Brazil fans disgusted

Even this tiny tot could not take the humiliation Brazil were inflicted on by the Netherlands in their World Cup play-off at the Estadio Nacional in Brasilia on Saturday. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

Brazilians fans shook their heads in disgust Saturday as their team ended a disastrous World Cup campaign with a 3-0 defeat to the Netherlands in the third-place playoff.
And their nightmare may not even be over: Their arch-rivals Argentina will play Germany in Sunday's final in Rio de Janeiro's iconic Maracana Stadium, prompting many to support the European team that humiliated Brazil 7-1 just days ago.
Vinicius Costacurta, who traveled from Sao Paulo to attend the third-place game in Brasilia, left with his head down, reeling from another embarrassing loss.
"I couldn't take it. That's 10 goals in two games. It's very frustrating for a team that won five titles," said Costacurta, who wore Brazil's jersey and painted his face in the country's yellow and green colors.
Some Brazilians were so angry after the loss to Germany that they wore the orange Dutch jersey.
"I was supporting Holland. Our team is useless," said businessman Diogo Chaer.
The defeat to Germany was decried as an embarrassment that eclipsed Brazil's traumatic defeat at home to Uruguay in the 1950 World Cup final.
In Rio, fans began to leave a public screening on the legendary Copacabana Beach before the game was even over.
Thousands had attended the official Fan Fest, hoping for Brazil to salvage some sense of pride, but they watched in despair at another defeat.
"I'm off to another party. Dreadful match," said Francisco Ramos, a 21-year-old soldier wearing a Brazil jersey.
Eduarda Alves, a 16-year-old wearing a shirt decorated with Brazil's flag, walked away with two friends.
"We're sad because the Cup is in Brazil and we finished in fourth place," she said.
Others stayed until the bitter end. Leonel Freitas, 25, and his sister Marina, 21, raised their hands in desperation when the Dutch scored a third goal at the end.
"The national team needs renovation. It relies too much on Neymar," said Leonel, an industrial planning assistant, referring to the star forward who missed the last two games after breaking a vertebra in the quarterfinal against Colombia.
The siblings, like many Brazilians, will cheer for Germany on Sunday even though the Europeans handed the Selecao the biggest defeat of its 100-year history.
"I will never support Argentina. Argentina can never win in Brazil," Leonel said.
Julius Miranda, a 32-year-old government worker in the southeastern state of Espirito Santo, danced on the beach with the Brazilian flag wrapped around him like a cape.
"I feel neither sadness nor happiness. Brazil is so used to going to the final that finishing second or fourth is the same thing," he said.
Miranda will hope for a German victory on Sunday "so that I'll have some joy."
Argentina fans left the beach singing songs mocking Brazil.
"Rivalry is a beautiful thing in football," said Ramiro Taran, 20, a shopkeeper from Rosario, Argentina.
But not all Brazilians are anti-Argentina.
"I don't hate Argentina," said Lucas Carvalho, a 23-year-old electrical engineer who wore a Dutch jersey and orange top hat, along with a Brazil scarf.
"I was in Belo Horizonte [for the Germany game]. That's why I'm wearing the Dutch shirt. It was difficult but I stayed to the end against Germany. I'll remember that historic match for years."
Carvalho has a ticket to Sunday's final, but unlike many of his countrymen, he plans to remain neutral.
"I just want a party, a great game," he said, vowing to wear the jerseys of Argentina and Germany, one on top of the other.