Yesterday, we witnessed history in the making. A side that hasn’t lost at home for 39 years! To be made to look below average and to have their own fans jeer and applause the opposition due to their admiration for the Germans.
But was this inevitable?
Until last night, we had seen some great matches. But we still hadn’t witnessed a great team performance that grabbed our attention and made many of us to want to say; “That’s my winner”. Many believed that because of this and the football history that precedes the home nation, Brazil already had its name in the pot for the final and it was going to be Brazil Versusblank. They got through each game with more than a twelfth man. The complete hysteria and passion coming from the stadium and around Brazil pushed the team on further and further, it was as if no one could stop them, it was their destiny. Plus after the David Luiz free-kick against Columbia that was beyond the realms of possibility, these type of moments were meant to be. This could only happen to the potential winner.
Even with these mix of dream moments and expectation, there have been real troubles that have been covered up by the hysteria. Against Columbia they didn’t play the “beautiful game” but instead the “Bullish game” and even though the referee seemed to ignore them, the factors of consequence did not. I believe they also started to take advantage of home advantage a bit too far. From this I also think the nature of the tactics resulted in Thiago Silva losing his head slightly and gaining that yellow card the subsequently meant he was unable to play last night, as well as the injury to Neymar. The treatment James Rodriguez had suffered throughout that game must have been frustrating, and because Columbia were pushing to equalise, that crunching challenge on a Brazilian player was always a possibility, not pre meditated tackle but just out of the way the game had been played and in sheer desperation. As many teams now do to gain any advantage possible, even if it’s “street” tactics.
The cause of last night was the result of Germany’s ruthlessness and structure. To that of Brazil’s party animal of attack, to be flimsy at the back mixed with the belief their attacking style will overcome the opposition in the end. In those 10 minutes that have now become dented into the Brazilian history, after being 1-0 down they completely imploded and the party animal couldn’t pull back to reality and gain control, the result; humiliation and a huge hangover.
Having a team of such lazy and attack minded players could only lead to disaster, when coming up against the well oiled machine that the German team were last night. At every goal Brazil lacked the passion to defend and to stop the damage, instead players such as David Luiz and Co. walk back after losing possession, watch Germany score a goal (that you’d see in a 5-aside or Sunday league game) to put their head in hands, kick off and repeat. No one decided to try and get a grip of the situation and just hold out and not concede another, but instead seemingly wanting half time to arrive, when there’s still 15 minutes to play!
It’s never nice, no matter whom you are, to see a team and a nation brought to tears. Not only have that, but the opposition striker to become the new record goal scorer in World Cup competition, overtaking Brazil’s golden striker Ronaldo. To a goal that was easily avoidable, has to hurt. The bubble was waiting to be popped and sadly last night Klose and co weren’t taking any prisoners.
Source: DSG
