Germany inflict Brazilian tragedy
A Toni Kroos-inspired Germany shocked the Maracana and the world in 2014
There is perhaps no greater pressure than playing a World Cup at home, especially if you are Brazil. The shadow of their 1950 Maracanazo defeat to Uruguay haunted Brazilian football and the national side went into the 2014 World Cup with the demand and expectation they would put right what had gone wrong 64 years earlier.
And by extension, that too put huge pressure on a Germany side hoping to stun the hosts in the World Cup semi-final of 2014. Just over a decade previously, Germany had suffered their own tragedy as they were dumped out of Euro 2000 in the group stage, picking up just one point in three matches.
2014 was set to be the Bildungsroman climax to Germany 2.0 – ten years after another major failing at Euro 2004 – who had initiated a total overhaul of their national game in an attempt to reclaim their status as one of football’s global superpowers
Brazil swept through the World Cup with a by-any-means-necessary approach that had been legitimised by their defeat to Uruguay: the desperation of Brazil for success was clear in the astonishing scenes of the Brazil team bus on its way to the stadium crawling between rows of fans, arms outstretched to take photographs, looking like nothing so much as yellow-clad pilgrims desperately reaching out to touch a passing icon.
Theirs, it turned out, was a false god - even if that bus did bear the ambiguously prophetic message, "Brace yourself, the sixth is coming." And, as it turned out, the seventh.
Germany manager Jogi Low had described Brazil's approach in previous rounds as "brutal". For all Brazil bleated about the supposed "cowardice" of the challenge by Juan Camilo Zuniga that had ruled Neymar out of the semi-final with an injured back, it was they who had committed more fouls than anyone else in the tournament - 96 compared to just 57 from Germany.
At the anthems, in a moment of telenovela mawkishness, David Luiz and Julio Cesar, apparently struggling to quench the tears, held up a number 10 Neymar shirt. The national anthem was roared by players and fans alike, setting the most intense scene that emphatically reminded Germany they were facing not 11, but 200 million in Belo Horizonte that evening.
The pressure was crippling, but Brazil, it appeared, would harness it to propel themselves over their biggest obstacle of the tournament so far. Germany, however, stood as tall as any nation in World Cup history – and would go on to inflict the most remarkable defeat to competition had ever known.
First, clever blocking of David Luiz left Thomas Muller unmarked at the back post to volley in Bastian Schweinsteiger's corner after 11 minutes. The Mineirao fell silent, incredulous. Brazil collectively disintegrated. By the 29th minute, it was 5-0.
Five goals in 18 remarkable minutes saw Brazil humbled like never before, like nobody has ever imagined possible. And Toni Kroos was at the heart of it all, scoring twice and conducting the play as the German midfield tortured their dazed counterparts. He was named man of the match as Germany went on to triumph 7-1, the biggest victory in World Cup semi-final history. And it could have been more had Kroos and co. not eased off the gas in the second half.
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