A Brazil fan cries as she watches the 2014 World Cup semi-final between Brazil and Germany at a fan area in BrasiliaReuters
Brazilian football fans are yet to recover from the shocking 1-7 defeat of the host nation in the World Cup semi-final.
With the Brazilian press heaping scorn on the team with headlines such as 'historic humiliation' and 'catastrophic suffering,' and internet memes poking fun, the host nation's drubbing is set to haunt the fans in the years to come.
Hundreds of Brazilian fans left the Belo Horizonte's Mineirao stadium after the first half of the match which saw the Germans scoring five goals. Many fans tore up their tickets as they streamed out of the stadium while several others who gathered in various other cities to watch the match burnt Brazilian flags.
The stunning rout caused tears to stream down from the eyes of die-hard Brazilian fans of all ages, from young boys to elderly women, smudging the Brazil colours painted on their faces.
Those fans who had come to watch the match at bars and restaurants drowned their misery in beer.
"I couldn't believe my eyes! It was like the game was on replay. I'm feeling disappointed, sad, but more than anything I'm feeling embarrassed. It was embarrassing to watch," 67-year old Valerie Mazure told Associated Press.
Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, who owned up to the team's wretched performance on the field, said: "My message is for the Brazilian people and to Brazilian fans. Please forgive us for this negative mistake. I am sorry we weren't able to get to the final. This is a catastrophic, terrible loss, the worst loss. We have to deal with that."
Scolari, the much worshipped football coach who led the country to the title in 2002 against Germany in the finals, would likely be remembered for the 2014 thrashing.
"Like many Brazilians, I'm very, very sad because of this defeat. I'm immensely sorry for all of us, our fans and players. But let's not let ourselves give up. Brazil, get up, dust yourself off and bounce back," Dilma Rouseff wrote on her twitter account after the match.
The Latin American country spent billions of dollars to host the Fifa event this year, sparking widespread protests.
No violence has been reported so far, though a rout of this scale was expected to ignite riots and security personnel were deployed across the country after the match.
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