Mario Goetze has made German jerseys bought before the 2014 World Cup redundant with a moment of magic in the final on Sunday. The diminutive playmaker’s sharp turn and a superb finish ended Germany’s 24-year wait for the big prize, adding one more star to the heart of the country’s football jersey in the process. German fans wouldn’t mind extra euros in buying a new jersey, though.
Goetze’s intervention was critical as both Germany and Argentina looked tired and unprepared for the psychological rigours of the shootout. Having entered the field as a substitute only in the 88th minute, the little fellow had that little bit of extra energy to get into the right place at the right time. Andre Schuerrle, a first-half substitute, also deserves credit for firing in a superb cross from the left that caught the entire Argentine defence napping.
The man of the final said scoring the goal was an “incredible” feeling. “I don’t know how to describe it. It’s a dream come true to win the World Cup, especially in Brazil,” Goetze added. Coach Joachim Loew called his super sub “a miracle boy.” Loew said he had told Goetze to go out and prove that he was better than Messi. A heroic performance in the final wasn’t on the cards for Goetze who was relegated from the first XI after his pathetic show against Algeria in the round of 16. Loew hesitated to use Bastian Schweinsteiger and Sami Khedira, both defensive midfielders, in his playing XI initially. But Goetze’s dip in form forced his hands to try Schweinsteiger and Khedira in the second half of the Algeria match.
The pair clicked to mark the end of the road for the immensely talented Goetze in Brazil.
If Khedira hadn’t been injured during the warm-up before the final or Germany had to protect a lead against Argentina, Goetze might not have taken the field at the Maracana on Sunday. It was Germany’s destiny that a player who wasn’t even born when they last won the trophy in 1990 as West Germany had to be their saviour in 2014.
Goetze also has the cheek to indulge in politically incorrect actions. During his introduction as Bayern Munich player after a controversial transfer from Borussia Dortmund last year, he wore a T-shirt with a gigantic Nike swoosh on it. It was an adroit attempt at ambush marketing at a club in which Adidas has a stake. No German would, however, begrudge the clever little player’s cheeky piece of action on Sunday.
