THE golden generation has its golden reward. Germany are back on top of the world for the first time in 24 years after a conjuring a moment of brilliance in extra-time to defeat Argentina.
Mario Gotze fires home a spectacular winning goal to secure the World Cup trophy for Germany[REUTERS]He secured a triumph for innovation and vision initiated when Germany acted on the shortcomings in their national game at the start of the millennium. England take note.
Joachim Low’s side could, perhaps should, have been punished by Argentina before then, but in shedding their tag of nearly men so they now have the potential to dominate just as Spain had done. El Rey is dead, long live die Konige. It will be a slither of
FINAL SCORE: GERMANY 1 ARGENTINA 0
consolation for those Brazilians who still turned up at the Maracana in the yellow shirts that their bitterest rivals did not prevail and that Lionel Messi will wonder today about the chance he put wide at the start of the second half.
Argentina will be scarred by this heartbreaking defeat, but it was Germany who cavorted into the night as they claim their fourth title to go with those successes in 1954, 1974 and 1990.
After 63 matches and 170 goals, the moment had arrived to determine whether the most talented player at the tournament, or the best team, would be left standing.
Substitute Mario Gotze celebrates his winning goal [GETTY]Such belief should have been bolstered after 21 minutes when German efficiency malfunctioned and Toni Kroos headed blind towards his own goal only to look up in fright as the ball evaded Mats Hummels and fell straight to Gonzalo Higuain.
The striker was filing back from an offside position but, now played onside by the aberration, had the contest at his mercy. He let it slip.
A horrible right-foot finish, shanked four yards wide, from the edge of the area spoke volumes for his travails, that quarter-final winner against Belgium apart.
Soon after, Higuain carelessly strayed two yards offside and, while this time he dispatched Ezequiel Lavezzi’s brilliant right-wing cross, the lineman’s flag ruled out his redemption. Messi, not the static, disappointing figure he had been in the semi-final against Holland, oozed menace but without conjuring the final defence-splitting pass. Bastian Schweinsteiger tracked Messi, as he had in the quarter-final four years ago but this was far more even than that occasion when Argentina were devoured 4-0. Another dart to the byline caused further consternation before Jerome Boateng hacked clear from almost on his own goal-line clear as Messi and Lavezzi waited to pounce. Low’s blueprint played to the strengths of his side and it was perhaps understandable they did not click immediately through the gears.
Sami Khedira had been injured in the warm-up and his replacement, Christoph Kramer, lasted 32 minutes before succumbing to an earlier challenge from Ezequiel Garay, who caught the youngster flush with his shoulder. The impact of Schurrle was almost immediate. Thomas Muller gave Pablo Zabaleta the slip –nomeanfeat–andteedupthe Chelsea striker whose shot stung the palms of Romero. It was better by Germany and they should have eked out a reward on the stroke of half-time. Kroos’ outswinging corner found Benedikt Howedes six yards out, but his free header thumped against a post and Muller was offside in the melee which followed. Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella was forced to introduce Sergio Aguero for Lavezzi at half-time but opportunities continued to fall to La Albiceleste. And the sight of Messi, slipped in behind a flat-footed opposing defence within moments of the restart, drew an intake of breath from Sabella and half of the stadium. Positioned on the left hand side of the area, bearing down on the whites of Manuel Neuer’s eyes, it was an opening from which you expected the net to bulge. Messi looked up, picked his spot and rolled a left foot shot towards the far post and watched as it agonisingly slipped the wrong side. It was a let-off, but merely imbued more confidence in Argentina. When Kroos shot wide from the sort of chance he usually strokes home following good work by Mesut Ozil, the breakthrough remained out of reach. Extra-time beckoned. Within seconds of the onset of extra-time, Schurrle forced a fine save from Romero and then Argentina missed another chance. Marcos Rojo’s cross evaded Hummels and fell to substitute Rodrigo Palacio but his chest control was slack and his attempt to lob the onrushing Neuer wayward. But then Gotze’s goal finally brought the glory back to Germany.
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