- Apr 25, 2013
- 5,355
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It was a humiliation of epic proportions – the heaviest ever defeat in a World Cup semi-final - and one a nation of 200 million fervent fans could not believe they were witnessing as the greatest party on earth was brought to a staggeringly abrupt climax.
It was one of the most incredible 45 minutes of football ever seen at a major tournament, and one you wonder if some of the Brazilians will ever truly recover from.
The simple truth unfolding was what so many had feared – Brazil are, in fact, an average side that has over-performed on home soil and been dragged forward by the sheer will of the people.
It will, of course, be pointed out that golden boy Neymar missed the collapse in Belo Horizonte through injury, but the Barcelona superstar would have been powerless to prevent the German onslaught.
And it was, as so many people suggested prior to kick-off, suspended captain Thiago Silva who was the real miss.
Without his leadership and guidance the defence simply fell apart as they were horribly exposed time and time and time again.
Thomas Muller got the ball rolling as early as the tenth minute, as he netted his fifth goal of this tournament and his tenth World Cup finals goal. And it’s arguable if he will ever score an easier one.
Toni Kroos’ corner sailed over the heads of everyone in a yellow shirt to find Muller all alone, unmarked, six yards from goal, and he did not pass up the opportunity.
That was the way the game stayed until the 22nd minute when a suicidal period from the hosts ended the match as a contest as they inexplicably leaked four goals in seven insane minutes.
Miroslav Klose made is 2-0 after 22 minutes, and wrote his name into the World Cup history books in the process as he became the tournament’s all-time record goalscorer as he extended his tally to 16, one ahead of Brazilian great Ronaldo.
He needed two attempts to force the ball in, after his initial shot was saved by Julio Cesar, but such was the space afforded to him in the penalty area that he had plenty of time to pick his spot and score.
Two minutes later, Kroos added a third when he fired in left-footed from the edge of the box after a cross has been allowed to travel all the way across the face of goal from the opposite side of the pitch.
And it was 4-0 just seconds later as Brazil utterly imploded.
Fernandinho gave the ball away 15 yards outside his own penalty box, and Kroos was simply allowed to waltz into the space behind him, exchange passes with Sami Khedira, and roll the ball into the corner of the net.
And the embarrassment continued when Khedira himself added a fifth after 29 minutes. He exploited another massive gap in the Brazil rearguard, played a one-two with Mesut Ozil, and finished casually.
It was a horror half and left Luiz Felipe Scolari with an almost impossible task to rally his troops for the second period.
To their credit, they started the second half in much more positive fashion, and could have had three goals in the first ten minutes after the break were it not for the magnificent Manuel Neuer.
Hulk and Fernandinho were replaced at the break by Ramires and Paulinho, and Ramires almost made an immediate impact as he got in behind the German defence and pulled the ball back for his Chelsea team-mate, Oscar, but his shot was saved Neuer.
The German keeper repeated the trick two minutes later to deny the same player, and a minute after that he made his best save of the match as he spectacularly turned aside Paulinho’s drive.
But although the Samba stars were looking more threatening going forward, their soft centre was still there, waiting to be exploited.
Muller also did just that on the half hour mark before he was denied by a last ditch diving save by the onrushing Cesar, and the goalkeeper then proved he could be just as impressive as Neuer with a flying stop of his own to turn aside Muller’s 20-yard drive.
But he was powerless to prevent the almost inevitable sixth goal for the Germans in the 69th minute.
And it was another goal of ridiculous simplicity. Two passes exposed Brazil down the left flank, and Philipp Lahm had acres of space to pick his centre for substitute Andre Schurrle to stroke the ball home.
Schurrle and Germany were not finished, however, as 12 minutes from time the Chelsea man made it seven.
A long throw down the right touchline opened up Brazil, and when the ball was played in to Schurrle by Muller he took one touch with his right foot to control it before smashing it in off the underside of the crossbar with his left foot.
It completed a stunning display by Joachim Low’s side and, while Brazil certainly contributed to their own downfall, there can be no doubting the quality of the Germans.
Perhaps it was fitting, however, that the final word fell to a Brazilian as Oscar provided some consolation, scant though it surely was, as he finally beat Neuer in the final minute to at least get the Selecao on the scoresheet.
But for them, the dream is over, and the lights have been well and truly turned out on their party.
For Germany, though, they now turn their attention to Argentina or Holland in the Maracana on Sunday.
The question for them is whether they can come down from the extraordinary high of a victory of this magnitude to repeat this level of performance in Rio. But this is Germany, so you suspect they probably can, and will.
