Our local German community are still celebrating.  Germany’s defeat of Argentina to win the World Football Cup was ten years in the making thanks to a vigorous grass roots development programme.

 EPSN writes that in terms of an ending and a climax, the delivery just couldn’t be faulted. Mario Gotze’s magnificent 113th-minute finish was entirely fitting of the type of goal that should win a World Cup, from the quality of the control, to the athleticism of the turn, through to the elegance of the strike. It was, without putting too fine a point on it, absolutely world-class.

It was also the perfect distillation of everything that ultimately won this World Cup for Germany: one of their most vibrant young players maximising the talent that the most sophisticated coaching structures had given him, to eventually provide true end product. Again, you can’t fault the technical delivery of that ending.

Although  it had nowhere near the negativity of 1990 or 2010, it didn’t come close to the coruscating crescendo of 1966 or 1986. The initial pace and openness gave way to tension and a gradual decline in dynamism. What made it stand out was the atmosphere and the setting, as well as the winning goal. Gotze was probably the only player who truly took charge of the final, but it said much that he was a substitute, benefiting from fresher legs.

As he went on, manager Jogi Low had a specific message for him: “OK, show the world you are better than [Leo] Messi and can decide the World Cup.”

He certainly did the latter. And while the first part of Low’s statement was clearly a stretch in order to provide motivation, it was certainly true that Gotze ended up the more decisive force on the night.

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