Already gutted Brazil now cope with Argentina making the World Cup final at Maracana
JUST when Brazil thought it couldn’t get worse, their bitter rivals are off to the beloved Maracana, as Holland fans rue their ‘chess’ defeat.
BRAZILIANS might have thought that their World Cup nightmare couldn’t possibly get any worse -- and then bitter rivals Argentina reached the final in their own backyard.
Meanwhile, Dutch media mourned the Netherlands’ 4-2 penalty shootout defeat by Argentina, but for some there was relief at not having to face a rampant Germany in the World Cup final.
Still agonizing over their traumatic 7-1 semi-final defeat to Germany just 24 hours earlier, Brazilians will now have to watch Argentina and their superstar Lionel Messi battle for the trophy in Rio de Janeiro’s legendary Maracana Stadium.
Many Brazilians rooted for the Netherlands to beat their South American neighbors in Wednesday’s semi-final. But Argentina saw off the dogged Dutch 4-2 in a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw in 120 minutes of attritional stalemate.
“Seeing Argentina in the final in our home hurts, especially after the Selecao’s worst ever defeat,” said Marcio Carneiro da Silva, 36, a mailman drowning his sorrows with a beer on the terrace of a Rio de Janeiro restaurant.
His friend Cesar Augusto, 37, already picked a new team for Sunday. “Now I’m German,” he said.
Brazilians noted that the final will be in the same stadium where Brazil lost the decisive game of the 1950 tournament to Uruguay, a defeat that traumatized the country.
“The nightmare continues,” wrote O Dia newspaper in its online edition. “In addition to not being able to dream about a sixth title, Brazilians will have to live with the real possibility of one of its main rivals triumphing in the ultimate football temple,” it said.
The sports daily Lance used a Twitter hashtag for its title, #SomosTodosAlemanha! (We Are All Germany). Argentines responded on the social media website by repeatedly typing the number 7, reminding Brazilians of their humiliating defeat.
Argentines were on cloud nine, singing and chanting at the stadium in Sao Paulo and in bars across Brazil.
“Reaching the final in Brazil is the best thing that could happen to us, although I would have preferred to beat them in the final,” said Miguel Martin, 32, a truck driver wearing a hat in Argentina’s blue and white colors who watched the game at a public screening in Sao Paulo.
At the official “Fan Fest” in Sao Paulo, some Brazilians wore the Dutch team’s orange colors, applauding every time the Netherlands were close to scoring.
Now they have to cope with the possibility of President Dilma Rousseff handing the trophy to Argentine captain Messi.
“I can’t imagine Dilma giving the trophy to Argentina at the Maracana. This can’t happen,” said Marcos Raimondi, a 44-year-old economist wearing the official Dutch team jersey. “It’s worse than what happened yesterday. It’s a nightmare. Unbearable.” Amadeus Marques, a 27-year-old doctor also in Dutch regalia, was equally dumbstruck.
“This is incredible. I feel the same sensation as yesterday. Since the fourth German goal I was already hoping that Argentina would not go through and that we would play them for third place.”
But not all Brazilians were rooting against their South American peers. Leonan Freitas, a 33-year-old bank worker, was the only one among a group of friends sipping beers at a Rio bar who cheered for Argentina.
“Argentina is a neighbor. I want South America to win,” he said to his friends’ disapproval. “I was more scared of losing the third-place game to Argentina
The press bemoaned another missed opportunity for the country to shred its tag as the World Cup’s nearly side.
“It’s over: The Oranje won’t go to the World Cup final after penalty drama with Argentina,” popular tabloid Algemeen Dagblad said on its website.
It called the match a “chess game”, saying the “tempo was too low, with few chances to score.” The Dutch “failed to launch” dual attack force Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben, the paper added.
“Oranje defeated” popular daily broadsheet De Telegraaf said, with a photo showing Argentine goalkeeper Sergio Romero’s save against Ron Vlaar, who took the first penalty.
“It was a nerve-racking game of chess. But so, after five wins the Brazilian adventure comes to an end,” it said.
Ajax Amsterdam’s club coach and former Dutch international Frank de Boer questioned the decision to let Vlaar take the first penalty rather than a more experienced player.
“Vlaar should not have taken it,” he told the NOS public broadcaster. “But that’s my only criticism, we can be very proud of the Orange 11,” said De Boer, the Netherlands’ most-capped outfield player -- who himself missed an important penalty kick in a semi-final shootout at the 2000 European Championship. The miss led to a defeat against Italy.
Although many players and coach Louis van Gaal dismissed Saturday’s third place play-off against Brazil, some commentators said the loss may prove a blessing in disguise.
“Perhaps it’s better that we don’t meet the Germans in the final,” one commentator told NOS shortly after the game. The Germans and Dutch are neighbors and longtime sporting rivals.
Germany demolished hosts Brazil 7-1 in their semi-final on Tuesday. Argentina, chasing their third World Cup title, last reached the final in Italy in 1990, when they lost 1-0 to West Germany.
Originally published as Already gutted Brazil now cope with Argentina making the World Cup final at Maracana
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