RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazilian newspapers sought answers yesterday for the national football team's disastrous World Cup exit, blaming the coach for the "humiliation" and calling for the country's beloved sport to be "reborn".

The daily O Globo ran the headline "Embarrassment, Shame, Humiliation" with a picture of team captain David Luiz on his knees with his face down on the pitch. The newspaper's sports page gave every player a zero rating following the 7-1 loss to Germany, the worst in the team's 100-year footballing history.

The national media declared that Tuesday's loss at the Mineirao Stadium in Belo Horizonte eclipsed the trauma felt by Brazil when it lost in the trophy-deciding match to Uruguay at home in 1950.

Globo columnist Fernando Calazans said it was "a much bigger tragedy" and asked whether football officials were too focused on bringing up the toughest defenders and powerful forwards instead of the best strikers and playmakers.

"Brazilian football has only one solution: to resuscitate," he wrote. "Brazilian football has to be born again. It has to be reborn."

Folha de Sao Paulo ran a picture of the dark sky and the Mineirao's floodlights, with the jumbo screen flashing the score at the bottom.

For the German media there was disbelief and delight, as reflected in tabloid Bild's headline: "7-1 Madness. Lightning German team knock out Brazil."

While Germany coach Joachim Loew has called for humility and to not get carried away ahead of Sunday's final some wilfully ignored him. - AFP