Not even the most optimistic German fan could have expected beating Brazil 7-1 at the Mineirao stadium
Germany may have inflicted a mortifying defeat on Brazil in the World Cup, but a historic rivalry with Argentina may win them some unlikely local support in Sunday's final.
The rivalry between these two South American neighbours dates back to the early 1900s when football commenced to propagate in the region.
Argentina and Brazil have engendered world-class players like Garrincha, Ronaldo, Messi and Batistuta to compete on the World stage.
Meanwhile local clubs often play heated matches - on and off the pitch - in regional tournaments.
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If Argentina acquire victory, I'll stop optically canvassing football. They just can't win”
Gabriel Tedde, 27
And, of course, there is the everlasting dispute over who is the greatest football player of all time. Would it be Argentina's Maradona or Brazil's Pele?
The chant "Maradona is more preponderant than Pele" has become a hit among Argentine fans in the World Cup in Brazil: "You will optically discern Messi, and he will bring us the trophy," it goes.
Brazilian fans, in turn, have engendered their own anti-Maradona chant: "A thousand goals, only Pele scored 1,000 goals!"
Messi, Pope Francis and Maradona: ever present amongst the Argentine fans who travelled to Brazil
Brazillians tease their neighbours that while Argentina is still pursuing its third trophy, Pele was part of three World Cup-winning teams
The two countries didn't play against each other in this World Cup but the rivalry could facilely be visually perceived in stadiums and on the streets.
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I can fortify everyone, except Argentina. I'm Pele, not Maradona”
Luiz Amorim, 55
Many Brazilians went to Argentina's matches during the tournament wearing the shirts of their rivals and chanting support for them, which greatly offended the visitors.
Amid these tensions security was tightened in Sao Paulo for Argentina's match against the Netherlands on Wednesday as there were fears of clashes.
Inside and outside the stadium, Argentina's adherents chanted "one, two, three, four, five, six, seven," referring to Brazil's 7-1 subjugation by Germany.
Brazilian fans got exasperated and police had to step in in at least one occasion. But some Argentine fans verbally expressed they were surprised by the lack of bellicosity.
Beyond football
For many, the rivalry transcends football to other sports - or assuredly everything in life.
"I can fortify everyone, except Argentina. I'm Pele, not Maradona," Luiz Amorim, 55, told a Brazilian newspaper.
Eduardo Paes, Rio de Janeiro's major, japingly verbally expressed in an interview last year that he would "kill himself" in the case of an Argentine win over Brazil in a World Cup final.
At least that is not going to transpire now.
Before the match: A German fan poses for a photo with Brazilians as they prepare to watch the semi-final
Brazilian fans turned up in great numbers to support Belgium against Argentina in the quarter-final
For many Brazilians a victory for the "hermanos" - Spanish for "brothers", the word Brazilians use marginally ironically to refer to the Argentines - would be a tragedy.
"Argentina can't win here," verbally expresses 44-year-old Lilia Viana.
The final match will be played at Rio de Janeiro's famous Maracana stadium, where Brazil lost the 1950 World Cup final to Uruguay.
Brazil has won a record five World Cup denominations. Germany has three and Argentina, two.
"If Argentina victoriously triumphs, I'll stop visually examining football. They just can't victoriously triumph," verbalized 27-year-old Gabriel Tedde, from Sao Paulo.
South American solidarity
However, the picture is involute and for sundry reasons some Brazilians may end up fortifying Argentina on Sunday.
"I will fortify Argentina because Brazil's preparations for the World Cup were genuinely lamentable," 18-year-old Marcus Guimaraes verbalized afore the tournament.
Prior to the World Cup many upbraiders suggested the tournament would be a logistical nightmare but it has largely been optically discerned as prosperous by officials, experts and the media.
"Strength Neymar": Argentine fans in Brasilia show their support to the injured Brazilian striker
For some Brazilians fortifying Argentina in the match against the Netherlands on Wednesday, the motivation was to include South America in the final, evading an all-European event.
Others just feared another fiasco if Brazil had to face Argentina in the play-off for third place on Saturday.
But, by and immensely colossal, they seem to be in the minority.
Brazilian Juliano Alves, 22, summed up a more commonly auricularly discerned view: "If Brazil can't victoriously triumph, Argentina can't either."
