How fitting that one of the most spectacular goals of the tournament has won the 2014 World Cup for THE outstanding team of the tournament.
When 22 year old Mario Götze struck the winner seven minutes from the end of extra time against Argentina he became a German legend.
The headline writers – in the UK at least – all agreed it was SUPER MARIO. Götze‘s goal landed the Germans their fourth World Cup – their first for 24 years – and made them the first ever European team to win the tournament in South America. Götze the youngest player ever to score in the final
This was billed as the match between the best team in the world against the team with the player many believe is the best player in the world . . . but Barcelona’s Lionel Messi failed to emulate Argentina’s greatest ever player Diego Maradona.
Messi was named player of the tournament. But this was travesty and a blatant compromise for the sponsors who all wanted to meet Argentina’s superstar skipper. For me the player of the tournament was Colombia’s James Rodriquez, who won the Golden Boot for top scoring with SIX goals despite only playing FIVE games. While Thomas Müller’s was one of several Germans who outshone Messi in Brazil.
The German keeper Manuel Neuer rightly won the Golden Glove – only USA’s Tim Howard came anywhere close to matching the Bayern Munich shot stopper.
From the immaculate Neuer in goal right through to match winning substitute Götze the Germans produced a superb team performance. Bastian Schweinsteiger was colossal in midfield and Philipp Lahm was again outstanding at right wing back as Germany dominated 60% of possession and had five more shots on target than Argentina.
But this was also a story of missed opportunities by the South Americans who had the better chances in normal time. A shocking miss by Gonzalo Higuain who shot wide when he broke clear on 20 minutes.Then Messi blew his big chances at the start of the second half with another golden chance that rolled wide of the far post.
The game was destined for extra time and the longer it went on the more Germany grew in superiority. When Gotze came off the bench to hit a spectacular winner served up by Chelsea’s André Schürrle it was no more than Joachim Löw‘s team deserved.
Germany are well deserved winners of the 2014 WorldCup – and they did it in style by beating both the pre-tournament favourites. Crushing host nation Brazil 7-1 in the semi-final before finishing off an immaculate campaign against Argentina.
The big question now is just how good is this German team?
Their acheivement in Brazil must rank as the greatest ever by a European nation – not just because they’re the first to win in South America. But the manner of their victory has been out of this world. The truth is the Spanish era of domination is over – and now the Germans have laid the foundations that could see them dominate for years to come.
