It was easily the most extraordinary first 18 minutes in the history of the World Cup.
Just 11 minutes into Brazil’s semifinal against Germany, a corner kick found an unmarked Thomas Müller inside Brazil’s box. Germany’s leading goalscorer over the past two World Cups neatly slotted the ball past keeper Júlio César. With that goal, it was as if Brazil simply gave up. The sluice gates opened.
A mere 12 minutes later, Miroslav Klose scored his world record 16th World Cup goal. A minute later, Toni Kroos scored—and then he did again a minute after that. By the time Sami Khedira scored the fifth goal in the 29th minute, Brazil had already lost. And the proudest soccer nation on Earth was humbled before an audience of billions.
All 5 of Germany’s goals from the first half #BRAvsGER https://t.co/VNYarrKNvW
— Digg (@digg) July 8, 2014
If you could put all of Brazil into a single Vine. #BRA #GERvsBRA https://t.co/i43sEz4Qaa
— Kurt (@kurtkaboom) July 8, 2014
The entire country of Brazil right now https://t.co/FdY2JFWDzR
— Mike Hayes (@michaelhayes) July 8, 2014
live update: pic.twitter.com/EmUugEYY7X
— matthew (@matthewcr) July 8, 2014
#Germany be like…. pic.twitter.com/O71clkbV8n
— purplemiami (@purplemiami) July 8, 2014
Jo-der. pic.twitter.com/JkG4PdIYBU
— Dios (@diostuitero) July 8, 2014
if Germany scores another goal they get the full 1,000 xbox achievement points for this game
— lawblob (@lawblob) July 8, 2014
Brazil fans are heading home at half-time https://t.co/8yGtL0mAF8
— Football Vines (@FootballVines) July 8, 2014
Every single Brazilian alive right now – https://t.co/zHkwgXm1Xu
— Football Vines (@FootballVines) July 8, 2014
GOAL Muller gives Germany the lead https://t.co/7YsdtFya3r
— Football Vines (@FootballVines) July 8, 2014
It shouldn’t have happened. Sure, Brazil had lost talisman Neymar in its brutal quarterfinal match up against Colombia, knocked out by a fractured vertebra. But this was Brazil. A Petri dish from which are born entire colonies of grossly talented soccer players. Brazil’s C team could make it to the semifinals of the World Cup. Hell, on a good day, they could win it. So what happened?
That’s something the Brazilians will have four long years to contemplate.
Photo by Jorge in Brazil/flickr (CC BY 2.0)
