Well, that was ugly. I thought Brazil would at least put up a fight against Germany. I thought they would be motivated in search of vengeance for their star and for pride in front of the home crowd. I expected them to come up short, but I didn't expect them to get blown out of the stadium.
It didn't take long for Germany to get things started. Thomas Muller buried a lazily defended corner in the 11th minute. Eight minutes later, Miroslav Klose became the all time leading World Cup goal scorer when he put Germany up 2-0 on a well orchestrated break. The carnage continued en mass when Toni Kroos scored twice in three minutes. Sami Khedira completed the first half onslaught in the 29th. It took all of 18 minutes to throw the entire nation of Brazil into a fit of flag burning rage.
I have never seen a team look so defeated in all my years of watching sports. Not just in soccer, but in anything. Brazil looked like they just gave up. Amidst a shower if booing, the host nation, and pre-tournament favorites, threw their arms up and said "We surrender."
After halftime their disinterest continued. Germany put two more in for effect before Brazil earned their participation medal shortly before the match mercifully ended with a 7-1 scoreline.
This is the worst way I can think of for Brazil, or any host nation, to exit the World Cup. The nation was filled with both turmoil and excitement, putting a unique level of pressure of the Brazilian team. Amidst the protests over irresponsible government spending on the tournament, they still had the hopes of a soccer mad nation right there with them in every stadium. It was supposed to be Brazil's Cup to win easily, one the country would remember for ages to come. And now they will remember it for all the wrong reasons.
Germany, on the other hand, deserve all the praise that they can receive. They dismantled Brazil with a surgical precision that nobody thought possible. They cut through the Brazilian defense like they were playing against amateurs instead of superstars. They showed why I had them as the number one team coming out of the group stage and why they would have to be considered favorites against either Argentina or the Netherlands.
We find out which side they will play in tomorrow's second semifinal. Hopefully, that one has a little more drama involved. Will Arjen Robben look to avenge 2010's defeat against Spain? Or will Lionel Messi have the shot to bring Argentina to glory on their home continent? Find out tomorrow when I return to take a closer look.
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