David Luiz has been a monster for Brazil this tournament, but he had a shocking game at the Mineirão. It was he who let Thomas Muller find space for the opening goal, which set the tone for the rest of the first half.
Neither he nor Dante could get anywhere near the Germany forwards, who buzzed around with staggering freedom all night.
Maicon was meant to provide more security on the right but found himself out of position too often for Luiz Felipe Scolari’s liking. In summary, a catalogue of errors.
2. Midfield bypassed
Before the game, Scolari had to choose between two options: pick an attacking player to replace Neymar or flood the midfield. How he must regret choosing the former.
Luiz Fernando and Fernandinho, for all their efforts, were helpless to stop the Germany midfield taking control of the game.
Bastian Schweinsteiger, Toni Kroos and Sami Khedira waltzed their way through time and again, with no resistance at all.
3. Punch-drunk love
Brazil’s success at last summer’s Confederations Cup was built on their ability to build up momentum in the opening stages of games.
They got a taste of their own medicine hear. As the goals flowed thick and fast, Brazil were simply unable to find their bearings in the game. Every time they looked up, the ball was in the net.
4. Fred in the water
Before the game, a joke was doing the rounds in Brazil. “BREAKING: Neymar fit to play Fred’s role against Germany – standing still and doing nothing.”
How prescient that proved: again, the Fluminense striker offered virtually nothing, failing to trouble Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng in the slightest. He has simply not turned up this summer.
5. No x-factor
Let’s be clear: Neymar would not have prevented this defeat. But there was undoubtedly something missing from the hosts’ display this evening.
Even when he doesn’t play well, Neymar occupies the thoughts of opposition defenders, making things easier for his team-mates. Then there’s the star power, which would have given Brazil more belief ahead of kick-off.
The irony of his absence is that his reputation has probably risen in absentia.
Was Brazil's 7-1 defeat the most embarrassing professional loss you've ever seen?
The remains of the female politicians, who died in a ghastly auto accident have been laid to rest at the Bayelsa State cemetery, Azikoro in Yenagoa, the state capital. President Goodluck Jonathan his wife, Dame Patience and the Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson as well as wives of the Anambra and Ekiti State Governors joined other sympathizers at a special memorial service in honour of the deceased women at the Dr. Gabriel Okara Cultural Centre, in Yenagoa.
Former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has lost one of his sons in a car crash. Hamza El-Rufai died Tuesday morning in Abuja. The former Minister and Chieftain of the All Progressive Congress, APC, broke the news on his faceboook page today. El-Rufai wrote: “From Allah, we came and to Him we shall return. Please join our family in praying for the repose of the soul of my son, Hamza El-Rufai who died in a motor accident in Abuja.” See more photo below:
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said that he did not join the All Progressive Congress (APC) so as to run for the Presidency in 2015, but to nurture the party and ensure that good governance is entrenched in Nigeria come 2015. Atiku who spoke in an interview with the BBC Hausa service, monitored in Kaduna on Monday, maintained that if it were because of a presidential ambition, he had clear chances of occupying the number one seat when he was in office with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, or even recently when he was in the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN ). He said he let that go in the interest of the nation. Atiku vowed that he would never return to the PDP, saying that from all indications, the party would no longer be what it used to be.
Comments
Post a Comment