Gone with a whimper

FRANKFURT, Germany – Brazil’s star-studded team is leaving Germany without the trophy many assumed it would take home.

It also leaves without playing the beautiful game or displaying the flair many expected from the five-time world champions.

The team’s disappointing World Cup ended on Saturday after a 1-0 quarterfinal loss to France in Frankfurt.

“Technically, we have a very good team, very experienced,” Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira said. “But when you don’t win the title, it’s because there has been something missing.”

Brazil arrived heavily favored to win the World Cup. It brought many of the best players in the world, including two-time FIFA player of the year Ronaldinho, and was coming off a successful season. It had won two of the last three titles.

The Brazilians are headed home with empty hands, however, failing to reach the finals for the first time since 1990, when it fell to rival Argentina in the second round. A group of about 50 fans cursed and yelled, “National shame,” as the bus carrying Parreira and the players left a Frankfurt hotel on Sunday night.

“We are frustrated right now, but I’m certain Brazil will shine again,” Parreira said earlier Sunday. “Brazilian soccer is still very powerful.”

Brazil failed to impress in the five matches it played. It underwhelmed in first-round victories against Croatia and Australia, and was heavily challenged by Ghana despite a 3-0 win in the second round.

Only against Japan, when Parreira fielded five reserve players to rest some of the regular starters, was Brazil able to play well. It had already secured a second-round berth at the time, however, and Japan was desperate to win the match to keep its hopes of advancing alive.

“That was the right decision for that match,” Parreira said. “We can’t assume that if I had played the same team again we would’ve won it.”

After each match, Parreira said the team would improve at the right moment, when it needed it most. He ran out of time.

“I did not prepare for this and no one in our delegation prepared for this,” Parreira said.

Brazilian players were not trying to find excuses for the elimination.

“We have to accept the criticism and start to get the young players ready for the next World Cup,” 31-year-old midfielder Juninho said. “We didn’t play as Brazil can.”

“I’m sad because we made a lot of people cry, including my family,” Emerson said. “France were the better team, end of story.”

It was Brazil’s third loss to France in four World Cup matches. The previous one came in the 1998 final in France, when the host won 3-0 behind two goals by Zinedine Zidane.

“Zidane made the difference, even more than in 1998,” Parreira said. “This was probably his best performance in the last eight years. He showed a lot of personality and creativity.”

The loss also snapped Brazil’s record 11-game winning streak at the World Cup.

“Life is a learning curve. We learn when we win, but you also learn when you lose,” 22-year-old Robinho said. “It was my first World Cup and I’m sad because I didn’t manage to become a world champion.”