It was a humiliating home defeat of record proportions that no Brazilian could have seen coming.
With its defense collapsing early and nobody able to spark the attack, Brazil conceded four goals in a seven-minute span, trailed 5-0 at half time and was routed 7-1 by Germany in the World Cup semifinals on Tuesday.
First
there was dismay, then disbelief, then horror. A shocked Brazil watched
one of the most spectacular collapses in World
Cup history unfold
with tears, curses and, finally, dejection.
The host nation's comprehensive 7-1 destruction by Germany in Tuesday's semi-final will prompt a
bout of soul-searching in this football obsessed nation, but in the immediate
aftermath the reaction was simply confusion.
On
Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, police had to break up an unruly crowd with
pepper spray.
In São
Paulo, angry crowds burned a Brazilian flag. In Recife, the authorities used
teargas to restore order to the streets. Further along the coast, a concert at
the Salvador Fan Fest was cancelled after fighting.
Brazil – the most successful nation in World Cup history – were
expected to win a sixth title, erasing bitter memories of the defeat in the final of 1950,
the last time the tournament was staged here. But Tuesday's thrashing will go
down alongside that game as one of the most traumatic moments in Brazil's
history. Manager Luis Felipe Scolari called it a "catastrophe".
Commentator Galvao Bueno, the voice of football in Brazil, said it was "the
worst blackout in Brazil's history". Goalkeeper Júlio César described it
simply as "inexplicable".
The
Brazil captain, David Luiz, was forlorn. "I just wanted to see my people
smiling. Everyone knows how much its was to see our country happy at least
because of football. We couldn't, unfortunately. I'm sorry to you, all
Brazilians."
Even before this game, Brazil has at times resembled a nation on
the verge of a nervous breakdown in this World Cup. As well as the street
protests, the national team has been so emotional that the manager Luiz Felipe
Scolari called in a psychologist to help them deal
with the pressure. The loss of playmaker and national idol Neymar in
the quarter-final only added to the unease.
Ahead
of the kickoff, TV stations showed images of deserted roads across the country
as the nation tuned in to view the match. Tens of thousands of people had
turned up to watch on the giant screens on Copacabana beach.
Braving
darkening skies, they were initially in an upbeat mood, belting out the samba
rhythm of carnival classic I'm Going to Celebrate. The crowd sang the words:
"Cry! I don't mind, The hour has come, You're going to pay me. You can
cry. You can cry. Cry more!"
An
ominous thundercrack marked the start of the match, then the rains lashed down
and the misery unfolding on the pitch 200 miles away in Belo Horizonte grew
more intense.
By the
fourth goal, one disconsolate Brazil fan near the giant screens on Copacabana
beach walked over to a group of Germans and handed them his national flag in a
gesture of surrender.
Many
dejected fans wandered home at half time. Some bars closed early fearing the
dark mood would lead to fights.
By the
final whistle, some shouted abuse at Scolari. Others cursed the striker Fred. A
few even chanted for the removal of Rousseff. But for the most part, misery and
humiliation prevailed above anger and recrimination and for many fans, this was
the worst result in their lifetimes.
Ricardo Canara, a fan amid the canary yellow throngs on Avenida
Atlantica, blamed the crushing loss on the absence of Neymar, whose injury in the quarter-final had already plunged Brazil into gloom.
"It's completely sad, very disappointing," he said. "We
Brazilians don't know how to lose."
There
were small-scale scuffles that prompted panicked crowds to flee in all
directions, spooking police who found themselves in the way.
"This
is a really bad day. We were all expecting a big party even though we knew the
German team was one of the best. This result was beyond our worst
imagination," said Luiza Ramos.
After the game, hearing rumours of fighting on the beach, she
asked her German boyfriend, Martin Becker, to change into a Brazil shirt on the
way home through the streets. Becker said he had been well treated.
"Everyone was very friendly. They all came up to me and said, 'If Germany meets Argentina in the final, you have
to beat them."
Another
fan, Rodrigo Carvalho, lay on the side of the road waiting for his eyes to stop
burning. "I didn't do anything. I just wanted to ask the police what was
happening, then they sprayed me," he said. When asked to explain what
happened, a police officer simply shrugged. "It's because Brazil
lost," he said.
Bruno
Dana, a travel agent from Rio, was more nuanced, saying the result would not
have a long-term effect. He said: "The bottom line is that everything's a
party here. You can't stay sad. Sports are just like this."
Others
expressed sympathy. "I think Brazil got too stressed with the first goal
because they weren't expecting it," said Rafaela Bueno, a visitor from
Belo Horizonte "The team wasn't as well prepared as the Germans. The
Brazilian team has a low average age. They're just not so balanced."
But
such was the scale of defeat that it also inspired black humour. One internet
wag posted a doctored picture of the Christ the Redeemer statue with Uzi
machine guns in each outstretched arm with the slogan: The Cup Stays.
And
when Oscar scored a consolation goal in the 90th minute, what was left of the
crowd roared sarcastically as if they had won the tournament.
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