Germany run riot in record 7-1 defeat of Brazil

BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil, July 9 (AFP): Germany crushed shambolic World Cup hosts Brazil with a record 7-1 defeat on Tuesday to book their place in the tournament final in a match that shook football's superpower to the core.
Brazil were booed by their fans and gathered shell-shocked on the Mineirao pitch with coach Luiz Felipe Scolari after the worst defeat in their 100 years of competitive football.
The team who have won five World Cups have never put on such a chaotic defensive performance as during an 18 minute first half period when Germany scored four goals, three of them in just 179 seconds.
Brazilian fans were left in tears -- many just left the stadium unable to put up with the pain.
Thomas Mueller scored in the 11th minute, Klose after 23 to take his World Cup total to a record 16, Toni Kroos in the 24th and 26th minutes, Sami Khedira after 29 and substitute Andre Schuerrle in the 69th and 79th minutes. Oscar scored Brazil's goal in the 90th minute.
"We ask for forgiveness," said a shellshocked Scolari after a defeat likely to be as traumatic as the fabled 'Maracanazo' when Brazil lost the 1950 final to Uruguay.
The Brazil boss added: "I'm responsible for what the team does out on the pitch - and I am to blame for this result."
"They were better than us. They prepared better. They played better," conceded Brazil captain David Luiz.
Germany will face either Argentina or the Netherlands at Rio de Janeiro's Maracana Stadium after their stunning show of power.
The Germans fell just short of their World Cup record 8-0 win over Saudi Arabia in 2002.
With superstar Neymar out with a fractured vertebrate and captain Thiago Silva suspended, Brazil fell into disarray on an emotionally-charged night as the Germans exploited gapping holes.
Mueller began the rout with only 11 minutes gone, before Klose made history of his own with his 16th World Cup goal to become the tournament's all-time sole top scorer.
With the Selecao defence shaken and their fans leaving in droves after just 25 minutes, Kroos scored twice in as many minutes before Khedira added the Germans' fifth.
Substitute Schuerrle then added Germany's sixth and seventh before Oscar grabbed Brazil's late consolation goal.
But the hosts' passions played into their opponents hands and the Germans' early goal only highlighted the absence of Silva's organisation at the back.
Kroos floated in a corner and Mueller was left unmarked at the far post to tap home with 11 minutes gone.
The goal rattled the hosts and Germany ran riot with four goals in six incredible minutes.
Klose made history on 23 minutes as he slotted home Julio Cesar's parried save to become the sole World Cup top-scorer having equalled Brazil legend Ronaldo's record in the group stages.
Kroos then floored the hosts with two goals in two minutes after firstly latching onto Philipp Lahm's teasing pass across the box to fire past Cesar for Germany's third on 24 minutes.