Massacred! Seven-star Germany destroy Brazil’s ‘total football’

Massacred! Seven-star Germany destroy Brazil’s ‘total football’
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Massacred! Seven-star Germany Destroy Brazil’s ‘Total Football’. A rampaging Germany destroyed five-time champion Brazil\'s reputation as a football powerhouse with a 7-1 humiliation to enter the World Cup final for record eighth time and send the football crazy host country into stunned silence and national mourning here on Wednesday.

Belo Horizonte: A rampaging Germany destroyed five-time champion Brazil's reputation as a football powerhouse with a 7-1 humiliation to enter the World Cup final for record eighth time and send the football crazy host country into stunned silence and national mourning here on Wednesday.

Seven-star Germany Destroy Brazil's 'Total Football'.

It was a devastating day for Brazil who were playing a highly emotional semifinal without injured superstar striker Neymar as they were steamrolled into submission by the Germans who took revenge of their 0-2 defeat in 2002 summit clash in Japan in the only other World Cup clash between the two sides.

Thomas Mueller opened scoring in the 11th minute before goals from Miroslav Klose (23rd), Toni Kroos (24th and 26th), Sami Khedira (29th) and Andre Schuerrle (69th and 79th) in front of the sea of heartbroken yellow clad Selecao fans at the Estadio Mineirao here.

Oscar scored the consolation goal for Brazil in the 90th minute but it was all over by then as Brazil ended their World Cup campaign at home under humiliating circumstances.

Wednesday’s defeat was Brazil's biggest international defeat in their proud history and the home fans understandably booed them towards the end of the match as it turned out to be a day of shame for the host country.

It seemed that the Brazillians have forgotten how to play football as they conceded five goals without reply in the opening half hour with the defence, without suspended captain Thiago Silva, looked like even worse than an amateur club side.

Klose became the highest scorer in World Cup history with his 16th strike today, surpassing Brazil legend Ronaldo's 15 goals. He also became the only player in history to play in four World Cup semifinals.

But his tremendous achievement seemed to have been drowned in the din of the scale of humiliation of Brazil, the tournament favourites with the Selecao fans weeping in the open while some were seen stunned at the way their team was decimated by the clinical Germans.

The collective psyche of the Brazillians has been living with the 'national tragedy' of 'Maracanazo', that defeat against Uruguay in the 1950 World Cup final at the iconic Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, and it will have to be seen how much today's loss will impact the country which is hosting the tournament after 64 years.

The Germans, who were playing in their fourth World Cup semifinal on the trot, killed the game in the first half itself with four goals coming in the space of seven minutes.

Klose becomes highest goal scorer in WC

Bel Horizonte: Germany striker Miroslav Klose became the World Cup's all-time record scorer with his 16th goal during their semi-final against Brazil, eclipsing former Brazil striker Ronaldo in the record books with his 23rd-minute strike.

The 36-year-old, playing in his fourth World Cup, had already equalled Ronaldo on 15 goals with his dramatic strike in Germany's 2-2 draw against Ghana in the group stage before moving ahead on Tuesday in the match in Belo Horizonte.

The goal was his first in a World Cup semi-final and arguably one of his most important as it put Germany 2-0 up in the last-four clash.

A humble man who plays for Lazio after earlier spells at Kaiserslautern, Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich, Klose is the best German striker of his generation whose tremendous sense of fair play has won him admirers in his homeland and in Italy.

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