Germany Take Fourth FIFA World Cup Title: Scenes From the Finals
The German National Football Team have won their fourth FIFA World Cup title in Brazil against Argentina with a 1-0 score line after extra time. This is Germany's first FIFA World Cup title since the reunification of Germany.
The first three wins came in the years 1954, 1974 and 1990. The first title in 1954 was a 3-2 win of West Germany over Hungary in Bern. The 1974 title came with West Germany's victory over the Netherlands 2-1 at home in Munich. The most recent win in 1990 in Rome was almost a copy of the 2014 final against Argentina which also finished 1-0 in favour of the Germans.
Germany 1-0 Argentina
(Götze 113')
Date: July 13, 2014
Venue: Maracana Stadium, Rio De Janeiro
Man of the Match: Mario Götze
The lone goal of the match came courtesy of "Man of the Match" Mario Götze who came in at the 88th minute of the match. He broke through the solid Argentine defence with the help of fellow substitute Andre Schurrle to pierce through the back line and put one over Sergio Romero.
Germany's presence of mind and perseverance were able to neutralize and keep the Argentines at bay, most particularly the man called Lionel Messi who was always going to be the man to watch in the final.
The Germans have made history as the first European team to take the title in South American soil. German Chancellor Angela Merkel was in attendance to witness the historic event along with other world leaders, most notable was Vladimir Putin, who is getting ready to host Germany's title defence in 2018 in Russia.
The scenes in Brazil were the usual contrasting expressions of absolute jubilation for the Germans and their supporters and the complete devastation for Argentina and their fans. The match could have gone either way and it was by no means a walk-over.
The German players and their families flocked to the pitch and basked in the glory for several minutes before everything could be arranged for the awarding ceremony. It may have been a low-scoring match but the tension and energy was palpable throughout with numerous opportunities at either end. When the dust settled in Brazil, it was Germany on top, a team that is the product of years of investment and careful planning and preparation by Jurgen Klinsmann and current coach Joachim Loew.
