The defender barely touches him and he falls over as if a sniper has shot him. See the clip in slow motion at the 31 seconds mark here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28280527

It's a tap on the shoulder, that's all.

Brazil were rubbish at defending so deserved to lose their last two matches but Robben has cheated with his dives so many times in the tournament. Thank God Netherlands didn't win the WC! Robben - cheat of the tournament! He should stick to diving in pools, not on football pitches.

I see what you did there

It should have been a red card and a free kick. Maybe Silva was trying to get sent off in the first minute of the game to spare him the humiliation of being on the pitch for another Brazil demolition?

I agree that it should have been a red card and a free kick. A red card for Robben and a free kick for Brazil.

Robben gets touched no doubt, but there was barely any power in that and any non cheat would have continue running. It certainly wasn't strong enough to hold him back and collapse like a bullet had gone into his legs.

Stupid, cheating big guloot

Maybe the fact that it was only a 3rd placed playoff gave the ref an excuse to be lenient.

It was a penalty and should have been a red card.

Look at Robben's face in that clip. His mouth is wide open and his face is contorting as if in agony,....just because somebody lightly touched him on his shoulder.

Players should be punished for playacting like that.

I'm glad that Holland didn't get to the final because I can't stand Robben and his cheating.

I saw him playing for Chelsea once. When down rolling in agony right in front of me. Just fell down, not another player within 5 yards and the ball on the other side of the pitch.

So bizarre, like the thousands who saw him do it just don't matter.

Yeah agreed, Robben is pretty much the reason I wanted the Dutch to fail. It also angers me that he admitted to diving in an official post-match interview. Repercussions? None.

he was outside the box anyway, but ENOUGH of a hand on his shoulder to justify him being brought backwards

there WAS a penalty claim when he was barged in the back going for a header later on

still a bloody ballerina though

People are obsessed with Robben who is one of the best players in the world and absolutely carried the Dutch to the semi-final.

Saying Robben is a diver is like saying bears shit in the wood.

It wasn't a penalty because the foul was outside the box. I agree it's a nailed-on red card but I guess the referee thought that this would lead to another Brazil thrashing and couldn't put them through that again.

This is what annoys me though. They are playing to win the ball on the ground, with their feet. Any deliberate touch on Robben's upper body as he sprints past Thiago Silva there IS a foul. I'm sick of hearing commentators saying 'not much contact' or 'not enough contact.' Any contact by Thiago Silva there that doesn't fairly play the ball is a foul. There should be a better way for players to indicate that they want the free kick/penalty and not the advantage played, than throwing themself to the ground theatrically but unfortunately there isn't. The onus is also on the referees/lawmakers here, not just the players. Perhaps we need to look at rugby-type advantages where if they don't lead to a big advantage then they get pulled back anyway. It was implemented beautifully in the English Premiership recently, someone will remind me which ref. I think that's fair, Thiago Silva has unfairly impeded Robben's run there, so Robben should be able to go on and try and score having been impeded but if he misses it should be pulled back for the free kick/penalty as punishment for being impeded. It might lead to much less red cards as well.

I agree that 'diving' or feigning a foul which didn't exist IS cheating but going down theatrically to highlight a foul which did exist is not cheating.

How would you suggest that players indicate to the referee 'I'd like a penalty/free kick, not the advantage played?' It's a split second thing, they're not sat round a table discussing it. The only way I can see for them to indicate that currently is to go to ground theatrically.

I don't think he's contorting his face in pain though. I've shouted out in anger like that when being fouled, he knows his chance to score in a big(ish) game has been taken away unfairly and he's appealing to the referee as he goes down.

I don't think his comments after the Mexico game helped him but this is a separate issue and he's done nothing wrong here.