I Will Not Feature For The Selecao Again - Julio Cesar

Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar has suggested that he has played his last match for the national team.

The 34-year-old and his Brazilian teammates saw their World Cup campaign finish on Saturday with a 3-0 defeat to the Netherlands in the third-placed playoff.

Without officially announcing his international retirement, the veteran shotstopper has hinted that he will not feature for the Selecao again.

"To play at the Copa America in 2015, at the age of 35, would be quite complicated. To go there without having the 2018 World Cup in mind would be selfish on my part," he told FIFA.com.

"The time has come for other goalkeepers and I think Brazil has seven or eight who are quite capable of pulling on the national jersey."

Cesar, who has 87 caps to his name, was part of the Brazil squad that won the Copa America back in 2004

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#2014FIFAWORLDCUP: Brazil 0 - 3 Netherlands

The Netherlands have beaten host nation Brazil to third place at this summer's World Cup courtesy of a 3-0 victory in Brasilia this evening.

The match got off to a controversial start as the Dutch were awarded a penalty after less than two minutes when Thiago Silva pulled Arjen Robben back with the winger through on goal.

The initial contact took place outside the box, however, while the referee also made the odd decision to only show the returning Brazilian skipper a yellow card despite him being the last man.

Following their nightmare 7-1 defeat in the semi-finals it was a dreadful start for Luiz Felipe Scolari's side, and Robin van Persie ensured that it got even worse by firing the spot kick into the top corner.

There was more bad news for Brazil as they fell two behind after just 16 minutes, this time Daley Blind finding the top corner after a poor clearance from David Luiz.

Van Persie threatened a third goal shortly after the half-hour mark when he let fly from outside the area, but Julio Cesar got down to make a comfortable stop.

Brazil then came close themselves as Oscar's free kick was flicked on by Luiz Gustavo, but the ball flashed right across the face of goal.

Van Persie had another long-range strike comfortably saved before the referee's half-time whistle prompted boos and jeers to cascade down from the stands.

The hosts had their clearest opening of the match just after the hour mark as Ramires got away from Ron Vlaar before firing a shot narrowly wide of the post.

Chances were few and far between throughout the second half, and Hulk wasted a slight opening with a wild slice high and wide of the mark from a tight angle.

Oscar also had a half chance with 10 minutes remaining, but once again the end product was disappointing as he curled his effort a long way off target.

Brazil's increasingly miserable campaign was capped off in second-half stoppage time as Robben and Daryl Janmaat linked up to create a chance for Georginio Wijnaldum, who slid his effort into the bottom corner.

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Lukas Podolski (@Podolski10) Wants Brazil To Win Tonight's Match!!!

Germany and Arsenal forward Lukas Podolski has backed Brazil to win tonight's third-place playoff against Netherland. See his tweet below!

Vamos Brasil! Great country, nice people. Good luck Selecao for getting 3rd place! #ilovebrasil #worldcup #poldi pic.twitter.com/UzcWkF5Qqv
— Lukas-Podolski.com (@Podolski10) July 12, 2014

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#2014FIFAWORLDCUP PREVIEW: Brazil Vs Netherlands

Brazil will be seeking redemption this weekend as Luiz Felipe Scolari's side face the Netherlands in Saturday's third-place playoff for the penultimate fixture of the World Cup.

Both nations duke it out in Brasilia tonight in a bid to salvage some pride after the pair lost their respective semi-final encounters - albeit in contrasting manners.

The Selecao saw their dream of winning the World Cup on home soil dashed in ruthless fashion on Tuesday as Germany cruised to a 7-1 victory in front of a visibly distressed home crowd in Belo Horizonte.

A disastrous first half set the tone for the Brazilians as Germany struck four times in an astonishing six-minute spell en route to a commanding five-goal half-time lead.

One positive for the host nation is that captain Thiago Silva returns to the team after missing the seven-goal mauling through suspension.

Neymar remains sidelined with a back injury, meaning that Willian could deputise in his absence after Bernard endured an indifferent performance against the Germans.

Elsewhere, Scolari may finally call time on Fred's inclusion after the striker was booed in the Estadio Mineirao for his display against Joachim Low's side.

Unlike their Brazilian counterparts, the Netherlands had to wait two hours before being put out of their misery following the drab 0-0 draw with Argentina on Wednesday.

