Worse than the Maracanaço for three reasons: the 7 goals conceded, the media prominence infinitely and mercilessly greater than that of 1950 and the obligation, when they would like to think of anything but football, to return to the field just four days later, and still in front of the own – euphemistically disappointed – public.
Brazil, after the historic 1-7 suffered by Germany in the semifinals, would have gladly done without taking the field against the Netherlands to fight for a third place which, considering the current atmosphere, defining useless is even an understatement. Yet, after the Mineiraço, tonight he will be forced to do so: it will be the capital Brasilia and not the beautiful Rio that will close the curtain on the green-gold World Cup.
Only on the green-and-gold one though, because mockingly the next day all the lights will be focused on the executioners of the Seleçao and on Argentina's all-time rivals, who had been missing the final for 24 years and who have found their inspiration right on Brazilian soil. Sunday evening, for the 200 million subjects of Dilma Rousseff – already booed during the opening match and whose reconfirmation after the mundial flop seems less obvious – it will still be Maracanaço bis: because this time they won't even be there, and because they will see the final with terror may the hated Albiceleste win.
That of Maradona, who once again and now more than ever "is better than Pelé", as also recalled by the catchphrase "Decime que se siente...", now the summer hit of the thousands of Argentinean fans who are invading Brazil. That of Messi, who by raising the Cup would definitively overshadow Neymar in what should have been his World Cup, postponing the consecration of the new phenomenon to a later date.
But in the meantime there is Holland, also with the motivations under their studs. In the age of social networks, completely and immediately, cooked and eaten, there is little room to aspire and perhaps boast of a third place in the world. Even less than in the past, when, for example at Italia '90, the blue national team, mortally wounded by their elimination in the semifinals at the hands of Argentina, lived the final in Bari as a celebration, honoring their commitment with a victory over England 2-1.
Of course, we weren't returning from a 1-7, but the climate of disappointment was somewhat similar. Who knows how Brazil and the Netherlands will interpret it, but we can swear that in a football where you play more and more and where you're always in the spotlight, when there's an opportunity to break away it's better to take it on the fly. It's better for the players and technical staff to think about the holidays and the re-foundation respectively. Can we finally see a game played openly?
