World Cup: For Brazilian fans, a debacle even worse than in 1950

Back then, it was a 2-1 loss to tiny Uruguay in the final, a massive upset that still brings tears to the eyes of older Brazilians.

 

This defeat may have been even more scarring, some fans said, because the final result was not even close. Brazil's team was torn to shreds.

 

Anger and disappointment was so intense that it threatened to darken the national mood for some time to come, with possible consequences for President Dilma Rousseff as she seeks a second term in October.

 

"This is worse than 1950. It's one thing to lose a game where you suffered and fought hard, and it's another to be completely humiliated," said Fernando Hazzan, 28, in Sao Paulo.

 

"This game is going down in history, too," he said.

 

Many Brazilians at the stadium in Belo Horizonte sobbed, while others began streaming out before the first half was over. Those at bars and restaurants around the country cried or screamed at the television, or drowned their sorrows in beer.

 

The inability to win a championship on home turf will remain a black spot for a country that has one of soccer's proudest traditions - with five World Cup championships, more than any other team.

 

The losing Brazilian team from 1950 suffered fallout for years, even decades.

 

Zizinho, a midfielder, took the phone off the hook every year on the anniversary of the game because people would call asking why the team lost. Barbosa, the goalkeeper, famously complained that he suffered for more than 30 years, equal to the maximum criminal sentence in Brazil.

 

The psychological pressure of trying to reverse that curse took its toll on the 2014 team, and may have explained the defensive breakdowns that led to Germany scoring five goals within the first 30 minutes of the match on Tuesday.

 

The lopsided loss obscured what has been an otherwise surprisingly successful tournament.

 

While the lead-in to the World Cup was marked by doomsday predictions that stadiums and airports would not be ready on time, prior to Tuesday they had been drowned out by congratulatory talk about the hospitality of Brazilians and the high quality of play on the field.

 

Some fans said the rout would radically change the way they saw the whole tournament.

 

"The memory of this World Cup will always be tarnished now. It will be remembered as a tragedy," Michelle Gomes, a local business manager, said at a bar in Rio de Janeiro.

 

The darkened mood could dent President Rousseff's approval rating, although the effect might only be temporary, said Claudio Couto, a political science professor in Sao Paulo.

 

"If we (took the poll) in a month, I doubt that it will have any effect," he said. — Reuters