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BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil — Brazilians are having a difficult time trying to fathom how it all went wrong so quickly against Germany in the World Cup semifinals.

With the humiliating 7-1 loss still very raw for Brazil supporters, players struggled to find explanations for the country’s worst ever World Cup defeat.

Brazil conceded four goals in a seven-minute span and trailed 5-0 at halftime on Tuesday, and never had a chance to mount a comeback at the Mineirao Stadium.

The dream of playing a home final at the Maracana was obliterated, and players knew they were going down in history for the wrong reasons at their home World Cup.

“We are still trying to understand what happened,” right back Daniel Alves said. “I guess it’s football. In six minutes you can be eliminated and that’s what happened to us.”

Germany scored its first five goals by the 29th minute as Brazil’s defence self-destructed, shocking the crowd at the Mineirao and everyone else watching on television.

“It was a tough day,” Brazil defensive midfielder Luiz Gustavo said. “We started well, with everybody doing what they were supposed to be doing, but then all of a sudden we conceded the goals.”

Tuesday’s result equalled the margin of its previous worst defeat — a 6-0 loss to Uruguay in the South American championship in 1920. It was the worst World Cup loss ever in numbers, and probably nearly as heartbreaking as the home defeat in the 1950 tournament, the so-called Maracanazo.

“It’s difficult to explain,” Oscar said. “I don’t know what to say. All we can do is apologise. Nobody expected this.”

Left back Marcelo added: “We were in shock about what happened. We were going through our worst day and they [the Germans] were going through their best day.”

Although no one was making excuses, Brazil played without star striker Neymar because of an injury and captain Thiago Silva because of a suspension.

Silva said it was “almost impossible to explain what happened. It wasn’t the Brazilian national team that we are used to seeing”.

Bernard, who took Neymar’s spot in the starting line-up, said: “Nothing went our away. It was atypical.”

Brazil now has to play the third-place match on Saturday in Brasilia against either Argentina or the Netherlands.

After the loss, many Brazilians were strongly questioning whether holding the event was worth it, a bad omen for President Dilma Rousseff. She is campaigning for a re-election bid in October that many think could be made tougher by the football team’s poor showing.

“Like many Brazilians, I’m very, very sad because of this defeat,” Rousseff said as she took to Twitter to try to rally the nation. “I feel bad for all of us — for fans and for our players. But let’s not be broken. Brazil, ‘get up, shake off the dust and come out on top’.”

Pele said it showed that “football is a box of surprises”.

“Nobody in this world expected this result,” Pele posted on Twitter, already looking forward to the 2018 tournament. “We’ll get the sixth title in Russia. Congratulations to Germany.”

“It was a tragedy. Sad, very sad, the greatest defeat of all the history of the Brazilian national team,” wrote Tostao, one of Brazil’s forwards in the 1970 World Cup and now a sports columnist for the Folha de S. Paulo newspaper.

In Sao Paulo, thousands gathered to watch the match in the neighbourhood of Vila Madalena. Samir Kelvin clung to a street pole and loudly cried: “I have nothing left! I am Brazilian and humiliated I want to kill myself!” as another man nearby banged his head against a bar table.

Most heartbreaking for many Brazilians was suffering the country’s worst World Cup defeat on home turf, as it hosted the tournament for the first time in 64 years.

“It was embarrassing. They have some nerve with the Brazilian people. We deserved so much better,” said Manuel Alves, 58. “The worst was all the money spent, having so many other problems that need to be fixed.”

Brazil spent billions of dollars preparing for the tournament, and the high cost has ignited angry protests against the World Cup over the past year. Demonstrators have complained about so much being spent while the nation suffers from woeful public services.

Although few thought Brazil’s humiliating loss would spark renewed mass protests, it is sure to put a severely sour taste back into the mouths of the nation’s fans.

“I hope this can make people wake up and start thinking with their heads and not their emotions and that people translate the anger they are feeling at the ballot boxes,” said Antonio Hipolito, who works at a bookstore in a wealthy part of Rio but lives in a distant, hardscrabble neighbourhood.

“Football is just an illusion and we need to wake up to reality,” he said.

But many of the Brazilian players won’t be back in Russia to try to rebound from the historic home defeat. Only seven players will be 30 years or younger in 2018 — Marcelo, Luiz Gustavo, Paulinho, Willian, Neymar, Oscar and Bernard.

“We know this will be remembered for a long time,” veteran defender Maicon said.

Striker Fred, who struggled the entire tournament and was loudly jeered when he was replaced in the second half on Tuesday, said “our lives will be marked by this”.

There were also reports of violence breaking out right after the game with many buses being torched in the country’s biggest city. At least one store selling electronics and household appliances was sacked, but there were no immediate reports of injuries.

The country’s leading football publication stated simply: “A day to forget.”

“It was the most shameful performance of all times,” said Almir Rogelio, 32, who was waiting at a newspaper stand for a friend. “I honestly woke up and didn’t even want to remember what happened.”

Believable reality

Germans awoke on Wednesday to discover the 7-1 demolition of Brazil in their World Cup semifinal was not a delightful dream but a scarcely believable reality.

