Welcome to Sports Mole's live news coverage from day 27 of the World Cup.
We will be bringing you all of the news and gossip from the tournament ahead of this evening's semi-final showdown between Argentina and the Netherlands.
You can also expect plenty of reaction from last night's incredible encounter between Brazil and Germany as the hosts were humiliated 7-1 in the last four.
Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live news coverage from the World Cup in Brazil. We'll be bringing you all of the latest news and gossip coming out of the tournament, including reaction to last night's staggering 7-1 win for Germany over the hosts. You can also expect plenty of build-up ahead of this evening's semi-final meeting between footballing titans Argentina and the Netherlands. However, let's start things off by taking a look at some of the headlines from overnight...
David Luiz says sorry to Brazilian fans
Luiz Felipe Scolari takes blame for Brazil World Cup defeat
Juninho: 'Some Brazil players won't be back'
Germany forward Thomas Muller has hailed his team's "indescribable" 7-1 win over Brazil in the World Cup semi-finals. Muller was on the scoresheet for Die Mannschaft in Belo Horizonte on Tuesday as they thrashed the hosts to reach Sunday's final.
Meanwhile, Germany coach Joachim Low has praised Miroslav Klose for becoming the World Cup's all-time leading goalscorer. The striker netted a record-breaking 16th goal on Tuesday night during Germany's 7-1 mauling of Brazil in the semi-finals.
Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has described his side's hammering by Germany in the World Cup semi-finals as the worst day of his life. The host nation's 7-1 decimation in Belo Horizonte on Tuesday night was their heaviest ever defeat in the tournament.
While last night's semi-final was something of a freak show, this evening's encounter between Argentina and the Netherlands promises to be a far more cagey affair. You can check out our preview ahead of the match below:
Germany midfielder Toni Kroos has claimed that Tuesday's 7-1 thrashing of Brazil was the "best team performance" that he has been involved in with the national side. Kroos netted twice for the Germans on Tuesday to cap a fine display for his country.
Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella has called on his side to cope without Angel di Maria during their World Cup semi-final against the Netherlands. The winger has been ruled out of this evening's match in Sao Paulo after picking up a thigh injury.
Of course, Argentina and the Netherlands have been involved in some classic World Cup encounters down the years. One such meeting took place in the 1978 final when the Argentines earned a 3-1 win after extra time to lift the trophy for the first time. If you're in the mood for a blast from the footballing past then check out the highlights of that match below:
Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal has insisted that his players will not be focusing on Argentina's Lionel Messi during their World Cup semi-final. Messi has scored four goals in five games for the South Americans so far at the tournament.
More from Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal now, who thinks that his team is capable of going all the way at the World Cup. Strong words ahead of their semi-final against Argentina.
Former Germany international Dietmar Hamann has described the team's dismantling of Brazil in the World Cup semi-finals as a "masterclass".
Rio Ferdinand is the latest name to weigh in on Brazil's humiliation against Germany. The ex-England international has questioned whether the Brazilian players will ever be able to get over their nightmare in Belo Horizonte.
There has been an awful lot of soul-searching that's taken place since last night's incredible defeat for Brazil, but don't expect any answers from Willian. The Selecao forward has admitted that it is hard to explain why the hosts were embarrassed by Germany.
That's all from me for now, but I'm pleased to say that Liam Apicella will be here for the next three hours to take you through all of the latest news and gossip from Brazil. See ya!
Thanks Jack and afternoon all. So, anyone recovered yet from that shock last night? No, me neither! I think it's a fairly safe bet, though, that tonight's semi-final won't produce eight goals!
It would seem that it will take Tottenham Hotspur's Brazilian midfielder Sandro some time to recover:
Someone that will have enjoyed the match last night was former Germany goalkeeper Oliver Khan, who was beaten twice by Ronaldo during the 2002 World Cup final. He's had his say on the Brazilians and it's pretty scathing!
Back to tonight's game and former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has been busy tweeting his thoughts on it:
Turning attention back to Brazil for a moment and the big question now is - can those players actually recover? Some will surely not play again for the five-time winners again - the likes of Fred and Maicon were extremely poor to name two. However, the legend that is Pele has backed his country to win a sixth title in Russia in 2018. Find out what he's had to say here.
