Oranje squash Brazil

'Pocoloco' said one banner, 'locopoco' said another. They meant 'absolutely crazy', said a Brazilian. For everyone at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Friday, the context needed no explanation but finding out what it meant took all of half-time. Dhiman Sarkar reports.

'Pocoloco' said one banner, 'locopoco' said another. They meant 'absolutely crazy', said a Brazilian.

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For everyone at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Friday, the context needed no explanation but finding out what it meant took all of half-time.

Not everyone in a Brazil shirt knows Portuguese and as we Indians well know, it is one team that goes beyond borders.

For now though, they are going home.

The Netherlands got a toehold in the game through a Felipe Melo own-goal — Brazil's first in 80 years and 97 World Cup finals matches.

Wesley Sneijder then showed the Oranje boys had it in them to win a major match that they chased for 55 minutes.

A super corner-kick later, Brazil were trailing for the first time in this Cup. The world had gone 'loco'.

Melo's send-off was more heartbreak, and the gap one the five-time champions couldn't bridge. Coach Dunga left, head bowed, as the Dutch took a lap of honour.

Say 'Hello Holland', for even as all eyes move to Cape Town for the Argentina vs Germany match, we might already have witnessed the birth of a new champion.