National tragedy, disaster, humiliation…the headlines keep raging. A nation seeking solace in a game they call religion, trying to surmount myriad problems afflicting day-to-day lives, a loss of this magnitude has taken away the very elixir that supports existence. It’s darkness. Not because of the defeat but because of the way the mission was disintegrated. It took 29 minutes to turn an ambition into a nightmare. Five goals pumped into the net by a solid German team that toyed with and mutilated a shockingly porous Brazilian defence.
Brazil were teased, tarnished and hung on to dry their tears, ruthlessly by a nation seeking its first trophy as a unified entity. The World Cups in 1954, 1974 and 1990 were won by West Germany. The Germans were quick to find flaws and punished with clinical precision. There was no contest. Just a warning that taking this one away from them will take some doing. It’s the end of a $11billion dream of a nation that was hoping to exorcise the ghosts of 1950, when they were beaten by Uruguay in the decider. It’s ironic that memories of that setback will be replaced by a catastrophe which happens to be the biggest defeat in history for a country where the game lives. Nobody will forget the giants of Brazil, but in the annals of the World Cup, this 7-1 defeat will remain as unforgettable as Pele, Garrincha, Zico, Romario and Ronaldo.
The writing was on the wall. Not many expected Brazil to beat Germany without talismanic striker Neymar and most reliable defender Thiago Silva. There is a problem with the scoreline that they will find difficult to digest. Riots, protests and questions about the humungous budget to host this event will be forgotten now. It’s a pity that the rise of a great German machinery and a world record by Miroslav Klose will be overshadowed by their collective deed. They have just produced the most outlandish show that any World Cup could ever think of.