Netherlands' national soccer players react as teammate Vlaar misses an opportunity to score a goal against Argentina during a penalty shoot-out at their 2014 World Cup semi-finals at the Corinthians arena in Sao Paulo
Netherlands' national soccer players react as teammate Ron Vlaar misses an opportunity to score a goal against Argentina during a penalty shoot-out at their 2014 World Cup semi-finals at the Corinthians arena in Sao Paulo July 9, 2014. Pictured are (L-R) Netherlands' Arjen Robben, Jordy Clasie, Georginio Wijnaldum, Daryl Janmaat, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar,Stefan de Vrij , Dirk Kuyt, Wesley Sneijder and Daley Blind. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

Final Score

Brazil 0 Netherlands 3

Overview

Match number 63 is the decider of the third and the fourth teams in 2014 FIFA World Cup. Brazil lost to Germany, while the Netherlands lost to Argentina in the semi-finals. This is the match which probably no team is eager to play since, unlike any other match in the tournament, this match is played after the dream of winning the World Cup is over for either of the teams.

Teams

Brazil: Even the most ardent fan of Brazil knew that it would be difficult to beat Germany without Neymar and Thiago Silva playing for the host nation. However, it was much worse than what any Brazil fan might have expected. Germany scored seven times against Brazil, conceding only one goal which came in the dying minutes of the semi-final. That match was practically over only within the first half an hour as Germany had already scored five goals by that time. The Brazilians players looked nervous. They were probably praying for their trauma to end with the half-time whistle. It was the worst World Cup defeat for the South American nation. For that matter, it was the worst defeat for any team in World Cup semi-finals. The match against the Netherlands should be Brazil's chance to restore self-esteem. Even though it is unfair to judge a team by one match, it will take decades for Brazil to heal the wound. Brazil will have its captain Silva back in the team as it will play one last time for pride.

The Netherlands: The Dutch team was one of the favourites to win the title this year. It started the tournament with an emphatic 5-1 win against world champion Spain. The start was enough to prove that the team came with a purpose. The Netherlands showed great capability to win matches against all odds. It also displayed a tremendous flair to score goals. It scored 9 goals in its first 3 matches and stormed to the knock-out stages. However, as the tournament progressed, the Dutch found it difficult to score. Even after 120 minutes of dominance against Costa Rica, Arjen Robben's team was unable to score even once. The match had to be settled in penalty shoot-out which the Netherlands won eventually. However, the Dutch were not lucky twice as it lost against Argentina in the semi-finals and it was again up to the tie-breaker. This time it was Argentina's goal-keeper Sergio Romero who saved a couple to beat the Dutch and end their hopes to win the World Cup. The Netherlands will take its match against Brazil to prove its potential which it failed to exploit in totality.

Head to Head

These two teams played 11 times against each other before. Brazil won 3, the Netherlands 3, and 5 of those ended in a draw. There were 30 goals scored in total. Brazil scored 15 of those and the Dutch 15. So, basically there is nothing that can separate the two in terms of past records.

Key Players

Brazil: Marcelo, Silva and David Luiz

Netherlands: Robben and Wesley Sneijder

Date, Time & Venue

Brazil's time zone is UTC/GMT -3. The match starts at 5 pm (local time) on July 12, which means it is 6 am on July 13 in New South Wales, Australia. The match will be held at Estadio Nacional in Brasilia.

Prediction

The Netherlands is a much better team than Brazil in this year's World Cup. Additionally, it will be difficult for the host nation to recover from such a monumental upset in such a short time. The Netherlands will win it 3-1.

Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@ibtimes.com.au