Merkel goes for goal with Germany at World Cup final

You half wonder if Germany might apologise for winning the World Cup on Sunday. After the total demolition of the Brazilian side in the semi-final, victorious German footballers tweeted a torrent of sympathy. 

Of course, it is hard to know how much is the work of PR agencies on their behalf, but the sentiment was out there and appreciated. 

"Brazil, I love you", "Brazil will always be the land of soccer" and "You have a beautiful country, wonderful people and amazing footballers" - so tweeted the victorious German footballers in an out-pouring of magnanimity which won them friends.

Germans remain uneasy about gloating - but perhaps less uneasy after Sunday.

 

Thousands have flocked to Berlin's Fan Mile to watch Germany's successful run in the competition 

In the run-up, it is true the flag has been flown from cars and balconies - but not that much in a country that has barely stopped for breath in what seems like the inevitable route to the World Cup final. 

Germans will tell you that triumphal nationalism tied to a round ball is still not fully acceptable. 

Victory assured? But, whatever the qualms, if Germany beats Argentina, there will be tumultuous celebration. It would be the first time a European side has won a World Cup in South America. The team would return to be mobbed by hundreds of thousands at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. 

 

Germans hope for a repeat of the 1974 World Cup, when West Germany's Franz Beckenbauer led his team to victory 

The excitement across Germany is high and rising at the prospect of lifting the World Cup for the fourth time after a long wait (1954, 1974, 1990 were the previous victories, and then only as West Germany). This would be the first time a united Germany has won the title. 

In Berlin, the Fanmeile (Fan Mile) is cordoned off with lines of big screens stretching through the Tiergarten and enough beer and sausage on order to feed 100,000 people. 

Across the country, beer sales are already up 15% this World Cup and a German victory would no doubt empty the barrel. 

Artificial beaches have rows of deckchairs ready for the game. Any restaurant which does not have the obligatory screen will be deserted. 

The stadium at FC Union in Berlin has been converted into a living room after fans were invited to bring their own sofas. There are now 750 of them stretched across the pitch in front of the screen. 

 

A stadium in Berlin has transformed into an open air living room for public viewings of World Cup matches 

 

The Bild front page read "7-1. No words for it!" after Brazil's catastrophic defeat to Germany in the semi-final 

Bild, Germany's most popular newspaper, is devoting acres of space to the World Cup. Headlines are so big they could be read from the Moon - or Argentina. 

There is a universal confidence in Germany that the result will turn out right. Ask anyone and they will say that Germany is a team while Argentina is Messi. 

Close down the Argentinian star, they say, and victory is assured. Probably - but there is many a slip between plan and field. 

Clenched fists The Maracana Stadium in Rio might not feel that hostile at the final. All those friendly tweets to Brazilians might work some sympathy. And Brazil and Argentina are rivals - two big beasts sharing the same turf. 

Angela Merkel will be there and a victory for Germany will be a victory for her. She has tied herself to the team in a way which has brought her support back home. 

 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel posed with the German squad after they beat Portugal in the group stage 

 

Chancellor Merkel's trademark celebratory gesture has been warmly received by fans back home 

After the 4-0 trouncing of Portugal, she was there in the dressing room, posing for selfies and for a team photo. The Forsa polling institute said there was an up-tick in support for her. 

She is not known for public displays of emotion - quite the opposite - but when Germany scores, she has a gesture which has become something of a trademark: she jumps to her feet with both her fists clenched in delight, a bit like a little girl overcome with surprise. 

It is a brilliant image which plays very well on the front pages back home. 

How many times will she rise in delight on Sunday? 

(By Stephen Evans BBC News, Berlin )

READ MORE - Merkel goes for goal with Germany at World Cup final

Soccer-Messi wins Golden Ball, Rodriguez top scorer

Soccer-Messi wins Golden Ball, Rodriguez top scorer - Argentina captainLionel Messi won FIFA's 'Golden Ball' award as the best player of the World Cup after leading his team to Sunday's final, while Colombia forward James Rodriguez finished as the tournament's top scorer with six goals.

Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who kept a clean sheet as his side beat Argentina 1-0 in extra time at the Maracana to claim their fourth World Cup, was awarded the Golden Gloves as the tournament's top keeper.

Four-times World Player of the Year Messi had a quiet game by his standards on Sunday but was the driving force behind Argentina's push to their first World Cup final since 1990.

