German Skipper Philipp Lahm lifts the World Cup trophy after defeating Argentina 1-0 in extra time.
Germany has become the first European team to ever win a World Cup in the Americas, beating Argentina in Sunday’s final in extra time, 1-0.
German substitute Mario Goetze scored in the 113th minute to account for the win before a capacity crowd of about 75,000 fans at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Goetze craftily used his chest to control a crossing pass on the left side from teammate Andre Schurrle and kicked it inside the right post past Argentine goalie Sergio Romero.
Goetze, a midfielder who plays for Bayern Munich, came off the bench toward the end of regulation for Miroslav Klose, who in the 7-1 semifinal win over Brazil became the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history.
The goal by Goetze goal triggered memories of the one by Spain’s Andres Iniesta just before the end of extra time in a 1-0 win over the Netherlands in the 2010 World Cup championship in South Africa. It also gave Germany its fourth World Cup title but the first as a unified country. West Germany won in 1954, 1974 and 1990. It united with East Germany in October of 1990.
South American teams won the seven previous times the tournament was played in the Americas.
“It is unbelievable and an awesome experience,” Germany’s goalie Manuel Neuer told German television. “We have had incredible cohesion since the start of our preparations. Germany (is) world champions. I don’t know how long we will celebrate, but we will go about it with big grins.”
After the game, the German team made its way up the stairs of Maracana Stadium to raise the hallowed 18-carat gold trophy, as confetti rained down and fireworks exploded in the sky.
“It’s incredible how hard we worked and what a performance we produced,” team captain Philipp Lahm said. “It’s an incredible feeling.”
Germany and Argentina had met twice before in the World Cup title game. Argentina won in 1986, and the Germans won in 1990.
This time, Argentina was hoping its superstar, Lionel Messi, would lead the South American football power to its third title. But Germany’s stingy defense neutralized Messi, a four-time FIFA World Player of the Year, for most of the game.
Messi, who scored four goals in the tournament, all in the group stage, received the Golden Ball award as the World Cup’s best player. In the end, though, he was still walking in the shadow of Argentine football legend Diego Maradona, who led his country to the 1986 World Cup title, in part, with his famous “Hand of God” goal and the “Goal of the Century.”
Sunday’s game marked the third straight World Cup championship that went to extra time. Both teams had solid chances to score before Goetze’s goal, with the Argentines missing out on a few that would later haunt them.
Manuel Neuer and Lionel Messi were voted the best goalie and player of the Brazil 2014 FIFA tournament respectively, with Colombia’s James Rodriguez and France’s Paul Pogba earning the award for the highest goalscorer and young best player in that order.
Source: Voice Of America
