Well, that was probably the game of the tournament. Those who made a date with the television this evening will have been abundantly chuffed, after Germany pulverised the host nation with a whopping 7-1; this victory will see them soar into Sunday’s World Cup final, either against Argentina or Holland. If it’s the latter, then it’ll surely be a European treat. Following the colossal events of the game, Brazil will probably be looking to pin the loss on the absence of striking star, Neymar and their captain, Thiago Silva, whilst Germany should be patting themselves on the back and enjoying such a heroic feeling.
Brazil Slaughtered on Home Soil
From the initial whistle, certain changes were evident, not least, a shabby-looking team minus Neymar and sturdy defender, Thiago Silva. Germany entered the pitch with an extremely strong eleven, and dominated from first touch, retaining the majority of possession effortlessly. Brazil looked pensive and nervous at the mere thought of a match without their divine leader. Luiz Gustavo was playing deep, whilst Marcelo was down the wing; both positions of which were less typical for the players, which perhaps led to their uncomfortable nature throughout. The clock struck 11 minutes and, vroom, there was Thomas Müller with a fantastic ball in, tipping the scoreboard 1-0 in Germany’s favour. This really sparked a domino effect, not only with German goals, but the abysmal defensive marking from Brazil. This first huge error for the native side was definitely that of David Luiz, but it could be questioned as to whether Thiago Silva would have made a difference if he had been playing. Dante, Bayern Munich’s snappy centre-back with the bounciest afro (ever), did well to oust the Germans whenever possible, but if it had been Silva, there could have been fewer margins for mistake(s).
Furthermore, David Luiz is constantly a character under scrutiny, especially as he so freely plays in any position he deems fit. If he is placed on the defensive line, perhaps that’s for a reason, and he should stay put? Clearly that morsel of advice had never been offered his way. The chief trouble with Brazil this evening was their overall lack of leadership; nobody was taking charge, which was infuriating to watch, and no doubt just as bad to be part of. For Joachim Löw’s side, however, Sami Khedira was a vital player during his time on the pitch, and had the best role, which could have been predicted after seeing his masterful performances in previous games for Die Mannschaft.
Generally, German defence was able to mop up easily; Hummels’ clearances alone were second to none. The team really emanated control, whilst managing to catch Brazil on the break every time. The game really gave Deutsche fans (cough. cough) more familiar German structure and playmaking, which was what (we) all were waiting, praying for. Whereas, within the Brazilian on-pitch camp, it seemed only Bernard was seeking the ball; the only one to maintain a dogged nature. There was no Neymar for vitality, inspiration, creativity, unequivocal runs, etcetera, and it really showed.
After the first goal, there were a couple of Müller and Marcelo run-ins, and later, a dive in the German box from Marcelo saw a spot of fisticuffs almost break out after a fair tackle from Philipp Lahm. The highly credible referee saw this nonsense for what it was; Brazil searching for a chance penalty. Things continued to look bleak for the Brazilians; they appeared lost, unshepherded without Neymar, and at the 23rd minute, let in another howler. This time, it was Miroslav Klose, with the second for his team, and his sixteenth in total during World Cup tournaments, making him the top goal-scorer in history. Camera shots of women crying tears of green-make-upped sadness panned around the Belo Horizonte crowd, whilst other home fans folded their flags. Brazil were embarrassed, stripped nude of their samba football ranks, and right at the point that Toni Kroos seized goals at 24 and 26 minutes. 4-0 up and it didn’t end there.
It was a spellbinding performance from the sensational men in the Dennis the Menace-style kit; Brazil were humiliated even before half-time. Their fifth goal was pelted in by Sami Khedira, all thanks to a super duper Mesut Özil assist into the box. Germany were displaying the utmost mechanical precision, and all the soul had gone out of the window with Neymar, for Luiz Felipe Scolari’s team. 45 minutes had not even chimed and Germany had already avenged themselves from a horrible 2-0 loss against Brazil in the 2002 World Cup final. At this moment (and the rest to come), the hosts would have been lucky just to get nil.
Brazil had been booed off at the half-time whistle, but slightly recharged and sprang back with a decent amount of possession and efforts in the German half. Hulk kept fairly good speed and pace, whilst Fred, again, offered zero contribution. One probably would not be too shocked if Napoli and Colombia player, Juan Camilo Zúñiga, was forced into witness protection (or something) after tonight’s awful Brazilian game and the Neymar foul that could have caused the goal-drought. In the second half, David Luiz seemed to hang back more, but his teammates were still famished, and desperate to score, despite the new slick, tighter strategy.
The 60-minute mark made way for André Schürrle, who was pretty unstoppable; he tipped the scales 7-0 for his team, with two incredible goals. Not only did he have a remarkable impact on the score, he was lively and tenacious. The Germans were salivating for more, but couldn’t quite snatch anything else. Yet again, David Luiz was a liability, and perhaps giving rise to a new chocolate fireguard analogy. However, at 90 minutes, and therefore, way too late, Oscar netted one for Brazil, but nobody bothered with celebrations, as they knew the result. Despite this, it was a textbook finish from the Chelsea youngster, and left the Germans rather livid. A clean sheet wasn’t too much to ask, but they could surely be forgiven one tiny mistake.
All in all, it was a tremendous game and one to be remembered. A low blow for Neymar caused an evening of pain and disappointment for Brazil.
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