Fifa World Cup 2014: Brazil Post Mortem After the Result That Shook Football

Sixty four years on from the worst night in the history of Brazilian football, the country is slowly waking up from another nightmare.

The Maracanazo – where the hosts lost the 1950 World Cup final to Uruguay on home soil – is now only the second most mortifying night the national team has ever endured, thanks to a 7-1 master class from Germany and a capitulation of seismic proportions from Luiz Felipe Scolari's side.

The post-mortem begins today and is likely continue for some time. IB Times UK considers some starting points from one of the most surreal, and seismic, 90 minutes in the history of the game.

David Luiz's personal nightmare

Depending on how far your level of condemnation stretches, the most expensive defender in world football was at fault for three to six of Germany's goals yesterday. One is bad enough at this level. In fact it is hard to remember a worse individual performance at such a pivotal stage of a World Cup.

Perhaps the most worrying aspect of all this is that you could see it coming. Without the commanding presence of inspirational captain Thiago Silva, Luiz had no one to guide him and failed to deliver the leadership Brazil's undisciplined backline sorely needs.

His inability to read danger was evident in goals conceded to Croatia, Cameroon and Chile and with the added burden of captaining his side, his capitulation was uncomfortable to watch.

Neymar's central role despite absence suggested trouble was ahead

The suggestion that this Brazil side have been too emotionally charged as hosts this summer has been singled out by commentators and former stars alike this summer, namely from past heroes Carlos Alberto and Zico. The injury that ended Neymar's campaign and rocked the country added further sentiment and romanticism to the build-up to tonight's game, culminating in the Brazil XI holding their no. 10's shirt aloft as their national anthem reverberated around the Estadio Mineirao.

There is little doubt Neymar's absence was greatly felt on the pitch during last night's massacre but with so much attention piled onto his absence right up until kick off, you are left to wonder where the players' minds were without their catalyst on the pitch.

When does the recovery begin?

Brazil's mandate this summer was to erase the memories of 1950's Maracanazo. Scolari and Brazil achieved that last night - but only by inflicting an even greater punishment upon their country. Such was the shock last night's result will have had on this group of players, how and when their recovery will begin is difficult to predict.

As individuals, many will go on to enjoy domestic and European success with their respective clubs next season. But as a collective, when they regroup to pull on the yellow jersey in their next competitive outing this pain will still linger. Next summer may be the first test of this side's powers of recovery at the Copa America in Chile.

Fred criticism unfair in grand scheme of Brazilian despair

When the much-maligned Fred was replaced by Willian in the second half of last night's carnage, he was greeted by a deafening chorus of boos. Moments later when the camera panned to the Shakhtar Donetsk striker sat crestfallen on the substitute's bench you could feel his anguish as more roars of discontent were aimed at him.

For all his insipid displays this summer and his myriad faults, Fred still represents a better option the dismal alternatives Scolari selected to share the burden at the tip of Brazil's attack. But that merely provides a further indictment of the sheer dearth of quality this side possesses.

Scolari and Brazil must follow German blueprint and start from beginning

While this is not the first time Brazil have slumped on the international stage, never before have they been so ruthlessly ripped apart. New players, new managers and ultimately new hope have emerged from sides who have faltered in the past but following last night, things are bleak.

For the most successful side in international football the idea of tearing up the plans and starting afresh seems unheard of. But they need only look at their opponents last night to see what effect such revolutionary action can have.