This match is the 3rd vs 4th play-off game to be played tonight; the hosts Brazil will be desperate to find some sort of comfort and play for pride as they play against van Gaal's men - the Dutch.
Brazil were comprehensively thrashed 7-1 against Germany in their semi-final, while Holland failed to take their chances and lost on penalties to Brazil's South American rivals Argentina.
Here are the team line-ups for tonight's game -
Brazil: Cesar, Maicon, Silva, Luiz, Maxwell, Gustavo, Paulinho, Ramires, Oscar, Willian and Jo.
Subs: Jefferson, Victor, Alves, Fernandinho, Marcelo, Hulk, Dante, Fred, Henrique, Hernanes and Bernard.
Holland: Cillessen, Kuyt, De Vrij, Vlaar, Martins Indi, Blind, Clasie, Wijnaldum, de Guzman, Robben and van Persie.
Subs: Vorm, Krul, Janmaat, Verhaegh, Veltman, Kongolo, Lens, Huntelaar and Depay.
Referee: Djamel Haimoudi (from Algeria)
21:00 - The referee blows his whistle, and the match has begun. Both teams playing for nothing but pride, the right to be named as 3rd place in this year's World Cup.
10: Not a lot has happened in the first 10 minutes of the match, but the only notable point to take out of the opening exchanges is the clear fact that Holland are leading 1-0.
11: This was thanks to an early penalty breakthrough by Manchester United striker Robin van Persie after Robben was clearly brought down inside the box by PSG defender Thiago Silva, arguably lucky to still be on the field of play after that challenge.
12: Brazil have started the game slowly, and have been punished for it. Neymar is sitting on the bench to help support his country tonight, but they are clearly missing his presence for sure.
18: Brazil have not been at their best today, it's a real shame given how they have struggled in the last few matches and now they are paying the price.
21: Oscar has been the only real bright spark in the Brazilian side today, he darts forward with the ball at his feet and has a dragged shot into the path of Cillessen.
23: Holland look solid but shaky at the back, as if there is a lack of communication between the defenders altogether.
25: Unfortunately for Brazil, they don't seem to be able to capitalize on this.
30: Last 5 minutes or so has just been Brazil pressurizing on the Holland goal, but to no avail.
34: First yellow card of the match goes to Swansea midfielder Jonathan de Guzman for a late foul on Oscar, who was about to sprint on the counter attack with the ball.
35: de Guzman took one for the team there, Brazil are starting to up the ante.
37: CLOSE! David Luiz and Luiz Gustavo fly towards a deep cross into the box from Oscar, but they both miss the ball and Holland are let off there. Still 2-0 to the Dutch.
39: The match momentarily halts as Kuyt receives treatment on the far side with a head wound from an aerial challenge, the top of his head is clearly bleeding and he is currently being treated.
41: Kuyt comes back on after treatment from the physio after a fizzing effort from van Persie is well held by goalkeeper Julio Cesar.
43: Tough, hard-looking challenge by Aston Villa defender Ron Vlaar on Ramires, who rolls around on the floor in a considerable amount of pain.
45: The fourth official signals for 2 minutes of stoppage time.
45+2:
HALF-TIME:
Brazil 0 Holland 2
The Dutch have dominated and taken their chances, Brazil have been wasteful and look vulnerable at the back.
It's been that simple so far in the first-half, where the majority of the Brazilian players have been quite poor in truth. 2-0 to Holland, and Brazil are lucky that they are only 2-0 down at half-time.
22:03 - The second-half has begun, with Brazil making one substitution at the break:
Brazil SUB: Luiz Gustavo OFF, Fernandinho ON
45: 45 minutes for Brazil to save some respect for themselves, can they do it? Probably not to be truthful.
53: van Persie is brought down after a hefty challenge from Fernandinho who blocks his run and clatters into the United striker's knee.
54: Holland have an in-swinging free-kick to take, 30 yards out as van Persie tries to regain his balance after crashing to the turf in pain.
56: Brazil SUB -
Paulinho OFF
Hernanes ON
59: Chelsea duo Oscar and Ramires link-up well on the edge of the area, the latter has a shot towards goal but his effort fires wide of Cillessen's far post. Good half-chance for Brazil, but they fail to convert.