He scored four of their six goals in the group stage, set up Angel di Maria's winner in the last 16 against Switzerland and shouldered the burden of slotting home Argentina's first penalty in their shootout win over the Netherlands in the semi-finals.

Messi also won four successive man-of-the-match awards against Bosnia, Iran, Argentina and Switzerland.

While some pundits thought Messi looked jaded after the group stage and did not influence his team as much, Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella said he was a deserving winner.

"I think Lionel reached the pantheon of the greats a while back," Sabella told reporters. "Yes, I think he deserved it. He played a great World Cup to get us where he did.

"I think it's very deserved."

Germany forward Thomas Mueller was runner-up to Messi and Netherlands winger Arjen Robben was third.

Mueller also came runner-up behind Rodriquez for the Golden Boot award. The Germany forward finished with five goals, one behind the Colombian.

France midfielder Paul Pogba was named young player of the tournament, while Colombia took the Fair Play Award after receiving just five yellow cards in five matches in Brazil.

FIFA also praised their positive play and the behaviour of their players and officials. (Editing by Ed Osmond and Ken Ferris)

READ MORE - Soccer-Messi wins Golden Ball, Rodriguez top scorer

Messi's World Cup ends on a bitter note

Messi's World Cup ends on a bitter note -- Lionel Messi's final act in the 2014 World Cup was lifting a free kick high over the bar, wasting Argentina's last chance to equalize in the final against Germany.

It was far from a fitting finish for the four-time world player of the year.

This was supposed to be Messi's World Cup, just like the 1986 tournament belonged to another Argentine great, Diego Maradona.

But after carrying his team through the group stage in Brazil with four goals, Messi seemed to run out of steam.

He created chances in the final Sunday but, like the rest of the team, lacked the finishing touch to turn the game for Argentina.

''I'm hurt for losing the way we did. We were close to penalties,'' Messi said. ''I think we deserved a little better, we had chances.''

He was a picture of disappointment as he collected the trophy for the tournament's best player, and then stood in silence at the entrance to the player's tunnel, watching the Germans receive the trophy.

''At this moment, I don't care at all about that prize, only lifting the trophy matters,'' Messi said.

Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella said he thought Messi deserved the best player award, ''because he played an extraordinary role. He was the fundamental factor in the team.''

Messi has won everything there is to win with club team Barcelona, but many critics say he needs a World Cup title to be considered among football's all-time greats.

''He's been there for quite a while already, in the pantheon of the greats,'' Sabella said, when asked to compare Messi with players like Maradona and Brazil's Pele.

Germany's goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, recipient of the Golden Glove trophy, stands next to Argentina's Lionel Messi after he receive the Golden Ball trophy following Germany's 1-0 victory over Argentina after the World Cup final soccer match between Germany and Argentina at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, July 13, 2014. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Messi stood out in an otherwise mediocre Argentine team in the group stage, scoring against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iran and twice against Nigeria.

The free kick he curled inside Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama's left post was a masterpiece. Then, game by game, Messi's influence started waning.

Against Switzerland he had little impact until extra time, when he drilled a hole in the Swiss defense and set up Angel Di Maria's winning goal. In the next game, against Belgium, he started the movement that resulted in Gonzalo Higuain's first-half winner and helped Argentina keep possession as the Belgians tried to level the score.

Man-marked by Nigel de Jong, Messi struggled to find space in the semifinal win over the Netherlands, and besides a few runs and deft passes into the area against Germany, he didn't rise to the occasion.

His last chance came in the final seconds of extra time as he was given a free kick about 10 meters (yards) from the area. Messi wiped the sweat off his face, took aim and sent his final shot of the World Cup well over the target. ( sports.yahoo.com  )

READ MORE - Messi's World Cup ends on a bitter note

Lionel Messi's World Cup final was full of vomit and sadness

(Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)

Lionel Messi's World Cup final was full of vomit and sadness - Before the first half of the World Cup final between Argentina and Germany was even over, Lionel Messi was vomiting. This, unfortunately, is nothing new for Messi, nor is it something that seems to bother him very much. It also was not the low point of his night.

(Getty)

He gave Germany a few scares in the first 45 minutes and he had one last chance to change the result with a free kick in the final seconds of extra time after Germany made it 1-0. But, through no fault of his own, it just wasn't meant to be for Leo Messi as the better team won their fourth World Cup title and beat Argentina in the final rounds of the tournament for the third straight time.

To the surprise of many, Messi was awarded the Golden Ball after carrying Argentina through the group stage with four goals. Yet even this high honor couldn't cheer him up as that crowning achievement — a World Cup title — remains the one thing missing from his overflowing trophy room.

