The World Cup 2014 Finals is set with Argentina and Germany playing for the tournament championship after Lionel Messi led his nation past the Netherlands, while the German side won over Brazil, who now plays against the Dutch in the third place game on Sunday before the final matchup on Sunday and that game is at 3 pm ET from Rio de Janeiro.
Brazil was demolished by Germany 7-1 in their semis matchup and they are playing against the Netherlands to try and salvage this World Cup for their fans. The nightmare is alive for Brazil, as Argentina is their biggest rival and they have the chance to win the tournament on their home soil. Argentina is now holding the mantle for South America, as no European team has won the World Cup in that continent and they come in after winning years ago and also finishing third in South Africa.
Germany comes in with supreme confidence after their game against Brazil and now they face off against a talented Argentina side led by Messi, arguably the the best player in the World Cup. Messi scored the first penalty kick for Argentina after Netherlands was stopped and that gave the team the advantage after the 0-0 score through regulation and extra time. This was the fifth time the semifinals have gone to penalties in World Cup history and now it will be a South America vs. Europe final after Spain matched up with the Netherlands in South Africa in 2010.
Brazil and the Netherlands will play on Saturday at 4 pm and the game is on ESPN from Brasilia and gives the Brazilian side a chance to make up for their horrible loss. The team will not have Neymar back, but they will get Thiago Silva and that could be huge after the way the defense performed. Argentina ended up winning on penalties 4-2 after the game went scoreless and now the Dutch are into the third place game after finishing as the runner up four years ago.
Sergio Romero had a great save on the first kick and that gave Argentina the advantage and Messi put them up right away and now he has the chance to win the World Cup. Argentina is in for the third time against Germany and those teams split the first matchups and Argentina is back into the finals for the first time in over two decades. This is a rematch of the 1986 and 1990 World Cup tournaments and the first one was won by Argentina, while Germany took the one in ‘90.
Arjen Robben had a great chance late in the game in the 91st minute and he had a shot on a nice angle, but it was deflected at the last moment. The move of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar for Robin van Persie for Louis Van Gaal did not work and that came after his decisions worked out in the last game, with his sub of the goalies turning out to be a huge move that gave the Dutch the win.
Check here for the World Cup schedule for the finals and third place game.