The front-page headline in the country’s biggest-selling newspaper, Bild, read simply: “7-1. No words for it!”

The paper dedicated the next six pages to pictures of the Germany players scoring and celebrating, and marked veteran striker’s Miroslav Klose’s record-breaking 16th World Cup goal by offering readers a poster of “Miro Klose, Football God!”

When it finally got to words, it declared the team “immortal” and wrote: “This 7-1 is worth as much as a title.”

Germany legend Franz Beckenbauer, who won the World Cup as both player and coach, tweeted: “What was that? Hard to believe.”

The Sueddeutsche Zeitung broadsheet joined in the chorus of disbelief with the online headline: “Seven-one — is that really true?” And even the sober Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung daily added: “Unthinkable, inconceivable, incomprehensible.”

United States coach Juergen Klinsmann, who coached Germany to third place when the country hosted the World Cup in 2006, wrote on Twitter: “The best German performance ever in a World Cup!! Simply fantastic!! Now get the Cup JOGI and TEAM!!”

Germany coach Joachim Loew, widely known as Jogi, was Klinsmann’s assistant in 2006.

German President Joachim Gauck’s office said Wednesday that both he and Chancellor Angela Merkel would travel to Rio de Janeiro for the final against Argentina or the Netherlands, who were to play in the other semifinal.

The chancellor was also in Brazil for Germany’s opening match against Portugal last month, which it won 4-0.

Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert congratulated the team on what he said was “certainly an evening of football history”.

“All our fingers are crossed, including the chancellor’s,” he told reporters in Berlin.

LAUSANNE, Switzerland — The smooth running of the World Cup has lifted the mood of Brazilians and given them the confidence to overcome delays and deliver the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro on time, the IOC’s point man on the games said Tuesday.

In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press, IOC Executive Director Gilbert Felli said the situation has improved since he was dispatched as a special troubleshooter for Rio two months ago. He said there is no reason to panic and that Brazilian organisers will complete the mountain of work still needed over the next two years — with constant monitoring.

Speaking in his office at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne, Felli said there are no plans to move any venues as some sports federations had feared, and he predicted that most construction projects will be back on schedule by the end of September.

“Of course it remains tense, very tense, but we should look with more optimism,” Felli said in his first extensive interview since being handed the Rio assignment in April. “Until the games are delivered I’m always concerned. But it’s not the case to say we’re not going to make it. ... My view is we will make it and the Brazilians will deliver excellent games. But we have to work every day for it. Nothing is a done deal.”

While serious concerns remain over tight deadlines, the shortage of hotel rooms and severe water pollution at the sailing venue, Felli said the World Cup has instilled a new sense of optimism in Brazil about organising the first Olympics in South America.

“The perception of the World Cup is that it’s positive,” he said. “We can see the reverse of the mood of the Brazilians about the World Cup... The perception of the Brazilians is much more positive. It’s good for the games. They have better trust in themselves to deliver the games.”

The buildup to the World Cup was also plagued by chronic delays, with some stadiums barely completed at the last minute. But since the tournament began, there has been no major organisational crisis.

“The risk is that they say: ‘You see, no problem, don’t worry because we did it’,” Felli said, adding that Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes is determined not to fall into that trap.

Felli said Paes told him: “I don’t want to be last minute to deliver the games. I got my lesson about the perception of the people about the World Cup. I don’t want to be in this situation. I want to be ready before.”

Part of the issue, Felli said, is a cultural one: Doing things at the last minute is customary for many Brazilians.

“They like adrenaline, to be pushed in the last minute on some issues,” he said. “So then we try to explain the games cannot be like this. We’ve been able to explain that.”

Felli was assigned by the IOC to tackle the Rio crisis after a meeting in Belek, Turkey, in April in which nearly 20 summer sports federations publicly voiced serious concerns over the delays. A special IOC task force was also formed.

“Personally I didn’t believe it was as bad as some have said,” Felli said. “I was not as alarmed.”

Since then, Felli has made two trips to Rio, staying for two weeks at a time. He is flying to Rio on Wednesday with IOC President Thomas Bach, who will attend Sunday’s World Cup final at the Maracana Stadium. Bach is also expected to meet with government officials and Olympic organisers during his stay.

“I think we have seen a change of approach since Belek,” Felli said. “There is a good understanding of our concerns now among the authorities. They have been taking action. But all of that has to be monitored on a daily basis and [they cannot] lose any time.”

The IOC executive board will review the Rio planning situation on Wednesday. Felli will give an update on his mission, while Rio organising committee chief Carlos Nuzman will make his latest progress report.

With his term as the IOC’s executive director of the Olympic Games finishing at the end of August, Felli will travel to Rio more often. He plans to stay in the city for extended periods but won’t move there full-time, at least not now.

“When you stay on the spot, you start to be part of the furniture,” he said.

SAO PAULO, Brazil — If the past is any guide, we should be in for something memorable on Wednesday in Sao Paulo when the Netherlands meet Argentina in the World Cup semifinal at the Corinthians arena.

