brazil news

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.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. But the Dutch exposed the Brazilian defense in the second half, and through a workmanlike and classy performance by Wesley Sneijder, pulled off the major upset.

Holland now look set to play in their first final since 1978 – because the winner of Uruguay vs Ghana just won’t have enough to deal with this Dutch attack, in my opinion.