but I have to admit they sucked me in this year. It has been fun, and this was a great game

They might as well have the two captains come out to midfield and play rock paper scissors as to decide a game of this magnitude on something like penalty shots.

Look for Putie in a few minutes.

Meanwhile

It will be in the US papers for a few days and then won't be heard from until 2018. I find it a giant bore, sorry. The lack of scoring drives me nuts. I'll stick with basketball.

.

Run and shoot, repeat; no planning just run and gun. Zone defense requires more technical planning on both sides, better use of personnel, and is more exciting but often has lower scoring.

Soccer is exciting, the low scores are no problem, it's all perspective. Just like life, enjoy the trip and don't wait until you get to your destination, often you never get there.

Their offense just kept getting stronger.

In the Argentinian's defense, I think there were a lot of uncalled fouls. The strikers were continually taken out before they had a chance to make a run.

Argentina was running on empty in the second half. The best team won, and thank goodness it was with a goal and not kicks.

so he could help out on the other side. Good move by Low.

What the hell happened to Sami Khedira? I was shocked he didn't play.

I guess he got injured in warm ups...



That also happened to Wesley Sneijder.

I guess these warm ups can be deadly.

Calf injury warming up; replaced by Kramer who was concussed early in the game, replaced by Schurrle who set up the winner...not enough midfield depth on that German team.

how far could have we gone if we did not have to play them before the final game?

It's a better description. There are like the possibility of 3 or 4 kinds of games in one match.

from,

a casual observer

the cliche goes "it was a game of two halves". If you need to be formal, 'match' is probably better.

They had a tricky group, had to play in some of the more difficult venues in terms of temperature and humidity, survived a flu scare, beat the two South American football powerhouses in Brazil and Argentina and became the first European team to win the World Cup in the American hemisphere.

Deserved winners in my opinion.

She was hugging and patting her team!1

To a great tournament.

Good for them.

Now I'm really depressed it's over

Why can't it be at least every two years?