From Pele to Maradona - they are all having their say on the Brazil thrashing. Here is what the Argentine legend made of it:
"I didn't like Brazil from the start, but I didn't think Germany were going to be so imposing, so devastating, so decisive. Brazil just didn't turn up and I think the worst thing for Brazil is that they gave an extremely poor image. Germany were strong but the Brazil players simply weren't on the pitch.
"I'm sorry because Brazil was so proud of its team, they wanted to reach the final, but football gives you these hammer-blows."
One of those seven goals was scored by Mirolsav Klose, which took his World Cup tally to 16 - more than any other player in the tournament's history. That is some achievement from the German. For those of you keen to see a goalscoring master at work, watch below:
Is the defeat one that could cost Luiz Felipe Scolari his job? Reports in Brazil suggest that it will, with most saying that he will step down. One would imagine that it's a case of jumping before he is pushed!
Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf has produced an excellent front page today:
Staying with the Dutch, they have a doubt over the fitness of Robin van Persie. The Manchester United striker scored one of the goals of the tournament during the group stages against Spain courtesy of a diving header. Such was the impact that it made, 6,000 coins were made to commemorate the goal and they have all sold out.
Now for some sad news from Brazil. Argentine journalist Jorge Lopez, who was a friend of Argentina's Lionel Messi, has been killed in a car crash in Sao Paulo. It would seem that the taxi that he was travelling in was hit by a stolen car that was fleeing from the police. It will be interesting to see if the sad news has any impact on Messi tonight.
And that is as far as I take you for today. Guiding you through the next three hours will be Pascal Lemesre, who will be covering all the gossip from Brazil, as well as looking ahead to Argentina vs. Netherlands. Over to you Pascal...
Ta very much, Liam. Just under four hours until kickoff in Sao Paulo. What will we see tonight after last night?! I was watching and simply couldn't believe how badly Brazil capitulated. Check out the video below, where me, Matt Law and Barney Corkhill give our thoughts on tonight's game. I made a bold Argentina 3-2 Netherlands prediction!
With the final being played at Rio de Janeiro's Maracana stadium on Sunday, Twitter users will be able to vote on which country they want to dominate the famous Christ the Redeemer statue. More on that here.
American sports fans will like this. @ESPNStatsInfo have just tweeted this picture that shows how Germany's seven goals compare to the four major US Sports. As a basketball lover, 484 points will just never happen and that just goes to show how rare last night's annihilation was.
Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has cemented his status as the world's best number one at this tournament. He's instructed his teammates to keep calm ahead of Sunday's final and not get carried away with last night's historic result.
Can Leo deliver again for the Albiceleste tonight?
FIFA have announced that there will be a minute's silence before tonight's semi-final to commemorate the late, great Alfredo Di Stefano, who passed away on Monday at the age of 88.
Germany might have shown no mercy last night, but this is a nice message for the Brazilians on their Twitter account.
Here's some big news coming out just now - The FIFA Emergency Committee has suspended the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) with immediate effect. More on this to come.
Here's the developing story on the Nigerian suspension. It has been served because of government interference with the NFF.
Our detailed buildup for tonight's game in Sao Paulo has just started here with Matt Law. Plenty to discuss in the two hours before kickoff, trust me!
Will Robin van Persie be fit tonight? It's probably the biggest question surrounding the two lineups in Sao Paulo, with the Manchester United striker suffering from a stomach problem. Team news is expected in around 15 minutes!
Germany forward Thomas Muller, the second-top scorer at this World Cup with five goals, reveals that he "felt sorry" for Brazil during last night's historic semi-final.
The team news is in, and Van Persie does start for Oranje! He's also joined by Nigel de Jong, who makes a surprise return after initially being ruled out of the whole tournament!
Netherlands: Cillessen; De Vrij, Vlaar, Martins Indi; Kuyt, De Jong, Wijnaldum; Sneijder, Blind; Robben, Van Persie
Argentina: Romero; Zabaleta, Demichelis, Garay, Rojo; Perez, Biglia, Mascherano; Lavezzi, Higuain, Messi
Click here for our full team news piece. Dutch fans will be over the moon that the man below is fit!
More good news for the Dutch from @OptaJohan on Twitter: "6 - The Netherlands have won all 6 games in which Nigel de Jong appeared in 2014 while not winning the three without him (D2, L1). Boost."
Aaaaaaaaaanyway, that's as far as I take you tonight. Joe Fish will be taking over for what is sure to be an engrossing few hours. Enjoy the game!
