Mats Hummels Reveals Germany Decided Not to Humiliate Brazil in 2nd Half

As if the 7-1 result wasn't enough, Germany's triumphant centre-back Mats Hummels has rubbed salt in Brazil's wound by claiming his side "decided" to go easy on the Selecao for the second period of their World Cup clash.

Joachim Low's side were relentless in Tuesday's semi-final, accruing a 5-0 lead just 29 minutes in, and Hummels says securing the result became a priority—rather than showboating—after half-time, per the Mirror's John Cross:

We just made it clear that we had to stay focused and not try to humiliate them. We said we had to stay serious and concentrate at half-time. That's something you don't have to show on the pitch if you are playing.

You have to show the opponent respect and it was very important that we did this and didn't try to show some magic or something like this. It was important we played our game for 90 minutes.

The Germans put their opponents to the sword as some of the Brazilian staff struggled to hold back the tears upon their home World Cup being brought to a most harrowing end, per Nick Sutton of the BBC:

Current United States coach and former Germany international Jurgen Klinsmann was among those most impressed not just by the result but the fashion in which it came about.

He tweeted his delight at the scoreline, adding to the Brazilians' humiliation even further with a bakery-based image of his own:

Hummels has been an imperious figure for this German side for much of their campaign in South America, looked upon as the staple component at the core of their defence, conceding just four goals in their six World Cup games.

The Borussia Dortmund powerhouse went on to detail more about the mental state of Low's side, which might leave one with the impression that they are very capable of overcoming Argentina in Sunday's final:

We must keep our feet on the ground, but that's no problem for us. We know how hard it will be on Sunday. It doesn't matter who the opponent is on the day. It will be a hard fight and the only chance we have of winning is if we know that from the start.

However, it's a dampening aspect of Germany's joy that Hummels himself may not be available for the potential crowning moment at the Maracana.

According to Oliver Todd of the Daily Mail, the defender is receiving treatment on a pre-existing knee issue after being substituted against Brazil, but team manager Oliver Bierhoff is quoted in the report telling German media:

"Everyone’s okay except for Mats Hummels and he’s getting further treatment. It’s a precautionary measure. We assume he’ll be able to play in the final."

Bundesliga writer Jonathan Harding stressed the importance of the centre-back's return against France, where he scored the sole goal, not to mention giving a secure defensive display:

In the off-chance that Hummels isn't available for Sunday's fixture, Per Mertesacker will become Jerome Boateng's centre-back partner, as was the scenario against Algeria.

However, that was a fixture in which Low's men didn't look quite so assured, and so Hummels' presence will be seen as a much-needed boon to repel the likes of Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain and potentially Angel Di Maria, too.