In their four World Cup meetings the two nations have produced some unforgettable football, leaving Lionel Messi and Robin van Persie with plenty to live up to.

Dennis Bergkamp’s sublime winning goal in the 1998 quarter-final is the standout individual moment and widely considered one of the most skilful finishes in a World Cup game.

The Netherlands’ performance in its first meeting in West Germany in 1974 is viewed by some as the peak of collective skill. Led by two goals from Johan Cruyff, the team dazzled with their passing and movement in a famous 4-0 win.

Four years later, the pair met in the World Cup final with hosts Argentina triumphing 3-1 in extra time on a ticker tape-covered field. That game is also remembered for the controversy before kick-off that threatened the game being abandoned.

The most recent encounter will be more easily forgotten. Eight years ago the pair played out a goalless draw in the final game of the group stage at the 2006 finals in Germany, having both already secured their place in the next round.

If hosts Brazil constantly have to live up to the memories of their 1958 and 1970 teams, the Dutch are harshly benchmarked against the mesmerising “Total Football” of Rinus Michels’ side in the 1970s. The meeting in Gelsenkirchen is viewed by many as the peak of that fluid form of play.

Imperious Cruyff

Cruyff opened the scoring in the 10th minute of the second round game, bringing down a clever pass from Wim van Hanegem and with the lightest of feet, rounding Argentine keeper Daniel Carnevali and slipping the ball home.

Ruud Krol’s fierce 25-metre drive made it 2-0 in the 25th minute and not even the pouring rain in the second half could halt the Dutch dominance as their players interchanged positions and passed the ball with a confidence and control that was unmatched in the game.

Cruyff, who strutted through the match imperiously, set up the third in the 75th minute with a perfectly weighted cross from the left which was headed in by Johnny Rep at the back post and then completed the rout in the final minute with a drive from a tight angle.

The brilliant Dutch team were to be beaten 2-1 by hosts West Germany in the final but four year later they were back in the final — again facing the hosts, although without Cruyff.

The start of the game was controversially delayed as Argentina objected to a plaster cast on the arm of Rene van der Kerkhof, even though he had played in that condition earlier in the tournament.

For some tense minutes it looked as though the game might not even start as the Dutch dug in over Van der Kerkhof, but after some rather pointless, additional bandaging was added the match got under way in front of a passionate Buenos Aires crowd who had covered the field with ticker-tape.

Argentina triumph

Argentina striker Mario Kempes, who had watched the crushing four years earlier from the bench, opened the scoring, sliding the ball home seven minutes before halftime.

Goalkeeper Ubaldo Fillol kept Argentina’s lead intact with some excellent saves but with the hosts just eight minutes away from celebrating their first World Cup triumph, substitute Dick Nanninga headed in an equaliser to force extra time.

Kempes scrambled in his sixth goal of the tournament to restore the lead and five minutes from the end he charged into the area. The ball fell to Daniel Bertoni who secured the victory and left the 1970s Dutch with the unwanted title of the greatest team never to win the World Cup.

It was 20 years before the two teams were to meet again in the 1998 quarter-finals in Marseilles, France.

Patrick Kluivert, assistant coach of the current Dutch team, opened the scoring and then the impish Claudio Lopez, Gabriel Batistuta’s clever strike partner, levelled.

The game was decided in the 90th minute by a moment of pure brilliance — Bergkamp bringing down a superbly delivered long pass from Frank de Boer and in one sublimely smooth movement, slipping inside of Roberto Ayala and finding the net with the outside of his right foot.

There have been more spectacular goals but for technical skill and awareness allied with the deft finish, Bergkamp’s goal is hard to match.

With Messi and Van Persie on the field on Wednesday, we might just be in luck.

Dribblers 

The World Cup’s best dribblers — Messi and Arjen Robben — face off in the semifinals.

In Brazil, Robben has been quick, Messi has been quicksilver.

On Wednesday in Sao Paulo, either one could turn the semifinal with a dazzling turn of pace or a weaving run to propel his team to the final.

“We have to cut the supply line to Messi,” Dutch defender Bruno Martins Indi told Dutch website Nu.nl.

The Barcelona star led Argentina through the group stage with four goals. He has also made 180 passes in his five matches so far.

The Dutch have shared the goal-scoring duties more evenly — Robben and Robin van Persie each have three, Memphis Depay has two of the team’s total of 12 — but the Bayern Munich winger’s scintillating sprints with the ball have often been the highlights of Oranje matches.

SALVADOR, Brazil — Louis van Gaal’s tactical masterstroke got them out of a sticky situation again in the quarter-final on Saturday but the Netherlands will know it cannot continue relying on its coach to conjure up tricks if it is to go further at the World Cup.

Van Gaal’s reputation as a meticulous tactician was enhanced when he substituted his goalkeeper and Tim Krul went on to make two penalty shoot-out saves and take the Dutch past Costa Rica in a dramatic finish to their goalless draw.

It continued a sequence of key changes that have influenced the outcome of matches in the Dutch team’s favour.

