Germany beat Brazil 7-1 in their World Cup semifinal, the biggest margin of victory in that round in the history of the tournament.
The Europeans unleashed an onslaught of five goals during an 18-minute period of the first half, sending some Brazil fans in Belo Horizonte home in tears before the second half began.
The torrent of scoring came against a Brazil defense that was without captain and top defender Thiago Silva, who was suspended for the game after getting two yellow cards. Brazil also was without top scorer Neymar, who is out for the rest of the tournament with a back injury.
It matched Brazil’s worst defeat at home, a 6-0 loss in the Copa America to Uruguay in 1920. It was a bigger beating than ones endured by the U.S. and Yugoslavia, who both lost their 1930 semifinals 6-1. West Germany also beat Austria 6-1 in 1954.
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Miroslav Klose scored the second of Germany’s goals, giving him a record 16 in the World Cup, one more than Brazil’s Ronaldo. Germany also got goals from Thomas Mueller, Sami Khedira and Toni Kroos and Andre Schuerrle, who each had two. Oscar scored for Brazil.
Mueller got the first goal from a corner kick in the 11th minute, and then Klose scored his record career 16th goal in the tournament. Kroos scored twice with a minute and Khedira netted one in the 29th minute. Schuerrle scored in the 69th and 79th minutes.
(Bloomberg)