Of course, anyone would be upset after coming just short of winning the World Cup, but for Messi it's so much worse than for any of his teammates. Since establishing himself as one of the greatest players in the history of the game, there has been a sole, droning, inescapable focus for everyone who knows his name. "When's he going to win a World Cup? He needs to win a World Cup. Why can't he do it at the World Cup? World Cup, World Cup, World Cup." (That's an exact quote, by the way.)

So to stand on the pitch and watch Germany celebrate meant more than just one major loss for Messi. It also the start of at least four more years — if not a whole lifetime — of being prodded with obsessively critical World Cup talk. "Yeah, all that amazing stuff you constantly do every year is great, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE WORLD CUP?" And after coming this close, it will probably take it to a new level.

Keep that in mind as you look at these pictures of Messi after the match...

"Your kindness is both infuriating and so comforting, Bastian. I don't want anymore hugs right now, but maybe in a few hours we can build a Lego pirate ship together if you're not too busy being happier than I am."

"Maybe I'll throw my runner-up medal as hard as I can just to show how little second place means to me. ... Nah, I'll probably just keep it and auction it off for charity at some point. That would be nice."

"I'm going to call this my Golden Ball of Sadness."

"I'd rather wear that itchy turtleneck that grandma made for my birthday last year than this medal. Hopefully Sepp Blatter doesn't ask why I'm not wearing the medal he gave me like she does with that turtleneck every time I see her."

"Maybe I should change my name to Sven Guacamole and start a new life as a school counselor."

"Nah. The kids at the school would probably still ask me why I haven't won a World Cup even if they don't know who I am." ( sports.yahoo.com )

READ MORE - Lionel Messi's World Cup final was full of vomit and sadness

Germany wins terrifically entertaining World Cup

Germany wins terrifically entertaining World Cup -- Germany won the World Cup. Host Brazil won a world of new friends.

The now four-time world champions, the first European team to win it on South American soil, earned the honor of lifting the most recognized trophy in sports with a tooth-and-nail 1-0 victory in a final as terrifically entertaining as the tournament itself.

For a 32-day showcase of football at its best, the winning goal was beautifully appropriate. Mario Goetze controlled the ball with his chest and then volleyed it into the Argentine goal, making difficult skills look so simple. Scored in the 113th minute, the mortal blow left Argentina too little time to recover.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, sat in the VIP section with other world leaders, waved a clenched fist as Goetze celebrated. When referee Nicola Rizzoli blew the final whistle a few minutes later, Vladimir Putin reached across and shook Merkel's hand. The Russian president's country hosts the next World Cup in 2018.

Sepp Blatter, president of World Cup organizer FIFA, and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff embraced as Germany's players went crazy with joy and Argentina's wept.

One of the ironies of this World Cup is that even though the tournament will be remembered as a resounding success, it was a headache for Rousseff and Blatter to the end.

As they handed over the gold trophy to Germany captain Philipp Lahm, the Maracana Stadium echoed with an insulting chant aimed at the Brazilian president. There were resounding boos, too, when she was shown shaking the hand of losing coach Alejandro Sabella. Such protests were also heard at other stadiums during the tournament, demonstrating how the party atmosphere was really only a thin veneer for grave public misgivings about $13 billion of spending on cup preparations.

As sunset-pink clouds made way for night, and the teams treated the watching world to 30 minutes of extra time because they were still scoreless after 90 minutes, the iconic Maracana bathed in light looked like a spaceship landed between the hills, high-rises and favelas of Rio de Janeiro.

The 74,738 fans had a ball, especially Germans and Brazilians who didn't want Argentina, their neighbor and fiercest football rival, to win a third world title. They drowned out the Argentine fans' tireless, jaunty singing with piercing whistles and shouted ''Ole!'' when Germany players' had the ball, weaving their game of intricate passing.

The biggest game in football attracted a good sprinkling of celebrities. David Beckham hugged Pele. Supermodel Gisele Bundchen snuggled with her husband, NFL star Tom Brady. Rolling Stones front-man Mick Jagger was there, too.

Even with tired legs as they played into extra time, the two exquisitely matched teams gave and sought no quarter. Germany brought brawn, its intricate passing and movement and tireless determination to attack and attack again. Argentina responded with bruising defense and craftiness and could have won had its players not wasted chances.