Van Gaal brought on 20-year-old Memphis Depay to score the winner against Australia and Leroy Fer broke the deadlock with his first touch in its last group game against Chile.

Then Klaas-Jan Huntelaar made one goal and scored the next after coming on for the last 10 minutes when the Netherlands snatched a late last-16 win over Mexico.

But neither Costa Rica nor Mexico were expected to provide as much resistance as they did and both games highlighted the deficiencies in “Laranja Mecanica” (Clockwork Orange) as the Dutch have become known in Brazil.

If the Netherlands is to beat Argentina in Wednesday’s semifinal in Sao Paulo, there are several areas where Van Gaal’s side need much improvement and where the 62-year-old Manchester United-bound coach will have to wave his magic wand.

The absence of injured hard man Nigel de Jong makes the midfield lightweight. Fer has also been injured and Jonathan de Guzman dropped in favour of Georginio Wijnaldum, who lacks an imposing presence.

One option for Van Gaal is to switch Daley Blind to the middle but that means he will lose out on much-needed penetration down the left wing.

Saturday’s switch of tactics to a three-man attack did not work, by Van Gaal’s own admission, because of a poor performance by Depay, who was indecisive on the ball and gave possession away too easily.

Dirk Kuyt’s role as a wingback also limits the team’s width, although his work rate is phenomenal, and Robin van Persie was repeatedly caught offside by Costa Rica’s disciplined defensive line.

It left the Netherlands relying almost solely on inspiration from Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder, who struck the woodwork twice.

Robben told reporters on Saturday he was in the form of his life.

“I’m amazed, I’ve not been tired at all,” he said of his World Cup experience, while Sneijder’s fitness has brought rich praise from his coach.

But with Argentina displaying strong defensive qualities and a battling midfield in their quarter-final win over Belgium, the Dutch need to find more options and a better balance if they are to reach a second successive World Cup final.

PORTO SEGURO, Brazil — Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger thinks Brazil has crossed the line with some of its hard tackling ahead of the World Cup semifinals and is urging referees to keep a closer eye on the host team.

“I am all for a healthy hardness but some of Brazil’s fouls were over the limit,” Schweinsteiger said. “Brazilians are not only football magicians, hard tackling is part of their game — we have to be careful and so does the referee.”

Brazil committed 31 fouls in its quarter-final win over Colombia, which had 23. But it was one particular Colombian foul, by Juan Zuniga, which overshadowed the others because it took out Neymar with a fractured vertebra and knocked the Brazilian attacking talisman out of the tournament.

Brazil has committed 96 fouls in five games, significantly more than Germany’s 57. Brazil players have received 10 yellow cards, six more than German players.

“Brazil is an outstanding team that plays at the limit of the allowed and will go over the limit if necessary,” Germany assistant coach Hansi Flick told reporters on Sunday. He said the absence of the injured star could help galvanise the Brazil squad for Tuesday’s match in Belo Horizonte.

“It’s definitely a loss for Brazil, Neymar has lived up to expectations, but his absence can unite the team more and we expect a very strong opponent,” Flick said.

Schweinsteiger agreed, saying: “We are all very sad that Neymar is not playing.” He added that Brazil’s team will bind even more closely “and will try to win the title for Neymar”.

The Bayern Munich midfielder thinks Brazil’s coaching staff of chief Luiz Felipe Scolari and his assistant Carlos Alberto Parreira is its biggest strength.

“They are two coaches with a lot of experience who have both won the World Cup,” he said. “They are clever coaches and you need intelligent coaches to win the title.”

Scolari’s job got a lot harder when Neymar was ruled out and captain Thiago Silva was suspended for a match after picking up a second yellow card in the tournament.

Flick said that all 22 remaining Germany players are fit and ready to play. Backup defender Shkodran Mustafi is out of the tournament with a torn leg muscle.

 Here are four key battles in Tuesday’s World Cup semifinal between Brazil and Germany in Belo Horizonte’s Mineirao Stadium.

Brazil defender Dante vs. Germany striker Miroslav Klose: This could be the most decisive battle in the game with the central defender shouldering the burden of responsibility in the hosts’ backline following the suspension of captain Thiago Silva.

Against the best Germany striker of the last 15 years, Miroslav Klose, Dante will rely a lot on his knowledge of German football, having played in the Bundesliga for the past five seasons.

Dante’s pace and his ability to read the game like few defenders in the world will be tested by Klose, who does not need a lot of space to hurt opponents. Chasing a record 16th World Cup goal, the 36-year-old Klose’s experience and goal prowess will be needed if the Germans are to advance to their first World Cup final since 2002.

Klose’s effectiveness in close-quarter combat is almost legendary but Dante is quicker than teammate David Luiz and should also cope better with Klose’s aerial threat.

Brazil forward Fred vs. Germany defender Mats Hummels: At the other end of the pitch, Germany central defender Mats Hummels will have to shackle forward Fred, who will have added responsibilities following the injury absence of Neymar.

Fred, hugely experienced, has had a quiet World Cup so far, netting just once. He has had to soak up a lot of criticism for failing to score more goals as Brazil’s sole centre forward.

