Only God can explain Brazil's World Cup disaster: Pele

London, April 24 (IANS): Brazil football legend Pele on Friday said that "only God can explain" how Brazil were beaten so brutally by Germany in last summer's World Cup semi-final.

Without Neymar and Thiago Silva, the tournament hosts were memorably hammered 1-7 by eventual World Champions Germany which triggered the end of Luiz Felipe Scolari's reign in-charge of five-time champions.

"The semi-final was something nobody can explain. It's something only God can explain," Pele was quoted as saying.

Speaking after some of the stars of that Germany side – such as Thomas Muller, Phillip Lahm and Manuel Neuer – starred for Bayern Munich as they smashed Porto 6-1 in a Champions League quarterfinal, Pele revealed he is still in shock at the "disaster" which struck Brazil.

"When we were preparing for the World Cup the two teams everybody - even people who don't know football - expected to be in the final were Spain and Brazil," the former Brazil striker, who won three World Cups during his illustrious career, said.

The legend also heaped praise on the World Cup-winning German team.

"Those were the two teams that were supposed to be in the final. But the German team, I saw them play two years before and they were very, very good. They were very well prepared," he said.

"Then of course there was the disaster in the semis and it really was a disaster. It was something nobody could predict. Brazil could lose, 1-0 or 2-0, but to lose 7-1 and the third-place play-off we lost 3-0," the 74-year-old legend concluded.

Currently under coach Dunga, Brazil have rejuvenated their team spirit and with the likes of Neymar, David Luiz and Oscar, the side is set to be in action this summer once again in the Copa America in Chile, where they have been drawn in a group with Colombia, Peru and Venezuela.