For the highest stakes in football, players bruised body and soul. German midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger was carrying a cut under his right eye as he walked up with his teammates to collect the trophy. Midfielder Christoph Kramer played on for 14 minutes with a suspected concussion before he was replaced by Andre Schuerrle. It was Schuerrle who provided the cross that Goetze controlled so magically. Kramer's head injury was the last in a series at this World Cup that will put pressure on football to better protect players from concussion. ( The Associated Press )

READ MORE - Germany wins terrifically entertaining World Cup

Messi's World Cup ends on a bitter note

Messi's World Cup ends on a bitter note -- Lionel Messi's final act in the 2014 World Cup was lifting a free kick high over the bar, wasting Argentina's last chance to equalize in the final against Germany.

It was far from a fitting finish for the four-time world player of the year.

This was supposed to be Messi's World Cup, just like the 1986 tournament belonged to another Argentine great, Diego Maradona.

But after carrying his team through the group stage in Brazil with four goals, Messi seemed to run out of steam.

He created chances in the final Sunday but, like the rest of the team, lacked the finishing touch to turn the game for Argentina.

''I'm hurt for losing the way we did. We were close to penalties,'' Messi said. ''I think we deserved a little better, we had chances.''

He was a picture of disappointment as he collected the trophy for the tournament's best player, and then stood in silence at the entrance to the player's tunnel, watching the Germans receive the trophy.

''At this moment, I don't care at all about that prize, only lifting the trophy matters,'' Messi said.

Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella said he thought Messi deserved the best player award, ''because he played an extraordinary role. He was the fundamental factor in the team.''

Messi has won everything there is to win with club team Barcelona, but many critics say he needs a World Cup title to be considered among football's all-time greats.

''He's been there for quite a while already, in the pantheon of the greats,'' Sabella said, when asked to compare Messi with players like Maradona and Brazil's Pele.

Germany's goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, recipient of the Golden Glove trophy, stands next to Argentina's Lionel Messi after he receive the Golden Ball trophy following Germany's 1-0 victory over Argentina after the World Cup final soccer match between Germany and Argentina at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, July 13, 2014. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Messi stood out in an otherwise mediocre Argentine team in the group stage, scoring against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iran and twice against Nigeria.

The free kick he curled inside Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama's left post was a masterpiece. Then, game by game, Messi's influence started waning.

Against Switzerland he had little impact until extra time, when he drilled a hole in the Swiss defense and set up Angel Di Maria's winning goal. In the next game, against Belgium, he started the movement that resulted in Gonzalo Higuain's first-half winner and helped Argentina keep possession as the Belgians tried to level the score.

Man-marked by Nigel de Jong, Messi struggled to find space in the semifinal win over the Netherlands, and besides a few runs and deft passes into the area against Germany, he didn't rise to the occasion.

His last chance came in the final seconds of extra time as he was given a free kick about 10 meters (yards) from the area. Messi wiped the sweat off his face, took aim and sent his final shot of the World Cup well over the target. (Associated Press)

READ MORE - Messi's World Cup ends on a bitter note

Germany coach's special message to Mario Goetze helped inspire winning goal

Germany coach's special message to Mario Goetze helped inspire winning goal – Before replacing starting striker Miroslav Klose in the 88th minute of a tense and scoreless World Cup final against Argentina, Germany coach Joachim Loew gave instructions to the substitute. But this wasn't your ordinary marching orders of late-game tactics.

"I said to Mario Goetze, 'OK, show to the world that you're better than [Lionel] Messi, show that you can decide the World Cup,' " Loew recalled.

Show you're better than Messi? Is that all?

Loew's words were half-dare, half-inspirational speech. And, luckily for the Germans, Goetze took every syllable to heart.

The forward from Bayern Munich did what Messi couldn't do – score the winning goal – as he showed off his world-class skill to the millions watching around the globe to secure Germany's fourth World Cup title Sunday night at Maracana Stadium.

Germany's Mario Goetze celebrates with the World Cup trophy. (AP)

Running down the middle of the field, Goetze stopped at the left edge of the 6-yard box, controlled Andre Schurrle's deft cross with his chest, then let the ball drop to his left foot and blasted it past goalkeeper Sergio Romero from the sharpest of angles into the side netting. The 113th-minute strike was all Germany needed in a 1-0 extra-time victory.

For Goetze, the moment was "a dream come true." For Loew, it was just one more stroke of genius.

"Mario Goetze is a miracle boy, a boy wonder who can play any position," Loew said. "He has superior technical quality. I knew he could be decisive in the match. It was a great decider today."