With talismanic Neymar out with a back injury, more will be expected of Fred whose positional sense is outstanding. Hummels cannot afford to take his eyes off the 30-year-old inside the box even if he is far less effective than a few years ago.

The German can physically match the tall forward, is very strong in the air and more agile than his central defence partner Jerome Boateng which should help him keep wily Fred away from danger.

Brazil midfielder Oscar vs. Germany defender Phillip Lahm: The gifted Oscar will also have more attacking duties with Neymar out but he will come up against one of the best right-backs in the business. Oscar’s quick pace and skills will be tested by Lahm, who reverted back to his fullback duties midway through the tournament after a less than successful stint as holding midfielder.

With the Germany captain also adding attacking impetus, Oscar will need to be fully alert if he is to nip quick German counter-attacks launched by Lahm in the bud.

Brazil midfielder Hulk vs. Germany defender Benedikt Hoewedes: It will be equally hard work for Germany’s left back Hoewedes against athletic Hulk. Hoewedes, a trained central defender, has been deployed as fullback in this tournament and has largely been successful.

While he does not contribute to launching quick breaks and remains a far more defensive fullback than Lahm, he must be at the top of his game against Hulk, who loves nothing more than challenging defenders to match his speed and power.

Hoewedes will need to avoid being lured too far out of position by Hulk, who often switches sides. Extremely powerful and quick Hulk will be a major challenge for workhorse Hoewedes, who lacks the Brazilian’s pace and strength.

The referee who failed to see Luis Suarez bite an opponent has been picked to officiate Brazil’s World Cup semifinal against Germany.

FIFA says on its website that Marco Rodriguez of Mexico will referee the match in Belo Horizonte on Tuesday.

Rodriguez has handled two World Cup matches, including Uruguay’s 1-0 win against Italy on June 24.

Suarez’s bite of Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini’s shoulder went unseen and unpunished by the Mexican match officials. FIFA later banned Suarez for nine international matches and four months from all football activity. He has appealed.

Earlier, Rodriquez showed Italy midfielder Claudio Marchisio a red card for a serious foul.

FIFA says Mark Geiger of the United States will be fourth official for the match. He was also fourth official for Uruguay vs. Italy.

SALVADOR, Brazil — Louis van Gaal made the call, and Tim Krul made the saves.

In another move that will only add to his reputation as a tactical mastermind, the Netherlands coach led his team into the World Cup semifinals after bringing on Krul with seconds remaining in extra time.

Moments later, Krul saved two penalties in a 4-3 shoot-out victory over Costa Rica, making the Manchester United-bound Van Gaal again look like a football genius.

“It worked out,” Van Gaal said Saturday after his team played Costa Rica to a 0-0 draw through extra time. “That was beautiful. I’m a bit proud of that.”

Jasper Cillessen had started in goal for the Dutch team, but Van Gaal made the decision to pull him after 120 minutes of scoreless football and replace him with Krul.

The Newcastle goalkeeper, who really only touched the ball twice all game, saved the second and fifth penalties, and guessed the correct way on all five.

“We thought it all through,” Van Gaal said. “We all thought that Tim Krul was the best keeper to stop penalties. He is taller and has a longer reach. We prepared for the Costa Rica penalties just as we prepared for our own penalties.”

In the semifinals, the Netherlands will face Lionel Messi and his Argentina teammates in Sao Paulo on Wednesday.

Although Krul made the decisive stops in the shoot-out, it was Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas that was the star of the match.

Navas made a string of saves to keep the attacking Dutch scoreless for 90 minutes of regulation time and 30 minutes of extra time.

His night, however, will forever be overshadowed by Krul, and by Van Gaal.

“I never saw something like that,” Costa Rica midfielder Celso Borges said of the goalkeeping change. “But they were right, he did his job.”

Van Gaal has made several inspired changes at this year’s World Cup in the team’s five straight wins. He brought on Klaas Jan Huntelaar against Mexico and the Schalke striker had an assist and scored a stoppage-time penalty to win 2-1.

Against Chile, midfielder Leroy Fer scored within a minute of coming on to break a 0-0 deadlock. Another substitute, Memphis Depay, scored the second in the 2-0 victory.

On Saturday, Navas had kept his team in the match with some excellent saves. And when Wesley Sneijder twice beat him late in regulation and again in the second half of extra time, the woodwork made the stop.

Sneijder hit the post with a free kick in the 80th minute and then sent a curling shot over Navas and off the crossbar before the penalty shoot-out.

At the end, however, Navas could not stop any of the four Dutch penalties as veterans Robin van Persie, Arjen Robben, Sneijder and Dirk Kuyt all scored.

“Of course you want to stop the penalty,” Navas said. “But they shot better and I could not stop them.”

Navas couldn’t, but Krul could.

“Tim stopped two penalties,” Van Gaal said, “and it doesn’t get better than that.”

Rescue mission

Not even Navas could rescue Costa Rica this time.

The goalkeeper who made so many wonderful saves in this World Cup was outclassed in the penalty shootout that decided the quarterfinal against the Netherlands.

