A look back at Brazil’14: The final

And so it all came down to this.

The man vs the machine; Lionel Messi leading his Argentina side out at the Estadio Maracana to end their World Cup campaign where it had begun just under one month ago, and old adversaries Germany lying in wait, determined to deny La Pulga his place in football history. Opponents in the 1986 and 1990 finals, this was the third meeting between the two at the same stage. Indeed, no other fixture has been played as often in a World Cup final as Argentina vs Germany.

The Germans had eliminated La Albiceleste on penalties in 2006 and subjected them to a 4-0 thrashing in 2010, and after Die Mannschaft had dispatched hosts Brazil by a scarcely believable 7-1 scoreline in the semi-final, few would have bet against them continuing their recent good form.However, despite being noted as having a particularly frail defence pre-tournament, the Argentines were yet to concede a goal in 330 minutes of knockout football, and six shots on target during that time didn’t speak of second-rate protagonists.The further they went in the tournament, the more they proved themselves.

Much of the credit for that must surely go to Javier Mascherano, who had kept an arm wrapped around his defenders like a protective elder brother. His game-saving 90th-minute tackle on Holland’s Arjen Robben summed up the work-in-progress of this team — ‘they shall not pass’.

How would he and his teammates fare though when up against the excellent distribution of Toni Kroos, the power of Sami Khedira, the ninja-like stealthy movement of Thomas Mueller or the poaching instincts of world cup goalscoring extraordinaire Miroslav Klose?

The carnival atmosphere that greeted the players inside the stadium and on the Copacabana was in keeping with the rest of the tournament, and perhaps the only sadness on the day was the knowledge that at the conclusion of proceedings, it would all come to an end.

With Angel di Maria and Sergio Aguero not deemed fit enough to start for Argentina, the Germans had a slight advantage before the ball had been kicked. That was until Khedira managed to injure himself in the warm up, just 20 minutes before kick-off.

Christoph Kramer, with only one friendly appearance to his name, was thrust into the breach, handing Joachim Loew a change of formation in the process.

And we saw very early on that the shift to 4-3-3 didn’t really suit Germany as Argentina took the game to their opponents. Messi, awarded the Golden Ball for player of the tournament, was first to test the pace of potential club colleague next season, Mats Hummels. It was a foot race where there would only be one winner, but the world’s best player couldn’t take advantage.

Hummels was in no man’s land not long afterwards as an errant Kroos header back towards his own goal, only succeeded in finding Gonzalo Higuain returning from an offside position.

Surprisingly, the normally deadly Argentine marksman dragged the ball wide from inside the area, with the goal at his mercy. It was an unbelievable miss, the sort of chance that doesn’t come along that often at the highest level. Certainly not in a World Cup final.

Orderly Argentine defending was stifling the creativity of Loew’s side at the other end, with Mueller and Kramer finding it particularly difficult to gain some space in between the defensive lines. A basic Albiceleste 4-4-2 template became 5-3-2 at times as Mascherano slotted in centrally to strangle the life out of the German attacking game.The Germans had possession, yes, plenty of it, but they seemed unable to capitalise.

A prime example came on the half-hour mark as a pinpoint Bastian Schweinsteiger pass through the channels was cut off with ease. That Germany had to resort to long balls over the top to Klose demonstrated that Alejandro Sabella’s game plan was working in the opening period.

Young Kramer, who had found himself knocked out after a particularly industrious challenge and bravely carried on, was helped off the field half an hour into the game, unable to continue.

If the Argentines thought this was another stroke of luck, they would come to find out late in extra time that Kramer’s replacement, Andre Schurrle, would be integral to the Germans’ eventual victory.

Ezequiel Lavezzi’s direct and penetrative runs were beginning to cause problems, and there weren’t too many complaints when Schweinsteiger was issued the games’ first yellow card for taking the right-sided player out when in full flight.

Later on, when Higuain did find the net in the 29th minute he was, correctly, adjudged to have been offside but didn’t see the flag for a good few seconds. It meant we could enjoy a Tardelli-esque celebration for a few moments.

Argentina were in the ascendency, but Messi looked a little off colour and certainly wasn’t moving with any great purpose.

No quarters were asked nor given by either side, but as the half ended, the tables had turned again, this time with Benedikt Hoewedes hitting the post with a free header from a corner.

Play during the second half and much of extra time seemed to ebb and flow between both sides; however, nastiness began to creep in as we got down to the business end.

Manuel Neuer reminded us of the Harald Schumacher-Patrick Battiston incident as he took out Higuain with his knee in mid-air. In all fairness though, Neuer was merely playing out his duties as a sweeper-keeper.

Mascherano and Aguero too made sure that a few ‘calling cards’ were left, including a stray elbow on Schweinsteiger which should’ve seen Manchester City’s Aguero take an early bath. He had already seen a yellow and the challenge was worth a straight red on its own.

Clearly the officials were ill at ease with brandishing the ultimate sanction in a World Cup final, but a number of challenges merited it.

There was a danger of the final overheating in much the same way as the 1990 one between the two sides, but the goal to win it, when it came, was nothing but sheer beauty.

Schurrle’s electric pace down the left side took him past Mascherano and Biglia, and his floated cross was met expertly on the chest and volleyed past the oncoming Sergio Romero by Mario Goetze. It was a goal to win any game.

Towards the dying moments of the game, Messi’s injury-time free kick that sailed over summed up his and Argentina’s night; nearly there, but not there.

Never, ever write off the Germans.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 15th, 2014.