Brazil are out of 2014 FIFA World Cup after producing one of the worst performances in their footballing history, losing 7-1 against Germany in the first semi-final at the Estadio Mineirao in Belo Horizonte.
A match that should be remembered for Miroslav Klose breaking the World Cup goal-scoring record, previously held by the great Ronaldo, will instead be remembered by Brazil’s inept and disastrous performance that has left the football world in shock.
In the lead-up, the Brazilian team’s behaviour was poor, showing complete incompetence in dealing with the emotions of having star player Neymar ruled out of the tournament, after an innocuous challenge produced a freak injury.
The threats and criticism directed towards Colombian defender Juan Zuniga were disgraceful.
Brazilian captain Thiago Silva said in a pre-match press conference, “In my opinion it was a cowardly tackle…
“I am a defender, I know how to mark a player and there is no way you can get the ball by putting a knee in the back.
“It is not something that comes about in a normal match situation.”
Another thing that was disturbing about Brazil’s preparations was the decision to appeal a second yellow card for the tournament given to Silva against Colombia, which would have seen him play the semi-final had the yellow card been overturned. It was never going to happen.
This Brazilian team thought it was their God-given right to win the World Cup in their home country, without having to do all the hard work and have the determination.
Luiz Felipe Scolari will probably be fired after the tournament. He couldn’t drill into a bunch of seemingly immature players that you need to give it your absolute best all the time.
Ultimately, the Brazilian Football Confederation has to take full responsibility for their team’s failure at this World Cup. They won’t, because of their ethical blindness, believing it is the coach who must develop football in Brazil, and deliver the World Cup once again. They need to develop football in their country to ensure success on the world stage.
As for Germany, going into the World Cup final you cannot expect a repeat performance of this match. This was a one-off result which flattered their performance.
But Brazil deserve to be criticised heavily for their disgraceful performance on and off the field since the Colombia game. These players must grow up, and fast!
Andrew Kennard
Roar Pro
Yep, Brazil were woeful. I thought they would be able to pull it together like they did against the Colombian team, but instead turned in one of the worst defensive performances ever. The fourth and fifth goals were particularly bad for defenders dropping their man, well finished by the Germans, but it looked like they were playing the youth reserve team at times.