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 Hatched from the agony of their recent near-misses, Germany's
triumph secured a fourth World Cup title - their first since the
country was reunited 24 years ago - with a nail-biting 1-0 win in
Sunday's final at the sprawling Maracana.
The win, sealed by substitute Goetze's brilliantly taken strike in
the 113th minute, marked the first time a European country had won
the sport's greatest prize in the Americas, although this World Cup
was ultimately a triumph for all.
"We have been together for 55 days but the work started 10 years ago
with (former national team manager) Juergen Klinsmann," said Germany
coach Joachim Loew.
"We did everything to experience this day. The team really deserved
it. No one deserved it more than us."
 The Argentina team, their homeland still recovering from a crippling
debt crisis, were brave in defeat and with a bit more luck might
well have won the greatest prize in sport.
They squandered a string of chances but lost no admirers in a match
that was full of end-to-end action and unrelenting tension over two
hours.
"I am very proud. The boys played an extraordinary World Cup," said
Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella.
"Over and above the pain of a defeat, they can look each other in
the eye, they can look in the mirror and know they gave their all
for Argentina."
CARNIVAL ATMOSPHERE
Hosts Brazil did not make the final, finishing fourth as they
buckled under the weight of expectation with two humbling losses,
including a 7-1 semi-final thrashing by Germany, but never has the
samba nation shone so brightly on the world stage.
Magnanimous in defeat, Brazil proved all the doubters wrong by
delivering a World Cup in which some breathtaking action on the
pitch was matched only by the contagious carnival atmosphere that
infected everyone in the country from the favelas to the golden
sands of Copacabana Beach and the jungles of the Amazon.
Brazilians put aside their complaints about the $11 billion price
tag by embracing the month-long tournament, welcoming thousands of
visitors to their home in a spectacular dress rehearsal for the 2016
Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
 The finals set a host of records for global television audiences and
social media activity, with even the United States President Barack
Obama getting swept up in the excitement, tweeting about the
tournament from Air Force One after watching the Americans qualify
for the second round.
The U.S. did not go any further but their time may come. More than
any other World Cup, the tournament in Brazil was a massive hit in
the Land of the Free, whose irreverence to the global game is now a
thing of the past.
Americans were among the biggest and most enthusiastic supporters of
an event that saw almost 3.5 million spectators come through the
gates, including A-List celebrities LeBron James, Tom Brady and his
wife Giselle Buendchen, Mick Jagger, David Beckham, Ashton Kucher
and Rihanna.
On the pitch, the outstanding tournament produced 171 goals to equal
the record set at the 1998 finals in France.
CLASSIC SHOWDOWN
While teams like Costa Rica, Colombia, the U.S., Belgium and Algeria
all made the knockout rounds, the new kids on the block will have to
wait for glory, with Sunday's final producing a showdown between two
of the game's traditional powerhouses.
Germany and Argentina were meeting in the final for the third time,
with the South Americans winning 3-2 in Mexico City in 1986 then the
Europeans triumphing 1-0 in Rome four years later in what was their
last appearance as West Germany.
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Germany went into Sunday's final as strong favorites after
demolishing Brazil in the semi-finals but had to shed blood, sweat
and tears to see off a resilient Argentina side that was left to rue
at least three golden opportunities to score.
Striker Gonzalo Higuain shot wide when gifted a chance by a careless
header towards his own goal from Toni Kroos and also had a goal
disallowed for offside in the first half.
Argentina captain Lionel Messi missed the target in the second
period with an angled shot from inside the box.
Substitute Rodrigo Palacio then misdirected his lob in extra time
over the head of advancing Manuel Neuer, who won the Golden Glove as
the best goalkeeper of the tournament.
SCANT CONSOLATION
Messi won the Golden Ball as the best player at the finals but it
was scant consolation for missing out on the big prize.
"Bitterness, sadness. We deserved a bit more after the match we
played," said the Argentina captain. "We are hurting because we had
chances. Even if they had more possession, we had the clearest
chance.
"Today was the day (to win). We didn't have luck, and we weren't
able to apply the finishing touch. We had clear chances but we
couldn't do it."
On being awarded the Golden Ball, Messi added: "It's a sad prize
which I won, because we wanted to lift the trophy for Argentina."
Germany hit the post just before halftime from a powerful header by
Benedikt Hoewedes and the match had seemed destined to go to a
penalty shootout until Goetze's stunning winner.
Fellow substitute Andre Schuerrle escaped down the left and fired in
a cross that Goetze controlled on his chest before volleying into
the net, igniting a roar from the German fans in the stands and the
thousands at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.
When Germany's players climbed the steps to receive the trophy, with
the country having lost in the semi-finals in 2006 and 2010 and the
final in 2002, they filed past 10 heads of state, including Brazil's
President Dilma Rousseff, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and
Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, who will host the next
World Cup in 2018.
Germany captain Philipp Lahm summed up an emotional night for
himself and his triumphant team mates by saying: "It feels
incredible. What we did for 120 minutes, the way we worked so hard,
and the way the bench was backing us the whole time.
"You‘ve got to have the best team. We got better in each match and
didn't let ourselves be distracted. It's unbelievable to have won
the World Cup," he added after the world champions were showered
with confetti to mark their success.
(Reporting by Julian Linden; editing by Ken Ferris)
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