Brazilians turned their shirts inside out. Many left the Minerão stadium at half time. By the fifth goal Brazil fans were applauding Germany and when the whistle blew at a score line of 7-1 in the World Cup Semi Final against Brazil those left in the stadium stood to give Germany a standing ovation. And deservedly so, they had just butchered Brazil.
Germany had torn through our defence so badly that a porn website has written an official request for people to stop uploading videos of Germany v Brazil under the title Germany F@&!$ Brazil.
In Rio there was an immediate turn in atmosphere. People were talking politics and chanting "Get DILMA out" before the game had ended. A few beach bars had windows smashed in frustration and images appeared online of vehicles being burnt. There's tension and we're expecting protests, but no one is sure and things on the ground aren't quite as dramatic as most media outlets make out. The major trauma stood on the field.
In the grand scheme of things there were many problems but here are my three key factors as to why we lost so badly.
Number one has to be Scolari's tactical stubborn-ness - Brazil never hit their top speed the entire tournament. They certainly never hit the levels they were playing at last summer in the Confederations cup. Scolari refused to adjust and when their two top players were unavailable for the semi-final vs Germany he just switched in the less assured Dante for the teams leader Thiago Silva and the young Bernard for top goalscorer Neymar. Scolari didn't adjust properly for the game and it was never going to end well.
Problem number two...David Luiz.
I was initially pleased to see him in the captain's armband. He has great confidence and a strong moral spirit that makes for a good captain, but he plays with his heart not his head. We all know where David Luiz's faults lie. Chelsea fans will be the first to tell you that he's a risk at the back. Against Germany he was told to lead the team and the defence. He played with passion but he forgot entirely what his role as a defender and leader was. He left the defence completely stranded and left his team 5-0 down after 29 minutes.
And then there's Fred - well this isn't so much about Fred himself it's more about what Fred symbolises to Brazilian football. For a number of years they've been without an out and out goalscorer. There is no Romario, no Ronaldo only Fred. Now it's not Fred's fault - but he's not a natural finisher, he never seems to be in the right place at the right time and it looks like the Brazilian public won't let him forget this poor World Cup performance for quite some time.
@laylaloves
My reaction to the result http://youtu.be/h-nv_6lJWK8