Maybe Messi was trying to be too precise given the quality of the goalkeeper in his vision. Unfortunately for Messi he will always remember this occasion for that chance two minutes into the second half when Higuaín’s pass dissected the German defence and the four-time Ballon d’Or winner had the ball at his feet and nobody but Neuer between him and the goal. Beckenbauer had been emboldened enough to say it “can be only Germany” when the truth was that Sabella’s side, and the little fella in the No10 shirt, were far too talented to be underestimated in that way. Their defending for the goal was the final confirmation.Īrgentina had played with width and penetration earlier in the match and, even in defeat, they showed why Lothar Matthäus and Franz Beckenbauer were mistaken beforehand to talk about the victory effectively being a foregone conclusion. Yet there was also the sense that Alejandro Sabella’s players were beginning to tire as the game went into extra time.
There was certainly plenty in the first hour to encourage the loud, boisterous Argentinian fans who had travelled across the border, turning the Sambadromo and Avenida Atlantica into temporary festival sites and going through those provocative songs about Maradona being better than Pelé.
At times they struggled for their usual momentum and Argentina’s anguish will not be made any easier by the knowledge that Gonzalo Higuaín and Lionel Messi both passed up opportunities to put in place what the people of Brazil have been calling the pesadolo – the nightmare – before extra time. Joachim Löw’s players had to overcome the loss of Sami Khedira to a calf injury in the warm-up and his replacement, Christoph Kramer, being removed from the game after a clattering from Ezequiel Garay in the first half. He was stitched up beside the pitch, his legs flicking with pain as the needle went in, yet he was quickly back to his feet, demanding the ball and organising his team-mates. In extra time Schweinsteiger’s face was split open by Sergio Agüero’s stray arm.
Bastian Schweinsteiger epitomised everything in the centre of midfield. This team has been some time in the making but it still retains the old qualities that have formed the bedrock of the great German sides. It is the culmination of a story that should be an inspiration to others, bringing together intelligent forward thinking and all those other established German qualities, and Götze is an apt match-winner as one of the new generation of players to come off the conveyor belt. They are worthy champions, even if they could not play with the distinction that made their semi-final such a harrowing ordeal for Brazil, and it was a wonderful goal that ensured their name was engraved into the trophy for a fourth time.
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