What We're Reading
World Reaction to Brazil's Semifinal Loss
- BBC Sport, Wednesday, July 9, 2014 2:30 PM
BBC Sport looked at how the world reacted to the biggest World Cup semifinal defeat in history, which some newspapers described as “shameful” and a “humiliation for the host nation.” Some highlights:
Former England striker Gary Lineker: "It was not just a defeat for the host nation, but a humiliation for the host nation. It is the most extraordinary night's football I have ever witnessed and it was a result you could never imagine in a million years. It's hard to know whether to give praise to the Germans or criticize the Brazilians for their incompetence.”
Rio de Janeiro-based Lance! described the defeat as the "biggest shame in history,” saying that O Maracanazo does not mean too much now, it is a thing of the past. Germany newspaper Bild writes "7-1 Madness. Lightning DFB team knock out Brazil."
In France, "Le Desastre" was the headline alongside a picture of Paris Saint-Germain bound David Luiz on the front page of L’Equipe. In England, the Daily Mirror lead with the headline “Rout of This World,” while the Daily Telegraph described the defeat as the “greatest humiliation in World Cup history.”
On Twitter, USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who is German, tweeted: "Germany writing World Cup history today. Huge, huge compliment. So proud of them."
A VICTORY FOR FOOTBALL... the Germans have been chasing the Spanish for 6+ years... lost to them in Euro 2008, knocked out in the semis in 2010WC by the spanish, saw them destroy Italy in the final of Euro 2012, after being knocked out by Italy... When Spain won the Euro2008, and especially WC2010, remember (not that long ago), most of the world had been playing, as Cruyff likes to say "anti-football"... a big brutalizing, defensive affair... the world's game had turned ugly and Spain's WC victory was heralded as a Victory for football... the best team won, with an attacking creative mentality... Brazilian great Tostao, amongst several greats from yesteryear has said that this 2014 cup has been most enjoyable due to that renaissance which the Spanish started...most of the large teams, all at one point or another, said they would follow suit, they would take their queue from Spain, and become more creative, emulate the Spanish style...teams like Italy (good on them the last 4 years), England, the USA, etc, etc, etc., and including England... Germany did follow suit... they got rid of Mike Ballack (remember him stomping all over Xavi's feet during the Euro 2008 final? a Brute, the wrong kind of player, done with...) ... Bastian Schweinsteiger said he would study and emulate Xavi, which he did, the list goes on, and on... all the time, Jogi Low has been a humble man, showing grace in defeat, but working to implement that style, and helping his players to develop and mature... this has become a Germany that I could support and appreciate, not since the days of Kaiser Franz have I enjoyed so much this Germany... Brazil, on the other hand, and for whatever reason (do they not have the players they once had, or is it the less creative, flowing style of football most of their players now play in the English premier league that is part of the demise of what the world came to love about Brazil? or perhaps a bit of both), chose an ugly combative type of football (perhaps like the Dutch against the Spanish in 2010, after Cruyff told van marwijk that they could not beat spain) perhaps Scolari adopted this approach because he knew his team had no chance on the skill level (ANYONE who knows football could see this was a subpar team for years, and the ONLY reason why they were in the conversation about being champions was because of their history and because of the geography of 2014)... This is NOT and has NOT been the Brazil the world fell in love with in the late 50s, 60s, 70s, and the early 80s... Big Phil has been a big Jerk (compare him to Jogi Low and Vicente Del Bosque in both victory and defeat), the fans were vitriolic... what a tale of two countries...what a flip in headlines... "Creative Germans destroy way-over-their-heads Brazilian Thugs!!!" Part 1/2
A VICTORY FOR FOOTBALL Part 2/2
Good on Germany... the route they took, was good for them, and it is good for football... One can only hope a creative, attacking team wins the Argentina-Holland game... let's hope the Dutch thugs on 2010 with their Kung-Fu kickers remain either on the bench or out of the psyche .... Take note folks... including the USA... get away from hunker-down-and-hope-to-survive hunker down, brutal football, it lost again, yesterday. Germany's victory yesterday, was a win for world football
……….. (a footnote would be that Pep Guardiola has helped many of these German players with his philosophy instilled at Bayern Munich-further helping along German national team players playing for Bayern)... the game is about possession, about creativity, about attacking (and yes of course organization too, but NOT organization alone, mixed in with thuggery)