I just read a theory as why Netherlands, Portugal and Croatia failed to go to the halffinals. According to Ottmar Hitzfeld, they shouldn't have put their reserves in the last group game, because the 1st team lost their charge... Maybe something in that theory...
I agree with that theory. I mean, you are really kicking ass (like Holland was with their 3-0 and 4-1 against such a countries than Italy and France) and then you relax one game and think everything is easy and poof, you are again agaist strong team and you just don't get the same feeling to play the ball.