A Deep Dive Into The Biggest World Cup Blowout

On July 8th 2014, at 5pm local time, the first semi-final of the 2014 FIFA World Cup kicked off in the Mineiaro Stadium in Belo Horizonte. The host nation, Brazil, and Germany were the two teams facing off for a place in the final. While no team reaches this stage of a World Cup without some expectation to prove they are worthy of going all the way, on this night there was a very different set of circumstances weighing on both teams.

For Brazil, national pride was a big factor. One of the things synonymous with the country is football - an assumption not undeserved. Their national team is the most successful on the world stage: the only country to have appeared in every edition of the World Cup, they have won it a record five times and are always a feared team at any tournament.

The decision in 2007 by the world governing body of football, FIFA, to name Brazil as the host nation of the 2014 World Cup was met with the usual concerns over preparation costs but mostly with excitement of being the home of football's flagship tournament. It also provided the chance to avenge one of the saddest moments in the country's sporting history.

The last time Brazil hosted the World Cup was in 1950 - a tournament that will seemingly forever haunt the country. A team considered the best Brazil had ever produced, in sight of a record crowd at the world's largest stadium, they needed only to avoid defeat to Uruguay in the final match to make the dream complete - but it all went wrong. When they unexpectedly lost the game, the entire country was sent into a state of shock and despair. So much the Uruguayans reportedly felt some embarrassment accepting the World Cup trophy following their win.

Long before the start date of the 2014 tournament, questions were asked about the pressure that the Brazilian team may find themselves under. While there are always expectations for Brazil to do well at the World Cup, they were greater now they had the chance to win at home, to erase the scar from all those years ago and to finally get back to winning ways after successive quarter final exits in 2006 and 2010.

There were also a few raised eyebrows over the team fielded by coach Luis Felipe Scolari, who had previously led Brazil to their last tournament success in 2002. Some players were untested, others past their prime. A lot of expectation would be behind the new wunderkind of Brazilian football, 22-year-old Neymar, to live up to his billing and play the part of past Brazilian playmakers Ronaldo, Garrincha and Pele.

Brazil opened their home tournament on June 12th 2014 and, against Croatia in the opening match, scoring just after eleven minutes played - for the Croatians. This opening own goal may have been an early sign there were some nerves in this Brazilian team, but despite an unconvincing display they eventually won the game 3-1, albeit in controversial circumstances.

Following this, they were held to a goalless draw by Mexico (the best goalless draw in the history of the sport) but finished first in Group A with an assured 4-1 victory over Cameroon. Brazil had avoided an early exit but now the expectations of them grew as they entered the business half of the tournament, where they faced familiar opponents in Chile, who took them to a penalty shootout in the second round.

They overcame the Chileans and then put in a far more confident and convincing win against Colombia, one of the star teams of the tournament. Despite this showing and reaching the last four, questions were still being asked over the quality of Brazil from locals and overseas onlookers. In particular their only striker, 31-year-old Fred, was repeatedly coming under fire for seemingly setting the team back rather than propelling them forward.

Personnel problems for Brazil would be compounded ahead of the semi-final, which they would have to play short-handed: their captain, Thiago Silva, had accumulated too many yellow cards in previous games and was barred from taking part in the match. Neymar had fractured a vertebra in the quarter final and had been ruled out of the rest of the tournament. There seemed to be no let up in the criticism of the Brazilians, seemingly coming under fire more than any of the other team at this World Cup.

Conversely, the team who they would be facing in the semi-finals, Germany, though among the pre-tournament favourites were not though of by many as title contenders. Attention was on other teams like Argentina, led by the world's best-known player Lionel Messi; the Netherlands, who were having an incredible run in the tournament after thrashing defending champions Spain in their opener; Belgium, who here announced themselves as a world-class force; Colombia, looking like real contenders after years in the wilderness; and of course Brazil, never to be written off, particularly at home.

Not being under the same scrutiny as other teams, Joachim Loew's precision-engineered team comfortably topped the tournament's Group of Death. Though their next two games were far nervier, they overcame Algeria first and then France to reach what would be a record fourth straight semi-final. They were now within reaching distance of their first final since 2002, but getting there meant having to defeat Brazil on home soil. (Coincidentally, their 2002 final defeat was at the hands of a Brazilian team also coached by Scolari)

On the night of the Belo Horizonte semi-final, however, all eyes would be on one team and not the other. As the Brazilian team walked out on to the pitch to the cheers of fans in their tens of thousands, what was at stake for the home team became its most visible. It was fair to say the ongoing test for Brazil was at its toughest point so far. It all came down to this unforgettable ninety minutes:

Brazilian fans wept openly as their team collapsed in sight of them and the rest of the world. An early set-back was compounded within the space of five minutes where three German players scored four times, effectively rendering the match over for Brazil, who were all too miserable to care when Andre Schurrle took Germany's total to seven in the second half.

Oscar had Brazil's only goal in the last minute, which in some ways make it worse for them. Rather than bow out in a perfect, spectacular fireball of self-destruction, they attempted to salvage some pride though they were long past that.

Both teams followed similar trajectories in what remained of their campaigns: Brazil were not able to make the podium, losing to the Netherlands in the third-place playoff. Germany went on to defeat Argentina 1-0 to win their fourth World Cup, ending a twenty-four year drought.

While it was a brilliant win for Germany which led to a deserved world title, the loss changed the reputation of Brazil on the world stage in a way that could not be rectified easily. The irony is, in trying to exorcise an old ghost, Brazil accidentally created a new one, large enough for the whole world to see.

Picture Credit: Michael Steele