Why Brazil Lost 7-1 to Germany at the 2014 World Cup

When Germany was set to face the host nation, Brazil, in the 2014 World Cup semifinals, absolutely nobody expected the Germans to crush their opponents 7-1, in what is the most shocking World Cup match of all time. But for a footballing powerhouse like Brazil who are the most successful national team of all time, how and why did this occur?

[cheekauchcheek]

"Why Brazil Lost 7-1 to Germany at the 2014 World Cup?"

Cause Jogi Löw told the germans to keep it easy in the second half

[davidhatton]

You can’t lose by 6 goals and blame it on one or 2 guys

[Blackcheetah-ifku]

The fact they still believe that neymar could have stopped germany still amaze me😂😂

[nawwk]

I’m confident that even if Neymar and Thiago played against Germany, they’d still lose but maybe by 1 or 2 goals.

[christiankabano]

I also think how the attack in 2014 was so focused on Neymar, his injury really affected them. The whole team just looked lost against the Defence was absolutely shocking and the attack was blunt.

[zanesc]

My thoughts, as a brazilian:

This team was subpar considering what we can usually output in terms of performance. Exemplifying this is the prior games in the WC against Chile in the Ro16 and Colombia in the quarters.

Don't get me wrong, they had decent teams, especially colombia, but historically these are teams that don't pose much of a threat against Brazil, pretty much ever. Yet in that world cup Chile almost sent us packing with a ball to the post while the victory against colombia was the product of a work of miracle by Luiz. For Brazil, games against teams like these should NOT be THIS close.

I still remember after that quarter final was over, and the tv hosts talking about how Germany was the next opponent, and I couldn't help but feel like: 'uh oh'

We just needed blood sweat and tears to beat colombia of all teams (nothing against them ofc) and then were about to face a team that was not only stronger than colombia, but also without our best defender and attacker.

Combine to that the fact that felipão decided to put Bernard, an attacking midfielder, exposing even more the already weak defense that was lacking Silva, all that for no good reason other than having him play in Belo Horizonte with the national team, as he was a player from a club from that very city. This didn't just lost us the midfield, it completely handed it over in a silver platter.

Some tactically savy journalists were already spelling doom since Chile but they were largely ignored because it seemed like pessimism. Everyone was still running on the Confederations 2013 high when brazil beat a fragile spain in the final.

Then there's the insane media pressure everyone knows about which is customary for brazilian national teams. Pele, after already winning two back-to-back world cups in 58 and 62 said, upon winning his THIRD in 1970, that the only thing he felt after the 1970 final was over was relief, knowing he wouldn't be judged. PELE, of all people. For the brazilian NT, anything but first place is a failure and it has deep psychological effects even on those who are some of the greatest talent of all time

I appreciated the background music lol

[dixienormous]

Let’s not forget Dante was coming off a treble winning season with Bayern Munich where he was there starting center back. Facing 5 of his teammates in this match ( Neuer, Lahm, Boateng, Schweinsteiger, Müller ) and one former teammate in Kroos

[jha]

You can never win with a superstar himself. You have to have a team. And whatching the german team was like a watching a creature. They new how to walk, how to stay, they had an understanding between each other. This was like a machine working together. This is how you win and not to focus on one or two players. The team has to work.

[MrMaxinne]

I couldn't watch the game due to work, but I listened to it on the radio, and I could not believe what I was hearing. It was crazy

[hannofranz]

My analysis goes in another direction. The expectations we're so incredibly high fostered by the media and the public that they sought for the wrong strategy. Pushing for a goal, they neglected the defense and were surprisingly ill prepared against players of the quality of the German team. They were playing in a fictitous world. I'm convinced that this was due to being overwhelmed by the expectations that winning was the only possible outcome. Apart from that, a more defensive football strategy ( Dunga style ) had led to a severe crisis in Brasilian football years before. You would have to expect that Brazil would find ways to substitute somehow even a player like Neymar. They do have exceptional football players.

[davidwright]

The main problem was that Brazil had been given a run of soft fixtures designed to lead to a Brazil : Argentina final. That is why you got Germany: France in a quarter final while Brazil were playing Columbia. Up to this point Brazil’s toughest game had been against Croatia which they had won via a classic piece of home crowd refereeing while they faced a Germany side that had beaten both Portugal and France and were up for a tough game against 12 men. The surprise wasn’t that Germany won easily, that had been on the cards since the group stages. The surprise was just how catastrophically Brazil went to pieces after the second goal.

[Njabulo.Masuku]

I wish Germany kept pushing. Would’ve loved to see how the game would’ve ended

[HamzaTalksFootball]

Tim Vickery, Brazilian Football Expert, has said "Brazil could have played Germany 99 times and lost. They lost 7-1 because of the occasion of a World Cup semi and what it meant to the players and the nation". I have also heard him say that when Brazil go out of a World Cup, it is like a death in the family.

[thomasdevald]

everyone must have a day like brasilian has and that is just normal part of a life, so my dear brasilian, don't take this real to heart, tommorow is a new day, new game and it will be better :), greetings from Croatia.

[ArtoriasKnightoftheAbyss]

that was a good day to be a german, i miss that german team

[CaptainPikeachu]

I’m not well versed in football but I remember watching this game and just wondering how that defense looked like it was sleepwalking. While Neymar’s absence definitely had an effect, I would say that Silva’s absence was the much bigger detriment. Without a solid back line, it was honestly painful to see Caesar practically being exposed at goal numerous times. Any half way decent striker could have replaced Neymar and I think done okay. But without a strong defense, there was no way the Brazil team could hold any real ground against strong offensive teams like Germany. And once that defense collapsed, it was game over.

[pbakare]

Yes, the team was mentally defeated with Neymar. Watching the goals it looked like they didn’t care anymore

[ETHIKAIPURAM]

Brazil played on emotions most and not without any strategy or tactics.Displaying Neymar's shirt during anthlem.Crying after prequarter win.Lot of things went on emotions only

[gabigol]

I think even with Neymar and Silva we would have lost, but not 7-1. Germany 2014 was the best national team at that time, literally no one could get in their way

[peterweiss]

you spoke out of my soul! So many guys said, that Brasil was so good back then, but I realized early that Neymar and the Home World Cup were the only arguments for Brasil as Cup winner. The luck as well as ref decisions as against croatia, which they received, let it appear even clearer