Post-mortem

 I need to work through this the only way i know how: by analyzing it. A friend sent me about 5 commentaries from the Brazilian press but I think they missed some key points.

1. The first goal followed the form of other goals that have knocked brazil out of the world cup. On a set play, the Brazilian defenders just inexcusably fail to mark the leading scorer of the opposite team (Zidane twice in 98, T. Henry in 2006, G. Muller in 2014).
2. The next 4 goals require a completely different explanation. I think we have to see this as a collective psychological collapse. A team is suddenly unable to carry out basic operations. Germany was a hot knife and Brazil was warm butter.
3. One can and should blame Scolari but I don't think you can really fault his team selections--if you think he should have kept to the formation that got Brazil to the semis. Scolari substituted like for like. Bernard dribbles and drives along the left and is not much use on defence (like Neymar). Dante plays the same position as Thiago Silva for a considerably better team (Bayern Munich).
4. The German midfield of Khedira, Kroos, and Schweinsteiger is really one of the best ever and in hindsight it was a huge mistake to think that Luis Gustavo and Fernandinho would be up to the challenge of matching up with them. The problem is that we didn't have anyone on the bench who could have been predicted to do much better. Probably Fred should have been dropped and replaced by Paulinho so at least we would not have been outnumbered in that sector. But Scolari is far too set in his ways to make such a major tactical shift.