Germany humiliate Brazil, U.S. miss the World Cup, Ronaldo out, then in: The most surreal thing I have seen
Over the years, our writers have been present for some of the game's greatest occasions. In the latest installment of a multi-part series, they tell the story of the most surreal thing they have seen at a game, several of which have a World Cup flavour: Germany's humiliation of Brazil in 2014, the U.S. failing to qualify four years later and Ronaldo's 1998 final saga.
Gab Marcotti's pick: Germany humiliate Brazil at World Cup
The match: Brazil 1-7 Germany (2014)
The place: Belo Horizonte, Brazil
The place: Belo Horizonte, Brazil
If there is an upside, it is that the Maracanazo of 1950 -- when the largest crowd ever assembled to watch a sporting event, estimated anywhere between 175,000 and 200,000, packed into the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro to witness Brazil squander a lead and lose to Uruguay, throwing away a World Cup they thought they had won -- will share space with the Mineirazo of 2014, another day of shame that stained a generation of Selecao footballers.
The host nation had not been particularly impressive to that point: Held by Mexico in the group stage, they needed penalties to overcome Chile in the Round of 16 and were fortunate against Colombia in a vicious quarterfinal that saw Neymar injured. Neither, though, had Germany, who had drawn with Ghana and could easily have been eliminated by Algeria.
But World Cup history is littered with teams that start slow and then find their mojo. Watching Brazil line up in Belo Horizonte, holding a Neymar jersey aloft, I told myself they might well go all the way. The crowd at the Mineirao were up for it, it was all about inspiration and emotion. Heck, why not?
Little did I know that, over the next 30 minutes, the supporters around me would cycle through Elisabeth Kubler-Ross' stages of grief.
1-0 to Germany. Denial. Yeah, David Luiz had lost Thomas Muller's gangly frame and allowed a side-footed finish, but so what? It's early.
2-0. 3-0. 4-0. Anger. I'm lumping these together because they happened so quickly. Three goals in four minutes. You've got to be kidding me. The last was down to Fernandinho -- as stunned as the rest of us -- being robbed of the ball in his own half.
What I remember most vividly was how the crowd vented their anger, with a full-throated "Bra-sil! Bra-sil!" As if they were reminding the interlopers on the pitch in the gold jerseys who they were, while at the same time transitioning to the next stage.
Bargaining. Say the name enough times and -- presto -- they will go back to being the Selecao of Ronaldinho and Romario and Rivelino and O Rey himself, Pele. That lasted maybe a minute.
5-0. Depression. Sami Khedira's strike was the final blow. Less than half an hour gone, Brazil trailed by five goals. At home. In a game the country had been waiting 64 years to play. It was over. Fans filed to the exits. Meanwhile, I genuinely do not remember what happened next. I know the final score was 7-1, but the last hour was a meaningless blur.
There is a fifth stage on the Kubler-Ross cycle: Acceptance. I don't think Brazil fans are there yet. And I am not sure they will get there for a long time, if ever.
Comments
Post a Comment