Thomas Mueller wrote the ending to this semifinal match between Germany and Brazil in the 11th minute.
Sure, the four German goals that followed before the 30th minute sealed the deal, but Mueller's finish was all fans needed to see to know how this one was going to play out.
Off a corner kick, inexplicably unmarked in the goal box after a communication mix-up involving David Luiz, Mueller easily reeled in the ball beyond all Brazil defenders and calmly struck it into the bottom right corner of the net.
It was indicative of the way Germany would handle Brazil throughout in a calamitous defensive effort that resulted in a 7-1 loss for the host nation – the most goals scored on Brazil in 80 years.
"Everything was organized for us until the moment of that first goal," Brazil coach Luis Scolari said. "Then, we got disorganized and then we kind of started to panic and everything went great for [Germany] from there and everything went terribly for us.
Sure, the four German goals that followed before the 30th minute sealed the deal, but Mueller's finish was all fans needed to see to know how this one was going to play out.
Off a corner kick, inexplicably unmarked in the goal box after a communication mix-up involving David Luiz, Mueller easily reeled in the ball beyond all Brazil defenders and calmly struck it into the bottom right corner of the net.
It was indicative of the way Germany would handle Brazil throughout in a calamitous defensive effort that resulted in a 7-1 loss for the host nation – the most goals scored on Brazil in 80 years.
"Everything was organized for us until the moment of that first goal," Brazil coach Luis Scolari said. "Then, we got disorganized and then we kind of started to panic and everything went great for [Germany] from there and everything went terribly for us.
"… We lost to a great team in Germany. Even [the German team] said after the match, 'What happened?' It was because of their skills and their goals and we respect that."
The result was a surprise, no doubt. How the Germans did it, though, shouldn't have caught anyone off-guard.
Germany has been tactically sound throughout the tournament – coach Joachim Loew is fond of the word "compact" – but it's more than that. The Germans are always compact and tactical. They've imposed their will on opponents for most of the past two decades; four straight World Cup semifinals don't happen by chance.
This Germany team also is oozing with confidence. They know how good they are and they don't mind showing it. It was evident in the manner in which Mueller scored the opening goal, gathering the ball as if he wasn't in the middle of a fray a mere few yards from Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar and several defenders. It was perhaps even more plain to see with Germany's ball movement in the 20 minutes that followed, a rapid succession of positional understanding and precision passing that would ultimately make it 5-0 heading into the break.
