Can Brazil Regain Soccer Glory With Beauty Over Brawn?
Copacabana Beach is supposed to be fun, but it wasn't Saturday night, after the Netherlands beat Brazil 3-0 in the World Cup third-place game.
That loss came on the heels of the 7-1 drubbing by Germany earlier in the week. It's the first time since 1940 that Brazil has lost consecutive home games, prompting calls for change in a country long associated with soccer splendor.
Sunday's championship match pits Germany against Argentina in Rio de Janeiro. But for Brazilian fans, the tournament that began a month ago with so much hope for the host country has ended with a thud.
On the beach, when Saturday's final whistle blew, the reaction was decidedly tepid among the thousands who had crowded to watch on a huge video screen. Many had fled before the end, including Grace Kelly of Rio, who was disgusted by another lackluster, error-filled game.
The Two-Way
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