Brazil missed skipper Silva more than Neymar against Germany, says Baichung

Aditi Tyagi

In the first semi-finals, Germany crushed the home side Brazil 7-1 on Tuesday. In an exclusive chat with Aditi Tyagi of Zee Media, former Indian skipper Baichung Bhutia said it was a humiliating defeat that would remain as the `black mark` in the history of Brazilian football. He also felt that more than Neymar, Brazil missed their skipper Thiago Silva against the aggressive Germans.

Excerpts from the conversation:


Germany literally crushed Brazil in the semi-finals, was it expected?

When Germany scored four goals within six minutes, it was hard to believe whether its a reality or not. But I guess the humiliating defeat of 7-1 at the hands of Germany in the semi-finals will be seen as a `black mark` in the history of Brazilian football.

Was it the worst performance by Brazil or were the Germans too good for them?

You can see it both ways. Brazil definitely played their worst football, whereas Germany were on the top of the game. Despite having experienced defensive players on their side, Brazil looked vulnerable. They conceded the first goal simply because they left Thomas Muller unmarked.

Do you think Brazilian goalie Julio Cesar made too many mistakes in the match?

It won`t be right if we solely blame Cesar for the shameful defeat. The entire team played poor football. They were outplayed by the Germans and they lost the plot after conceding four goals in mere six minutes. The Brazilian manager should also take the responsibility for such a huge defeat.

German striker Miroslav Klose scored the record breaking goal in the match, how special it is for a footballer to achieve such a feat?

It`s quite special. And by breaking it in the presence of `original` Ronaldo (who held this record before Klose) and that too against Brazil in their home turf, would be a memorable achievement. His dedication and hard work helped him to break such a big record. It`s a big record to hold or break. 16 World Cup goals is quite an achievement for any footballer. It`s a record which isn`t easy to break for the young footballers. But I think another German footballer too, has a chance to break it, which is Thomas Muller. He is still young. And probably has two more World Cups in front of him. So he has a good chance of breaking it.

Do you think it`s the worst Brazilian side?

I don`t think so. They reached the semi-finals of the World Cup, so it`s difficult to say that. Just because one match went wrong for them doesn`t mean it`s their worst side. But yes, the way they lost the game would surely leave a `black spot`.

Do you think the host side missed their injured striker Neymar in the semi-finals?

No. They didn`t miss Neymar much. In fact, the man they missed the most, was their skipper Thiago Silva. He is quite tall and an experienced defender. Without their skipper they came under pressure, lost the strategy and conceded four goals in quick successions.

In the 2nd semi-final, Argentina will lock horns with the Dutch team, what`s the prediction for the next match?

Both the teams are at the same level. But Argentina are more dependent on their star striker Lionel Messi, whereas the Netherlands have played tactical football so far. So I think the Dutch have an upper hand.