62: Brazil have a free-kick in a dangerous area, 25 yards out after Maicon gallops with the ball at his feet and is fouled by both Blind and Kuyt under pressure, both lunging forward towards him.
63: David Luiz steps up to take the free-kick.... saved! by Cillessen who does well to comfortably catch the effort and avoid potential danger.
66: Cameras are showing the despairing faces of Brazilian supporters and the players on the field, they look down and out already despite the crowd cheering them on whenever they have the ball.
67: The referee brandishes a yellow card to Chelsea attacking midfielder Oscar for what he adjduged to be a dive.
68: Replays show that the decision was definitely a harsh one from the official, Oscar fell to ground but there was clear contact and a clash of knees between him and full-back Daley Blind, who is down on the floor clutching his knee as a result of the accidental collision.
69: Blind is in some discomfort, and the physio have wasted no time rushing onto the pitch with a stretcher to carry him off. He will not be able to continue, the knee looks clearly bruised and battered after contact with Oscar.
70: Holland SUB -
Daley Blind (injury) OFF
Daryl Janmaat ON
72: Brazil SUB -
Ramires OFF
Hulk ON
74: Hulk goes down easily and wins a free-kick near the centre circle as a result, with rumoured United target and defender de Vrij visibly upset by the decision, clearly not a foul.
76: For someone of his size and physique, it's quite surprising that Hulk goes down so easily.
79: Poor decision and poor delivery into the box by Oscar, his cross into the box flies over his team-mates and over the bar - wasted chance there.
82: Robben goes down easily again in the box, luckily for the sanity of many people watching the game tonight no foul was given by the referee.
83: It's ridiculous that Robben dives all the time, despite his clear individual ability as one of the best forwards in the world he just lets himself down.
86: CLOSE! Holland almost go 3-0 up with a whipped corner-kick delivery into the box punched clear by the jumping presence of Julio Cesar, just inches away from Kuyt's head who was about to head the ball into the back of the net... that was close.
88: Hulk and Vlaar exchange heated words near the touchline after the Brazilian reacts badly to an accidental clip of his heel by the Aston Villa defender.
"The Hulk" vs the Dutch brick wall.
89: Another injury, young central midfielder Jordy Clasie is being stretchered off by the physio after it appears that he pulled his hamstring.
90: Holland SUB -
Jordy Clasie (injury) OFF
Joel Veltman ON
90+1: GOAL! Holland make it 3-0 with minutes to the end, with midfielder Wijnaldum slotting the ball into the far corner of the net, out of Cesar's reach to clinically finish a low cross into the area from Janmaat.
FACT: That is Brazil's 10th goal that they have conceded in the last 2 matches, 7 against Germany and 3 against Holland.
90+2: Brazil look like a beaten team, and they truly are one now. The Dutch have deserved to win tonight, and they have taken their chances.
90+3: A nice touch by Holland manager van Gaal, he replaces Cillessen for Swansea goalkeeper Michel Vorm with 2 minutes of time.
90+4: That means that van Gaal has used up all 23 of his first-team players during the tournament.
90+5:
FULL-TIME:
Brazil 0 Holland 3 -
The final whistle blows. 3-0 to Holland, and that ends a poor finish to such a promising tournament for the host nation Brazil.
Well played Holland, deserving of 3rd place this year. Unlucky not to go all the way, but the lack of a clinical nature in the knock-out rounds ended up biting them where it hurts.
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| Well deserved: Holland have finished this tournament in 3rd place |
They have been average quite frankly in the knock-out rounds, which makes you think whether or not Colombia and Chile could have progressed further if they were lucky enough to win.
But in the end, their only plan has backfired on them; they constantly rely on Neymar, and once he was injured they lost their creative spark.
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| Unbearable: Star man Neymar is among the players on the bench, struggling to watch |
Anyways, time to look forward to what promises to be an intriguing final tomorrow. Germany vs Argentina, the winner will lift the World Cup and become the new world champions!
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| Glory awaits: Germany up against Argentina in a must-watch World Cup final. Tomorrow, 9pm. |
Stay close for that one, along with other posts.
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