3 reasons why Germany’s semi-final win shouldn’t come as a shock
Published:Germany were a whopping 1000/1 to beat Brazil 7-1 in the Belo Horizonte semi final. But while the manner and size of the defeat had many rubbing their eyes, open-mouthed like a five-year-old faced with Santa Clause, the fact they won shouldn’t shock a soul.
As the dust settles on one of the most jaw-dropping scorelines in football history, here’s three reasons why the result wasn’t actually all that surprising:
Rickety defence
A warning shot was fired 11 minutes into the Selecao’s opening World Cup match with Croatia, as Marcelo inadvertently poked the ball into his own net. A second sounded as David Luiz let a Cameroon cross pass in front of him for the equalising goal later in the group.
This defensive unit was at odds with itself, caught between the desire to entertain the masses and their duty to protect their net. Even with Thiago Silva there to marshal them errors never seemed too far away. Without him, they imploded.
German efficiency
Attractive football and this German squad have been locked in wedlock for the two years running up to this tournament, only to separate when the big occasion came.
Loew has prioritised winning at all costs over playing a beautiful game and his squad have delivered. Portugal handed them a slit of an advantage in the Group G opener and they bulldozed through it. Their focus to just get the job done, somehow, has been unwavering ever since.
Weight of expectancy
The nation’s anticipation of winning this World Cup was a bubbling pot of pressure at boiling point before a ball had even been kicked.
Glimpses of the Brazil squad’s failure to manage the heat flashed up at various points of the tournament, not least their penalty shootout with Chile.
At the final hurdle, without their leader and their best player, the pot boiled over.
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