7 reasons why the 2014 World Cup final was one of the greatest ever

July 13, 2014 is a date that will go down in the annals of sporting history as the day the world witnessed one of the greatest finals ever seen at any World Cup ever. This, truly was the cherry on the top of a quite delicious cake. The final, doing justice to the magic that we had been witness to over the past month as arguably the most enjoyable World Cup ever drew to a close. Here are 7 reasons why this match can be considered as the greatest ever

#1 The Maracana

The sun was shining brightly over the shoulder of the magnificent ‘Christ the Redeemer’ statue in the beautiful city of Rio as it got ready to revel in the spotlight as the eyes of the world turned to it. For Rio was the center of attraction on sunday. More specifically, the greatest sporting arena on Planet Earth, the Maracana, was the center of the world today. 
The atmosphere was unbelievable. If someone had found a way to transform the metaphorical electricity crackling in the great stadium into real, usable electricity, they would have had enough to power most of South America for some years.  The same could be said of the famous Copacabana beach, and probably, of any town square in Argentina or Deutschland.

#2 Intricate,high-tempo passing v/s brilliant,rapid counter-attacking

Before the match started, there were understandable fears that the final would be a repeat of their dire, vicious meeting in 1990, if both the teams followed the template of recent finals and played out a cagey, tense affair. As it turned out, those fears were quite misplaced.
The approaches of the two teams were polar opposites; one was set up to play skillful possession football with emphasis on the collective, and the other for a completely different game, sitting deep and hitting speedily on the counter, relying on the considerable talents of the men they had up front and on the magic of the greatest player on the planet.
These fundamental differences in the approach of Joachim Low and Alejandro Sabella accentuated the brilliance, as their teams played their hearts out with the only common, shared theme being their sheer refusal to give an inch. All this made for one hell of a brilliant game.

#3 The first forty-five minutes

Lionel Messi looked sharper than he had all year for both Barcelona and Argentina, darting in and out, creating openings where few could have even seen them and turning on the heat whenever he did what he does better than anyone in this world; carry the ball at full pelt, running straight at the defence. This was Messi back to his scurrying best.
Ezequiel Lavezzi and Enzo Perez looked sharped in the first half.  Gonzalo Higuain had been timing his runs well, making a nuisance of himself in the German backline when he spurned a glorious opportunity, shooting wide after a rare Toni Kroos mistake had let him in on goal with only Manuel Neuer to beat.
Germany, too , were playing at a high tempo, their passing increasing in intricacy and pace as they attempted to prise open the well drilled defense marshaled by that indefatigable leader of men, Javier Mascherano. Kroos, the brilliant Bastian Schweinsteiger and the mercurial Mesut Ozil were triangulating to wonderful effect, as they created some high quality football. The incessant pressing of Argentina led to a couple more chances for them on the counter, while at the other end, the unique skills of the Raumdeuter (German for “space investigator) -Thomas Muller - almost set up the ultimate finisher,  Miroslav Klose.
On the stroke of half-time, Benedikt Howedes banged in an absolute bullet of a header onto the post, the closest that either team had got. This was intense, attacking, brilliant football and at nil-nil, halftime saw both teams go into the dressing rooms with a lot of positives to dwell upon.

#4 The second forty-five

The second half saw both teams start on the same note they had ended on, Argentina just the mite sharper. Sergio Aguero was introduced and soon enough, Messi almost opened the scoring with a darting run and a right footed curler that whispered past Neuer’s post. The intensity did not let up as the match wore on. There were chances for either team, notably for Aguero and Kroos and one Neuer tackle on Higuain brought back horrible memories of Harald Schumacher’s assault on Patrick Battison. Thankfully, there was no mal-intention here, and Higuain was okay to continue.
Nonetheless, Rodrigo Palacio replaced him a while later and late on Mario Gotze came on in place of the immortal Miroslav Klose – who at 36 was surely playing his last World Cup. He bid adieu as he entered history as a legend and the holder of the record for most goals in World Cup history. That was a changing of the guard, out with the old, in with the new and the significance of that move was yet unknown at that stage.
The second half soon drew to a close with Schweinsteiger having made a couple of terrific tackles, Messi having embarked on a couple of his trademark, dizzying runs, and Gotze and Schurrle had a couple of speculative efforts on goal.
It was to be extra-time. Thirty more minutes of the same brilliant football. Thirty minutes that were going to put the strength of the heart muscles of millions across the world to the ultimate test.

#5 Extra-time and a moment of magic

As Germany kicked off one final time, it was clear that they had no intentions to leave the match, the most crucial match of their lives, to the grinding pit of despair that is the penalty shootout. Both teams set off once again as if they were playing to win the match, rather than to avoid losing it; a refreshing and exhilarating change to the finals that we had been subjected to in the recent past.
Andre Schurrle tested the reflexes of Romero very early on and a while later, Rodrigo Palacio missed another golden chance for Argentina, as he lobbed an awkward shot high and wide, put off by the intimidating figure of Manuel Neuer, who spread his giant body wide, blocking the entire goal.
It was still 0-0 as the tired bodies and exhausted minds trudged on for the last fifteen minutes of this unbelievable match. Tempers frayed as the match grew more physical, Sergio Aguero bloodying Bastian Schweinsteiger with a blow to the face, neither man willing to cede an inch. Schweinsteiger , the ultimate warrior, ran back onto the pitch as fast as he could, having had his wound stapled – it was going to take more than some puny drops of blood to keep him from playing tonight.
Just then, as the clock showed 112 minutes, Mario Gotze conjured out of thin air, a moment of absolute genius. Chesting down a wonderful cross from the tireless Schurrle, he swiveled to guide the most beautiful finish into the bottom corner, a goal that did justice to the brilliance that had been on display tonight, a goal that did justice to what had arguably been the greatest World Cup ever.

#6

Champions both. Winners only one.
When the excellent Nicola Rizzoli blew his whistle one final time in Brazil (the Italian referee and his assistants had been quietly brilliant that night), Lionel Messi, Javier Mascherano and their brave compadres. – champions in all defintions of the word - lay on the ground, weeping inconsolably, having laid their souls and bodies on the line. Tonight, it was not to be. Tonight, it was heartbreak for La Albiceleste and their genius of a talisman.
Die Mannschaft had been unstoppable. Jogi Low’s young and exciting team had been the most consistently excellent team in the tournament and now they were deservedly crowned champions of the world. After 24 long years, Germany were back on top of the footballing world.
The sporting world stood as one to say “Congratulations Germany”, nay… “Glückwunsch Deutschland”. This was their time!

#7

This was how a World Cup should end. This was how a final should be played, full of the most sublime skill, played at a scarcely believable level of intensity and a rarely witnessed openness. These two hours of footballing greatnesss had served the world with entertainment of the very highest order. What a joy it was to watch the world’s best strut their stuff with the magic, courage and conviction only the chosen few can even hope to possess.
Thank you Brazil for the one of the most unforgettable months of our lives!  It was truly magical. Oh! How I wish I were at the Copocabana tonight! Or better still, at a bar in Dortmund or Munich!
The sun had long since passed the Redeemer and gone over into the Atlantic, night had well and truly covered Germany, but the party had just started. The celebrations would be long and passionate as Germany, and the World, celebrated one of the greatest finals ever seen, in one of the greatest World Cups ever held.