BRAZIL'S BEACH PARTY A WASH-OUT
In the end, the dream was shattered and the party was brought to a sudden and humiliating halt.
The wave of passion and excitement that had sustained Brazil's charge through their home World Cup, growing with each result, evaporated as Germany tore them to shreds in the semi-finals.
As Brazil moved through the group stages in less-than-convincing fashion, and then rode their luck to edge out Chile and Colombia, their run just seemed predestined to end in glory in Rio.
Germany dismissed any such notion as they comprehensively dismantled the hosts 7-1 in Belo Horizonte before going on to lift the trophy.
It prompted much soul-searching in a country that otherwise provided a superb showcase for the game.
There had been plenty of controversy surrounding Brazil as a host, notably the spending of £11billion of government money and building of potential white elephant stadia in a country of widespread poverty.
But what had not been in doubt was the enthusiasm of its population for football and there was not only confidence but a belief that a sixth world title would be delivered.
It proved a mistaken one. Luiz Felipe Scolari's team may have fed off the emotion of the fans but their expectations, swelled after last year's unexpected Confederations Cup win, were unrealistic.
Scolari's squad was limited and over-reliant on their superstar Barcelona forward Neymar.
When he was removed from the equation, after some admittedly robust treatment from Colombia, and defensive linchpin and captain Thiago Silva got himself suspended, the limitations became too plain to see against Germany.
Yet in truth, even if Brazil had gone on to win the tournament, their side would not have received the wider acclaim of some of their successful predecessors.
Aside from occasional key moments, such as a flash of inspiration from Neymar, there was a lack of traditional flair and a dependence on spoiling tactics to make up for deficiencies.
This was most in evidence in the niggly quarter-final against Colombia when, although attention not surprisingly focused on Juan Zuniga's tournament-ending challenge on Neymar, Brazil displayed a hitherto little-known fondness for "tactical fouling".
It raised serious doubts over their ability to land the big prize and Germany clinically exploited them, with a devastating four-goal spell in six first-half minutes fuelling huge embarrassment.
Yet the warning signs had been there. Brazil's campaign hardly got off to the most auspicious of starts as Marcelo diverted the ball into his own net after just 11 minutes of the opener against Croatia in Sao Paulo.
Controversy followed as Neymar caught Luka Modric with a swinging arm but escaped with a yellow card. Neymar made the most of his reprieve by equalising but Brazil got lucky again when Fred won a contentious penalty.
Neymar struck from the spot and Oscar followed up to complete a 3-1 win but the World Cup already had a major talking point and Brazil were accused of benefiting from 'home decisions'.
There was another unconvincing performance as Mexico held them to a goalless draw in Fortaleza, although opposing goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa was man of the match.
A comfortable 4-1 win over Cameroon with two more goals from Neymar and further strikes from the much-maligned Fred and Fernandinho secured top spot in Group A, but few could deny the Africans were one of the worst teams in the tournament.
With Neymar in the ranks anything seemed possible, although question marks remained over the defence.
The feeling Brazil's name was on the trophy increased as they scraped past Chile on penalties in the last 16.
Chile pushed the hosts to the limit as Alexis Sanchez cancelled out David Luiz's opener and forced extra time, although the hosts were perhaps unlucky Hulk had a goal disallowed for handball.
Mauricio Pinilla was inches away from snatching victory for Chile when he rattled the bar in the 120th minute but Julio Cesar ultimately proved the hero with two penalty saves.
Brazil played some of their best football early on against Colombia in Fortaleza and they deservedly went ahead through Silva. Luiz doubled the lead with a stunning free-kick but James Rodriguez, overcoming some rough treatment, pulled one back from the penalty spot and Brazil were left clinging on for victory.
Recriminations ensued over the tactics deployed by both sides but Germany rose above all that with a formidable display.
The writing was on the wall as Thomas Muller took advantage of slack marking to open the scoring after 11 minutes and within half an hour it was 5-0 and effectively all over.
Not even a shred of pride was restored in a 3-0 defeat to Holland in the third-place play-off, a result that did little for Scolari's job prospects.
On the field, the tournament was ultimately a harrowing experience for Brazil and the wounds could take some time to heal.
