Germany’s victory in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday night was a victory for design, and the idea that if you take time to carefully invest in your national game, it will bear fruit.
In the age where the individual in football is worshipped more so than ever before – the glorification of the Ballon d’Or, the tedium of Ronaldo v Messi – Germany proved, like Spain before them, in a team sport the collective always thrives.
It was perhaps fitting and symbolic of this generation of German stars that two players set to be part of the national team for the next 10 years – Andre Schurrle and Mario Gotze, aged 23 and 22 respectively – combined for the winning goal.
It is a tale well told: failure at Euro 2000 prompted a commitment from the German Football Association (DFB) to revamp and revolutionise the national game, Jurgen Klinsmann’s appointment in 2004 helping move Die Mannschaft towards a more vibrant, attacking game – his work carried on brilliantly by Joachim Low – and all the while Bundesliga clubs, under close scrutiny from the DFB, investing in their academies.
But events at the Maracana are not a culmination of this mission, but the affirmation of a process several other ‘major’ football nations will surely, if they have any sense, look to mimic.
They were, by a significant margin, the best team at the World Cup and overall played the best football.
Although this was by no means a perfect performance; they were stunned by Ghana in the early rounds and Algeria gave them a fright in the last 16.
That only gives rise to the argument that this group of players will only get better.
Supporting that is the fact Marco Reus, Sven and Lars Bender didn’t make it to Brazil through injury plus you have new Barcelona goalker Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Maximilian Arnold at Wolfsburg, Schalke’s Max Meyer and Leon Goretzka and Hoffenheim’s Kevin Volland all likely to break through by Euro 2016, if there’s enough space in the squad.
Of the starting XI that faced Argentina, seven had played at the last World Cup where Germany fell short in the semi-finals, undone in part by Spain’s greater experience and tournament nous.
The worry for the rest of the world is these players now have such attributes in abundance.
The established nations that fell by the wayside in Brazil early on, Spain, England and Italy, have some serious catching up to do.
Spain had a squad that looked tired and predictable but there is plenty of talent on the horizon to suggest a revival is not far away.
England and Italy did flirt with youth in squad selection, but their main players were the tried and tested individuals who will either have exited or be on their last legs by the time Russia 2016 begins.
The future will be shaped by the past, and there was more than enough to enjoy in Brazil outside of Germany’s commanding displays.
Amid the backdrop of social unrest and disenchantment with FIFA, the world’s govening body were bailed out by the sport they so often toy with the credibility of.
Within the first three days of the competition we had witnessed controversy in Brazil’s opener against Croatia, a goal for Neymar, throwing off some of the shackles of pressure, Spain thrashed 5-1 by an overlooked Dutch side and Costa Rica beating 2010 semi-finalists Uruguay, and beating them well.
The French soon joined the party with an ebullient attacking display against Honduras – enhanced by their 5-2 win over the Swiss five days later, Haris Seferovic’s last-minute winner over Ecuador, Lionel Messi getting off the mark and Portugal and Pepe capitulating at the hands of Germany before Clint Dempsey ensured the USA started how they meant to go on with a goal after 29 seconds.
The second round of group stages arguably stepped it up a notch with Guillermo Ochoa’s heroics against Brazil, Netherlands’ 3-2 win against Australia and that Tim Cahill goal, Chile deepening Spain’s misery, Cameroon’s capitulation, Luis Suarez showing his good side to help eliminate England, Iran holding Argentina until the 91st minute, the ding-dong affair that was Germany 2-2 Ghana, swiftly followed by Silvestre Varela delaying Portugal’s early exit with a 95th minute equaliser to deny the USA a famous win.
It was difficult just to draw breath.
Unsurprisingly the sheer volume of excitement, drama and brilliance led to considerations this tournament could be ranked among the best World Cups of all time.
There was a slight cooling but David Villa bowed out in style for Spain, James Rodriguez turned it on for 45 minutes against Japan, Suarez displayed his very bad side against Italy, while Nigeria’s Ahmed Musa showed Argentina were far from invincible.
As the knockouts began it was difficult to see how it could improve and, in truth, the group stage was where the tournament peaked in terms of thrills.
But then there was Rodriguez’s party piece – a goal that will be replayed for decades, the excellence of Chile running Brazil desperately close, Keylor Navas’ acrobatics in goal for Costa Rica and then the frenzy that was the USA-Belgium.
The intensity gave way to tension by the quarter-finals as the main protaganists made themselves known.
Rodriguez was superb again against Brazil but the Selecao’s physical tactics were too much for the naive Colombians, although Neymar’s injury and Thiago Silva’s second yellow card left the hosts with a wound that never healed.
Argentina, Germany and the Netherlands were just too cute for Belgium, France and Costa Rica and the semi-final line-up was made up of four previous finalists.
Germany then emerged from the pack to destroy the hosts’ great dream, a 7-1 thrashing that cut deep into the heart and soul of Brazilian football.
The final almost encapsulated the tournament as a whole – a frantic, thrilling opening before giving way to a more thoughtful and less bucaneering contest.
The best ever?
Who’s to say, but, boy will we miss it.