"I'm more than happy," Goetze said. "And I'm happy with the team and what happened here in Brazil. I guess it's more or less indescribable how I feel. It is absolutely sensational."

Goetze's season with his club team Bayern Munich was anything but. After a nearly $50 million transfer from Borussia Dortmund, the 22-year-old battled inconsistency in his first season with the German Bundesliga champions, scoring 15 goals in all competitions.

At the World Cup, Goetze started Germany's first two group games, scoring in a 2-2 draw with Ghana, then found himself on the bench in three of the next four matches, including the previous two knockout-round victories over France and Brazil, as Loew opted to start the 36-year-old Klose.

Goetze credited his support group – girlfriend, family and friends – for continuing to "believe in me" when it seemed Loew didn't.

"I kept on training with the team," Goetze said during his news conference to accept the Man of the Match award. "Every single player deserves to be named here. I think we deserved the [World Cup] trophy."

Loew said he had a hunch Goetze would perform under the most intense pressure in the world's biggest soccer game.

"I had a good feeling about him," Loew said. "And the plan for both teams was similar in a sense that both teams wanted to win the game in regular time. We both wanted to decide the match."

Surprisingly, Mario Goetze decided it, not Lionel Messi. ( sports.yahoo.com )

READ MORE - Germany coach's special message to Mario Goetze helped inspire winning goal

Germany wins World Cup on Goetze's goal

Germany wins World Cup on Goetze's goal -- Mario Goetze produced the piece of individual skill that Lionel Messi couldn't muster.

With two quick, deft touches, Goetze ended Germany's 24-year wait for another World Cup title - and denied Messi the one title he needs to forever take his place among the game's all-time greats.

Goetze scored the winning goal in extra time to give Germany a 1-0 victory over Argentina on Sunday in a tight and tense World Cup final that was decided by one moment of brilliance.

Goetze, who wasn't born when West Germany beat Argentina in the 1990 final, controlled a cross with his chest in the 113th minute and in one fluid motion volleyed the ball past goalkeeper Sergio Romero and inside the far post from five yards out.

It was a goal that gave Germany its fourth World Cup title, equal second with Italy on the list of all-time champions and just behind Brazil's five.

''It's an unbelievable feeling. I don't know how to describe it. You just shoot that goal in, you don't really know what's happening,'' Goetze said. ''And then at the end of the match, having a party with the team, the whole country ... it is for us, a dream come true.''

At the final whistle, Germany players fell into a pile in the middle of the pitch in celebration. Messi walked past them with his hands on his hips - still in the shadow of his compatriot Diego Maradona, who led his country to the 1986 title.

Goetze went on as a substitute for Miroslav Klose toward the end of regulation time and his fresh legs made the difference.

Andre Schuerrle broke down the left flank, sending his cross into the area, and the Bayern Munich midfielder did the rest with a clinical finish. The goal echoed that of Andres Iniesta four years ago, when the midfielder scored in similar fashion but from the other side of the area to give Spain a 1-0 extra-time win over the Netherlands.

According to Germany coach Joachim Loew, it was exactly as he'd planned when he made the substitution.

''I said to Mario Goetze, 'OK, show to the world that you're better than Messi and you can decide the World Cup. You have all the possibilities to do that,''' Loew said. ''I had a good feeling with him.''

Germany became the first European team to win a World Cup in the Americas, and the victory ends a string of near misses since winning its last major title at the 1996 European Championship. The team lost the 2002 World Cup final to Brazil, the Euro 2008 final to Spain and was eliminated in the semifinals in both 2006 and 2010.

Argentina had not been back in the final since that 1990 loss, and has now been beaten by Germany in the last three World Cups.

''This was our chance, and we felt that way. We couldn't do it. We have to lift our heads and suffer the pain,'' Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano said. ''Obviously, the pain is tremendous.''

It is Germany's first World Cup title as a unified nation, having won as West Germany in 1954, 1974 and 1990.

The Germans faced Argentina in both the 1986 and 1990 finals, during Maradona's heyday. This time, they were up against Messi, the four-time world player of the year who has set a slew of scoring records in leading Barcelona to every major club title and is widely considered the best player since Maradona.

But in the biggest game of his career, Messi came up short.

He had one good chance to score when he was sent free in the area just after the halftime break, but sent his shot wide. It was a difficult angle, but still the type of chance he so often converts for Barcelona.

