Luiz Felipe Scolari claimed this week that Brazil’s humiliating 7-1 defeat to Germany would not be repeated in 1,000 years — but at one stage it felt as though it might suffer a similar fate just four days after the most embarrassing game in the country’s history.
The hosts were spared the ignominy of another massacre but Saturday night’s 3-0 defeat to Netherlands in the third-place game in Brasilia will surely be the final straw for their coach.
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It comes to something when a three-goal defeat for the five-time world champions barely registers.
Scolari has insisted that he will not step down from his position in the wake of the World Cup and insisted with shocking arrogance that he should not be held responsible for this summer's failure.
He has also been backed by CBF president-elect Marco Polo Del Nero, who told local newspapers: "For me, he stays."
Yet Del Nero might have had a change of heart when he heard the chorus of boos for Scolari when his face appeared on the big screen at the Mane Garrincha stadium as 70,000 people spoke for the 200 million in this country.
The jeers were even louder when the Brazil squad sheepishly saluted the fans after the final whistle. This was not how it was supposed to end.
Scolari spoke before the Netherlands defeat about restoring pride to the nation.
But if the 65-year-old had any pride himself, he would have stepped down immediately after the Germany catastrophe in Belo Horizonte.
Felipao is tainting his reputation by the day as he clings to his job and will now be remembered as the man who brought Brazilian football to its nadir, rather than the coach who led it to World Cup glory in 2002.
From leaving the likes of Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Moura out of the 23-man squad, to persisting with Paulinho for far too long, to sending out sides with no semblance of a game plan other than to give the ball to Neymar; everything has unraveled for Scolari over the last month.
Scolari has reiterated time and again that the semifinal was a freak, unlucky result but he lost one of his excuses within two minutes on Saturday night.
Brazil, we were told, would never have been destroyed by the Germans so brutally had captain Thiago Silva not been suspended.
But the center back lost Arjen Robben in the opening exchanges, dragged back the Netherlands winger and conceded a penalty. Silva was fortunate that the referee was feeling sympathetic for the Selecao and chose only to book him, when it was clearly a red card offense.
Robin van Persie scored from the penalty spot and 14 minutes later the scoreline was doubled after more playground defending.
David Luiz, who earler in the summer signed for Paris Saint-Germain in a deal worth up to 50 million euros — making him the most expensive defender in history — tried to head clear in the penalty box but instead perfectly presented the ball for Daley Blind to score.
After his nightmare performance against Germany and his teary post-match breakdown, you have to wonder how — if at all — Luiz will be able to recover from the events of the past week.
The same could be said for his new club teammate Silva, who was caught completely flat-footed as Georginio Wijnaldum steered in the third in added time.
Or for Fernandinho. The Manchester City midfielder had another evening to forget after his shambolic performance against Germany and never got to grips with the Holland midfielders.
The Brazil squad was clearly crushed by the back injury sustained by Neymar in the quarterfinal victory over Colombia that knocked him out for the rest of the tournament.
But nobody here will allow Scolari to use the Neymar excuse to wriggle out of taking responsibility.
Scolari was rehired by Brazil in 2012 solely to win this year’s World Cup.
He failed and will now, surely, lose his job. And while Brazilian tears have been flowing ever since Tuesday night’s semifinal, none will be shed for Scolari.