Brazilians are unanimous in criticizing their team in going out of a World Cup at the earliest stage in 16 years.
Quite how the champions failed to live up to their billing as one of the hottest favourites in the history of the competition will be a matter of debate for weeks, if not years.
Brazil's coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, who won the World Cup in 1994 with a much less talented squad, admitted "something" was lacking from the team on Saturday. They played, "without a tactical plan, without moves, without standards, without attack, without colour, without heat, without zeal.
Anyone who has seen Brazil play this world cup, wouldn't be surprised they they lost out to France. From the very beginning they never played to their full potential.
Against Ghana a linesman's error got them out of trouble. Against France they were beyond saving.
Brazil's magic quartet built for the counter-attack that beat Argentina in the final of the Confederations Cup one year ago was missing in action in this world cup.
Ronaldinho who helped Barcelona win Spanish league title and European Championship this year, selflessly struggled to provide the counter-attack momentum. For the first four games he dropped deeper and tried to thread passes through to the strikers. He had some success but it was clearly a sacrifice.
At Barcelona he has won over the world operating higher up the field, on the left flank. The ball arrives at his feet some 40 metres from goal, a distance that always gives him a chance to cut in and hit the penalty area.
The problem began with coach Carlos Parreira, who said his team did not have a tactical plan. It was part of his job and he failed even before the world cup contest began.
Brazil used to parade central midfielders such as Didi, Gerson and Clodoaldo, Toninho Cerezo and Falcao.
They have not been replaced, a development that Brazilian football treats with an alarming passivity. The reasons for the change are complex - but some of it has to do with money.
Nowadays even a promising eight-year-old is dreaming of the move to Real Madrid, the house he will buy his mother and the big car he will drive.
The easiest way to catch the eye and fulfil the dream is to play up front and score the goals.
Unlike any other nation, Brazil could field two teams with superstar celebrities in them but they lacked the midfield maestros who should have provided the imaginative and pinpoint passes that makes this the 'beautiful game.'
Much of the criticism of Parreira has been down to his preference for veterans over younger players. "Brazil has seemed much more bothered about breaking individual records rather than playing good football," wrote one columnist.
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