Brazil's cataclysmic 7-1 defeat by Germany in the World Cup semi-final has created within the world of sport what Star Wars' Obi-Wan Kenobi would describe as a "disturbance in the Force."

Images of shocked and tearful home fans, many of whom walked away from the grisly spectacle of Brazil's first home defeat in 12 years and their equal biggest margin of defeat ever, are all over the media.

A nation which had ridden waves of protest over the spiralling expense of hosting these World Cup finals is now attempting to come to terms with what one of its biggest newspapers, Correio Braziliense, has called "Um vexame para a eternidade (An embarrassment for eternity)."

Brazil's stunned players and manager Felipe Scolari bid farewell to their supporters after their 7-1 World Cup semi-final defeat by Germany ©Getty Images

Lance, another large circulation Brazilian newspaper, described the brutal end of the host nation's ambition of winning the Cup for a sixth time as "Maior vergonha da historia (The biggest shame in history)", adding that the only benefit was that this defeat would override the trauma of the last time Brazil hosted the World Cup finals in 1950, when they were beaten 2-1 by bitter rivals Uruguay in the decisive match.

But that result, though bitter for all Brazilians, was not a humiliation

In terms of world football Force-disturbance, this semi-final result is on a par with the seismic shock which occurred in the same Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte during those 1950 finals - England's 1-0 defeat by the United States.

England, who had not deemed it necessary to enter the first three editions of the World Cup finals in 1930, 1934 and 1938, arrived for their first experience of the competition with towering ambitions, having beaten the defending champions, Italy, 4-0.

By their own admission, the part-time US players were hoping to keep the score down against Stanley Matthews, Tom Finney et al to around five or six goals. As history records, England's selectors deemed it unnecessary for Matthews to besmirch his boots with the dust from Belo Horizonte's newly-built Estadio Indepencia in what was clearly going to be an easy opener against a team of part-timers.

England's captain Billy Wright (left) shakes hands with his US counterpart Ed McIlvenny before his side's shock 1-0 defeat at Belo Horizonte in the 1950 World Cup finals
©Hulton Archive/Getty Images

History records that a freakish (English take) or characteristically athletic (US version) header from that unheralded part-time washer up of dishes in a restaurant, Joe Gaetjens, proved enough to defeat the team which regarded itself as World Cup winner-in-waiting.

The shame of that result lived with those England players. Goalkeeper Bert Williams recalled in 2010: "Sixty years on and I'm still trying to forget it. People introduce you as the gentleman who played for Wolves and England. And they ask: 'Did you play against America?'"

The players in yellow who made their stunned exit from the pitch on Tuesday night will be asked a similar question for the rest of not just their careers, but their lives. They are locked in history, doomed to the painful recollection of how Germany managed to score four goals in the space of 400 first half seconds...

As far as footballing shocks are concerned, it is hard to recall a more powerful example in the history of the game - certainly in recent history.

"In nigh on half a century of watching football that's the most extraordinary,  staggering, bewildering game I've ever witnessed," said BBC's former England forward Gary Lineker, he leading scorer at the 1986 World Cup finals in Mexico.

When sporting shocks are discussed or debated in future, Brazil's collapse will be numbered amongst them, even though the competitive pedigree of their victors meant the match did not correspond to the classic sporting shock template of David toppling Goliath.

No one expected a US ice hockey team composed of amateur and collegiate players, to earn victory in the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics over the Soviet Union side which had won six of the previous seven Olympic titles - a turn of events now immortalised in the phrase "Miracle On Ice". But they did.

No one expected Mike Tyson, the fearsome, undefeated and undisputed world heavyweight boxing champion, to lose his title to 42-1 outsider James "Buster" Douglas in 1990. But he did.

Mike Tyson is shepherded away after losing his heavyweight titles to 42-1 outsider Buster Douglas in 1990 after a 10th round ko in their fight in Tokyo ©Getty Images

No one expected Second Division Sunderland to defeat the holders, Leeds United, in the 1973 FA Cup final. But a goal from Ian Porterfield and a miraculous save from keeper Jim Montgomery ensured they did.

What will resonate down the years from Brazil's defeat in Belo Horizonte is a combination of shock over the scale of their unexpected collapse, and an accompanying sense of sorrow on behalf of the home nation.

In that, it is more akin to the shocking - and literal - collapse of the man widely regarded as the finest 10,000 metres runner of his generation, Australia's multiple world record holder Ron Clarke, in the thin air of Mexico during the 1968 Olympics.

Ron Clarke is given oxygen by Australia's weeping team doctor Brian Corrigan after collapsing after the 10,000m final at the 1968 Olympics in the thin air of Mexico City
©Popperfoto/Getty Images

Or to that other great sporting shock which took place at The Oval in 1948 when Australia's batsman Don Bradman, needing just four runs from what was his final Test appearance to be able to retire with an average of more than 100, was bowled for a duck by England's Eric Hollies. Ironically, an outstanding Australian bowling performance obviated the need for Bradman to take to his crease for a second innings. And thus his average remained, for ever, on 99.94.

When Bradman returned to the pavilion after his uncharacteristically brief outing on the pitch, he was reported to have announced: "Gee whizz. Funny doing that."

As the full effect of their humiliation is felt by Brazil's players in the coming days and weeks, the reaction is likely to be a good deal less terse than that of "The Don".

Mike Rowbottom, one of Britain's most talented sportswriters, covered the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics as chief feature writer for insidethegames, having covered the previous five summer Games, and four winter Games, for The Independent. He has worked for the Daily Mail, The Times, The Observer, The Sunday Correspondent and The Guardian. His latest book Foul Play – the Dark Arts of Cheating in Sport (Bloomsbury £8.99) is available at the insidethegames.biz shop. To follow him on Twitter click here.