few could have imagined that a dominant first half would disintegrate into such a loss of composure in a 2-1 defeat to the Netherlands. For a second consecutive World Cup, Brazil exited in the quarterfinals, its hopes of a sixth title shattered along with its equanimity and self-control.
As it crumbled, Brazil put a ball into its own net, grew unnerved by the diving of Dutch forward Arjen Robben and played a man down for the final 17-plus minutes after committing an impetuous foul. One of the tallest teams in the tournament, it also gave up the winning goal on a header by the Dutch playmaker Wesley Sneijder, the shortest man on the field.
As Brazil leaves unceremoniously, the Netherlands advances to the semifinals against either Uruguay or Ghana. It defeated Brazil for the first time in the World Cup since the days of Johan Cruyff in 1974 and gained redemption for defeats in 1994 and 1998, while also beginning to shed its image as a talented but perennially underperforming team.
“Finally, finally, we won,” Sneijder said.
While Dunga, Brazil’s coach, faces caustic second-guessing for a style that favored muscle over beauty, Bert van Marwijk of the Netherlands gained validation for his assertion that the Dutch could win the World Cup for the first time.
“People mocked me for that,” said van Marwijk, who became coach two years ago.
But if others doubted him, he did not doubt himself.
“I said I’m not going to the tournament just to take part; I want to win,” van Marwijk said. “I want the best prize. People might think me arrogant. But if you beat Brazil, then you should dare to say this.”
Felipe Melo, the Brazilian midfielder, will forever remain in the bull’s-eye of this match as a target of everything that went right and wrong for the departed co-favorites.
He re-entered the starting lineup for Ramires, who was suspended with two yellow cards. And in the 10th minute, Melo sent a pass through a yawning gap in the middle of the Netherlands’ defense. The ball seemed to roll forever as if on a fairway after a tee shot.
The Netherlands had been forced to alter its starting lineup in central defense, when Joris Mathijsen injured his knee during warm-ups. Andre Ooijer replaced him, which led to early confusion that was harshly punished by Brazil. Robinho ran past Ooijer and his partner John Heitinga, cocked his right leg at the top of the penalty area and swept the ball into the goal for a 1-0 Brazil lead.
His leg seemed to swing like a door closing on the Netherlands.
Brazil seemed in full control at halftime, even with its slim lead. The Dutch players were repeatedly muscled off the ball. Michel Bastos, Brazil’s left back, nipped constantly like a terrier at the heels of Robben.
In the locker room, van Marwijk admonished his tentative, insecure players to have patience but also to dare to win. “We became more professional, more clever,” he said.
Well, clever is one way to describe how Robben played in the second half. Those who rooted for Brazil might find a less flattering characterization.
Late in the first half, Bastos was shown a yellow card by the Japanese referee Yuichi Nishimura for repeatedly fouling Robben. Craftily, Robben later used this increased scrutiny to his advantage.
In the 53rd minute, he did a theatrical cartwheel to avoid a sliding challenge by Bastos and lay on the ground in evidently phantom pain. Bastos did not appear to touch him. But Nishimura awarded the Netherlands a free kick from the right flank.
The Dutch played it short, then Sneijder curled the ball into the penalty area from 30 yards. Júlio César of Brazil is perhaps the best goalkeeper in the world, but he appeared to grow distracted by a Dutch player running past him, or to misjudge the flight of the frequently criticized Jabulani ball. He collided with Melo, who impeded César and deflected the ball into his own net with his head. The Netherlands 1, Brazil 1.
This was the first own goal scored by Brazil in 97 World Cup matches over 80 years, according to the play-by-play account offered by FIFA, soccer’s world governing body.
Afterward, van Marwijk grew incensed when asked about Robben’s apparent skill at melodrama.
“I think it was the other way around,” he said. “The opponent I think tried to provoke us more than we tried to provoke them. You could see that from the very beginning. I think we showed discipline. We remained calm, cool and collected.”
Van Marwijk urged reporters to look at replays of the match, saying, “I think you’d be ashamed for Brazilian football.”
After tying the score, the Netherlands grew enlivened and confident. Brazil fell apart.
In the 68th minute the 5-foot-7 Sneijder scored again, however improbably, after Dirk Kuyt brilliantly flicked a corner kick over his own head. Sneijder had separated from a flat-footed Melo and headed the ball into the net from 4 yards as the Dutch took a 2-1 lead.
“It was my first header goal,” an incredulous Sneijder said. “I don’t think it’ll happen again. It slid off my bald head and went into the goal.”
The Netherlands had now matched the combined goals that Brazil had surrendered in its first four matches. For the first time in this World Cup, Brazil trailed. Now it became as nervous and uncertain as the Dutch had been in the first half.
In the 73rd minute, apparently frustrated by what he considered more histrionics, Melo stamped on the back of Robben’s leg and was shown a red card. Even if he thought Robben to be acting, Melo had to know that this impulsive response would get him ejected, forcing Brazil to chase the game while a man short.
“At the end of the day, we’re all responsible for the state of affairs,” Dunga said.
And so Brazil departs prematurely while the Netherlands moves toward a third possible appearance in the World Cup championship game.
“In the second half, we played our own game,” van Marwijk said. “We proved to be much more courageous and brave. We really convinced ourselves.”
Source: NY Times
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