In a game of few chances, it came down to a penalty shootout and Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Romero saved twice from Ron Vlaar and Wesley Sneijder to ensure that the Dutch would not replicate their heroics from the previous round against Costa Rica.

Coach Louis van Gaal may elect to give third-choice goalkeeper Michel Vorm some game-time, as the Swansea City keeper is the only one of the 23-man squad not to get a run-out as of yet.

Victory for the Netherlands would represent their third win over Brazil at the finals, having beaten the South Americans twice - 1974 and 2010 - and drawn one in their previous four World Cup meetings.

Recent form

Netherlands: WWWWWL

Brazil: WDWWWL

Possible starting lineups

Netherlands: Vorm; De Vrij, Vlaar, Martins Indi, Kuyt, Blind; De Jong, Wijnaldum; Sneijder, Robben, Van Persie

Brazil: Cesar; Alves, Silva, Luiz, Marcelo; Gustavo, Fernandinho, Hulk, Oscar, Willian; Jo

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#2014FIFAWORLDCUP: Brazil 1 - 7 Germany

Germany produced one of the most memorable displays in World Cup history by thrashing Brazil 7-1 in Belo Horiztone to book their spot in Sunday's final.

It took the Germans just 11 minutes to open the scoring as Thomas Muller lost his marker inside the box to volley home from close range as the Brazilian defence offered a sign of things to come.

Germany continued to pile the pressure on as they threatened with every attack, and their advantage was doubled midway through the first half when Miroslav Klose collected a pass from Toni Kroos before beating Cesar at the second attempt to score his 16th World Cup goal.

The home fans were not aware that it was just the start of an incredible phase of dominance from Germany, with Kroos making it 3-0 less than a minute later when he fired home from the edge of the box following good work from Philipp Lahm on the wing.

Brazil were further ahead moments later as Kroos helped himself to his second of the night by slotting home after he had combined with Sami Khedira to steal possession from Fernandinho.

Germany's fifth arrived before the break when Khedira got the goal his impressive display deserved by rolling the ball past a helpless Cesar, who had been forced out of position by Mesut Ozil's clever pass.

Luiz Felipe Scolari was forced to make changes at the break, and his humiliated side returned looking slightly more dangerous after the interval as Manuel Neuer was twice forced to deny Ramires.

Despite a clear improvement from the hosts going forward, their defensive frailties were still obvious to everyone watching as Cesar responded to push away Muller's curled effort from the edge of the box.

Andre Schurrle was introduced to add another option for the Germans in the attacking third of the pitch, and the Chelsea forward soon made an impact as he connected with Lahm's cross to make it 6-0 with just over 20 minutes remaining.

The frustration from the Brazilians was clear, but they were powerless to prevent the dominant Germans from extending their lead even further 10 minutes later as Schurrle sprinted away from David Luiz before hammering the ball in off the crossbar from a tight angle.

Oscar broke free of his markers in the final minute as Low's side continued to look for more goals, but the attacking midfielder's emphatic finish past Neuer failed to bring any joy to the home supporters on a night which belonged to the Germans.

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#2014FIFAWORLDCUP PREVIEW: Brazil Vs Germany

Host nation Brazil will attempt to secure a place in the final at the World Cup when they take on Germany in their last-four clash in Belo Horizonte on Tuesday.

Luiz Felipe Scolari will be without Neymar, who has been their top scorer so far in this tournament, as he suffered a fractured vertebra during their quarter-final win over Colombia.

Brazil will also be missing their captain Thiago Silva after he picked up his second booking of the tournament, while Willian sustained a back injury during training, but insists that it will not stop him playing.

Meanwhile, Germany are still dealing with a bout of flu that has been working its way through the squad over the last week.

Defender Per Mertesacker missed training this weekend after coming down with the illness, while Bastian Schweinsteiger has been working away from his teammates.

However, Joachim Low has no players suspended and has reported no fresh injuries following their quarter-final win over France.

In the only previous World Cup meeting between these two sides, Brazil defeated Germany 2-0 to claim the 2002 title, while the Germans won a friendly between the pair in their most recent meeting in 2011.