Messi threatened intermittently throughout the match, but was effectively smothered by the German defense. His free kick in the 120th minute went well high.

Messi, who scored four goals in the group stage but none in the knockout rounds, then had to trudge alone up the stairs of the Maracana Stadium to accept the Golden Ball award for the tournament's best player, shaking hands with German Chancellor Angela Merkel along the way.

Shortly afterward, the German team made its way up the stairs for captain Philipp Lahm to raise the hallowed 18-carat gold trophy as confetti rained down and fireworks exploded in the sky.

''It's incredible how hard we worked and what a performance we produced,'' Lahm said. ''It's an incredible feeling.''

Until Goetze's winning goal, the game was more notable for top-class defending than creative attacking, but both teams had their share of chances - particularly in the first half.

Gonzalo Higuain fired wide when gifted a chance in a one-on-one with goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, and later had a goal ruled out for offside.

Germany defender Benedikt Hoewedes hit the post just before halftime with a header.

Germany had entered the game as the favorite after its 7-1 semifinal drubbing of Brazil. But Argentina proved to be an entirely different proposition.

''I'm very proud of the team. They played a great game against a great team,'' Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella said. ''I salute the players, they made the country proud for the championship they played.''

After Germany's last win in 1990, then-coach Franz Beckenbauer predicted that a unified Germany would be ''unbeatable'' in the future. It took 24 years to prove him right but with young players like Goetze, the next wait may not be as long.

''We, I think, deserve this trophy,'' Goetze said.

---

Lineups:

Germany: Manuel Neuer; Philipp Lahm, Mats Hummels, Jerome Boateng, Benedikt Hoewedes; Christoph Kramer (Andre Schuerrle, 31), Bastian Schweinsteiger, Toni Kroos, Mesut Ozil (Per Mertesacker, 120), Thomas Mueller; Miroslav Klose (Mario Goetze, 88).

Argentina: Sergio Romero; Pablo Zabaleta, Martin Demichelis, Ezequiel Garay, Marcos Rojo; Lucas Biglia, Javier Mascherano, Enzo Perez (Fernando Gago, 86); Ezequiel Lavezzi (Sergio Aguero, 46), Gonzalo Higuain (Rodrigo Palacio, 78), Lionel Messi. // ( The Associated Press )

READ MORE - Germany wins World Cup on Goetze's goal

Neymar thankful he's not in a wheelchair now

Neymar thankful he's not in a wheelchair now 

Neymar thankful he's not in a wheelchair now  - Neymar became emotional when talking Thursday about the injury that ruled him out of the World Cup, saying that if the knee to his back had been slightly more to one side he "could be in a wheelchair" right now. 

The Brazil striker cried as he recalled the injury, saying "God blessed" him and prevented a more serious injury. Neymar had to stop talking for several seconds, lowering his head and putting a hand in front of his eyes. 

"It's difficult to talk about a move that (happened) in such an important moment of my career," he said. 

Neymar fractured his third vertebra when defender Juan Camilo Zuniga hit him from behind in a challenge late in the quarterfinal match against Colombia. 

"If it had been 2 centimeters to the center...," he said, struggling to stay composed. "I could be in a wheelchair." 

The 22-year-old striker complained about Zuniga's challenge, although he said the Colombian called to apologize. 

"I don't know if he was trying to hurt me, but if you understand football you know that it was not a normal challenge," Neymar said. "I can't protect myself when I'm not facing the play. The only thing that can protect me from someone coming from behind are the rules. I couldn't protect myself and I ended getting hurt." 

Neymar had been recovering at home but returned to the team's training camp on Thursday. He will travel with the squad to Brasilia to support them in the third-place match against the Netherlands on Saturday. 

Neymar said the injury led to "the worst week of his life," one that culminated — in his absence — with Brazil's 7-1 thrashing by Germany in the semifinals. He said he didn't know how to explain what happened, and that it would be "unfair for this group" to be remembered by that result alone. 

"It would have been all right to lose, but not like this. It was unbelievable, inexplicable," Neymar said. "I don't have the words to explain what happened." 

He said the loss was "part of football," and that he thought Brazil had the potential to rebound and win the next World Cup. 

"We can't lower our heads," he said. "It will hurt for a long time, but better days will come." 

He wished luck to Germany and Argentina in Sunday's final, but said he hopes the South Americans will come out on top. He plays at Barcelona with Argentina stars Lionel Messi and Javier Mascherano. 