Thanks Pascal. I can almost categorically rule out the drama that was witnessed in the first semi-final last night, but engrossing it certainly should be as Argentina and Netherlands meet to decide who faces Brazil's emphatic conquerers Germany in the final. Less than an hour until kickoff now.
Van Persie and De Jong's returns will be a major boost for the Dutch, who stick with Jasper Cillessen in goal despite Tim Krul's quarter-final penalty-shooutout heroics. Memphis Depay is the man who drops out to make room for De Jong. Ron Vlaar passes a fitness test to start in defence.
Not such good news from the Argentina camp, with Sergio Aguero not deemed fit enough to start for the South Americans, and of course Angel di Maria missing with a thigh injury. Enzo Perez is perhaps a surprise choice to replace the Real Madrid man in midfield, while Marcos Rojo returns at left-back at the expense of Jose Maria Basanta after completing his suspension.
Aguero is some weapon for the Argentines to have on the bench, but his absence means that the Premier League representation in Alejandro Sabella's XI is limited to Aguero's Manchester City teammates Pablo Zabaleta and Martin Demichelis. Oh, and they have a chap called Lionel Messi playing too.
The Dutch also have two starters who ply their trade in England, Aston Villa's Ron Vlaar and captain Van Persie. Three have previous Premier League experience - De Jong, Dirk Kuyt and the talismanic Arjen Robben, while every other player will join manager Louis van Gaal at Manchester United this summer if you believe some reports! There are some great talents on show, that's for sure.
Just five minutes until kickoff now, and perhaps the only thing that could make devastated Brazil fans feel any worse would be to see their arch rivals Argentina win the World Cup on enemy territory. The hosts will be cheering on Netherlands tonight, and you can follow all the action here.
KICKOFF: Here we go then. Argentina vs. Netherlands; Van Gaal vs. Sabella; Messi vs. Robben, to decide who will face Germany in the 2014 World Cup final at the magical Maracana on Sunday evening.
Both teams perfectly observe a minute's silence for Argentina great Alfredo Di Stefano, who passed away aged 88 on Monday. The South Americans are wearing black armbands in honour of a man who sadly never appeared at a World Cup. On the pitch, an even start, with Messi denied a penalty claim.
While Messi has an early free-kick well held by Cillessen in Sao Paolo, there is still reaction coming through from last night's incredible semi-final, and I expect there to be for days to come. Brazil manager Luiz Felipe Scolari has insisted that he will not decide on his future until after the World Cup third-place playoff on Saturday, despite heavy criticism in the Brazilian press today.
Javier Mascherano takes a blow to the head while challenging for an aerial ball and a stretcher is initially brought on. The Barcelona man is a tough nut, though, and picks himself up to continue.
It was 5-0 at this point in yesterday's semi-final, but we remain goalless in Sao Paolo. It is Argentina who are probably knocking on the door that little bit more forcefully. Robben and Van Persie quiet thus far.
HALF-TIME: The whistle blows in Sao Paolo, and there is no repeat of yesterday's semi-final goal-glut, with Netherlands and Argentina deadlocked after a tense, but largely uneventful, 45 minutes.
Read Sports Mole's half-time report of the contest here. A statistic to accompany that version of events: Robben has only had six touches of the ball so far, compared to Messi's 28.
KICKOFF: Van Gaal and Sabella have given their half-time team talks, and the players retake to the pitch for a massive second half of football. The Dutch bring on Daryl Janmaat for Bruno Martins Indi, who was booked at the end of that opening period. That may see the Dutch switch to a flat defensive four, although Daley Blind has been used as a third centre-back previously in this tournament.
We are moving away from the semi-final action for minute to bring you the latest news on Neymar's injury, with his club Barcelona revealing that the Brazil star is "progressing very well" in his recovery from the injury that ended his World Cup before his country's semi-final humiliation.
Twenty minutes to go in Sao Paolo, and at this rate, we are heading for extra time, with both goalkeepers still going largely untested. Perhaps it is time for Argentine to call for Aguero? He has a history with late drama in big games of course. Jordy Clasie has replaced fitness doubt Nigel de Jong for Holland.
CLOSE! Gonzalo Higuain has the clearest opening of the match so far but rustles the side netting with a near-post poke. The nerves could be getting the better of even the world's best tonight, with firstly Messi and then Sneijder knocking free kicks straight out of play in quick succession.
