Germany rules the world!

Germany last night defeated Argentina 1-0 to lift the 2014 FIFA World Cup compe­tition, thus winning the title for the fourth time. Mario Goetze’s became the hero for Germany after he came off the bench to score the winning goal 114th minute in a keenly contested final played at the magnificent Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeirio, the capital city of Brazil.

The two sides could not be separated in normal time, but Gotze scored in the second half of extra-time as Germany became the first European team to win the World Cup on South American soil.
Argentina had a half-chance inside four minutes when Gonzalo Higuain flashed an effort across goal, but there were no takers at the far post.

Higuain then had a stun­ning opportunity after 21 minutes following a poor backwards header from Toni Kroos, but somehow he fired his effort wide of the post from just inside the penalty box.
Germany was next to come close 10 minutes before the interval when Andre Schurrle, who had just entered as a substitute for the injured Christoph Kramer, was found by Thomas Muller, but Sergio Romero was on hand to make the save.
Argentina had another golden chance after 40 minutes following a bril­liant run from Messi, but Jerome Boateng was on hand to clear at the vital moment.
Kroos had a half-chance for Germany moments before the break, but his effort was straight into the arms of Romero. Germany again came close in first-half stoppage time, but Benedikt Howedes could only hit the post with a close-range header, before Muller was flagged offside from the rebound.
Lionel Messi had a gold­en chance for Argentina moments into the second period, but the Barcelona attacker placed his effort just wide of the bottom corner.
Miroslav Klose tested Romero with a header just before the hour mark, but his effort never had enough power to beat the goal­keeper. Schurrle had an­other opportunity after 70 minutes following bright work from Muller, but the Chelsea winger’s touch was poor and Romero was out to collect once more, with the score still goalless at the Maracana.
Messi fired one wide of the post for Argentina in their next attack, before Kroos placed an effort just wide of Romero’s post af­ter 82 minutes as Germany threatened to break the deadlock once more.
Germany won it seven minutes from the end of extra-time, however, when Gotze showed wonderful skill inside the box before finishing into the bottom corner.