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3rd place playoff - Brazil vs Netherlands

Burgey

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Go Yankee, pick two teams from sides KO'ed and play an exhibition before the final.

Better yet, just don't have it.
 

Bahnz

Hall of Fame Member
It's a bit silly, but will be watching it. The 3rd place playoff in 2010 was probably the most entertaining game of the entire tournament (not that that's saying much).
 

King Pietersen

International Captain
Imo, Brazil should change up their plans, and line up with:

---------------------------------Julio Cesar----------------------------------
---Alves----------------T Silva-------------Dante-------------Marcelo---
------------------------------------D Luiz-----------------------------------------
--------------------------Gustavo-----------Ramires--------------------------
----Hulk--------------------------Oscar------------------------Willian--------

Maicon has been no better than Alves defensively, so you might as well pick the better, faster attacking wing back. Luiz then has to drop out of central defence, and move into a role where he'll be much more effective, as a deep-lying playmaker, allowing him to make his ridiculous runs forward without as much reliance on him running back, with Gustavo covering, and also with encouragement to utilise his passing. Gustavo and Ramires in central midfield, Gustavo as a defensive minded midfielder, that sits when Luiz goes forward, and Ramires in place of Fernandinho who was dire against Germany. Willian should then play ahead of Bernard, and then another major change, going strikerless, and utilising Oscar as a false nine, in a Muller-esque role in place of Fred. He's been by far the hardest working Brazilian player, and has been used in that role by Mourinho, and he can't do any worse than Fred or Jo. Don't know whether it'll be enough to beat Holland, but it looks a much stronger line-up than the one that turned up against Germany, and the best you can do with this group of players. Thoughts?
 

sledger

Spanish_Vicente
Hulk is crap.

Also, if you're going to play with a false nine you can't have a central midfield consisting of Luiz, Gustavo and Ramires.
 

King Pietersen

International Captain
Hulk is crap, but who would you pick? The options are so limited. If Neymar was fit, I'd play him up top, and move Oscar out right, but with Neymar out, the options are so limited. Bernard certainly didn't look any better than Hulk against Germany.

Why's that then? I think it's decent balance. Luiz as a deep-lying playmaker, Gustavo sitting, and Ramires as more of a box-to-box midfielder.
 

OverratedSanity

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Will support Brazil in this. They've suffered more than what I wanted them too. Plus, Netherlands have whinged like little bitches since they lost the semi.
 

Furball

Evil Scotsman
The 'third place' game is a parody that is little more a sad embarrassment to the players and their fans alike. You could argue that the game is a chance for the players to redeem themselves a bit, but I'm 99% sure that all the Brazilian and Dutch players want to do is to return home and put their feet up with their families and friends.

FIFA really needs to take a hard look at this piece sporting stupidity and dump it. After all, can anyone remember the third place winner from 1998, or even 2006 without Googling it? And even if the odd person does remember, do they really care?
I can name you all the winners back to 1986 without googling if you'd like.
 

Tangles

International Vice-Captain
RVP is playing today so I assume he isn't injured. He has looked off the pace for most of the tournament so I had wondered if he was carrying a niggle.
 

grecian

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
RVP is playing today so I assume he isn't injured. He has looked off the pace for most of the tournament so I had wondered if he was carrying a niggle.
Yeah, makes Van gaal taking him off in the last match all the more bizarre. Takes pens, and he could have sneaked a goal.

Still brazil being punished for leaving Fred out, clearly the main man.
 

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