Destruction 7-1: Brazil suffers under brutal Germany

Stunning. Sobering. Astonishing. Embarrassing. Ruthless. Frightening. Staggering and on and on and on…the adjectives will reel out for years to describe Brazil’s 7-1 capitulation in Belo Horizonte when the German machine rolled into town.

In this Fifa World Cup semi final match-up dominated by the absence of Brazilian poster boy, Neymar, through injury pundits had given Germany a slight advantage.

The absence also through suspension of skipper and defender Thiago Silva had Brazilians scratching their scalps.

Yet even with these absences a tight encounter was on everyone’s lips around the globe.

Brazilians and indeed the world clung on Selecao’s better head to head record against the Germans in recent years.

It was, therefore, out of the realm of even extreme imagination that a defeat of staggering proportions of either side would materialize inside Estadio Mineirao.

As it has been the case in this edition of the Fifa World Cup, goals were expected and whichever side took the lead, fans always expected a response.

And so in what would turn out to be some annihilation of sorts, an unmarked Thomas Muller bundled in the opener from a corner after 11 minutes to give the Germans the lead.

With this goal coming against the run of play, Felipe Scolari’s men were expected to hit back.

Little did thousands of fans inside the stadium or millions watching around the world know that a rout of historic proportions was unfolding before their eyes.

Four goals in six minutes literally poured in.

In all fairness to goalkeeper Julio Cesar, there is nothing he could do in this spellbinding performance by Die Mannschaft.

Five goals in under 30 minutes suddenly had pundits scrambling through history notes to see the last time Brazil had been decimated in this fashion.

It turns out 1920 was the day when Uruguay thumped Brazil 6-0 and another 6-5 win over Poland in 1938 World Cup.

 

Those results had long been forgotten— wiped out by the Maracanazo— a 2-1 defeat to Uruguay in the 1950 World Cup final loss inside the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

And 64 years later and twelve minutes after Muller had put Germany ahead, Miroslav Klose arrived in the box to not only stretch ahead Jogi Loew’s men, but also to also grab World Cup All-Time top scorer’s mantle with 16 goals.

It would trigger a stomping six-minute spell of total German domination as Toni Kroos grabbed a brace in two minutes.

Sami Khedira brought the Brazilians to the boil with Germany’s fifth on 29 minutes and effectively snuff out the life from the Selecao, if any at this stage.

Andre Schürrle, a 58th minute substitute for Klose took 19 minutes to help himself to another brace to put Germany 7-0 ahead 10 minutes from full time.

Not even the 90th minute goal by Oscar would fit the description of a consolation effort.

In the end, a rallying call by legendary Diego Maradona before this game that the Brazilians should be prepared to “die on the pitch against the Germans”, rung hollow.