Brazil “cracked up” during yesterday’s stunning 7-1 World Cup semi-final defeat by Germany, according to victorious coach Joachim Low.

The three-time winners scored on five occasions in the first half – including four in six minutes – as they inflicted Brazil’s biggest World Cup loss.

“Scoring three in four minutes the hosts were in shock,” said Low.

“We were extremely cool and realised they were cracking up, and we took advantage of that.”

Low, whose Germany side lost 1-0 to Spain in the 2010 semi-final, added: “We had a clear, persistent game-plan and if we were courageous and believed in our own strengths, we would win this match.

“That the result would be so emphatic was not to be expected.”

Low then turned his attention to Sunday’s final, where Germany will either meet either Argentina or Netherlands, who play each other today.

“We’ve won this match. We’re in the final of the World Cup, against a different opponent,” he said.

“We were lucky that the hosts were shell-shocked. Now we must prepare well for the final.”

On his part, veteran Brazilian Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari described the drubbing as “the worst day of my life,” and said he took responsibility.

The hosts were 5-0 down by half-time in Belo Horizonte as Germany reached the final in emphatic style.

“I will be remembered as the coach to lose 7-1 but I knew that risk when I took the job,” said Scolari, a World Cup winner with Brazil in 2002.

“The person who decided the line-up, the tactics, was me. It was my choice.”

Scolari described the result, which surpassed the 3-0 defeat by France in the 1998 final as Brazil’s heaviest World Cup loss, as “catastrophic”.

“My message for the Brazilian people is please excuse us for this performance,” added the former Chelsea manager.

“I’m sorry that we weren’t able to get to the final and we’re going to try to win the third-place match. We still have something to play for.”

Brazil, the first team to concede seven goals in a World Cup semi-final, will play either Netherlands or Argentina in Brasilia on Saturday.

Scolari played down the absence of striker Neymar, who fractured a vertebra during the quarter-final victory over Colombia.

He said: “Let’s not try to find an excuse in Neymar.”

•Based on BBC reports. Photo shows Germany coach Joachim Low.