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  )

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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)

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World Cup champion Germany expects to keep machine rolling into Euro 2016

World Cup champion Germany expects to keep machine rolling into Euro 2016 – There are different levels of satisfaction in winning the World Cup. It is the peak of rapture for every victor, the greatest feeling in soccer, the pinnacle of a career, in many cases the end of a long and exhausting journey.

But for others it is merely the beginning, the fuel for more success, more nights like these, more chances to show they are the best. In the heady moments following Sunday's World Cup final, this was how it seemed for Germany, a team that was delighted with collecting the trophy but by no means surprised by it. It's a team that fully believes it can form a dynasty, much in the same way Spain reigned over soccer right up until its first game of this tournament.

Substitute Mario Goetze was the hero with the only goal against Argentina at the Maracana Stadium and Joachim Loew served as the wily architect of triumph, yet everyone in the Germany set-up has his place and knows it; and, most important of all, executes it with diligence and commitment. 

Mario Gotze became a national hero in Germany. (Reuters) 

Loew talks about his program as a consistent action in progress, not a peaking roller coaster defined by the rigid nature of major tournament scheduling. Now that Germany is at the top, he wants it to stay there.

"This was a result of 10 years of preparation and tough work," Loew said. "And a team spirit which is unbelievable. This team has a marvelous technical capacity and they have the willpower to carry this out. For that reason we made it today and are proud."

Loew has been with Germany since his days as an assistant to Jurgen Klinsmann in the run-up to the 2006 World Cup and took sole command following that tournament. It is an extraordinarily long run for a national team leader but you can't think that he will step down now, there might be a nationwide revolt if he tried to.

Next up is the European Championships in France in 2016 and on the basis of this past month, Germany will be an immediate and automatic favorite for it. And why not?

So many things point to an embarrassment of riches when it comes to talent, no expression of that greater than Loew's "boy wonder" Goetze being implemented as a substitute when he would likely start for any other team in the tournament.

It is not an old team by any means either; Goetze, Toni Kroos, Manuel Neuer and Mats Hummels might be hitting their peak when the World Cup rolls its merry way to Russia four years from now.

Most important of all, it is a team that has found a system that no one has an answer for. It borrows heavily from the Spain team that began its glut of success at Euro 2008 and passed its way to perfection at three straight major tournaments. But even if Germany was not the sole inventor of the style that it used to pummel Portugal, France, Brazil and Argentina by a collective margin of 13 goals to one, then it deserves credit for being the only team able to effectively copy it, or a version of it.

Passing efficiency isn't the sexiest thing in soccer, neither is seamless teamwork, but in the modern game they are the most important factors. That is why Cristiano Ronaldo has been idle these past three weeks while Germany has the party of parties awaiting it in Berlin on Tuesday.

It hasn't always been easy. Germany was good, seriously good, at all the three tournaments Spain won, but fell short in one final and two semis. Loew had to convince his players to keep believing in the system.

"We have made constant progress even though we didn't make this ultimate step before," Loew added. "We believed in it and worked a lot for it. This team deserves it.

"In my time over these 10 years they have been with us, we were disappointed once or twice, but we have always played good football. We showed the best performance of all teams for seven matches and that is why we are so happy."

Happiness is one thing, contentment is another. This German machine isn't content yet. It wants more, and everyone else should watch out. ( sports.yahoo.com )

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