After 24 Years, Deutsche Fussball Wins Its Fourth Star

32 teams. 64 matches. More than 5,760 minutes of only the best football the world has to offer, and it all ended with a familiar footballing power reaching glory through its youth. Germany defeated Argentina last night at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Final in Rio de Janeiro’s Estádio do Maracanã. We were blessed by the football gods with quite the match, as both sides evenly attempted to settle the score, both keeper fought tooth and nail to keep their nets untouched, and the stalemate took more than the regular 90 minutes. This was the third consecutive final that needed additional time, and it did not disappoint. Die Mannschaft, after 23 minutes of extra time, prevailed as substitute Mario Götze scored in the 113th minute of additional extra time. Götze, commonly known as the future star of German football, replaced the now legendary Miroslav Klose, and became the first-ever substitute to score in a FIFA World Cup Final. Despite Italian referee Nicola Rizzoli’s questionable decisions during the match, and despite Lionel Messi and Los Albicelestes’ best efforts, Germany finally won its fourth star, its first since Italy 1990, and joined Italy as the nation with the second-most amount of World Cup trophies. More than millions of fans took the streets as Germany became the first European team to win football’s highest prize in a tournament held in the American continent. The end of the tournament rewards were also a point of debate for fans, as Lionel Messi won the FIFA Golden Ball, as the tournament’s best player. Colombia’s sensation, James Rodríguez, took home the FIFA Golden Boot with 6 goals in 5 matches. Manuel Neuer easily won the FIFA Golden Glove award for the tournament’s best goalkeeper, despite superb performances by Mexico’s Guillermo Ochoa and Costa Rica’s Keylor Navas. Brazil 2014 may be over, but it definitely has left a lasting memory on us. So we can only hope that the next 1,430 days go as quickly as possible, for Russia 2018. Until then, Deutschland… ist die Weltmeisterschaft.

 

-E.Fuentes

62 Matches Later… Here We Are

With only four days left of the most prestigious sporting event this world has to offer every four years, we are down to two. Sunday afternoon at the Estádio do Maracanã, Argentina and Germany will play for the ultimate prize: the FIFA World Cup Trophy. The 2014 FIFA World Cup Final will feature the everlasting rivalry between two football juggernauts who have faced each other twice before. But that is history, and this is now.

Germany, a side most pundits considered to be a heavy favorite for the Final this time around, takes the role of the unstoppable force. After six games, the German side recorded an astonishing seventeen goals en route, with five of them coming from the 2010 World Cup edition’s Golden Boot winner, Thomas Müller. On their first game of group stage, Germany got on the offensive from scratch, convincingly beating Portugal 4-0. A 2-2 draw against Ghana and a conclusive 1-0 win against the United States gave Germany the right of winning Group G. At the round of 16, Germany defeated Algeria 2-1 in additional time, and then cruised by France at the quarter finals by the minimal difference as well. The highlight of die Mannschaft’s campaign came at the hands of host nation Brazil. Five goals in eighteen minutes of the first half, and an overall mind-blowing score of 7-1 sealed Germany’s golden ticket to the final, with Miroslav Klose’s first goal breaking the record for the overall top goal scorer in the history of the FIFA World Cup with 16 at his helm.

On the opposite corner, we have the immovable object, in form of Argentina. A team that was first in qualifying in the South American zone, Argentina came into the World Cup with European debutants Bosnia & Herzegovina, Iran, and African champions Nigeria, to form Group F. Argentina won all three group stage games by minimal difference, outlasting Bosnia & Herzegovina 2-1, Iran 1-0, and defeating Nigeria 3-2. Los albicelestes faced off against Switzerland in probably one of the more exciting fixtures of the round of 16, with a 118th minute goal from Ángel Di María sealing Argentina’s qualification in extra time. At the quarter finals, Argentina once again defeated another European contender in the form of Belgium by the minimal difference of 1-0. Today, Argentina needed more than minimal differences, as they went the distance with another heavy contender for the trophy: the Netherlands. After 120 minutes, a penalty shootout was in order, and Argentina hit their penalties flawlessly, as Sergio Romero blocked off both Ron Vlaar and Wesley Sneijder’s attempts to seal the second ticket into the final.

On Sunday, these two sides will take center stage. In what we hope will be yet another amazing final match that this sport blesses us with. As I mentioned before, Germany and Argentina are no foreign foes to each other. At Mexico ’86, the mythical Diego Maradona captained Argentina to a 3-2 win over West Germany at the Estadio Azteca. Four years later, the Stadio Olimpico of Rome in Italy was stage to the rematch between these two teams in the 1990 FIFA World Cup Final. A late penalty from Andreas Brehme at the 85th minute sealed Germany’s third ever title. Since both final matches, neither have Argentina nor Germany won a FIFA World Cup again. That is, until a certain July 13, 2014, at the legendary Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro. Who will win? Tune in with us and find out.

 

-E.Fuentes

The Round of 16 is Here

After an amazing Group Stage that we all witnessed, the Round of 16 has finally arrived!!! The best sixteen teams in the world will now enter a knockout type of tourney, all the way until the 2014 FIFA World Cup Final in the Estádio Maracanã of Rio de Janeiro, on July 14. The impressive feat here is that there is a strong Latin American presence this time around, as the European juggernauts fell short. We will have two South American wars as host nation and five-time world champion Brazil faces Chile, the team responsible for eliminating defending world champions, Spain. The other South American battle pits both Colombia and Uruguay for a spot in the quarter finals. Colombia flawlessly surpassed expectations and won their group in convincing fashion. Meanwhile, Uruguay needed a goal from their captain Diego Godín to qualify as second place of Group D, thus eliminating another European powerhouse in Italy. Other matches that sum up the Round of 16 are a completely surprising encounter between Costa Rica and Greece. The winner of this maych will make the quarter finals for the first time in either team’s football history. France will take on African Cup of Nations champion, Nigeria. Algeria will take on the task of facing Germany, a huge contender to life the trophy this time around. Mexico will face another heavy favourite in the Netherlands. Argentina will take on Switzerland, and Belgium will face the United States, as they surpassed Portugal on goal difference. As always, let us know your picks and talk some football to us. You know the Team Illustrát is definitely open for debate. And may we all keep witnessing amazing matches as the World Cup continues in Brazil.

-E.Fuentes