Brazil's World Cup dream was smashed into oblivion as majestic
Germany ran riot to win an extraordinary semi-final 7-1 and send the
South American hosts crashing to their worst ever defeat in their
100-year footballing history.
Sixty-four years after Brazil was plunged into national mourning
after their loss in the 1950 final, the hosts were torn apart in a
defeat likely to be every bit as traumatic as the fabled "Maracanazo."
Germany advanced to Sunday's final in the Maracana after a brilliant
first-half blitz which included a burst of four goals in six devastating
minutes.
Thomas Müller opened the scoring on 11 minutes, punishing poor Brazilian
marking at a corner to make it 1-0.
Brazil, badly missing suspended captain Thiago Silva, tried to
regroup but there was no respite. Miroslav Klose's cool finish on 23
minutes -- which made him the World Cup's all-time top-scorer with 16
goals -- was the cue for the floodgates to open.
Toni Kroos struck twice in the 24th and 26th minutes to make it 4-0
and then Sami Khedira rounded off another clinical move to make it 5-0
on 29 minutes. Dead and buried inside half an hour, the crowd at the
Mineirao Stadium was stunned into silence.
Though Brazil rallied at the start of the second half, the torture
continued on 69 minutes when Andre Schürrle swept in Germany's sixth.
Schürrle then grabbed his second on 79 minutes to make it 7-0, and
confirm the worst defeat in Brazil's history. The previous record loss
had been a 6-0 reverse to Uruguay in 1920.
Schürrle's second goal was greeted by a burst of applause as
Brazilian fans saluted Germany's wonderful exhibition of attacking
football. A late goal from Oscar was barely applauded by the Mineirao
Stadium crowd.
Brazil had gone into the match riding a fervent wave of national
emotion, determined to clinch a place in the final to honour injured
striker Neymar.
The crowd roared chants of "Neymar, Neymar" just before kick-off,
following a spine-tingling rendition of the national anthem that saw
captain David Luiz proudly holding up the injured striker's No.9 shirt.
But Müller's early strike punctured the fervent mood, and when the goals
started flying in after Klose made it 2-0 there was no way back for
Brazil.
Source : dfb.de