Heading into Tuesday's World Cup semifinal between Brazil and Germany, many wondered how the Selecao would perform without Neymar (injury) and Thiago Silva (suspension). But we don't know if anyone expected this -- Germany's 7-1 victory that sent them to their eighth World Cup final appearance.
Here is a sample of how the public responded, from start to finish:
Prematch
Neymar sent a message to his fans and teammates ...
Neymar "Thank you for the messages of #Jogapraele...Now I'm asking & all of Brazil is asking the team to #PlayforMe" https://t.co/iDzBAGDmp0
- ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 8, 2014
... while his teammates made their own tribute:
David Luiz and Julio Cesar hold up Neymar's No. 10 shirt during the national anthem #respect #BRAvsGER pic.twitter.com/Xh7n7KguuP
- ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 8, 2014
First half
To start, the atmosphere was electric and pace fast:
The volume is so loud here I'm seriously considering whether plugs would have been a good idea.
- Kurtis Larson (@KurtLarSUN) July 8, 2014
Best start to a World Cup semi final for years.
- Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) July 8, 2014
There is more insanity than I expected so far. Yay?
- Mike L. Goodman (@TheM_L_G) July 8, 2014
And then ...
I think you guys should mark Thomas Mueller in the box
- Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) July 8, 2014
pathetic defending from Luiz on Mueller. #GER will make you pay for simple mistakes.
- Taylor Twellman (@TaylorTwellman) July 8, 2014
I won't say it. You say it. #BRAvsGER
- Alexi Lalas (@AlexiLalas) July 8, 2014
Um, Mr. Lalas, are you referring to ... SET PLAYS?!
Germany leads this #WorldCup with five goals on set pieces. #GER
- Paul Carr (@PCarrESPN) July 8, 2014
Neymar would have blocked that.
- Brian Phillips (@runofplay) July 8, 2014
That goal was going in with or without Neymar on the pitch. #BRA
- Juan Arango (@JuanG_Arango) July 8, 2014
- Caitlin Kelly (@atotalmonet) July 8, 2014
And thhhhen ... a little history:
Miroslav Klose is now alone at the top. #BRAvsGER pic.twitter.com/FaUidCeNny
- ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 8, 2014
Klose!!!!!! #GER making #BRA look clueless defensively.
- Taylor Twellman (@TaylorTwellman) July 8, 2014
But wait, there was more ... 3-0 Germany:
What kind of defending is this? #BRAvsGER
- Usain St. Leo Bolt (@usainbolt) July 8, 2014
Brazil without Neymar feel like The Office once Steve Carrell left, but it's the Thiago Silva-sized defensive hole which is causing problems
- roger bennett (@rogbennett) July 8, 2014
Ahh, Brazil so disorganized. Maicon again. They look shell shocked.
- Julie Foudy (@JulieFoudy) July 8, 2014
Um ...
My goodness! #GERvsBRA
- Alejandro Moreno (@15AleMoreno) July 8, 2014
No sah..I feel sad for my Brazilian peeps #BRAvsGER
- Usain St. Leo Bolt (@usainbolt) July 8, 2014
Now THIS is not what this country envisioned. #BRAvGER
- Julie Foudy (@JulieFoudy) July 8, 2014
Oooh myyyy goood pic.twitter.com/uYIFJ1Mpmm
- R.Lukaku Bolingoli (@RomeluLukaku9) July 8, 2014
The match then hit official OMG status:
5-0 #GER pic.twitter.com/jDIkij6Eav
- HuffPost Sports (@HuffPostSports) July 8, 2014
Warm up the bus! Turn off the lights! Drive home safely! Good night everybody! #BRAvsGER
- Alejandro Moreno (@15AleMoreno) July 8, 2014
What is going on? What is going on? What is going on? What is going on? What is going on? What is going on? #WorldCup2014
- God (@TheTweetOfGod) July 8, 2014
Is this.. What just... Who can... Are you... What is going on here?????
- Mix Diskerud (@MixDiskerud) July 8, 2014
Brazilian broadcaster: "A tragedy for Brazilian soccer" #BRAvsGER
- Alejandro Moreno (@15AleMoreno) July 8, 2014
Halftime: What the ...
Is this a real game? I feel like I'm watching my nephew play FIFA #worldCup against my mom on play station.
- Lolo Jones (@lolojones) July 8, 2014
Okay, Hasselhoff. You win.
- Richard Deitsch (@richarddeitsch) July 8, 2014
This is insanity. What is happening right now!!
- Alex Morgan (@alexmorgan13) July 8, 2014
Complete self destruction. I feel really really bad for them. On the other hand, Germany... ��
- Alex Morgan (@alexmorgan13) July 8, 2014
At least where I am, people seem so shocked & embarrassed that they're now laughing and mockingly cheering every new Germany goal.
- Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) July 8, 2014
Brazil is leaderless w/o Thiago Silva ... This is absolutely shocking. #BRAvGER
- Julie Foudy (@JulieFoudy) July 8, 2014
We've entered some kind of parallel universe... 5-0... #BRAGER
- Gabriele Marcotti (@Marcotti) July 8, 2014
Been to eight World Cups and have never seen a performance like those 30 minutes from Germany. Simply incredible. pic.twitter.com/xEYjeu0pYK
- Sunil Gulati (@sunilgulati) July 8, 2014
I hope PSG kept their receipt for David Luiz.
