It was an instant World Cup classic, one of those scoreless games that keeps you wanting for more. Both teams began the game with a wide open philosophy. It was clear that both teams were playing to win.
Despite some sloppy play early on, Germany was on the front foot for much of the match. Toni Kroos was the first victim. His sloppy header led Gonzalo Higuain to have a clear chance on goal, but he was unable to control the chance and he blundered it wide. Germany also proved to be vulnerable on the counter several times. That showed itself early when Lionel Messi blazed up the right side and tossed a shot across the face of Manuel Neuer's goal. Argentina thought they had scored when Higuain was on the receiving end of a Ezequiel Lavezzi pass, but he was more than a yard offside, so the goal didn't count.
Germany continued to be patient, even when Argentina was getting the better chances. Germany managed to put a few together towards the end of the first half. First, it was Andre Schurlle whistling in a shot from outside the box that was saved by Sergio Romero. Then, in stoppage time, Benedikt Howedes got his head to a corner and slammed it off the bar.
Germany got off to a sloppy sort of start in the second half. Substitute Sergio Aguero and Higuain got some quality shots when Germany failed to keep possession in their own end. Messi even managed to send another shot across the face of goal.
The rest of the second half was defined by physical play and Germany controlling possession, but never getting anything good to look at. Argentina's defense was simply too organized for them to break. Argentina got a few more counters to their credit, but never controlled possession for any extended period of time.
The physical play might have drawn a few more cards had this not been the World Cup Final. Javier Mascherano might have been lucky to have remained on the pitch, so was Sergio Aguero. Had this been any ordinary match, Argentina would have definitely finished a man down.
To extra time they went. In what I expected to be a fairly conservative half hour, Germany came out firing right out of the gate. Schurlle found himself free on the left side of the box and forced Romero to make an outstanding save. The subsequent rebound was fired by Mesut Ozil, but Argentina's defense rose to the occasion and kept it from reaching the goal.
The rest of the first half of extra time played out much like the second half. Germany kept possession, Argentina tried to muster a counterattack and failed. There was physical play.
It was the second half where the magic happened. In the 113th minute, Andre Schurrle found space up the left flank and flipped a perfect cross to Mario Goetze. Goetze played the ball perfectly and dropped it into the net behind Romero. The German fans both inside and outside the Maracana erupted. It was surely the goal that would win the nation their first World Cup since the reunification of Germany.
Argentina wasn't going to let that happen so easily. They threw numbers forward and, in the end, got a Messi free kick from 25 yards out. It was the kind of shot that The Magician was born to take. It was well within his range, he had put this in many times before in his career. This time, however, it was not to be. He got under it and the ball lofted harmlessly over the bar. A minute later the final whistle was blown and Germany had won their first World Cup in 24 years.
It is hard to say that the best team in the tournament didn't win. Germany played their way to the top of the group of death, survived a scare against Algeria, took care of some tough opposition in France, blew out Brazil, then outlasted Argentina to win the title. They dropped points to Ghana, and needed extra time to beat Algeria, but those were small bumps on the road for the team Germany had waited years for.
For players like Bastian Schweinsteiger, Miroslav Klose, and other Germans who had witnessed the semifinal defeats if 2006 and 2010, this is no better way to close the curtain on Germany's golden generation. The younger kids like Thomas Muller, Jerome Boateng, and Mesut Ozil will be in great shape to carry on their legacy and make a run again four years from now.
Germany have finally won the big one again. Although this is the only major trophy they have won recently, they can certainly be talked about as one of the greatest teams of all time. Much of this core will still be together for EURO 2016 in France, and the next World Cup in Russia in 2018. A title at one or both of these competitions will cement this German side in international soccer lore alongside the recent Spanish teams and the Brazil teams of the 70s.
The only sad part is that the World Cup has come to its conclusion. Tomorrow, I will wrap this whole thing up with the moments and players that stood out from was was certainly an excellent edition of soccer's main event.
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