It was the start of something great one year ago today - seven games in the summer of 2014 that brought so much happiness. It began in Salvador with a dream, and ended in Rio with that dream becoming a reality. One year after the triumph at the Maracanã, DFB.de takes a look back at Germany’s seven games at the 2014 World Cup. It was 365 days ago when the dream of the fourth star became a reality.
These scenes happen throughout Germany. In every changing room, on thousands of sports grounds, after many great and small wins: shoes, socks and shirts all over the floor, everyone singing and dancing. The scenes were the same in the changing rooms of the Maracanã in Brazil after the biggest win of all. It is such a wonderful day that you hope it never ends. Suddenly it goes quiet, the songs die down and the players hush. There is a reason for the disruption, and it’s not one that is usually experienced in the changing rooms throughout Germany – Angela Merkel, the Chancellor, and Joachim Gauck, the President, walk in.
This visit to the changing room was the first for the country’s two most powerful politicians, the first after the win in the game of games, the first after Mario Götze’s goal to beat Argentina 1-0 in the World Cup final to make Germany the new World Champions. The footballers are quiet, and two football fans start talking. The words from the head of government and the head of state reveal two journeys: a journey through time and a journey round the world. Joachim Gauck talks about 1954, about how he followed the ‘Miracle of Berne’ in Rostock, and about how the whole of East Germany clung to their radios as West Germany became World Champions. “And today I can watch this wonderful team as a President who was on the other side of the Wall that time,” says Gauck. “This is simply great.”
Chancellor and China
The Chancellor then leads the team out of the past and towards China. She talks about her visit to the Far East after watching Germany play France in the quarter-finals. And there was only one topic of conversation: the Germany national team. Merkel talks about the amazing love for Die Mannschaft in China and what great ambassadors the players have been for Germany. She finishes her narrative with an understatement as an expression of her deep respect: “all I really want to say is: ‘you’ve done well, congratulations.’” And now it’s the players’ turn to continue their world journey acoustically. The players begin singing about Rio de Janeiro before making their further travels plans known: “Berlin, Berlin, we’re going to Berlin.”
Strictly speaking the players then flew to Berlin, but who wants to be pedantic with World Champions. Everyone knows the images: Berlin, the Brandenburger Tor, hundreds of thousands on the fan mile, the team at the centre of the excitement. The team and coach were celebrated here after the summer’s tale of 2006 and after finishing second in the 2008 Euros in Austria and Switzerland. This time the players only wanted celebrations if they won the title – and win the title they did. And this excitement surpassed all other excitement that Germany had previously experienced. When the team stepped off the plane at Berlin’s Tegel Airport, they were received as World Champions: people, crows, joy, tears, emotion, excitement, celebration. Hundreds of thousands lined the streets, hundreds of thousands on the fan mile. The fourth title moved the country to a state of delirium.
And this is the scene that made sure of this: 13th July 2014, World Cup final, Rio de Janeiro. The Maracanã, Germany against Argentina, the World Cup final, the game of games. Stop! Not so fast. Rewind, this game cannot be reduced to a sequence. Back to the beginning, back to the first whistle, and still further back.
Kramer and Khedira
The first setback came before the first whistle. Coach Joachim Löw had to do without Sami Khedira. In the final training session at the Estádio Vasco da Gama on the day before, Khedira injured himself, not badly, as it initially seemed. He left training as a precautionary measure. Disillusionment followed the next day and before the game, but reason triumphs over ambition, because you can’t play when the pain in your calves is too great. In retrospect, Khedira says, “everyone can imagine that the situation wasn’t easy for me. You probably only ever get one opportunity to play in the final of the World Cup. The story behind it was especially bitter. I had gotten over the big injury, a cruciate ligament rupture, but then a little injury prevented me from playing in the big game.”
But the fate of the team was more important for Khedira than his own. “I admit that I had to fight with myself for a few moments. But then I went up to each player and wished him good luck.” That of course included Christoph Kramer, who replaced Khedira in the team. “Yes, I had a quick chat with Christoph, but at the end of the day I just told him that he should try to enjoy the game. I couldn’t say anything more to him, that was all I could think of.”
It was the start of something great one year ago today - seven games in the summer of 2014 that brought so much happiness. It began in Salvador with a dream, and ended in Rio with that dream becoming a reality. One year after the triumph at the Maracanã, DFB.de takes a look back at Germany’s seven games at the 2014 World Cup. It was 365 days ago when the dream of the fourth star became a reality.
