If you missed watching the Germany-Brazil FIFA World Cup semi-final clash, you just blew a golden chance to behave insanely, scream loudly in the middle of the night and simply missed out on some high-octane moments. For once, you could have got away with all of the above and not have been looked down upon.
What was expected to be clash of the titans turned out to be a one-sided affair, with Germany showing no mercy to five-time champion and hosts Brazil, inflicting a 7-1 humiliating rout and causing their exit from the World Cup. The first 30 minutes of the game were enough to decide the fate of the hosts, with Thomas Mueller (11th minute), Miroslav Klose (23rd minute), Toni Kroos (24th and 26th minute) and Sami Khedira (29th minute) penetrating the Brazil defence. At the end of the first half, the scoreline read 5-0.
The Brazilian defence seemed to have gone out for a stroll and forgotten to return for the crucial clash. There was absolutely no connect with the ball, so much so that the first thirty minutes of the game appeared as if the Germans were practising among themselves to see who scored the most goals.
No offence meant, but it looked as if the mighty Germans were playing against the Indian biggies — Mohun Bagan or Dempo. And after seeing the quality of football put out by the hosts, one was forced to consider whether the Indian outfits would have actually played better.
Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari’s dressing room screams must have finally struck a chord with his team because in the second half, the Brazilians seemed to have woken up from their slumber and showed some counter-attacking skills. But the awakening came really too late, as Andre Schuerrle (69th and 79th minute) had added two more goals to the German kitty. Oscar (90th minute) scored the consolation goal for hosts, but by then, the fans had begun booing their own team, as Brazil sank into its biggest-ever international defeat.
“Who is the one responsible? I am. This catastrophic result can be shared with the whole group because that is what my players say and want, but I am the one who chooses the tactics, the line-up, so the person responsible for the result is me,” said Scolari.
One needs to seriously ponder over what went wrong with Brazil as a team. Though Coach Scolari has taken full responsibility for the shameful defeat upon himself, the buck does not stop there.
While the Germans displayed a combined force, the Brazilians seemed like a disconnected bunch.
To date, the Brazilians continue to nurse the ‘national tragedy’ of ‘Maracanazo’, that defeat against Uruguay in the 1950 World Cup final at the iconic Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. There will be no surprise if this mauling at the hands of the Germans, has opened up a bigger wound, leaving them bleeding for years to come. One thing is certain: This humiliating defeat has indelibly scarred each and every member of the Brazilian squad, and this burden they will have to carry for the rest of their lives.
