Netherlands 2-3 Brazil
USA 1994 | quarter-finals
Cotton Bowl, Dallas
Attendance: 63,500
Goals: Romario (53), Bebeto (63), Bergkamp (64), Winter (76), Branco (81)

Teams
Netherlands
Ed De Goey; Jan Wouters, Ronald Koeman, Stan Valckx; Aron Winter, Frank Rijkaard, Wim Jonk, Rob Witschge; Marc Overmars, Dennis Bergkamp, Peter Van Vossen.

Substitutions: Bryan Roy for Van Vossen (54), Ronald de Boer for Rijkaard (65)
Coach: Dick Advocaat

Brazil
Taffarel; Jorginho, Aldair, Marcio Santos, Branco; Mazinho, Mauro Silva, Dunga, Zinho; Bebeto, Romario.

Substitutions: Rai for Mazinho (81), Cafu for Branco (90)
Coach: Carlos Alberto Parreira

Going into the game
Significant scepticism saturated the Seleção heading into the tournament. They had lost a World Cup qualifier for the first time ever – unthinkably to Bolivia – in 1993, only made it to the States thanks to late heroics from recalled badboy Romario in their final preliminary, and drawn a warm-up friendly with Canada. After winning Group B, their 10 men eked out a 1-0 victory over USA in the last 16. Parreira was chastised for electing to start Branco, in his 30s and besieged by back trouble, in place of the suspended Leonardo against the Oranje, given that he would have to mark electric 21-year-old Overmars.

The Netherlands had also struggled in the preliminaries, finishing behind Norway and only getting through thanks to a controversial win over England. They had nevertheless excelled in the USA, Overmars and Bergkamp dolling out migraines to defenders. Advocaat, who had played for the Chicago Sting in the NASL, named the same side for the third match running.

Hitherto head-to-head record
۲ Netherlands wins
۱ Brazil win
۰ draws

The game
Advocaat’s strategy was apparent from the offset: get the ball to Overmars. They did but ‘Roadrunner’ found Branco impregnable. The Dutch defenders knew Romario well – Valckx has been his team-mate at PSV, Wouters had faced him multiple times in the Eredivisie, and Koeman played alongside him at Barcelona – and they neutralised him during the first 45. His inimitable genius flashed through at the start of the second, though, when ‘Shortie’ slipped out of Valckx’s handcuffs and cushioned a bouncing Bebeto cross home with his outstretched toe. Maker then turned taker, Bebeto capitalising upon backline confusion, jinking past De Goey, slotting home and spontaneously unveiling one of the most iconic celebrations in World Cup history.
The Netherlands’ quest for a maiden star had seemingly ended in ‘The Lone Star State’, but two goals in 12 minutes hauled them back into contention. Bergkamp got the first with a canny finish, before Winter equalised with a header from a corner.

The momentum appeared with the Europeans, but it was the South Americans who snatched a late winner. Romario, acclaimed for dodging past defenders, employed gymnast’s flexibility to dodge a thunderous Branco free-kick, which spectacularly swerved home from 30 yards.