Germany crushed shambolic World Cup hosts Brazil with a record 7-1 defeat on Tuesday to book their place in the tournament final in a match that shook football's superpower to the core.
Brazil were booed by their fans and gathered shell-shocked on the Mineirao pitch with coach Luiz Felipe Scolari after the worst defeat in their 100 years of competitive football.
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Brazil players sink to their knees after the World Cup semifinal soccer match between Brazil and Germany at the Mineirao Stadium in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Tuesday, July 8, 2014. Germany won the match 7-1. (AP-Yonhap) |
The team who have won five World Cups have never put on such a chaotic defensive performance as during an 18 minute first half period when Germany scored four goals, three of them in just 179 seconds.
Brazilian fans were left in tears -- many just left the stadium unable to put up with the pain.
Thomas Mueller scored in the 11th minute, Klose after 23 to take his World Cup total to a record 16, Toni Kroos in the 24th and 26th minutes, Sami Khedira after 29 and substitute Andre Schuerrle in the 69th and 79th minutes. Oscar scored Brazil's goal in the 90th minute.
"We ask for forgiveness," said a shellshocked Scolari after a defeat likely to be as traumatic as the fabled 'Maracanazo' when Brazil lost the 1950 final to Uruguay.
The Brazil boss added: "I'm responsible for what the team does out on the pitch - and I am to blame for this result."
"They were better than us. They prepared better. They played better,"
conceded Brazil captain David Luiz.
He added: "It's a very sad day but it's also a day from which to learn."
Mueller was almost lost for words.
"I can't believe it. It's something totally crazy. It just went well today," he beamed.
"Now we have to pull through one more time, we have to fight to get this thing," he added, referring to Sunday's final.
Germany will face either Argentina or the Netherlands at Rio de Janeiro's Maracana Stadium after their stunning show of power.
The Germans fell just short of their World Cup record 8-0 win over Saudi Arabia in 2002.
With superstar Neymar out with a fractured vertebrate and captain Thiago Silva suspended, Brazil fell into disarray on an emotionally-charged night as the Germans exploited gapping holes.
Mueller began the rout with only 11 minutes gone, before Klose made history of his own with his 16th World Cup goal to become the tournament's all-time sole top scorer.
With the Selecao defence shaken and their fans leaving in droves after just
25 minutes, Kroos scored twice in as many minutes before Khedira added the Germans' fifth.
Substitute Schuerrle then added Germany's sixth and seventh before Oscar grabbed Brazil's late consolation goal.
There were constant reminders of Neymar's absence at the Mineirao Stadium before kick-off with captain David Luiz and goalkeeper Julio Cesar clutching the Number 10 shirt bearing his name during a deafening rendition of the Brazilian anthem.
But the hosts' passions played into their opponents hands and the Germans'
early goal only highlighted the absence of Silva's organisation at the back.
Kroos floated in a corner and Mueller was left unmarked at the far post to tap home with 11 minutes gone.
The goal rattled the hosts and Germany ran riot with four goals in six incredible minutes.
Klose made history on 23 minutes as he slotted home Julio Cesar's parried save to become the sole World Cup top-scorer having equalled Brazil legend Ronaldo's record in the group stages.
Kroos then floored the hosts with two goals in two minutes after firstly latching onto Philipp Lahm's teasing pass across the box to fire past Cesar for Germany's third on 24 minutes.
Hundreds more Brazilian fans left after Kroos grabbed his second on 26 minutes and the only sound to be heard in the stadium was the small pocket of German fans singing "Oh, wie ist das Schoen!" - "Oh, isn't it beautiful!".
With the Brazilian defence in disarray, Khedira led a German counter-attack and selfishly passed off to Kroos for a simple tap-in on 26 minutes.
The Brazilians had barely caught their breath when Khedira made it five with just 29 minutes gone.
Mesut Ozil and Klose combined to lay the ball back and Khedira slammed his shot into the bottom left corner.
Coach Felipe Scolari made two changes at the break with Hulk and Fernandinho making way for Paulinho and Ramires, but it was too little, too late for Brazil.
Tottenham Hotspur's Paulinho was denied by two rapid-fire saves from Neuer straight after the break.
Germany coach Joachim Loew took off centre-back Mats Hummels and Klose to keep them for the final.
Klose's replacement Schuerrle then compounded the hosts misery with his two strikes, the second of which on 79 minutes from the right which gave Cesar no chance.
Oscar pulled a 90th-minute goal back for the Selecao as Germany's Manuel Neuer was finally beaten, but there was no denying the ruthless Germans. (AFP)