Recent form

Brazil: WWDWDW

Germany: WWDWWW

Possible starting lineups

Brazil: Cesar, Maicon, Luiz, Alves, Marcelo, Fernandinho, Paulinho, Hulk, Oscar, Willian, Fred

Germany: Neuer, Howedes, Hummels, Lahm, Mertesacker, Khedira, Schweinsteiger, Kroos, Ozil, Muller, Klose

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#2014FIFAWORLDCUP: Brazil 2 - 1 Colombia

Brazil have held on to see off Colombia and book their place in the semi-finals of the World Cup.

Luiz Felipe Scolari's men found themselves two goals ahead with 10 minutes remaining in Fortaleza, but a Colombian penalty left nerves wrangling until they saw out the contest 2-1 to progress through.

The tournament hosts were ahead with just seven minutes on the clock courtesy of captain Thiago Silva, who bundled the ball home at the back post unmarked from Neymar's corner.

Colombia nearly hit an instant reply through Juan Cuadrado's drilled effort, but a deflection off Silva on the way through ensured that the strike did not trouble Julio Cesar.

Three chances in short succession followed for Brazil as Hulk's cut-back was just about dealt with after he initially beat a man inside the area, before seeing another shot kept out by David Ospina who did well to get up to keep out the rebound.

Ospina was called into action again on the 28-minute mark to deny Hulk once more, as the much-maligned wideman latched on to Marcelo's cut-back inside the area before getting a shot away.

Neymar tried his luck from a free kick just before the interval, only for his attempt to fly high of the target with Ospina rooted to the spot.

Colombia went in search of an equaliser in the opening stages of the second half, but it took until the hour mark for their first opportunity as James Rodriguez picked out Fredy Guardin who sliced his volley over the bar following a promising move.

The Selecao did manage to double their lead 10 minutes later, however, with David Luiz finding the back of the net from all of 30 yards from a sublime free kick to make it 2-0.

Yet home celebrations were soon cut short with 10 minutes remaining as referee Carlos Velasco pointed to the spot when Cesar brought Carlos Bacca down inside the box. Rodriguez sent the keeper the wrong way to become the first player in World Cup history to score in the first six games of the showpiece event.

Brazilian star man Neymar was stretchered off with two minutes of normal time remaining to dampen spirits, while Colombia continued to push in search of a leveller, but Scolari's side saw out the final minutes to set up a meeting with Germany in the next round.

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#2014FIFAWORLDCUP PREVIEW: Brazil Vs Colombia

The host nation will take on the tournament's top scorer so far when Brazil meet Colombia in the quarter-finals of the World Cup at Fortaleza on Friday.

Brazil needed penalties to reach the last eight in their previous match against Chile, and come up against another of their South American rivals in the quarter-finals.

Luis Felipe Scolari will be without Luiz Gustavo, who is suspended after picking up his second booking of the tournament.

However, Neymar is expected to be available after overcoming thigh and knee complaints.

There are no such concerns for Colombia, who have reported no fresh injuries following their last-16 clash with Uruguay.

James Rodriguez, who currently leads the race for the golden boot with five goals, is expected to continue, while captain Mario Yepes appears to have put the thigh problem that hampered him earlier in the tournament behind him.

In the 12 previous meetings between these two sides, Brazil have won seven, while the other five have ended in a draw.

Recent form

Brazil: WWWDWD

Colombia: DWWWWW

Possible starting lineups
Brazil: Cesar, Alves, Silva, Luiz, Fernandinho, Marcelo, Hulk Fred, Willian, Neymar, Oscar,

Colombia: Ospina, Zuniga, Armero, Sanchez, Zapata, Yepes, Cuadrado, Aguilar, Gutierrez, Rodriguez, Martinez

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#2014FIFAWORLDCUP: Brazil Win Chile 3 - 2 On Penalties

Hosts Brazil have progressed to the quarter-finals of the World Cup by edging out Chile in an enthralling penalty shootout at the Estadio Mineirao in Belo Horizonte.

Brazil players celebrate their penalty shootout victory over Chile in the World Cup round of 16 in Belo Horizonte on June 28, 2014

After a feisty start to the game, early efforts from Marcelo and Marcelo Diaz at either end flew wide before Brazil appealed wildly for a penalty in the 13th minute.

Hulk tumbled under the challenge of Mauricio Isla, but English referee Howard Webb didn't feel that there was enough contact to warrant the fall.

Brazil took the lead in the 18th minute when Neymar's corner was flicked goalwards by Thiago Silva and bundled home at the back post by centre-back partner David Luiz - his first goal for his country.