- Russell Brand (@rustyrockets) July 8, 2014
GO GERMANY GO !!! WHAT A GAME !!
- Jürgen Klinsmann (@J_Klinsmann) July 8, 2014
Meanwhile, the lights went out in Rio ... including the ESPN set:
Done a lot in 23 yrs @espn Halftime from a closet, a first. Great hustle by our crew. @MenInBlazers charging hourly. pic.twitter.com/tevOBKKJjH
- MikeTirico (@miketirico) July 8, 2014
Apologies, Brazilian tears broke our @ESPN studio set. I'm mopping up, should be back for post-game. #BRAvsGER
- Alexi Lalas (@AlexiLalas) July 8, 2014
.@MenInBlazers @AlexiLalas can't stop the giggles...maybe it's the match...lol pic.twitter.com/xoQjN5wxPZ
- Brett Morgan (@brettamorgan) July 8, 2014
Second half: What now?
Miroslav Klose leaves the match in the 58th minute and the Brazilian crowd responds:
Big applause from the Brazilians here for Klose. While they're enraged, they respect Ronaldo's record being broke.
- Kurtis Larson (@KurtLarSUN) July 8, 2014
Fred, meanwhile, seemingly was receiving a different type of response from the hometown fans:
Fred getting what is commonly known as "the bird" from Brazil's fans every time he touches the ball. Scapegoat time.
- Phil McNulty (@philmcnulty) July 8, 2014
And the goals kept on comin':
Brazil has allowed six goals in a #WorldCup game for the first time ever.
- Paul Carr (@PCarrESPN) July 8, 2014
This is now the biggest ever margin of victory in the history of World Cup semifinals. #BRA #GER
- Dale Johnson (@dalejohnsonESPN) July 8, 2014
"We've replaced Brazil's goalkeeper with Folgers crystals. Let's see if anyone notices..."
- Tim Siedell (@badbanana) July 8, 2014
You asked for it. This is Michael Ballack at this very moment. #BRAvsGER pic.twitter.com/Hw28VKvMiQ
- Alexi Lalas (@AlexiLalas) July 8, 2014
That Ballack photo had a real short shelf life:
Updated. Michael Ballack. #BRAvsGER pic.twitter.com/Lh3ZhKRzfo
- Alexi Lalas (@AlexiLalas) July 8, 2014
Unfortunately, there was a flood of "American football" jokes:
Germany leads by a touchdown
- Steve Wilson (@stevewilsonap) July 8, 2014
"@NFL_Memes: Peyton knows.. pic.twitter.com/viasNyMfr0"muy buena
- John Sutcliffe (@espnsutcliffe) July 8, 2014
And more overall reaction to Germany's outing:
GERMANY WRITING WORLD CUP HISTORY TODAY !!! HUGE HUGE COMPLIMENT !!! SO PROUD OF THEM !!
- Jürgen Klinsmann (@J_Klinsmann) July 8, 2014
Can you believe this...I cant . 1...2...3.....4....5....6.....7...⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️ pic.twitter.com/sacRPiQG41
- Heidi Klum (@heidiklum) July 8, 2014
No more please..I can't take this no more...it's hurting..feel for the Brazilian fans here....wow. Will these players ever recover from this
- Rio Ferdinand (@rioferdy5) July 8, 2014
Put my kid in! #EveryBrazilianParent
- Matt Stoller (@matthewstoller) July 8, 2014
Out on streets of São Paulo, stunned Brazilians now cheering Germany. At least that's what's going on here on Paulista.
- Jeremy Schaap (@JeremySchaap) July 8, 2014
They'll have 5 mins added on for the time Cesar has spent picking the ball out of the net.
- Russell Brand (@rustyrockets) July 8, 2014
Brazil scores! The crowd rejoices (mockingly)!
#BRA 1-7 #GER - the biggest margin of defeat in Brazil's history.
- Dale Johnson (@dalejohnsonESPN) July 8, 2014
Even the official ball of the FIFA World Cup is ...
Speechless.
- brazuca (@brazuca) July 8, 2014
FT: Germany 7, Brazil 1
Boooooyah
- Dirk Nowitzki (@swish41) July 8, 2014
Just like the #ThingsTimHowardCouldSave hashtag before it, #ThingMoreLikelyThanBrazilWinningTheWorldCup took the Twitterverse by storm:
#ThingMoreLikelyThanBrazilWinningTheWorldCup pic.twitter.com/LnWrriF7fA
- Stay Puft (@staypuft) July 8, 2014
#ThingMoreLikelyThanBrazilWinningTheWorldCup pic.twitter.com/mhbGCEgOli
- Nicholas Zmudzinski (@nzmudzinski) July 8, 2014
And finally ...
While Brazil manager Luiz Felipe Scolari took the blame for the loss in his postmatch news conference, we all know where the fault really lies:
#BlameBeiber pic.twitter.com/DO3TDQ44v2
- Dylan McGorty (@DylanMcG120) July 8, 2014