World Cup: Is The Third Place Match Worth It - Mourinho Calls It "Meaningless"

Louis Van Gaal, Coach of the Netherlands seem to have opened a new debate in the football community when during an interview after his team lost to Argentina for a place in the final of the 2014 World Cup, said concerning the Third Place Match between his team and host Brazil, "the Third Place Match was not a popular match and that both coaches would of course much rather be contesting the final 24 hours later in the Maracana".

He further added that “this match should never be played. I’ve been saying that for 10 years – It’s unfair.”

Now, Chelsea FC coach, Jose Mourinho has joined the debate. Mourinho described the concept of a third-fourth play play-off as “very, very bad”.

Jose Mourinho speaking with Eurosport said the defeated players in the semifinal just “want to go home and cry”. He added that it is ridiculous to ask two beaten teams to play off in a meaningless game.

"You lose a semi-final, you want to go home and cry, or you want to go home and get your wife and kids and go for a holiday, you don’t want to play," said Yahoo’s Global Football Ambassador.

"You go to the competition to win, you don’t go there to finish third or fourth; you want to go home, you don’t want to play.

"I lost Champions League semi-finals and I don’t imagine a few days later I could play against the other loser of the semi-final and I could play for third or fourth place.

"The guys at Wimbledon, when they lose the semi-finals, after five hours of tennis, they don’t go to play for the third place.

"I think it is very bad, it is really, really very, very bad."

……….

I completely agree with both Van Gaal and Mourinho. It’s useless and meaningless. Another way for FIFA to make money in a tournament no one will remember who came third or fourth, but only the winner. I can hardly remember who came second in the 2006 World Cup talk less of the third place winner.

FIFA has shown a propensity for change with the introduction of goal-line technology and extra referees but I believe this is also a change that is needed to make the game more entertaining and increase it's global reach. 

There is no third-fourth play-off in the Super Bowl (American football) or the NBA or Base Ball. None. Why the FIFA World Cup then?