These scenes happen throughout Germany. In every changing room, on thousands of sports grounds, after many great and small wins: shoes, socks and shirts all over the floor, everyone singing and dancing. The scenes were the same in the changing rooms of the Maracanã in Brazil after the biggest win of all. It is such a wonderful day that you hope it never ends. Suddenly it goes quiet, the songs die down and the players hush. There is a reason for the disruption, and it’s not one that is usually experienced in the changing rooms throughout Germany – Angela Merkel, the Chancellor, and Joachim Gauck, the President, walk in.
This visit to the changing room was the first for the country’s two most powerful politicians, the first after the win in the game of games, the first after Mario Götze’s goal to beat Argentina 1-0 in the World Cup final to make Germany the new World Champions. The footballers are quiet, and two football fans start talking. The words from the head of government and the head of state reveal two journeys: a journey through time and a journey round the world. Joachim Gauck talks about 1954, about how he followed the ‘Miracle of Berne’ in Rostock, and about how the whole of East Germany clung to their radios as West Germany became World Champions. “And today I can watch this wonderful team as a President who was on the other side of the Wall that time,” says Gauck. “This is simply great.”
Chancellor and China
The Chancellor then leads the team out of the past and towards China. She talks about her visit to the Far East after watching Germany play France in the quarter-finals. And there was only one topic of conversation: the Germany national team. Merkel talks about the amazing love for Die Mannschaft in China and what great ambassadors the players have been for Germany. She finishes her narrative with an understatement as an expression of her deep respect: “all I really want to say is: ‘you’ve done well, congratulations.’” And now it’s the players’ turn to continue their world journey acoustically. The players begin singing about Rio de Janeiro before making their further travels plans known: “Berlin, Berlin, we’re going to Berlin.”
Strictly speaking the players then flew to Berlin, but who wants to be pedantic with World Champions. Everyone knows the images: Berlin, the Brandenburger Tor, hundreds of thousands on the fan mile, the team at the centre of the excitement. The team and coach were celebrated here after the summer’s tale of 2006 and after finishing second in the 2008 Euros in Austria and Switzerland. This time the players only wanted celebrations if they won the title – and win the title they did. And this excitement surpassed all other excitement that Germany had previously experienced. When the team stepped off the plane at Berlin’s Tegel Airport, they were received as World Champions: people, crows, joy, tears, emotion, excitement, celebration. Hundreds of thousands lined the streets, hundreds of thousands on the fan mile. The fourth title moved the country to a state of delirium.
And this is the scene that made sure of this: 13th July 2014, World Cup final, Rio de Janeiro. The Maracanã, Germany against Argentina, the World Cup final, the game of games. Stop! Not so fast. Rewind, this game cannot be reduced to a sequence. Back to the beginning, back to the first whistle, and still further back.
Kramer and Khedira
The first setback came before the first whistle. Coach Joachim Löw had to do without Sami Khedira. In the final training session at the Estádio Vasco da Gama on the day before, Khedira injured himself, not badly, as it initially seemed. He left training as a precautionary measure. Disillusionment followed the next day and before the game, but reason triumphs over ambition, because you can’t play when the pain in your calves is too great. In retrospect, Khedira says, “everyone can imagine that the situation wasn’t easy for me. You probably only ever get one opportunity to play in the final of the World Cup. The story behind it was especially bitter. I had gotten over the big injury, a cruciate ligament rupture, but then a little injury prevented me from playing in the big game.”
But the fate of the team was more important for Khedira than his own. “I admit that I had to fight with myself for a few moments. But then I went up to each player and wished him good luck.” That of course included Christoph Kramer, who replaced Khedira in the team. “Yes, I had a quick chat with Christoph, but at the end of the day I just told him that he should try to enjoy the game. I couldn’t say anything more to him, that was all I could think of.”
As far as pre-match personal matters were concerned, that was it. Löw reorganised his team, with Kramer coming into an offensive role. Bastian Schweinsteiger and Toni Kroos would sit behind the Gladbach player. And now for the match. The opening moments belonged to the Argentines. In the 4th minute, Ezequiel Lavezzi tries down the right, gets stuck, but the danger isn’t over. Gonzalo Higuain chases the ball and shoots from a narrow angle. Manuel Neuer dives, but he doesn’t need to intervene as the ball goes wide of the goal. A quarter of an hour goes by and the game is already extremely intense. Strong tackles characterise the game, each team stalking the other, ready to pounce on any mistakes.