Replays indicated that it may have been an own goal by Gonzalo Jara, but Luiz was credited with the goal as it was unclear who diverted the ball into the net.

The men in yellow were only ahead for a quarter of an hour before Alexis Sanchez levelled the scores with his second goal of the tournament.

Hulk gave away possession cheaply in the corner and Sanchez was found by Eduardo Vargas before coolly rolling the ball past Julio Cesar into the corner.

Brazil had several chances to go back in front before half time, but Neymar headed wide, Fred shot over and Dani Alves was denied by an acrobatic Claudio Bravo save.

Ten minutes after the break Hulk thought that he had restored Brazil's lead, but his finish was ruled out as he appeared to control the ball with his right bicep before finding the bottom corner.

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#2014FIFAWORLDCUP PREVIEW: Brazil Vs Chile

Brazil will be hoping to reach the quarter-finals at their home World Cup when they take on Chile in Belo Horizonte on Saturday.

The host nation came through Group A unbeaten, although were held to a draw by Mexico, and have no players suspended for the knockout stage.

Luiz Felipe Scolari has reported no new injuries for the round of 16, but has insisted that the side will have to improve to beat their South American rivals.

Brazil currently boast the tournament's joint top scorer, with Neymar having found the back of the net four times so far, leaving him level with Argentina's Lionel Messi.

Meanwhile, Chile proved the surprise package in Group B, progressing as runners-up behind the Netherlands in place of defending champions Spain, who finished third.

Like their opponents, Chile kept a clean disciplinary record during their group games to ensure that they have the full squad available to face Brazil.

No leading goalscorer has emerged for Chile yet, with Jean Beausejour, Alexis Sanchez and Eduardo Valdivia among those on the scoresheet so far.

Recent form

Brazil: WWWWDW

Chile: LWWWWL

Possible starting lineups

Brazil: Cesar, Alves, Silva, Luiz, Marcelo, Paulinho, Ramires, Gustavo, Oscar, Fred, Neymar

Chile: Bravo, Jara, Silva, Medel, Mena, Aranguiz, Diaz, Isla, Vidal, Vargas, Sanchez

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#2014FIFAWORLDCUP: Cameroon 1 - 4 Brazil

Brazil finished as Group A winners after a convincing 4-1 win against Cameroon at the World Cup in Brasilia this evening.

The hosts had the lead on 18 minutes when Neymar cleverly guided Luiz Gustavo's pinpoint cross into the bottom corner, and the Barcelona forward tormented the the Indomitable Lions throughout the opening half.

Following the goal, the Barcelona forward then forced Charles Itandje into a good stop when he caught a rasping volley with his left on the edge of the box.

Joel Matip then headed against the crossbar from a corner on 25 minutes as the visitors briefly threatened, and the Schalke player had the ball in the back of the net moments later when he converted Allan Nyom's low cross at the back post.

However, Neymar put his side back in the lead with a superb solo effort on 34 minutes. The Barca star danced his way into the Cameroon box before flashing a shot past the goalkeeper for his fourth goal of the competition.

Hulk spurned a good opportunity after the restart when he was dispossessed inside the box after delaying his shot, but Fred extended the lead moments later.

The striker nodded home from close range five minutes after the kick off to give the hosts the breathing space they sought.

Neymar was later withdrawn as a precaution by La Selecao boss Luiz Felipe Scolari after he went down holding his knee when under pressure from Stephane M'Bia.

Fernandinho settled matters late on when he toe-poked home past Itandje after bursting into the box.

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#2014FIFAWORLDCUP PREVIEW: Cameroon Vs Brazil

It will have surprised some that with one group game left to play, hosts Brazil still have some work to do where their place in knockout stages of the World Cup is concerned.

Having recorded what many believe to be a fortuitous 3-1 win over the Croatians on the opening day and backed that up with a less-than-convincing 0-0 draw with Mexico, Luiz Felipe Scolari's side go into the clash with Cameroon on Monday top of the standings with four points to their name.

A win or a draw would guarantee their slot in the last 16, but even a defeat could see them advance, although that would be dependent upon the result in Mexico's encounter with Croatia with both of those sides locked on three points.