Here comes Aguero. Sabella throws both the Manchester City frontman and Rodrigo Palacio on in attack, with Higuain, so nearly the Argentine hero, and Enzo Perez being sacrificed. Only six minutes plus stoppage time remaining in Sao Paolo. This one could go the distance.
MASCHERANO! Incredible last-ditch tackle from Mascherano to deny Robben a stoppage-time winner following Sneijder's delightful flick. What an important challenge that could prove to be. Three minutes separate us from extra time. Tim Krul is limbering up on the sidelines!
NINETY MINUTES: The whistle blows to signal the end of 90 minutes in Sao Paolo. We had eight goals last night, but neither Netherlands or Argentina have managed one so far in a tense semi-final that will now be decided in extra time, or even penalties if needed.
Extra time is underway and Alex Meyers will guide you through the remainder of this semi-final.
Thanks Joe! Yes we're into the first half of extra time and the game is still too close to call at this point. I can tell you that Huntelaar has just come on for Van Persie. That substitution also means that the Dutch have used up their three changes, so we will not see any penalty shootout heroics from Tim Krul again!
Former Brazil captain Zico has expressed his anger after seeing his country suffer the worst defeat in their history against Germany.
"I am absolutely livid at their performance," he wrote in his column for The Guardian. "Never in my lifetime did I expect Brazil could take such a beating.
We have now reached half time in extra time and it is still goalless in Sao Paulo. Remember that you can keep up to date with our live commentary here.
FULL TIME IN EXTRA TIME: Well, after 120 minutes of play we are yet to see a winner in this semi-final, so a penalty shootout will be needed to determine who will face Germany in the final on Sunday!
ARGENTINA ARE THROUGH TO THE WORLD CUP FINAL! The South Americans have triumphed 4-2 in the shootout to book a final against Germany! Vlaar and Sniejder missed from the spot, but the Argentines slotted in all four of theirs to win the match!
Well, we've certainly got a wonderful final to look forward to this weekend. Make sure you read our match report on what occurred this evening in Sao Paulo.
Germany defender Per Mertesacker says that his country's 7-1 win against Brazil was the best of his career.
"It was crazy to watch us score five goals so early," he told FIFA.com. "Everything went so fluently. We played through their lines, found always a player who was completely free in front of the goal. We showed some great skills, some great passing moves. It was nice to watch."
Thomas Muller has praised Germany for their "special" victory over Brazil in the semi-final of the World Cup. The Bayern Munich man started the rout that saw the South Americans fall to the worst defeat in their history.
Sergio Romero has expressed his "immense happiness" after helping Argentina book their place in the World Cup final. The goalkeeper made two saves in the penalty shootout to set up a meeting against Germany this weekend.
Argentina manager Alejandro Sabella has said that he is certain that his side can win the World Cup final this weekend.
"There is such joy, such great happiness," Sabella told reporters. "It was a difficult game, very tight, but World Cup matches are like that."
Netherlands manager Louis van Gaal has praised his side following their exit from the World Cup. He is set to take charge of Manchester United for the new season and believes that the Dutch far exceeded their pre-tournament expectations.
Arjen Robben has said that the Netherlands can be proud of their achievements at the World Cup after their semi-final exit to Argentina. You can read what my colleague Matt Law made of the events that took place this evening in his match analysis.
Netherlands captain Wesley Sneijder has said that his country did not deserve to be knocked out of the World Cup by Argentina. The 30-year-old was one of two players who saw his spot kick saved as they lost in a penalty shootout.
Netherlands manager Louis van Gaal has said that he wanted to bring on Tim Krul for his side's penalty shootout against Argentina.
"If I had had the opportunity to substitute Cillessen I would have, but I had used my three subs," he told reporters.
Javier Mascherano has said that Argentina were brilliant during their World Cup semi-final win over the Netherlands.
"Hopefully we will be crowned champions on Sunday but, regardless of the outcome, I have no words to express how proud I am ... the goal was to be in the final," he told reporters following the match.
That's all we've got time for here today. We now know that Argentina will take on Germany in the World Cup final this Sunday at the Maracana. I for one can't wait to see how that unfolds, and you can keep up to date with the latest news ahead of that clash right here at Sports Mole. Thank you for joining us today. Until next time, goodbye!