But for 120 minutes — and for most of Costa Rica’s previous four matches at the tournament — Navas simply couldn’t be beat.

In the first half alone Saturday, Navas made four saves that helped earn him the man of the match award, even after the Dutch won a shootout 4-3 after a 0-0 draw marked by 120 minutes of Dutch dominance.

In the 29th minute, Navas denied Memphis Depay with his boot.

Ten minutes later his diving, one-handed, effort to swat away a free kick from Wesley Sneijder would have stood as the save of the night if Krul had not stopped two Costa Rica penalties in the shoot-out.

And there were plenty more saves, too, all the way through extra time.

But in the shoot-out, the Netherlands converted all four of their spot kicks.

Still, that shouldn’t cast a shadow on what Navas did against Uruguay, Italy and England in the group stage — or on the class he displayed against Greece and the Netherlands for 120 minutes in the knockout stages.

It was largely thanks to Navas and an impenetrable defence that Costa Rica reached the last eight for the first time.

In five matches Navas conceded a tournament-low two goals and he couldn’t be blamed for either of them.

The first was a penalty kick from Edinson Cavani in Costa Rica’s opening 3-1 win over Uruguay and the second was a rebound effort from Sokratis Papastathopoulos in the penalty shoot-out win over Greece in the Round of 16, which ended 1-1 after 120 minutes.

Papastathopoulos scored only after Navas had stopped a shot from Theofanis Gekas with a diving effort — with Costa Rica down to 10 men. Then, in the ensuing shoot-out for that game, Navas made the only save, diving to swat away Gekas’ attempt.

While the 27-year-old Navas may not have been well known until his run here, he recently enjoyed one of the best seasons of any goalkeeper in the Spanish league.

Navas was credited with a La Liga-best 160 saves for Levante during his most recent club season. He had 16 clean sheets and allowed 39 goals, meaning he stopped a La Liga-best 80.1 per cent of the shots he faced.

No wonder Levante had offers for Navas from European runner-up Atletico Madrid even before the World Cup began. Now, though, Navas’ transfer fee could well have doubled.

BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil — What's the difference between a tea-bag and the England football team? The tea-bag stays in a cup longer!

Heard what Spain's coach Vicente Del Bosque said to his charges after two shock losses? "Don't worry, we still have options: aisle or window seats."

With the World Cup entering its final stages, the jokes are flying as fast as goals, helping relieve tension and — for fans of the 24 teams already out — the abject misery of elimination.

Be it on, off or thousands of miles away from the pitch it has been another tournament packed with hilarity.

The inglorious early exit of supposed European heavyweights England, Spain, Italy and Portugal brought heartache in those nations at first, then a wave of self-deprecating humour.

One photo doing the rounds shows their four planes lined up in blue sky with the caption: "Permission to land?"

England fans showed a fine ability to laugh at themselves, chanting during their final match the self-parodying song from a Monty Python film: “Always Look On The Bright Side of Life”.

One fan, who flew to Brazil after England had been knocked out to see a dire 0-0 draw with Costa Rica, held up a banner mimicking a well-known credit card ad — "Flights to Rio: 1,200 pounds. Enjoying the ambiance: 2,000 pounds. Accommodation: 2,000 pounds. Arriving after elimination: priceless."

'Dracula' Suarez, 'Diver' Robben

Naturally, the tournament's main talking point — Uruguay striker Luis Suarez's ban for biting — has spawned a vast array of doctored images depicting him variously wearing a dog-cone round his neck, a Dracula outfit, or a Hannibal Lecter mask.

Tourists in Rio de Janeiro queued up to place their necks or arms inside his open mouth on a larger-than-life Adidas ad photo of Suarez's head. Adidas, perhaps embarrassed by negative associations round an ad made before the incident, took it down.

A modified version of the Panini sticker of Suarez's victim, Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini, has been circulating with a chunk missing.

Yet the Uruguayan, who has apologised for the incident which earned him a four-month ban, is by no means the World Cup's only pantomime villain.

Netherlands forward Arjen Robben, though a hero to Dutch fans for his goals and tricks, has become a target for many due to perceptions of diving and feigning fouls.

The fall that gave the Netherlands a penalty earning them a last-gasp 2-1 win over Mexico has earned particular notoriety.

A plethora of Internet users have lampooned Robben as lifting an Oscar for Best Actor, competing in Olympic diving, and plunging arms-flailing off the cliffs of Acapulco.

The sagas over Suarez and Robben have largely deflected attention from the man many fans most love to mock, Sepp Blatter, head of the sport's world governing body FIFA.

One company in England, where he comes under constant fire from media over his management of FIFA, launched a new online game in which the player hurls gold, money and riches into the mouth of a guffawing Blatter-like persona crying "Give me more!"

Reporters at FIFA's briefings have been asking whether Blatter's low profile here in Brazil is to avoid being booed in public. It's an "editorial" policy, officials say.

Slapstick moments

Once they take the field, it's a deadly serious game for players, and few would dare joke around.