"I'm not cheering for Argentina, I'm cheering for my teammates," he said and adding that it would be good for football to have Messi winning a world title. "He deserves to be a world champion," he said. "I'm Messi Football Club." ( republika.co.id )

READ MORE - Neymar thankful he's not in a wheelchair now

Five reasons why Messi stands out in football world

Lionel Messi 

Five reasons why Messi stands out in football world  - A four-time world player of the year, Argentina's Lionel Messi is gifted with talents that most footballers can only dream of. What makes him special is that he possesses not just one or two but a combination of special skills that give him an edge over just about everyone. 

Although he hasn't played brilliantly in every game of this World Cup, Messi's talents have been on display on Argentina's road to Sunday's final against Germany. Here are five traits that explain what makes the Argentina captain so difficult to stop. 

Speed 

There are plenty of players who could outrun Messi in a 100-meter dash. But running with the ball is a different story. Messi can control the ball at close to top speed, making him an excellent dribbler. Also, it's his acceleration rather than his top speed that cuts up defenses. Few defenders can keep up when Messi revs up from standstill, creating space for his left-foot shot. 

Balance 

Like former Argentina great Diego Maradona, Messi uses his short stature to his advantage. His low center of gravity enables him to make quick turns and to stay on his feet when challenged. Often, the only way to knock him off balance is to foul him. Defenders at the World Cup have been taking turns tackling Messi to spread the risk of getting booked around the team. 

Accuracy 

Messi is one of the world's top free-kick takers, striking the ball with impressive accuracy with his magic left foot. Almost always he hits the target or just misses it — you rarely see Messi blast a free kick five meters over the crossbar. In Argentina's final group-stage match, Nigeria gave Messi two free kick opportunities near the penalty area toward the end of the first half. He elegantly curled the first one over the wall, but goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama was well-positioned and stopped it. By the second free kick, Messi had fine-tuned his aim, and struck the ball perfectly inside the post. Enyeama jokingly asked the referees during the break to not give Messi any more free kicks. 

Patience 

Patience is a perhaps and underrated virtue for a football player, and it's one that has served Messi well in the World Cup. Every opponent has come with a plan to stop him, by closing down his space and tackling him as soon as he touches the ball. As a result Messi has looked out of the game for long periods. But instead of hanging his head and getting frustrated, Messi keeps looking for openings, patiently awaiting a moment when defenders take their focus off him for just a split second. That's when he strikes. Against Iran, that moment came in injury time when he scored his second goal of the tournament. Against Switzerland, it happened in extra time as he set up Angel Di Maria's winning goal with a piercing run down the middle. 

Intelligence 

Messi also stands out for his ability to read the game, mapping out paths to the opponent's goal in his mind before the opponent does. That's key to understanding why he's such a prolific scorer. Knowing by instinct where a gap will open up for a quick pass or shot gives him an advantage over others, though it can also complicate things for the team. Sometimes Messi lets chances slip away by being too smart for his Argentina teammates, who aren't in sync with him to the same degree as Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez in Barcelona. ( republika.co.id )

READ MORE - Five reasons why Messi stands out in football world

Messi comes awake to inspire Argentina World Cup win

Messi comes awake to inspire Argentina World Cup win - Lionel Messi scored a brilliant individual goal to bring Argentina out of their slumber and beat Bosnia 2-1 in the Balkan nation's first appearance at the World Cup finals on Sunday.

Argentina's forward and captain Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring his team's second goal at the Maracana Stadium in Rio De Janeiro during the 2014 FIFA World Cup on June 15, 2014 - by Juan Mabromata

After giving away away the fastest own goal in World Cup history -- two minutes and eight seconds -- the Bosnians frustrated Messi and his superstar teammates for much of the Group F clash in a Maracana stadium packed with Argentine fans.

Messi struck in the 64th minute, dancing around Bosnian players on the edge of the penalty area before firing past goalkeeper Asmir Begovic without even looking up to see where the goal was.

With just two minutes on the clock took a free kick on the left wing that Marcos Rojo headed onto the legs of Sead Kolasinac. The ball would have gone wide but the rebound flew past Begovic inton the goal.

Bosnia recovered however, contained Messi and the rest of the Argentine strike force who appeared increasingly frustrated until the Barcelona superstar's second half goal.

Even after going two goals down, Bosnia did not give up.

After 84 minutes, substitute Vedad Ibisevic picked up the ball in the Argentinian penalty area. The ball hit goalkeeper Sergio Romero's legs and trickled into the goal setting up a finale that gave both teams plenty of nervous moments. Messi fired one shot into the side netting with an almost open goal.

