Netherlands forward Arjen Robben (front) is fouled by Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano in a semifinal match during the FIFA World Cup at the Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Wednesday (Brazilian time). Photo: AFP

The team who started the brightest against the team whose World Cup ended in the most unexpected manner in the tournament's history will contest this year's third-fourth place playoff.

It's an unwanted extra game that normally matters little. In fact, Netherlands head coach Louis van Gaal has been campaigning for it to be scrapped for over a decade. He argued in the post semifinal press conference, that aside from the Netherlands having a day less to recover than the hosts, the concept of the game is flawed because it allows for a team that has done so well in getting to the penultimate hurdle to then taste defeat two games in a row and depart the tournament as "losers." Van Gaal also contends that third place is a pointless reward in competition where first is quite clearly everything. Teams either win the World Cup or they don't.

The game has been around since the World Cup began but you'd struggle to find anyone other than the most obsessive soccer statistician who could recall any one of them. Perhaps the most memorable is the first-ever third-place playoff in 1930, where the US won as ­Yugoslavia refused to play.

Another frustration is that the goals scored count toward the Golden Boot. Italy's Toto Schillachi in 1990, Croatia's Davor Suker in 1998 and current holder Thomas Mueller of Germany all scored their ­Golden Boot-winning goals in this playoff. Much debate has surrounded whether these goals should count, but that won't stop Arjen Robben or Robin van Persie going for gold, if they are to play.

The likelihood is that they will not. The playoff game is ­always marred by teams making wholesale changes to their lineups in order to allow their stars some rest after getting so far and to give those squad members who have hardly featured some World Cup ­minutes. It might as well be called the third-choice playoff.

History will go out of the window come Saturday afternoon as Brazil have to try to restore some of their nation's faith. Luiz Felipe Scolari says the team has "an obligation to move on" from the Germany game and that is something he expects, even as he prepares for the inevitable loss of his job come Monday morning. Scolari is not the only one involved who knows that this will be the last chance to represent Brazil, while the likes of Fred may have already pulled on the famous yellow shirt for the final time.

Brazil need a result more than any other team in the history of this fixture. Other hosts have played the game before, but they have never lost a semifinal so heavily. Where Germany in 2006 could use the game as an opportunity to thank the fans for their support, Brazil have to try to win those fans back.

Players such as PSG's Maxwell, Napoli's Henrique and Internazionale's Hernanes should be given the opportunity to do so but most of the squad has featured already and it's tough to see what changes Scolari can make to instill positive change in a team that is shellshocked. His gung-ho, attacking formation cost Brazil dearly in the Germany game but the pressure is on to entertain.

How the Netherlands line up for the game will also be interesting given Van Gaal's well-documented contempt for the concept. Swansea pair Jonathan de Guzman and Michel Vorm might get the nod and we could see more of the exciting Jordy Clasie and Memphis Depay but, let's face it, no one is tuning into this game for the Dutch.

This biggest audience in third-place playoff history will be watching to see if 2014 really is the end of an era.