The United States' Jermaine Jones drew a few unintentional laughs, however, when he clattered into the referee and fell flat on the floor during one game.

Germany's Thomas Mueller initially had spectators chuckling at him when he stumbled to his knees during a free-kick routine against Algeria. He had the last laugh, though, revealing it was a deliberate trick to throw defenders off guard.

The question is, do we believe him?

"In training it always worked," teammate Toni Kroos said. "But it looks like crap when it doesn't."

Argentina's Ezequiel Lavezzi was lucky his boss saw the funny side of things, instead of fining him, after he nonchalantly squirted water over coach Alejandro Sabella on the side of the pitch.

"Players like Lavezzi are always very positive, because they keep players happy," Sabella said.

Mexico coach Miguel Herrera has appeared blissfully unaware of the smiles his manic-looking celebrations have caused, turning him into an Internet sensation during the World Cup.

Some jokes always backfire.

After the Netherlands eliminated Mexico, a politically incorrect KLM airline Tweet read "Adios Amigos" with a caricatured photo of a moustachioed Mexican man in a sombrero.

The outrage was swift, bringing a KLM apology and a vow from Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal never to fly with them again.

But back to the European flops.

There was a touch of high art in one jest at Spanish coach Del Bosque's expense, his head super-imposed over Edvard Munch's “The Scream” painting.

And English satirical magazine Private Eye was so sure of what was coming in Brazil, even before the games had begun, it printed a front-cover showing the players alighting from their plane while the pilot asks: "Shall I keep the engines running?"

BRASILIA, Brazil — Gonzalo Higuain’s first goal of this World Cup sent Argentina into the semifinals on Saturday with a 1-0 win over a disappointing Belgium.

Argentina, which hadn’t advanced past the World Cup quarterfinals since 1990, put in its best performance so far in the tournament, controlling the match after Higuain’s eighth minute goal.

The Napoli striker fired home Angel Di Maria’s deflected pass just inside the area, beating Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois with a low shot to the far corner of the net.

Higuain came close to making it 2-0 in the second half when his shot smashed into the crossbar. Lionel Messi missed a chance to score his fifth goal of the tournament in stoppage time when Courtois stopped his shot.

Belgium lacked the creativity to find a way past Argentina’s defensive line, and created few clear chances apart from a pair of headers by Kevin Mirallas and Marouane Fellaini.

Argentina’s next opponent will be the winner of the last quarterfinal between the Netherlands and Costa Rica, who were playing later Saturday in Salvador.

Argentina was knocked out in the quarterfinals in the previous two World Cups, both times by Germany. The last time it reached the semifinal stage was 24 years ago in Italy, when Diego Maradona led the team to the final, which it lost 1-0 to West Germany.

In Brasilia on Saturday, Argentina never lost control even after Di Maria — the team’s most influential player in Brazil aside from Messi — was substituted by Enzo Perez in the 33rd. The winger had appeared to hurt his right leg while taking a shot five minutes earlier.

Argentina took the lead when Di Maria picking up a pass from Messi, cut in from the right and tried to find fullback Pablo Zabaleta, but his pass bounced off Jan Vertonghen into Higuain’s path.

The Napoli striker avenged himself for a string of mediocre performances in Brazil and was Argentina’s best player before being substituted by Fernando Gago in the 81st.

SALVADOR, Brazil — The Netherlands starts as firm favourites for their World Cup quarter-final against Costa Rica on Saturday but will take no thing for granted when itmeets the tournament’s surprise package, who has already seen off three former world champions.

After finishing above England, Italy and Uruguay in Group D, Costa Rica is seeking to become the first team from the CONCACAF region, the confederation of North and Central American and Caribbean nations, to reach the World Cup semi-finals since the United States at the first edition in 1930.

The Netherlands had a last-gasp escape in the previous round, scoring twice in the final moments to beat Mexico, and forward Arjen Robben says his side will not be taking their opponents lightly at the Fonte Nova arena in Salvador.

“Costa Rica has a very good team, it has already proved that in its group, which was very tough,” he told Fifa.com.

“They’ve been really impressive and we’ll have to prepare very well if we’re going to beat them.”

Despite Costa Rica’s impressive performances, many observers believe the Netherlands has too much firepower for them after scoring 12 goals in their four wins in Brazil so far.

Robben, Wesley Sneijder and captain Robin van Persie present a fearsome attacking trio and showed how invaluable experience is when they did not panic despite being on the cusp of elimination against Mexico.

However, they must replace hard man Nigel de Jong in midfield after he suffered a groin injury that will likely keep him out for the rest of the World Cup.

While coach Louis van Gaal has played his cards close to his chest, speculation continues on whether Daley Blind will be moved from left back to central midfield or Jonathan de Guzman or Jordy Clasie come in for De Jong.

Costa Rica must contend with the absence of utility back Roy Miller and the suspended Oscar Duarte but hope goalkeeper Keylor Navas, hero of their shootout triumph over Greece in the previous round, will recover from the shoulder injury that curtailed his ability to train this week.

