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| Brazil's World Cup run is over but political ramifications still unclear | Brazil's World Cup run is over but political ramifications still unclear |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Brazil woke on Wednesday with its worst footballing hangover in at least 64 years, perhaps ever. The previous night had been planned as a party to celebrate the World Cup hosts' progress to the final. Instead, it was more like a wake as the hopes of a nation died the most ignominious death imaginable with a 7-1 rout by Germany. | Brazil woke on Wednesday with its worst footballing hangover in at least 64 years, perhaps ever. The previous night had been planned as a party to celebrate the World Cup hosts' progress to the final. Instead, it was more like a wake as the hopes of a nation died the most ignominious death imaginable with a 7-1 rout by Germany. |
| That would hurt for fans in any country, but the headache and heartache are magnified in Brazil, where football means more and success is almost taken for granted. | That would hurt for fans in any country, but the headache and heartache are magnified in Brazil, where football means more and success is almost taken for granted. |
| Brazil has won the World Cup five times – more than any other nation. Until Wednesday, it had not lost a competitive match at home for 39 years and boasted the greatest World Cup goalscorer of all time in Ronaldo. But all that changed in the space of 18 first-half minutes in which Brazil leaked five goals and Germany's Miroslav Klose became the new all-time top World Cup scorer. | |
| A national and international discussion is under way to try to comprehend what went so disastrously wrong. Posts about the match have broken all records on Facebook and Twitter. And the postmortem, which looks set to drag on for a very long time, could well set new highs. | A national and international discussion is under way to try to comprehend what went so disastrously wrong. Posts about the match have broken all records on Facebook and Twitter. And the postmortem, which looks set to drag on for a very long time, could well set new highs. |
| Many people looked to the traditional media for explanations, or at least exclamations of outrage. Small crowds gathered outside kiosks to gaze at the displays of newspapers that had sold out. "Everyone's sad, but people want to read about and collect these editions," said Gilcileine Garrido, a vendor in the Gloria district of Rio de Janeiro. "This is a historic disappointment." | |
| That feeling was confirmed by the front pages, which were relentlessly unforgiving in their proclamations of "Catastrophe", "Humiliation" and "Shame". | |
| "Go to Hell, Felipão", exclaimed O Dia, in reference to the Brazil manager, Luiz Felipe Scolari. "You are responsible for the worst humiliation of the national team in a century." | "Go to Hell, Felipão", exclaimed O Dia, in reference to the Brazil manager, Luiz Felipe Scolari. "You are responsible for the worst humiliation of the national team in a century." |
| Meia Hora, the usually chirpy, colourful tabloid, turned its front page black in mourning. The headline reads "Não vai ter capa" (There isn't going to be coverage) and a short explanation: "Today, we are too ashamed to make jokes. We'll come back tomorrow*". At the foot of the page, the asterisk clarified: "While you were reading this, Germany scored another goal." | Meia Hora, the usually chirpy, colourful tabloid, turned its front page black in mourning. The headline reads "Não vai ter capa" (There isn't going to be coverage) and a short explanation: "Today, we are too ashamed to make jokes. We'll come back tomorrow*". At the foot of the page, the asterisk clarified: "While you were reading this, Germany scored another goal." |
| "Congratulations" was the ironic headline of Extra. "The vice-champions of 1950 have always been accused of bringing the greatest shame on Brazilian football. Yesterday we realised what shame really is." | "Congratulations" was the ironic headline of Extra. "The vice-champions of 1950 have always been accused of bringing the greatest shame on Brazilian football. Yesterday we realised what shame really is." |
| "The Seleção suffers the worst defeat in history," lamented the Folha de São Paulo. "For the second time, Brazil has lost the chance to win the World Cup at home." | "The Seleção suffers the worst defeat in history," lamented the Folha de São Paulo. "For the second time, Brazil has lost the chance to win the World Cup at home." |
| This tournament was supposed to have exorcised the ghost of 1950, when Brazil lost at home in the final to unfancied Uruguay. Instead, this World Cup has summoned up an entirely new spectre of humiliation. | This tournament was supposed to have exorcised the ghost of 1950, when Brazil lost at home in the final to unfancied Uruguay. Instead, this World Cup has summoned up an entirely new spectre of humiliation. |
| People are already referring to the defeat as the Mineiraço, named after the Mineirão stadium in Belo Horizonte where the host's horror story was staged. | |
| Cooler heads, however, played down the comparison. The columnist Juca Kfouri wrote that Tuesday's "humiliation hurt less than the unexpected punch in 1950". He urged Brazil to learn from Germany, which reorganised its football system after disappointment in 2006. | |
| "Dilma Rousseff [the president of Brazil], at least, should start today to implement the reforms proposed by Good Sense FC," Kfouri said, referring to a group of players calling for radical change in Brazilian football. "It is not enough merely to switch the technical team." | "Dilma Rousseff [the president of Brazil], at least, should start today to implement the reforms proposed by Good Sense FC," Kfouri said, referring to a group of players calling for radical change in Brazilian football. "It is not enough merely to switch the technical team." |
| The previous night had seen sadness, confusion and small outbreaks of unrest, including flag burning and arson attacks on buses in São Paulo. But for the most part, there was neither large-scale rioting nor protest, only gloom. | |
| In Rocinha – one of the biggest favelas in Latin America – passionate fans had festooned the streets with Brazilian flags and green and yellow bunting. But local shops started taking down these displays of support on Wednesday morning amid worries that angry fans might damage the premises. One street vendor who had been hawking Brazil shirts and trinkets already had a financial reason to be unhappy about the result: "I'm stuck with 8,000 reais [£2,400] of merchandising." | In Rocinha – one of the biggest favelas in Latin America – passionate fans had festooned the streets with Brazilian flags and green and yellow bunting. But local shops started taking down these displays of support on Wednesday morning amid worries that angry fans might damage the premises. One street vendor who had been hawking Brazil shirts and trinkets already had a financial reason to be unhappy about the result: "I'm stuck with 8,000 reais [£2,400] of merchandising." |