Despite the criticism that greeted the goalless draw last time out, Scolari is expected to name the same starting lineup. Hulk may be passed fit, but he is likely to have to settle for a place among the substitutes.

Meanwhile, Cameroon's two defeats have seen them eliminated, meaning that they have nothing but pride to play for in the capital Brasilia.

In terms of team selection, Tottenham Hotspur full-back Benoit Assou-Ekotto may be dropped following a physical altercation with teammate Benjamin Moukandjo against Croatia. Alex Song is also absent because of suspension.

Recent form

Cameroon: WLDWLL

Brazil: WWWWWD

Possible starting lineups
Cameroon: Itandje; Djeugoue, Nkoulou, Chedjou, Nounkeu; Matip, Aboubakar, Choupo Moting, Mbia, Enoh; Eto'o

Brazil: Cesar; Alves, Silva, Luiz, Marcelo; Paulinho, Gustavo, Ramires; Oscar, Neymar; Fred

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#2014FIFAWORLDCUP: Brazil 0 - 0 Mexico

Guillermo Ochoa produced a string of fine saves to ensure that Mexico held Brazil to a goalless draw in Fortaleza.

A slow start to the contest for the hosts allowed Mexico to carve out the first real opportunity after 25 minutes, with Hector Herrera beating two defenders before getting a shot away at goal which was kept out by Julio Cesar.

Two minutes later Brazil came alive as Neymar planted a header towards the bottom corner of the net, only for Ochoa to pull off the first of many top-quality stops to deny the forward.

Miguel Layun was the next player to try his luck, but his effort from distance following a loose header from Thiago Silva was high and wide of the target.

A cross into the box moments before the end of the half almost provided the breakthrough goal when David Luiz found himself unmarked inside the box, but Ochoa was once more on hand to pull off a close-range save to deny Brazil.

Bernard was brought on at the interval in place of Ramires to add some extra attacking intent for Luiz Felipe Scolari's side, and he very nearly made an instant impact when he delivered a cross for Neymar, which was well cleared by Francisco Rodriguez for a corner.

Neymar, who bagged two goals in his side's opening game against Croatia last week, collected a cross into the box from Bernard on the 70-minute mark before seeing his resulting strike kept out yet again by Ochoa.

Bernard was provider once more shortly after when he picked out fellow substitute Jo with a low pass, but his shot failed to test the Mexican stopper.

As the game edged towards full time, Ochoa was called into action for a final time to deny Silva from a close-range header to ensure that the game ended goalless.

Both sides move up to four points in Group A following the draw, meaning if either Croatia or Cameroon lose tomorrow afternoon, they will exit the competition.

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#2014FIFAWORLDCUP PREVIEW: Brazil Vs Mexico

Hosts Brazil can all but secure their place in the second round of the World Cup on Tuesday with a win over Mexico in Fortaleza.

The Selecao got their campaign off to a winning start thanks to a controversial 3-1 victory over Croatia in the opening match of the tournament.

However, Mexico can also take a big step towards the knockout stages if they defeat their South American counterparts at the Estadio Castelao.

The Mexicans started the tournament with a win thanks to a narrow 1-0 victory over Cameroon.

While Mexico are expected to provide Brazil with tough opposition, the Brazilians can take comfort in the fact that they have won 22 of their previous 38 meetings with Mexico.

Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari is likely to name the same starting lineup that saw off Croatia, with Neymar and Fred leading the attack. Meanwhile, Mexico have no fresh injury concerns ahead of the match.

Recent form
Brazil: WWWWWW

Mexico: DWWLLW

Possible starting lineups
Brazil: Cesar; D Alves, T Silva, D Luiz, Marcelo; Paulinho, L Gustavo; Hulk, Oscar, Neymar; Fred

Mexico: Ochoa; Rodriguez, Marquez, Herrera, Layun, Dos Santos, Moreno, Guardado, Peralta, Aguilar, Vazquez

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Neymar Fires Brazil To Comeback Victory

Neymar was the star of the show as Brazil came from behind to secure a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Croatia in the opening match of the FIFA World Cup™. The hosts’ star No10 equalised after Marcelo’s own-goal, and converted a second-half penalty after Fred had been fouled by Dejan Lovren.

Croatia had the ball in the net before the end of the game, but Ivica Olic was adjudged to have fouled Julio Cesar in the build-up, and Oscar made sure of the victory late on.

