What a tournament it has been and the goal – from Mario Gotze – was a fitting way to end it, the Bayern star’s sublime finish (control on his chest and then the left foot volley) flying past Sergio Romero in the Argentina goal with penalties looming.
It was a drab and nervous 90 minutes, with few chances. There were only three shots on target and they all belonged to Germany. However, it was Argentina that had the best chances through Lionel Messi and Gonzalo Higuain. Higuain even had the ball in the net at one point but it was rightly disallowed for offside.
The game went to extra time and Germany gradually took control. And just as things looked like spilling over – following a series of tough challenges, including a Sergio Aguero elbow on Bastian Schweinsteiger – Germany kept their composure to break through and score, to the delight of the Brazilian crowd.
In the end it was the efficient team that won over the individual (Messi) and it could herald a new era of German domination on the world stage. They last lifted the World Cup in 1990.
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