It’s not yet the final of the FIFA World Cup but the football fever has reached its climax in the host country where colourful crowds will pack the Estadio Mineirão in Belo Horizonte to witness Brazil vs Germany, the first fixture of the semi-finals.
The absences of Neymar (injured) and captain Thiago Silva (suspended) have plunged Brazilian fans into total anxiety but what is the Beautiful Game about if not drama? The dream of lifting a sixth World Cup trophy, on home soil, is alive for the hosts who must find a way to survive this great challenge.
Luiz Felipe Scolari has been heavily criticized for omitting the likes of living legends Ronaldinho and Kaka in the final squad. It remains to be seen whether this crucial decision will backfire at such a delicate time in the tournament. Meanwhile, European contenders Germany are plotting a great upset against Brazil.
Joachim Loew once managed to guide the DFB Eleven to the final of a tournament, as head coach. That was at the 2008 European Championship. However, a lone goal by Fernando Torres ended the Germans’ dream of becoming continental kings.
Since then, the semi-final stage has always been a mountain too tall to climb for Loew and his side. At the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, they succumbed to eventual winners Spain in the semis and later settled for bronze by dismantling Uruguay in the Third-Place Final. At Euro 2012, more recently, Germany collapsed against Mario Balotelli’s Italy. Could they be third time lucky this Tuesday and reach the 2014 FIFA World Cup final?
One of the biggest angles which could determine the outcome of the game is the difference between Brazil's efficiency upfront with unimpressive striker Fred and Miroslav Klose's desire to break the all-time World Cup goalscoring record against Brazil, coincidentally the country of legend Ronaldo de Lima with whom he currently shares the record of 15 goals.
Brazil vs Germany line-ups
Brazil’s First XI: Julio Cesar, David Luiz (c), Fernandinho, Marcelo, Hulk, Fred, Oscar, Dante, Luiz Gustavo, Bernard, Maicon
Germany’s First XI: Neuer, Hoewedes, Hummels, Khedira, Schweinsteiger, Ozil, Klose, Muller, Lahm (c), Kroos, Boateng
World Cup TV Listings: Brazil vs Germany time, date, broadcast, live scores
Watch Brazil vs Germany live on Tuesday, July 8, 2014:
In USA at 16:00 EST: Univision Deportes USA, ESPN3 Online-App, ESPN Deportes+, WATCH ESPN, SiriusXM FC, ESPN Deportes, Univision USA, ESPN Deportes Radio, Futbol de Primera Radio, Univision Deportes En Vivo, ESPN Radio, ESPN
In Canada at 16:00 EST: TLN, TSN 1260 Edmonton, CBC Sports Live Streaming, TSN 1200 Ottawa, ICI Radio-Canada En Direct, TEAM 1410 Vancouver, CBC, Univision Canada, TSN 1050 Toronto, TSN 690 Montreal, Mediaset Italia, Radio Canada - CBC
In UK at 21:00 BST: BBC Red Button, BBC Radio 5 Live, TalkSport Radio, BBC One UK, The BBC iPlayer
In Australia at 6:00 AET: SBS Radio 3, SBS One Australia, SBS Radio 4
Visit the Brazil-Germany match page for worldwide listings.
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