| The match experience had been even grimmer here than elsewhere. Heavy rains, which always cause flooding in this huge shantytown, also disrupted television reception. Amid interruptions, the German goal count surged, prompting disbelief and fury when the signal returned. "I was crying and my husband was so angry he smashed a glass," said one resident. | The match experience had been even grimmer here than elsewhere. Heavy rains, which always cause flooding in this huge shantytown, also disrupted television reception. Amid interruptions, the German goal count surged, prompting disbelief and fury when the signal returned. "I was crying and my husband was so angry he smashed a glass," said one resident. |
| One of their neighbours, Vinicius Patricinio, 14, was so frustrated he ripped up his Panini World Cup sticker album and refused to go to school. | |
| The political ramifications are still to be seen. Rousseff, who faces a re-election battle in October, has been criticised for spending more than $10bn (£6bn) on the tournament that could have been used to improve public health, education and transport. | |
| "I feel immensely for all of us, supporters and players," she tweeted. "As all Brazilians, I am very, very saddened by the defeat." | |
| Some fans have already turned on the president. The middle-class crowd at Belo Horizonte repeated the sexually offensive chant about the Workers party leader that was heard at the opening ceremony. Some are predicting more of the same at the final. "Do you think Dilma has earplugs for when she hands over the Cup," tweeted @LéoLuz. | Some fans have already turned on the president. The middle-class crowd at Belo Horizonte repeated the sexually offensive chant about the Workers party leader that was heard at the opening ceremony. Some are predicting more of the same at the final. "Do you think Dilma has earplugs for when she hands over the Cup," tweeted @LéoLuz. |
| But while the humiliating defeat kills any chance the president might have had of a football feel-good factor, political analysts said it was unlikely to hurt her campaign. | But while the humiliating defeat kills any chance the president might have had of a football feel-good factor, political analysts said it was unlikely to hurt her campaign. |
| David Fleischer, political science professor at the University of Brasília, said the World Cups of 1998, 2006 and 2010 had no impact on the polls of those years. He expected that pattern to continue even after Tuesday's loss. | David Fleischer, political science professor at the University of Brasília, said the World Cups of 1998, 2006 and 2010 had no impact on the polls of those years. He expected that pattern to continue even after Tuesday's loss. |
| "I don't think that the loss will have any effect on the October election," he said. "But it is possible there will be more violent demonstrations in the coming days." | "I don't think that the loss will have any effect on the October election," he said. "But it is possible there will be more violent demonstrations in the coming days." |
| One protest is already planned in Rio de Janeiro on the day of the final. But the numbers signed up on the Facebook page are low. | One protest is already planned in Rio de Janeiro on the day of the final. But the numbers signed up on the Facebook page are low. |
| Rafael Vilela, a journalist with Midia Ninja – the reporting collective that has been closest to the demonstrations over the past year – downplayed the importance of change through mass protests and said it was necessary to work more on building social forums. But he said the result should shake up the organisation of football in Brazil. | Rafael Vilela, a journalist with Midia Ninja – the reporting collective that has been closest to the demonstrations over the past year – downplayed the importance of change through mass protests and said it was necessary to work more on building social forums. But he said the result should shake up the organisation of football in Brazil. |
| "This is a great time to aim for a huge revolution of the mafia operation of Fifa, CBF and Brazilian sports organisations that are responsible for the historical defeat yesterday," said Vilela. | "This is a great time to aim for a huge revolution of the mafia operation of Fifa, CBF and Brazilian sports organisations that are responsible for the historical defeat yesterday," said Vilela. |
| Raquel Paiva, professor of communications at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, said Brazil was a fickle nation that would probably soon forget this humiliation. | Raquel Paiva, professor of communications at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, said Brazil was a fickle nation that would probably soon forget this humiliation. |
| "I believe Brazilians will understand the difference between football and politics. But it's also important to note that this is Brazil and these things are indeed mixed together. Nothing like this has happened in the history of Brazil that I can think of," she said. "But anyway, everything ends Sunday and after a week no one will even remember that we staged the Cup." | "I believe Brazilians will understand the difference between football and politics. But it's also important to note that this is Brazil and these things are indeed mixed together. Nothing like this has happened in the history of Brazil that I can think of," she said. "But anyway, everything ends Sunday and after a week no one will even remember that we staged the Cup." |
| But there is a possibility that the mood could get worse before it gets better. | But there is a possibility that the mood could get worse before it gets better. |
| Fabiano Maisonnave, a reporter with the Folha de São Paulo newspaper, said the protests have made the mood in Brazil similar to that in France in May 1968. In that atmosphere, he said, it would be a greater shock if arch-rivals Argentina were to go on to win the tournament. | Fabiano Maisonnave, a reporter with the Folha de São Paulo newspaper, said the protests have made the mood in Brazil similar to that in France in May 1968. In that atmosphere, he said, it would be a greater shock if arch-rivals Argentina were to go on to win the tournament. |
| "Everything is highly emotional," said Maisonnave. "Imagine how an England fan would feel seeing Messi posing with the trophy at Wembley with a smiling Maradona at his side. And all that after the worst defeat ever in a World Cup." | "Everything is highly emotional," said Maisonnave. "Imagine how an England fan would feel seeing Messi posing with the trophy at Wembley with a smiling Maradona at his side. And all that after the worst defeat ever in a World Cup." |
| Additional reporting by Anna Kaiser | Additional reporting by Anna Kaiser |