Indescribable. Amazing. Unbelievable. Historic. Shocking. You name it, Germany’s 7-1 annihilation of Brazil in the World Cup semis was all that and more.
Surreal, stunning and shameful as well. Never, never in the history of the World Cup has there been a result in such an important game like this. The complete smashing of the great Brazil, world football’s superpower, in a tournament on their own turf.
No-one could have picked it, no-one could scarcely have ever even dreamed it.
Germany are no slouches, obviously, and have won several World Cups of their own. But this is the Selecao, the creators of the beautiful game. The country that gave us Pele, Garrincha, Zico, Socrates, Romario, Ronaldo and many others.
More World Cup:
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>> Emotional Brazil helped Germany: Loew
>> Germany vs Brazil: Live scores, blog, highlights
>> Brazilians cry after World Cup humiliation
Never have they been humbled like this or were they ever expected to be.
The 7-1 loss in Belo Horiztone is the biggest defeat in Brazil’s national team history. It is one of the biggest losses in World Cup folklore, up there with Germany’s 8-0 dismantling of Saudi Arabia in 2002.
Many will say that without captain Thiago Silva and creative livewire Neymar Brazil had no chance against Germany. That may be true.
But that does not explain conceding seven goals, the complete lack of effort and attitude that Brazil showed in that game. Brazil didn’t just lose, they died a slow death.
It was like they cracked under the immense pressure placed on them by 200 million Brazilian citizens.
The Selecao were a mediocre team before this match, struggling to break down a committed Mexico and lucky to get past Chile. They fouled their way to a win over Colombia in the quarter-final and they jettisoned the Jogo Bonito from their game plan a while ago.
David Luis ran out of position like a man who had lost his head. Marcelo lost the ball easily and failed to track back. Up front Fred gave his fellow countryman, the former Melbourne Victory and Heart playmaker of the same title, a bad name. On the sideline Big Phil tried to tear his hair out but to no avail.
Germany simply taught Brazil how to play football, as Juninho admitted on the BBC after the game.
It was like Ireland teaching the All Blacks to play rugby union or Fiji giving the Kangaroos a lesson in rugby league. A game like this only comes around every 80 years or so, if ever.
Germany’s game was a mixture of sublime running, movement off the ball and one and two-touch passing. It was fast, fluid and freakishly entertaining.
Germany is in the midst of its own golden generation and this XI of Schweinstager, Lahm, Neur, Mueller, Goetz, Kroos, Khedira and co were brilliant.
On this form they will be hard to stop in the final, although either Argentina or the Netherlands will put up more of a battle than a feeble Brazil did.
This match will live long in the history of football – Germany’s greatest night and Brazil’s worst.
Move aside the humiliating defeat to Uruguay in the 1950 World Cup final at the Marcana, we have a new contendor.
Follow John Davidson on Twitter @johnnyddavidson
Glenn Innes
Guest
Tigraines - India has had uninterrupted parlimentary democracy for over sixty years,that is more than Spain.Greece.Brazil or indeed most of the world - so I would class it as pretty stable since the horrors of the partition. Brazil has suffered plenty of political upheavals regardless of what it's football team bas been doing, it's history like most of Latin America is less stable than India. Reading The Australian today it was interesting to read a couple of quotes under the heading "11BN defeat' the worst in history as nation braces for disaster" "It's a disaster.It will be chaos.People will break everything.They're going to be furious.' said seventeen year old Karina Marques.Alternatively Jessica Santos a 23-year old photo student said "if Brazil wins we party,if Brazil loses we still party.It would have been worse if we had lost to Argentina' So there you have it there will be some mindless vandalism from people who enjoy smashing things and now have an excuse to do so and there will also be some damn good street parties...I only wish I was thirty years younger and over there.
Tigranes
Guest
Per capita I'm sure the average kiwi is better off than some bloke in a favela
Tigranes
Guest
Mate India isn't exactly a stable society to begin with
James
Guest
New Zealand wealthier than Brazil? LOLOLOL............................Are YOU serious?????
Paul
Guest
Out of curiousity, does that memorandum of understanding between FFA and DVB still exist?
Paul
Guest
Saw quite a bit of their national men's volleyball side on TV while I was there during the Group Stages. They also have champion surfers and rodeo riders (just like us). They also seem to be developing in rugby too.
dasilva
Roar Guru
You could make the case that it would beat the Brazil side that played against Germany Really only Oscar, WIllian, Dante and may be Gustavo from that team would make that side IMO (Silva and Neymar of course would make it but they were suspended).
