Holland 2 Brazil 1
Robinho 10, Melo o.g.53 Sneijder header 68
Brazil started nicely but those blue shirts just didn’t look right to me.
Their change strip put a doubt in my mind.
Then Melo’s superb straight pass found Robino onside. He slotted comfortably and that goal removed my doubts.
After 25, it was a 1-0 massacre. Luis Fabiano, elbowed in the head by Mark van Bommel, retaliated by kicking him as they fell. Then Van Persie scattered Maicon, who then had a shot that hit the sidenetting.
HALF TIME SCORE : 1-0 to Brazil.
When Wesley Sneijder crossed dangerously, Julio Cesar came for the punch and missed it. A shocking mistake. Melo got in front of him and the ball hit Melo on the back of the head and flew into the net for 1-1.
Brazil’s defence had looked virtually impregnable in this World Cup. Until that o.g.
After that, they looked shaky. Dunga took the yellow-carded Bastos off and put reserve left back Gilberto Melo on. Kaka had flickered faintly in the first half but was now invisible. De Jong grabbed the breaking Robinho on the left touchline and got a yellow card that puts him out of the semi-final. Right back Van der Wiel is also suspended from the semi.
Luis Fabiano, unsupported, was being roughed out of it. Kaka re-appeared with a sidefoot shot that went a yard past the post.
Then, in 68 minutes, Robben took a very good corner, Kuyt flicked on beautifully, and little Sneijder headed in without jumping. Where was Maicon? Where was Lucio?
Holland 2 Blue Brazil 1.
The Dutch had been working Melo, knowing how volatile he is. Five minutes after the equaliser, Melo saw the red mist. He kicked Robben twice and then trampled on him, giving the referee no option but to send him off.
With 10 men, against a streetwise Dutch side who are masters of time-wasting and gamesmanship, Brazil were doomed.
Holland 2 Brazil 1 is a big shock. Nobody I know thought Holland would win.
Wesley Sneijder now looks like the most effective footballer in the world. He crossed for the own-goal and scored the winner.
What Kaka used to do, Sneijder does now. Wesley Can-opener was the main man today.
Real Madrid sold him last summer !
Melo is a prize idiot, a liability, an unstable character who cost Brazil this game.
If a six foot midfielder heads an own goal, Brazil ‘s impregnable defence has gone.
Dunga’s strategy was based on not conceding and here they let in two really stupid goals. Terrible defending. Biggest mystery: How did Van Bommel, king of the bruisers, get through that game without a yellow card?