Calling this game astonishing, unbelievable, beyond comprehension would be an understatement – words haven't been invented in the English language, and probably Portuguese and German as well, to describe what transpired at the Estadio Mineirao in Belo Horizonte on Tuesday evening.
Brazil, riding a wave of support, sympathy, after the injury to Neymar, and hope, that they can do it without their talisman, disintegrated like they have never done in their footballing history as Germany pulled off one of the most amazing scorelines in the history of the World Cup, thumping the hosts 7-nobody-can-believe-it-1 in the semifinal of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Everything that could possibly go wrong, went wrong, and then went wrong some more as Thomas Muller, Miroslav Klose, who became the highest goalscorer ever in the World Cup, Toni Kroos, twice, Sami Khedira and Andre Schurrle, twice again, gleefully accepted Brazilian gifts with the home side's defence, without their skipper Thiago Silva to marshal the ranks, went into "we want to concede as many goals as we can" mode.
Germany, scarcely believing the final score, march onto the final at the Maracana on Sunday, and the Netherlands and Argentina will be feeling a bit of a quake in their boots after that ridiculously outstanding performance from the Europeans, while Brazil, who got their only goal via Oscar, trudge onto the match that nobody wants to play in – the third-place playoff in Brasilia on Saturday.
For 10 minutes, this quite amazing semifinal was normal – you know, two sides looking to find a way through the defences without too much success with a half chance created here or there, as the home crowd enjoyed the opening moments, already dreaming of that grand finale in Rio De Janeiro.
From the 11th minute, though, it was nightmare on insane street, with the horror movie, from Brazil's point of view, and the fairy tale, from Germany's viewpoint, taking hold the moment Thomas Muller swivelled and fired in his strike into the back of the net off a corner. It was awful, awful defending from Brazil, letting the ball just coast past the near post with Muller, all alone with enough room to build a mall, making no mistake with the finish.
For 12 minutes after the opener, there was a bit of sanity, even if Germany always looked dangerous, but the floodgates opened, and how, on 23 minutes. Kroos picked up the ball outside the box, played a pass to Muller, who flicked the ball for Klose to finish at the second time of asking and with it become the record goalscorer in the history of the FIFA World Cup with his 16th in 23 games, beating Brazil legend Ronaldo, the man who broke the hearts of Germany in the 2002 World Cup final.
A minute later, Germany just twisted that knife a little deeper, as Kroos picked up his first goal. Mesut Ozil, having the time of his life as the Brazil defence ran helter skelter, played in Philipp Lahm on the right with the skipper putting in a cross which was missed by Muller. However, the ball went all the way across to Kroos on the edge of the box, with the Brazilian defence, yet again, seemingly running away from the ball as if it were carrying the bubonic plague, with the midfielder putting his left foot through and ramming the ball into the bottom corner past Julio Cesar.
If 3-0 after 24 minutes was an out-of-this-world scoreline, within another five, Germany would complete the first half torture. Kroos notched his brace with another easy peasy goal as Brazil shot themselves in the foot, giving away the ball in their own half, with Kroos himself stealing possession from Fernandinho, before exchanging passes with Khedira and then smashing the ball into goal as defenders scrambled all over the line looking to make that desperate last-ditch goalline clearance.
A minute before halftime, Khedira would get his name on the soresheet, with Ozil this time turning the provider, laying the ball on a plate for his good friend to slot home.
The absolute sense of disbelief as goal after goal went in was written on the faces of every single Brazilian fan in the stadium, and tears started to pour down as that feeling, the feeling of the final dream ending, hit them hard.
Brazil gave it a go in the second half, with the crowd also doing their best to lift their players with chants of "Brasilia, Brasilia." And if not for Manuel Neuer 7-0 would have at least been made to a tad more respectable 7-3, with the impregnable Germany goalkeeper making some fabulous saves to deny Oscar and Paulinho.
Germany, came close to make it 6-0 early in the second 45, despite playing well within themselves, as Muller, looking to join James Rodriguez on six goals at the top of the list at this World Cup, came quite close, with only the fingertips of Cesar keeping the ball out. But Schurrle did find the net on 69 minutes, sweeping home from ten yards off a perfect pick-out from Lahm.
Ten minutes after his first goal, Schurrle had his double, thumping the ball into the roof of the net from an angle after taking a pass from Muller. Oscar added the merest of consolations in the 90th minute, but a more pointless goal would not have been scored at this World Cup, or indeed any.
A quite staggering final result, a quite astounding Germany performance and a quite pathetic and sad day for Brazil.
