Lionel Messi, who looked too exhausted and shorn of energy to be decisive, made the Maracanã hold its breath just after half-time, only to steer wide. Gonzalo Higuaín’s effort in the first half, when he was presented with an unexpected gift from Toni Kroos’s ill conceived back pass, was tossed away wastefully. The last time that happened to them in a World Cup match was the 1990 final defeat by Germany, as it happens. But the brutal and painful statistic that speaks volumes is the fact that they did not manage a shot on target. They bore down on Manuel Neuer’s goal with real intent on several occasions. For a man who had previously had only the Austrian Football Bundesliga title with Tirol Innsbruck and the German DFB-Pokal cup with Stuttgart to trumpet, how sweet it must have been to add the World Cup to his curriculum vitae.ģ Argentina went for the bold approach but were off targetĪlejandro Sabella’s men approached the game with more bravery going forward than was the template for a restrictive, cautious, long-game plan in the semi-final against Holland. All the tension dissolved as the final whistle blew on a victory for modern German football. Untimely injuries called for adjustments and Argentina unpicked the defence far too often for comfort. He was severely tested as a number of small spanners hit the German works.
This turned out to be quite a test of his mettle after such a rampant statement of intent in the semi-final against Brazil. Handed charge of this generation of beautifully trained, sophisticated footballers, he took up position in the dugout of the Maracanã knowing anything less than the chance to cradle the trophy would be a failure, after reaching four consecutive semi-finals in major tournaments since taking over from Jürgen Klinsmann. His standing absolutely hinged on whether he could deliver. Two elements of Löw’s reputation as a renaissance man and a nearly man collided here in Rio. Götze had not enjoyed the most prolific tournament but the 22-year-old seized his moment with a goal to dazzle for his entire generation.Ģ Victory was the moment of truth for Joachim Löw In the motion of cushioning the ball he was already positioning his body to propel a wonderful volley past Sergio Romero. Götze’s blend of sharpness and pure technique was stunning. Fatigue had naturally crept in when Andre Schürrle’s burst down the flank sparked a tired team to life. But it also had the sheen of quality that Germany have been honing in their players for years. Götze’s matchwinner had the drama of a golden goal – and it was greeted in such a fashion as the entire German bench pelted on to the pitch to celebrate around the centre circle, as if they were sure it was game over. How fitting that a fourth star to adorn Germany’s shirt, a star that was more than a decade in the making, should be etched by a moment of such classic refinement. 1 Golden goal showed sheer quality of Götze’s generation
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