Balls Galore: Ola; Brazil mana bola?

What jerked me from my soporific assumption? That Teutonic tide of goals on Tuesday – 7 goals that was blasted past the hapless Brazilian goalkeeper in the cauldron of the Belo Horizonte stadium. Brazil lost, it caved in, battered and annihilated, dumped, gone; Brazil were buried by a deluge of German balls!

That bubble was also pricked for the zillions of Brazil fans the world over who only three weeks ago hoped, no KNEW; that Brazil was going to lift the trophy; for the first time of asking; at their home World Cup.

Alas it is not to be. The perfect case of generous hosts and party-pooping guests? Brazil’s World Cup dream has turned into a nightmare – the Samba appears to be soured and sombre. It is the mighty Germans, who, as they always appear to do; seemed bound to prevail and march on to greater World Cup glory.

Brazilian hopes were cruelly dashed within 90 minutes as the action in the bowels of the Belo Horizonte stadium unfolded. Wait, it was over even as the referee blew his whistle for half time – in the first 45 minutes in fact. But wait again, it was over as soon as the fourth or even as the third was blasted past the hapless Brazil keeper.

NO WAIT – to some, it was over soon after Brazil conceded the opening goal when the game was just 11 minutes old. Mueller (a name carries the distinct Teutonic signature of striking excellence – remember Die Bomber Gerd?) started the rout and propelled himself into the record books in the process.

Next it was time for Miroslav Klose to show the temerity to bang in the goals at this pinnacle of football by tucking in a goal himself. At 36, the Lazio striker is still able to command a place in the German starting lineup. He has grabbed this opportunity by notching a World Cup finals record of 16 goals, overtaking Brazil’s own Ronaldo on 15 goals.

After that the floodgates just opened. Tony Kroos scored a pair in the 24th and 26th minute, followed by Sami Khedira – no doubt spurred by intra-team jealousy – in the 29th minute. “Everyone’s doing it, how about me?”

It was 5-nill and there was still some 15 minutes to negotiate before referee Marco Rodriguez would blow for half time.

With the result of the game well and truly entrenched in favour of the Germans, you could not blame the Brazilians amongst the fans who left their seats and headed for the exit.

For me, the sight of a young boy fan crying his heart out after the third goal that was beamed to the world’s television audience is going to be my most poignant image of this World Cup. The poor boy was rubbing out the tears in his eyes as all his ocular plumbing burst uncontrollably, with the streaming flood collecting in his cup of Coke. (Ambush advertising at its opportunistic worst; or best? )

I must credit the Brazilians for coming out to play in the second half. Others made of less stern stuff might just have decided to pack it in and cry off sick .

Good for the collective morale, but bad for personal ego, as it turned out. The Germans were not finished as they banged in two more goals. On 90 minutes, the Brazilian reply came. What a wonderful goal it was too – and I refuse to credit German generosity for this blight in their `goal-against’ column.

What to make of all this?

I must hark back to German coach Joachim Loew’s assessment of the Brazilians a full week or more before this game. He forthrightly dismissed them as; “...having no flair.” When he said that, I wanted to rush to the nearest German embassy and throttle the nearest Ludwig. But with the benefit of hindsight, Loew was spot on!

Brazil manager Scolari hid his disappointment by conceding that his rival was better – anyone having been bludgeoned so would be equally submissive, don’t you think?

Back home, twitteville is all agog over the tweet from the twit from an outpost called Kinabatangan. A rather voluble local Member of Parliament made the unfortunate reference to Hitler in his rousing message to the Krauts (and I must apologise for the use of the K word – purely for context, not to raise any ogre from anyone’s Nazi past).

Now MP and rant/rants are not new. He has, in the past made many flippantly and at times incendiary remarks from his `shoot from the hip’ tendency. We await to see if the German and Israeli embassies will send a diplomatic legation to Wisma Putra and ask for some act of contrition if not outright retraction.

So how does one explain Brazil’s dismal display and unforgiveable capitulation?

All the world’s bookies are under scrutiny as we are all at loss at this result which is technically-impossible in the normal order of football reality.