1-7 (Seven)

I knew I would miss the first half an hour tonight as I was taking my daughter to a swim lesson. No worries I thought, this game could go the whole 120 minutes plus penalty heartbreak…. if only Brazilian hearts were to stay in one piece that long.

Half an hour. 5-0. And I missed it. A record busting game and a footballing night of great magnitude that has left all of us with a certain perception of Brazilian football and footballers in a mind boggling daze.

When I finally got myself in front of the television with a large glass of wine, the Germans appeared embarrassed to add to their total and in the 2nd half the Brazilians left in the stadium cheered olé to every German pass and clapped each further goal through a mist of tears.

It was Brazil’s first competitive defeat on home soil for 39 years and the Mineirão, which is to be used for the 2016 Olympics, might never be looked upon with any kind of joy ever again.

Neymar at least will be glad that his reputation is intact, in fact enlarged, although I think the result would not have been any different. Nonetheless Scolari will maybe consider the over emotion shown to their star player’s absence might not have been the best tactic.

As for Germany, it was a devastatingly brutal show of attacking art and desire as German players cut through famous yellow and blue shirts like a hot knife through butter. They were a class act before, during and after and even Messi and Argentina will fear playing them in Rio next week.

Afterwards I watched Julio Cesar and David Luiz give emotional interviews in their native tongue. I didn’t have a clue what they were saying but Brazil, the country, it’s beautiful people and it’s footballers will take a long time to recover from this and if there are any Belgium Brazilians on the Addicks shopping list, then Bob, please remove them!

My final point is an attempt to answer the question I posed earlier today. Is this the best World Cup ever?

Well, does such a one-side semi-final make this tournament so great? I haven’t got a clue but I asked for a game to be able to tell my grand kids about and this sadly for the great footballing nation of Brazil was it.