Written by: Armando Zamora • July 9, 2014• World Cup

Germany Upsets World Cup Hosts

After twenty days of football and World Cup celebration, host nation Brazil was set to face Germany for spot in the final this coming Sunday. The game was tight on paper and everyone was valid in predicting either team the winner. While football analysts focused on the injury induced departure of Brazil’s poster-boy, Neymar, not as much thought was given to the loss of the player who had-in the public’s eye- secretly become the real star of the Brazilian team: Thiago Silva.

The whistle blew and the game that had been hyped up to be one of the most memorable and important games to be played in decades had begun. Brazil started with fire in their hearts as they sought to start the game with early scoring to take the lead that had helped them in their previous game with Colombia. What the Brazilians did not anticipate was that Germany would not show Brazil the respect that Colombia had shown them. It became clear from this first burst of attack that Brazil came at the game all wrong. The defensive line moved up too high, the passing was erratic. There was no intention to control the game. Brazil wanted to charge into the goal and take it from there.

As the Germans took their corner in the tenth minute it would become clear that real absence that made an impact on the game was that of Thiago Silva. As the ball glided over the box, Brazil’s defensive unit turned into a glob of raw cookie dough. Stuck to one another and creating a tumor of confusion that blocked David Luiz’s run to continue the mark on Thomas Müller who would take advantage of this to score the first goal for Germany.

Ten minutes later Germany would come back for a second goal as they built up a play around a defense that was missing its rock. It was the second goal in twenty minutes and three more would follow it in the first half, all before the thirty minute mark.

It’s hard to tell when Brazil gave up and why exactly it all came crashing down. In looking back at all the goals, I tried to pin point specific details that triggered the goal but it was nearly impossible. It wasn’t a matter of what did Brazil do wrong, but of what didn’t they do wrong? They gave too much space, didn’t pressure the German attackers, couldn’t clog the attack in midfield, the defensive unit came up to help the midfield only to have to run back and cover ground they left open. It almost doesn’t make sense.

But the German’s deserve merit. They did everything the way they’ve been doing it before. Building up the game and plays, dictating the game, and making sure the shot on goal is going to go in by creating the space needed. But they didn’t play the outstanding game a final result of 7-1 implies. Instead it shows a Brazilian team that tried but in just 18 minutes of total immature defensive football, found themselves behind by 5 goals and had given up.

The tears from fans at the game sums up the game, and the fact that the highest ranking player for Brazil was David Luiz with a 5.9 shows that Germany could not have asked for an easier path to the World Cup Final.

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