Brazil 1- 7 Germany: How bad is it for the World Cup hosts?
As the whole of Brazil, and most of the world, recover from the shock they suffered in the Stadio Mineirao, there is bound to be talk about how Brazil will regroup and rebuild in its aftermath. Their performance in the semi Final against Germany was abysmal, there’s no doubting that – the score line speaks for itself. But before we start talking about a crisis engulfing Brazilian football, we need to take a few things into account.
Brazil’s problems, particularly defensively, have been there for a while, and it was a matter of time before a strong attacking force exposed their shortcomings. On top of this, Germany put in an attacking performance that was even stronger and more incisive than usual. Thiago Silva, Brazil’s best defender – and also their most defensive minded player – was suspended. This was something that loomed large in Brazilian minds, and was perhaps even more of a loss than Neymar. Without Silva, the defense was all over the place, with nobody taking charge at the back, and without Neymar, the attack lacked potency. The full backs left too much space behind them, and the midfield shield was completely bypassed with regularity. But again, these are problems Brazil has faced before, without finding long term solutions.
Brazil were nowhere near their fluent best, throughout this tournament. Long balls were launched quite often – something rarely associated with Brazil. They ground out results, instead of coasting to victories, as they are expected to do. In spite of this, they were able to get the results and get to the semi-finals, so they may not have seen this as a concern. But as I said, it was a matter of time before they were exposed. With an out of sorts defense, and a less than potent attack, combined with a ruthless German performance, they were truly put to the sword.
The reaction to their exit will be harsher given the manner of defeat, but all is far from lost for Brazil. Let’s not forget that they have reached the semi-finals, and still stand a chance to finish third. This is an improvement on their last two World Cup showings. They were undefeated coming into the semi-finals, beating good teams on the way.
As the team prepares for their 3rd place pay-off, which could be against arch rivals Argentina, it is likely that the management will already be looking at the future, which is by no means bleak. In Thiago Silva, they have a man they can build their defense around, and in Neymar, a man to build their attack around. They were able to grind out results, even while lacking some of that usual Brazilian flair. These are all good ingredients to building a strong team.
Perhaps the defeat to Germany will serve as a wake up call for them, and they take a look at their defensive frailties. It is important that they take stock of the situation, and act accordingly, not necessarily making wholesale changes, but focusing on the areas to be improved on. While people feel that this could be a decisive defeat, we probably haven’t seen the last of the Brazilian magic.