ANALYSIS –  The warning signs were there right at the start in the opening game against Croatia, when a vastly more creative and attacking side were frankly robbed by a penalty decision that secured Scolari’s negative and uninspiring side an undeserved win.
Brazil played the same way for the rest of the tournament hoping that their star player the highly impressive Neymar would deliver the goods. Last night, he wasn’t there and his absence along with that of captain Thiago Silva showed as Germany took apart the Brazilians to the tune of 7 ludicrously easy goals to 1. This was not the Brazilians that have been average since 1982, not even the heavily criticised winners of the 1994 World Cup or even the team that capitulated in 1998 in the final to France, this was much much worse and should herald a much needed and long overdue reappraisal. Brazil may have won the World Cup twice since their exit from Spain 82 but they never reached the aesthetic heights of that the legendary team led by Socrates and how it now shows.

Brazil have flattered to deceive for a very long time and its not just this tournament, if their honest it’s from the moment that a fouling and very negative Italian side evicted them from the World Cup in 1982. From there onwards, winning the World Cup meant more than the actual performance on the field – they may have won the World Cups in 1994 and 2002, however those Brazilian sides could not even compare to the team of 1982, let alone that wonderful side of 1970. The world has moved on since then – there’s been Spain and Germany whose contrasting styles have revolutionised football and Brazil as this performance has shown have been left behind.

Germany in 2014 are not the side they were in 2010 but they still won 7-1. Spain as they showed in their game against Australia will make a comeback. At the moment, you can’t say that about this Brazilian side that featured distracted players called Fred, Joe, Hulk, Dante, Oscar as well as a vastly overrated and highly expensive player called David Luis. The best they can now do is strip the side of this dead weight and find more players that play like Neymar. Bringing in coaching staff and scouts looking to rebuild the side along the standard set by Falcao, Zico, Eder, Serginhio, et al would also restore the nation’s confidence and pride after this their worst ever performance on a football field.