Brazil v Netherlands, 12 July 2014

Kick-off 5.00pm local (9.00pm BST) Man of the Match: Arjen Robben (Netherlands) Assistant referees: Rédouane Achik (Morocco) Abdelhalk Etchiali (Algeria) Fourth official: Yuichi Nishimura (Japan) Fifth official: Toru Sagara (Japan) The two teams had met in 11 previous meetings, including four times in the FIFA World Cup: Netherlands won 2–0 in the second group stage of the 1974 FIFA World Cup and 2–1 in the quarter-finals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and Brazil won 3–2 in the quarter-finals of the 1994 FIFA World Cup and 4–2 on penalties after a 1–1 draw (after extra time) in the semi-finals of the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Brazil made six changes in their starting line-up from their semi-final, while the Netherlands made only two, with Wesley Sneijder, who was originally part of the Dutch starting line-up, replaced by Jonathan de Guzmán after an injury during the pre-match warm-up prevented him from playing. The Netherlands opened the scoring within three minutes, after Robin van Persie converted a penalty kick awarded for a foul on Arjen Robben by Thiago Silva. Daley Blind extended the lead in the 17th minute, scoring after a David Luiz headed clearance fell to him inside the penalty area. Georginio Wijnaldum completed the scoring in second half injury time as he shot home from substitute Daryl Janmaat's cross from the right. The Netherlands finished third for the first time in their World Cup history. With Michel Vorm's participation (who was substituted into the match in second half injury time), the Netherlands became the first team to use all of their 23 players in a World Cup since the finals squads were expanded from 22 to 23 players in 2002. Brazil, who finished fourth for the second time in World Cup history, conceded a total of 14 goals in the tournament, the most they had ever allowed in a World Cup and also the most conceded by any World Cup hosts. Brazil also became the second team to concede 100 World Cup goals, after Germany. Van Persie's goal was the 100th goal that Brazil have conceded in the FIFA World Cup and made him the 2nd highest Dutch goalscorer with 6 World Cup goals along with Wesley Sneijder, Arjen Robben, Dennis Bergkamp, and Rob Rensenbrink, all before Johnny Rep with 7 World Cup goals. Lastly, since the beginning of the 21st century of the World Cups (first one being in 2002), all four World Cups in 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014 involved the third-place victors all winning a third-place match with 3 goals. For Brazil, the records do not make such pleasant reading. Before this World Cup, they had only ever lost one game at the finals by a three-goal margin. They had now done it twice in the space of four days. This defeat also meant they had lost consecutive non-friendly games for their first time ever and the first time since 1940 that they had lost consecutive matches on home soil. A tournament that promised so much for them ended in near disbelief and much soul-searching.