Argentina next play Iran in Belo Horizonte on Saturday. Bosnia play Nigeria in Cuiaba the same day. ( msn.com )

READ MORE - Messi comes awake to inspire Argentina World Cup win

Messi's bouts of nausea puzzle world of football

FILE - In this March 5, 2014 file photo, Argentina's Lionel Messi appears to vomit during an international friendly soccer game against Romania on the National Arena stadium in Bucharest, Romania. Messi has vomited at least a half-dozen times with Argentina and club team Barcelona, mystifying doctors and fans alike. (AP Photo, File)

Messi's bouts of nausea puzzle world of football  — Shortly after coming on as a second-half sub in Argentina's last World Cup warm-up, Lionel Messi doubled over and appeared to vomit on the pitch.

He's done it at least a half-dozen times with Argentina and club team Barcelona, mystifying doctors and fans alike.

"Nerves," says Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella, and that's a diagnosis as good as any.

The Argentina captain and four-time world player of the year is under tremendous pressure to lead the Albiceleste to its first World Cup trophy since 1986.

"I reckon that in these moments there is anxiety more than anything," Sabella said before the team departed for Brazil, where it opens its World Cup campaign against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Sunday. "It's difficult to remain calm."

Top athletes throwing up before, during or after a competition is not unusual. Sometimes it's because of the physical stress on their bodies, sometimes because of performance anxiety.

What's unusual about Messi is that it seems to happen quite randomly, not when the pressure would seem the greatest or when he's exhausted himself to the limit.

After Messi threw up less than 10 minutes into a friendly match between Argentina and Romania in March, his coach at Barcelona, Gerardo Martino, said "something is not right," though he added that it wasn't affecting Messi's play.

FILE - In this March 5, 2014 file photo, Argentina's Lionel Messi wipes his mouth after appearing to vomit on the pitch during an international friendly soccer game against Romania on the National Arena stadium in Bucharest, Romania. Messi has vomited at least a half-dozen times with Argentina and club team Barcelona, mystifying doctors and fans alike. (AP Photo, File) ROMANIA OUT

Messi's father Jorge says the player has dealt with it for years. "They've done all the necessary (medical) tests, with great professionals in Barcelona. The doctors say there's nothing to worry about," he said.

This happens not only to him, but also to other great athletes. The professionals say we have nothing to worry about."

Messi made that point clear against Slovenia on Saturday, scoring Argentina's second goal just four minutes after TV cameras showed him dry-heaving and receiving a tablet from the bench.

Similarly, in 2011, he scored for Barcelona after throwing up in the Spanish Super Cup Final against Real Madrid.

Barcelona's medical staff hasn't been able to find the cause. Neither have Argentina's team doctors, nor Messi himself. The decorated forward tends to not make a big deal of it, saying it's just something that happens to him in training, during matches and even when he's at home.

"I don't know what it is. But I had a thousand exams," Messi told Argentine broadcaster TyC Sports earlier this year. "I start to feel nauseous to the point where I almost vomit, and then it goes away."

In those decisive moments that make or break a football career, Messi doesn't show any nerves or lack of confidence. His more than 350 goals for Barcelona, a club record, and 48 goals for Argentina speak for themselves.

But unlike some of the sport's other bright stars, like Portuguese football diva Cristiano Ronaldo or Swedish tough guy Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Messi doesn't act like a superstar off the pitch.

He is a gentle, unassuming person who once told Spanish newspaper El Pais "I'm more concerned with being a good person than being the best footballer in the world."

Still, the pressure on him to be the latter is huge. Even though he's just 26, his impressive record with Barcelona, including six Spanish league and three Champions league titles, has already brought comparisons with all-time greats like Pele and Diego Maradona. His detractors like to point out, though, that unlike those two, Messi has not won a World Cup. He's only scored one goal and never gotten past the quarterfinals in his two attempts on football's biggest stage.

Argentina counts on Messi to do a lot better in Brazil, where the team is considered one of the title favorites much because of him.

Adding to the pressure is the view among many Argentines that Messi, who left the country at 13, doesn't play his heart out for the national team.

That's something Messi admits affects him deeply.

"Argentina is my country, my family, my way of expressing myself," he recently told Spanish sports paper Marca. "I would change all my record to make the people in my country happy." ( Associated Press )

READ MORE - Messi's bouts of nausea puzzle world of football