Germany shocked the world by annihilating Brazil 7-1 in the 2014 FIFA World Cup semifinal Tuesday.

The scoreline broke a number of historic marks including the most lopsided game in World Cup semifinals history.

The victory was a major shocker that unveiled a number of things about both sides. While it was admittedly the case of everything going Germany's way and everything going against Brazil, this debacle for the hosts was predictable.

Here are the reasons why Germany is a finalist and Brazil will have to play for some degree of honor on Saturday:

Why Brazil Lost


1. No Silva, No Defense

Brazil's defense had looked creaky throughout the tournament, but had never imploded thanks to the great defensive work of its captain Thiago Silva.

Even when the likes of Marcelo, Dani Alves or David Luiz were caught out of position, the team could count on its captain to shore up the defense. But without him, the team was disastrous at the back. The opening goal was the result of no one marking Thomas Muller on the setpiece; Silva had been particularly adept at this. But the mistakes continued. How was Miroslav Klose allowed a rebound from so close to goalie Julio Cesar? How could the defense give up the ball in the midfield and let the Germans pass through the middle of the park with such ease on the third, fourth and fifth goals? The goals happened so quickly and in such similar fashion that one could not be faulted for thinking that each one was a highlight of the previous one. The sixth was somewhat similar. The low cross came in from the right flank; all the Brazilians watched as the ball was passed into their box and eventually landed on the foot of Andre Schurrle who put it away for the sixth. The seventh was more of the same: lots of space and no defenders around to close the gaps; the fact that goalie Julio Cesar stood there and passively raised his glove only added to the apathetic effort.

2. No Neymar, No Offense

Throughout the tournament, Neymar had been the driving force behind Brazil's mediocre offense. Oscar had disappeared. Hulk was inconsistent and Fred made it seem as if the team was only playing with 10 players. Everyone knew that his loss would be a huge blow to the team's offense, but few would have expected the Brazilian offense to implode the way it did. The team lacked any creative punch and Oscar, who was expected to step up, failed in every possible way. His first touch was disastrous and the team simply lacked the rhythm to look dangerous. That they repeatedly resorted to diving to try an earn a penalty emphasized just how pathetic the team had become.

The offense improved somewhat to start the second as the team played with more intensity, but that flurry was eventually smothered by the Germans and Manuel Neuer. Oscar eventually scored a consolation goal for himself and for his country; but it was as empty as they come.

Why Germany Won


1. Efficient Attacking

The Germans were a well-oiled machine in their opening game win over Portugal. After that, the team lacked the same level of fluidity and many questioned whether this was really an offensive juggernaut. Part of the problem was the "tiki tachen" game plan, in which the team would pass the ball around like the Spanish team. It made them more predictable to defenses and they eventually looked exposed the same way that the former defending champions were against Chile and the Netherlands.

But against Brazil, they abandoned the patient game plan and attacked with greater directness. Part of that was the inclusion of Miroslav Klose, who forced Brazil's defense back and created space for his teammates.

Every time the Germans had the ball, they moved forward with it and it was this speed that caught Brazil's vulnerable defense off guard. This was a similar strategy to the one employed by Colombia in the second half, but the Germans managed to capitalize sooner and more often.

2. Manuel Neuer

When the second half started, it was 5-0, and while many felt that the game was already over (it was), no one would be blamed for thinking that a comeback could still happen. The Brazilians looked like they believed in the miracle and went at the Germans looking for blood. While diving in the penalty area was their main tactic, they did manage to get some decent shots off. When they did, Manuel Neuer came up huge to deny the hosts from gaining any confidence. He made two back-to-back stops against Paulinho early in the second to preserve the 5-0 lead.

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