MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

With the party over and the Cup in Germany, Brazil's focus returns to domestic problems

“The Cup would have been perfect, except for the lack of the sixth championship,” said Dilma Rousseff

Brazil was humiliated when its national team was run over 7-1 at the hands of Germany in the World Cup semifinals and later 3-0 against Holland, but the authorities breathed sighs of relief as the tournament came to a close on Sunday with Germany’s victory over Argentina, amid muted street protests and a display of Brazil’s ability to successfully organize sporting mega-events.

“The Cup would have been perfect, except for the lack of the sixth championship,” Brazil’s president, Dilma Rousseff, said in a brief speech at Maracanã, the stadium that was turned into a militarized zone after security forces severely restricted access over concerns that demonstrations could disrupt the final match.

Brazilian soccer fans, who traditionally view Argentina as their chief rival, seemed to be generally pleased with the result of the game. When Germany scored its only goal in the 113th minute, securing victory in extra time, fireworks were set off across the city.

Though there were reports of a brawl between Brazilians and Argentines in Copacabana, one group of Argentines seemed determined to be festive on Sunday night, banging drums and singing and dancing.

However Brazil’s political fissures were exposed on the global stage when Brazilian fans inside the stadium booed Rousseff, who is running for re-election this year, and took up offensive chants about her. She faced similar insults at the opening match a month ago — she did not attend any other games — reflecting spreading disenchantment with her government among some Brazilians who are prosperous enough to afford tickets to World Cup matches.

The authorities had assembled what ranked as one of the largest security operations ever in Brazil, with 25,000 soldiers and police officers giving Rio a martial feel throughout the day with sirens blaring and motorcades halting traffic.

About a mile from the stadium, several hundred police officers violently dispersed a small protest that largely focused criticism on the handling of the tournament by FIFA, the scandal-ridden organization which oversees global soccer.

The police used tear gas and pepper spray in the confrontation that left at least six people hurt. Before the game began on Sunday, a sweep by the police on Saturday in Rio and other Brazilian cities detained at least a dozen activists, pointing to efforts by the authorities to prevent demonstrations from escalating during the closing of the tournament and the growing use of intelligence operations to infiltrate protest movements.

Even as concerns persisted that more trouble could unfold in the hours after the last game, the World Cup ended largely as it had unfolded over the last month, without major complications. In the weeks leading up to the tournament, a wave of strikes by public employees and delays in finishing World Cup projects had heightened fears about Brazil’s organization of the event.

But now that the party is over, and the Brazilian team was knocked out and there is no sixth Cup, many Brazilians will become more focused on domestic politics, after their government used huge public loans to build lavish stadiums, disdaining calls for improved education, healthcare and transportation.