Martin Seamus McFly
Guest
I haven't been to Brazil either but I have been to India and they loved talking to me about cricket and pretty well every person I met wanted to talk about Australian players. Equally, in NZ they obsess about the all blacks, and even though I'm from tassie, they think all aussies care whereas I have only a passing interest in rugby. My point, these nations wear the heart on their sleeve re their dominant sport and I think it might be worse in Brazil. Its possibly more to do with myth making (jogo bonito anyone) and partly football as a unifying force when so much of brazil is badly divided. I think this has a bigger impact than the aussies losing the ashes for instance. And the place just might crumble, there is serious unhappiness about the corruption and crime. Watch SBS tonight 'Elite Squad' is on right now and is a real eye opener.
Steve Kerr
Roar Rookie
If they get the one they're owed, will they 'pay back' the one they cheated their way to in 1978? :-)
Johnno
Guest
That side would beat the socceroos.
Tonci Prusac
Roar Rookie
Right from the outset, the opening game against Croatia, despite the 3-1 scoreline, you could see that Brazil was not going to be the Brazil of yesteryear that was going to set the WC alight. And since then, their performance has been anything but impressive. Having said that, as you so well pointed out John, and I quote... "But that does not explain conceding seven goals, the complete lack of effort and attitude that Brazil showed in that game. Brazil didn’t just lose, they died a slow death." Not taking anything away from Deutschland, though. An incredible footballing machine, to say the least!
Paul Nicholls
Roar Guru
I was paying no attention to Brazil's defence, just the absolutely superb, exciting, fast paced attacking play from Germany. Brazil were not a leaky defence before this game the Germans just made them look bad. I said during the call that the first half was the best football I had ever seen in my life. This is how football should be played - in fact I also think Bundesliga is the most exciting league in the world at the moment.
dasilva
Roar Guru
Brazil XI that didn't make the squad Scolari has a fair to answer for in terms of selection especially the omission of Miranda and probably diego alves as well If they want to go the 1950 route and completely sweep away the side in a mass blood letting. This could be a selected and it would be competitive youngish side to build to the future (exception of Robinho who is too old) GK Diego Alves - Valencia LB - Filipe Luis - Atletico Madrid CB - Miranda -Atletico Madrid (probably the most notable omission in the squad. Part of the best defence in Europe and wasn't pick) CB - Marquinhos - PSG RB - Rafinha - Bayern Munich DM - Lucas Leiva - Liverpool CM Roberto Firmino - Hoffenheim CM - Coutinho - Liverpool RW - Lucas Moura - PSG LW - Robinho - Milan ST - Jonas - Valencia
Colin N
Guest
Brazil didn't dominate the first 10 minutes at all. Their energy was good and Germany struggled to hold onto the ball, but they hardly created many goal-scoring opportunities. However, crucially, when Germany did string a couple of moves together in the opening 10, the defensive vulnerabilities of Brazil were obvious - it was an accident waiting to happen. And as soon as they lost that energy after that second goal, there was no shape and it became all too easy. Anyway, let's give a bit of praise for the Germans. Everyone talks about passion but it was a triumph for composure, control and clinicalness. Look at how Muller and the Germany team celebrated the first goal. There was no over-celebrating and running to the substitutes bench, they simply expected to win
Glenn Innes
Guest
I have been to India actually and India have lost plenty of cricket games over the years without the joint crumbling.
Me Too
Guest
Boom boom!
Johnno
Guest
You haven't been to India and seen how cricket mad they are.
Deep Thinker
Guest
I can't help but think it was fixed. They were even trying to defend.
Johnno
Guest
The 1980 US mens ice hockey team was a miracle how they won, just as suprising how Brazil capitulated. This was an amatuer side beating a pro side, very rare. Soccer is the best chance these things happen more than other sports. Wimbeldon soccer team in the 1980's produced some shocks in there FA cup runs. Munster beating the All Blacks was a massive shock.
Glenn Innes
Guest
There is something I find vaguely disturbing about some of these contributions, like Brazil is populated by simple irrational clowns who can't cope with their football team being belted. Now I have never been to Brazil.let alone spent serious time there, and my travels have always convinced me you have to spend serious time in a nation to get a feel for it, so I am prepared to concede I may be wrong,but I doubt it My guess is Brazilians will cope just fine,sure they will be bitterly disapointed but a couple of weeks from know life in the land of carnaval will have returned to normal. Sure the players and managements names will be mud but I very much doubt there will be a huge lift in the suicide rate or Anarchists fermenting a violent revolution. Actually it was when an analogy with The All Blacks was made on another thread that I first picked up on this disturbing theme...posters were replying that yes Rugby Union is the national sport of New Zealand and yes the All Blacks are a source of national pride but Kiwis can cope better with them losing because they are wealthier, better educated and more rational than Brazilians. Football is a national passion in Brazil, it is also probably a great unifying force in a country with a history of deep political, social and even ethnic divides and yes being humiliated like that will really hurt but life goes on and 99.99% of Brazil will keep on making the best of it just like the rest of us.