The opening goal of the 2014 World Cup was remarkable in itself, the first own-goal scored by a Brazilian in the history of the tournament. Ivica Olic received the ball on the Croatia left and ran unopposed into the Brazilian half. His low cross fizzed across goal and was turned in by Marcelo, who failed to readjust his feet in time. Ivan Perisic was ready to pounce if the Real Madrid man had not made the final touch.

The crowd were stunned, but they rallied behind their side, who were level before the half-hour mark. Oscar worked hard to regain possession for Brazil in the middle of the park, before passing the ball to Neymar. The Barça man skipped free of a Perisic challenge, steadied himself, and fired hard and low with his left foot across Pletikosa. The ball rebounded off the post, nestled into the back of the Croatia net and the Arena de Sao Paulo erupted.

The remainder of the first half saw Brazil dominate possession, with Croatia looking dangerous on the counter-attack.

After more Seleção pressure in the second-half, the hosts went ahead. The ball was played into the box towards Fred, who tried to swivel to hit it towards goal. He was impeded by Lovren and the referee pointed to the spot. Neymar stepped up, delayed his run-up, and hit hard to Pletikosa’s right-hand side. Croatia’s No1 got a hand to it, but could not stop it putting Brazil ahead.

Despite a valiant effort by Croatia, including their disallowed goal, Brazil wrapped up the three points when Oscar fired home from the edge of the box.


Source: Fifa.com

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#2014FIFAWORLDCUP PREVIEW: Brazil Vs Croatia

MATCHDAY PREVIEW – Record five-time winners and host nation Brazil will ensure a sprinkling of prestige and history as they kick off the 20th edition of the FIFA World Cup™ against an ambitious Croatia side with nothing to lose. All the pressure will be on Neymar and Co in Sao Paulo, with an entire nation desperate for a winning start to their World Cup odyssey on home soil. Niko Kovac's cosmopolitan squad boast the tools to spoil the party, however, drawing talent from some of the biggest clubs in Europe and featuring just two players based in Croatia.

Thursday's encounter will also be the first World Cup finals game contested in the Americas since 17 July 1994, when Brazil defeated Italy 3-2 on penalties at the end of a goalless draw in Los Angeles to clinch their fourth title.

The match
Brazil-Croatia, Arena de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Thursday 12 June, 17.00 (local time)

Did you know?
- Friends reunited: Brazil and Croatia crossed paths eight years ago on 13 June 2006, with Berlin the backdrop as they got the ball rolling in Group F at Germany 2006. The South American side were given a genuine test by their technically gifted rivals and were left grateful to Kaka's goal just before the break as they began with a slender win. None of the Seleção players that day will be involved this time around, but two of Croatia's 23-man squad will be stepping back into the breach: goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa and captain Darijo Srna. So too, of course, will Niko Kovac, who contested that game alongside his brother and assistant coach Robert. Niko, 42, won 83 caps in total before replacing Igor Stimac last October and helping turn Croatia back into a competitive force.

- Cutting edge: For the very first time in a World Cup fixture, Goal-Line Technology (GLT) will be used. The GoalControl-4D system is equipped with 14 high-speed cameras located around the pitch, with seven cameras focusing on each goalmouth. Special detection software determines whether the ball has fully crossed the goal-line, and if it has, the central processing unit automatically sends an encrypted radio signal to the referee's watch less than a second later, indicating a goal by means of a vibration and visual signal.

Suspended player
Mario Mandžukić (CRO) - Bayern Munich forward. 48 caps (13 goals)

Check it out
The Vatreni boast their very own naturalised Brazilian in striker Eduardo da Silva, who could potentially have been gearing up for this game in the opposition camp. To find out more about Croatia's atypical marksman, read his recent interview with FIFA.com on the right hand side.

On this day
On 12 June 1938, Brazil had to settle for a 1-1 draw in their quarter-final against Czechoslovakia at France 1938, despite a goal from Leonidas and 30 minutes of extra time. The teams thus reconvened 48 hours later, locking horns in Bordeaux once again, and this time second-half strikes from Leonidas and Roberto sealed a 2-1 comeback win. A Seleção paid for those exertions two days later, however, losing 2-1 to Italy after having rested Leonidas for the Final. Their marathon effort of 300 competitive minutes in the space of four days remains a record.

Source: Fifa.com

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