I can't take this.

This is going to go to PKs, isn't it?  Please tell me this isn't going to PKs.

Ze Germans score!

Germany pulls it off! Argentina needs a miracle to stand a chance again!

Don't rain on Messi's parade Old Europe

Yes!!

Der manshaft does it again!

Football is a simple game.  22 men chase a ball around for 90 120 minutes, and at the end, Germany always wins.

Serves you right, Argentina. Should have played football instead of sealing the pot and praying for an overrated player to bring you further.

Congrats North Korea!!

 

I can't believe they made Messi the player of the tournament!

I can't believe they made Messi the player of the tournament!

 

Without him it's very unlikely that Argentina would have been in final, where Germany's players were uniformly good, Neuer was probably his closest competition for the prize.

 

I can't believe they made Messi the player of the tournament!

 

Without him it's very unlikely that Argentina would have been in final, where Germany's players were uniformly good, Neuer was probably his closest competition for the prize.

 

 

Neuer would have been more deserving. Robben would have been more deserving. James Rodriguez would have been more deserving.

 

It's beyond comprehension. Even Messi himself did not look like he believed he deserved it.

Good game for a 0-0. Glad to see a goal at the end which was superbly taken by Gotze. Argentina were actually the best they'd been and shoudl have scored at least a goal, but they neve rmanaged to hit the target and Germany had enough chances and possession to deserve it. It was actually a fairly even game and at least it wasn't as boring from Argentina as they'd been in all their other games.

 

Messi Golden Ball is a stupid joke and it only benefits FIFA & sponsors' coffers - it's not like the player himself is any happier, he knows he failed to be the 'one man' in the 'one man team'. I'm glad James Rodriguez at least gets the Golden Boot and the Germans go home with the medal. 

Higuain is going to have nightmares about the gift wrapped goal Kroos handed him that he failed to put in the back of the net.

Thank goodness it didn't go to PKs....

A good goalkeeper would've saved it.

A good goalkeeper would've saved it.

Messi or Suarez puts that ball in the back of the net 98 out of 100 times.  Heck, Higuain puts that ball in the back of the net 90 out of 100 times.  He had the ball on his foot in the box dead center several yards past every defender.  The only thing a keeper can do in that situation is charge him and hope he shanks it, which is exactly what happened.

Good game overall, actually found Argentina rather more entertaining than Germany for most of the match. The best team of the tournament won in the end though. Also, the officiating was pretty good overall for a change. Rather annoyed that the start time wasn't the same as the other matches even if I only ended up missing five minutes.

 

And yeah, Messi wasn't player of the tournament. He was very well marked in most of the elimination matches so didn't get many opportunities, but that final free kick really summed it up overall, lots of promise then 5m over the bar.

Argentina is not as loaded as Barcelona. Messi was blitzed all tourney. He had no release valve. That said, he was still the most dynamic player in the tournament.

Just like four years ago, the referee was way too lenient.

 

Höwedes + Neuer -> red card in first half.

 

In extra time, two Argentinians should've been red carded for fouls on Schweinsteiger.

Neuer flying knee kick was not a foul, the goalkeeper is entitled to go for the ball and if he goes for it and gets it, he can't be red carded in a collision where both were going for the ball. 

 

I do feel sorry for Higuain though he has nowhere else to blame. Clearly screwed up the gift chance that he normally would put away, was clearly offside for the second... and then got a knee in the face for his troubles. Argentina made enough chances to win it in regular time, slightly more than Germany actually, but as the team on the back foot they had to put those away.

 

From an Arsenal perspective am a bit sad that Ozil never really got going the entire tournament, I thought on the whole Kroos was the most consistent creator for Germany this time. Muller was great but in and out. Lahm also superb in both roles he played.

Neuer went Toni Schumacher on Higuain whether he got the ball first or not. Goalkeepers already get away with too much in today's game as it is. Besides, it's dubious whether he even touched the ball inside the penalty box.

Edited July 14, 201411 yr by HoonDing