Germany reopens Brazil’s ‘Maracanazo wounds’

Belo Horizonte (Brazil), July 9 :

For Brazilians, this was not part of the script. The hosts’ 1-7 loss to Germany Tuesday did more than extinguish hopes of a sixth World Cup trophy.

It killed off the nation’s collective desire to seek retribution for the Selecao’s defeat to Uruguay at the Maracana stadium 64 years ago, reports Xinhua.

The Maracanazo, as it has become to be known, cost Brazil their dream of World Cup glory on their own turf. It is still considered a national disaster, even by Brazilians too young to remember it.

This tournament, the first time the World Cup has returned to Brazil since 1950, represented a chance for Brazil to heal old wounds.

Instead, Germany ruthlessly reopened them.

In his column for Brazilian newspaper Folha de S. Paulo, renowned football journalist Juca Kfouri described the result as a “massacre”.

“It was an unthinkable way for Germany to avenge the loss in 2002 (in the World Cup final),” Kfouri wrote. “Never has Brazilian football experienced such humiliation.”

Even Germany coach Joachim Loew seemed to grasp the significance of the result.

“It’s going to be hard for Brazilians to digest,” Loew said.

“The country has organised a great tournament but this result will be painful and difficult.”

Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari admitted he would gain notoriety for leading Brazil to its worst defeat in their 100 years of competitive football.

“I will be remembered as the coach to lose 7-1 but I knew that risk when I took the job and life goes on,” Scolari said.

“I apologize to the people.”

(IANS)