The performance of their defensive unit has been a major part of their success in Brazil. Costa Rica has conceded only twice at the tournament — one of the goals from a penalty.

But any chance of success probably rests on the attacking prowess of Joel Campbell and Bryan Ruiz, who is well known to the Dutch having spent two seasons at Twente Enschede and the last six months on loan at PSV Eindhoven.

“Bryan is very quick and sharp, we’ll have to watch him carefully,” Dutch defender Ron Vlaar told reporters.

RIO DE JANEIRO — A European presence in the World Cup semifinals is assured as Germany and France meet at the Maracana on Friday, looking to shrug off stumbling wins in the second round that exposed frailties in both teams.

Contesting a quarter-final for the ninth straight World Cup, the Germans will start as slight favourites because of their vast experience in major tournaments but with doubts surrounding a slow, porous defence that was breached repeatedly in the 2-1 extra-time victory over Algeria on Monday.

If goalkeeper Manuel Neuer hadn’t produced the kind of sweeper display that German greats Franz Beckenbauer and Lothar Matthaus would have been proud of, Joachim Loew’s side could have been on the end of a real shock.

The French also left it late in the last 16, scoring twice in the final 11 minutes to beat Nigeria 2-0 in a gritty performance that failed to match the swashbuckling attacking exhibitions they put on in the group stage.

France was thrust among the tournament favourites after scoring a combined eight goals against Switzerland and Honduras. Yet, Didier Deschamps’ inexperienced team played within themselves against Nigeria, perhaps struggling under the weight of lofty expectations.

Deschamps counts France as the underdog.

“Don’t forget that in the last two competitions, Germany have reached the semifinals so it counts for something,” he said, referring to the 2010 World Cup and the European Championship in 2012.

“They’re used to playing at the highest level and have experience of playing at this stage of a competition. All of the German players play in big clubs, a lot of them play for Bayern Munich.”

Still, after starting up in Brazil with a 4-0 victory over Portugal, Germany’s displays have been far from convincing. Nerves are beginning to show and Loew — under pressure to finally win a title in his fourth major tournament — has been on the defensive.

“Should I now be disappointed that we are in the last eight?” he asked, rhetorically, on Tuesday. “There are such games in every tournament when you need the will power to advance.”

Defence undoubtedly is Loew’s chief concern, although the probable return of Mats Hummels at centre back after illness will make up for the loss of Shkodran Mustafi for the rest of the tournament with a left hamstring injury.

There may also be a change in the centre of France’s defence, with Mamadou Sakho available again after a hamstring problem that caused him to miss the Nigeria game. However, Laurent Koscielny had a good display as the replacement, helping the French to a third clean sheet in four games in Brazil, and would be unlucky to lose his place.

As part of a revamped squad under Deschamps, the likes of Paul Pogba, Raphael Varane and Antoine Griezmann are playing at their first major tournament and being exposed to football’s highest stage for the first time. The coach, though, remains unperturbed.

“There is a form of insouciance with the younger players,” Deschamps said, “they’re full of life, that’s what you expect from a younger player. But it’s also a question of quality.”

Any time France and Germany meet, memories are revived of their famous clash in the World Cup semifinals in 1982 when West Germany came from 3-1 down to draw 3-3 and win the shoot-out. In that game, West Germany goalkeeper Toni Schumacher rushed out of his area and broke the jaw of Patrick Battiston with a feet-first tackle that was not punished.

West Germany also beat France in the World Cup in 1986, 2-0 in the semifinals, but France has won four of its six matches since German reunification in 1990.

The quarter-final in Rio de Janeiro offers another chance for veteran Germany striker Miroslav Klose to break the World Cup scoring record of 15 goals that he currently shares with Brazil great Ronaldo. Klose is likely to start on the bench behind Thomas Mueller.

As for the French attack, Deschamps must decide whether to start with Griezmann in a three-man attack after his game-changing substitute appearance against Nigeria. Olivier Giroud struggled in that match and could be dropped for Griezmann, allowing Karim Benzema to play as a central striker.

Germany has not played well at times in the World Cup and the weaknesses are being critically analysed and discussed internally, assistant coach Andreas Koepke said on Wednesday.

“Obviously not everything has been ideal so far and we’re aware of that,” Koepke told reporters when asked about the withering criticism back home and in the media about the team’s struggles against Algeria, the United States, Ghana.

“And we don’t beat around the bush about that in our internal discussions,” he added.

“These things are being addressed internally because we know if we don’t address them we clearly won’t advance further.”

Koepke said he had ignored the critical media coverage as the three-time world champions have struggled since a dazzling 4-0 opening win over Portugal.

“Believe it or not, I don’t read any newspapers and that’s a good thing,” said Koepke.

“As far as all the experts out there and their opinions are concerned: if I talked to five experts, I’d get five different opinions about what the line-up should be.

“We have to decide what’s best. We can’t let ourselves be pressured. We’ve already got enough pressure on us.”

Koepke, who added the players have enjoyed seeing television pictures of huge public viewing gatherings back in Germany, said the criticism being heaped on the team was due largely to the extremely poor first half against Algeria.