Kroos and header
It’s the World Cup’s best player, Toni Kroos, who makes the first big mistake. In the 21st minute, a temporary loss of concentration causes horror on the German side and moments later disillusionment on the side of the Argentineans. Kroos wants to head the ball back to Neuer, but Gonzalo Higuain intercepted. The striker was one-on-one with Neuer, but fires wide. Luckily, the ball flew a metre wide of the left post. And breathe. Kroos still finds that a sobering moment even today. He was asked more than once what he was thinking in that moment. His answer: “It’s still 0-0, its still on!” and something more detailed: “thank god he shot in the direction of the corner flag.”
Excursion over, back to the game. Germany begin to take more and more of the initiative and are more successful in keeping the ball away from Manuel Neuer’s goal. That is until the 36th minute: corner Argentina. Harmless as Neuer plucks the ball out the air. And then it all happens quickly, as the number one gives the ball to Schweinsteiger on the left, who feeds Schürrle. He takes the ball over the halfway line and gives it to Thomas Müller before sprinting on. Müller beats Pablo Zabaleta, reaches the by-line, lifts his head and sees the run of Schürrle who has run half the length of the pitch before shooting. Sergio Romero saves, the first big moment comes to nothing.
The final minutes before the break belong to Germany. Javier Mascherano has the ball in the 43rd minute and wants to pass to Lionel Messi. Klose reads the situation, gets in between and begins a counterattack straight out of the coaching manual. Klose gives the ball to Müller on the right, who plays the ball to Mesut Özil with his second touch. Özil advances into the penalty area, turns and lays the ball off to Kroos. 18 yards out, the situation seems tailor made for the placed shot. But Kroos doesn’t get a clean connection, no problem for Romero.
Höwedes and wood
Germany had the biggest chance in injury time. Corner. A pre-planned routine. A new strength. Kroos plays the ball and everyone moves up. Boateng, Hummels, Höwedes. Höwedes loses Demichelis, takes three small steps and puts everything he has into the header. Head connects with ball, then ball connects with post. Fun fact – the noise could be heard in top tier. Höwedes remembers: “I had a free run at the header, I just had to jump backwards a little. That’s why it appears so odd, but it was a huge chance. It really bugged me that I didn’t score there. I was really angry on the way in for halftime.”
17 minutes later and we’re back underway with the second half. And again it’s the Argentines with the first opportunity. It was Lionel Messi who got free down the left in the 47th minute and came face-to-face with Neuer. The angle is tight, Neuer makes himself big, Messi misses.
The pattern of the first half repeated itself after 60 minutes when Germany again got into the game and found chances. In the 62nd minute, Klose put Demichelis under pressure, stole the ball from behind his former Bayern teammate and played it to Kroos. And the quick counter worked again. Kroos set Schürrle away who ran a few metres along the by-line, lifted his head up and passed inside to Özil. All good until the shot. Özil can’t control the ball and in a hurry shoots with his left foot and sees the ball go left of the goal.
The next chance came in the 80th minute with Phillip Lahm as the instigator. The captain took the ball into midfield and then beyond, before playing it out right to Özil. He sees the gaping hole in front of the Argentine defence and plays the ball to Kroos. Kroos measures up. Too precise? No, not precise enough. The ball goes barely 30 centimetres past the left-hand post.
Mario and Messi
88th minute, and Löw wants to make a change. Miroslav Klose leaves the big stage to be replaced by Mario Götze. The coach whispers something to him, and today the world knows what Joachim Löw said to him: “show the world that you are better than Messi!”
90th minute, injury time, final whistle. Extra time. Whistle. And straight to the high point and the 113th minute. Boateng has the ball, passes it to Hummels who leaves it for Kroos to do the build-up play. Kroos finds Schürrle on the left. Schürrle immediately gives the ball back to Kroos. Schürrle moves into the middle, stops and then goes back to the wing. The ball is again at Schürrle’s feet and he increases the tempo by moving forward down the wing. At the same time Götze is quickening his pace in the inside-left position. Schürrle and Götze cross paths and are now at full pace. Schürrle is pressed by Pablo Zabaleta and Javier Mascherano as he plays the ball with his left foot into the penalty area, slicing through the argentine defence like a knife through butter.
What follows is footballing perfection and in that second, better than Messi. Götze controls the ball with his chest, the crowning moment imminent. Götze knocks the ball past Romero on the volley and into the goal. It is the goal that brought happiness, the moment when Germany became World Champions, the moment when the Maracanã erupted. The moment that Merkel and Gauck spoke about, the moment which moved the whole of Germany to delirium.
