Victory of wills

As the German players danced gleefully around the trophy, you would have been forgiven you got the impression that it all had been be dead easy. The World Cup was standing on the pitch and the German players were doing a wild dance around it, arms flailing in the air.

Germany's moment of great joy unleashed reserves of energy that had looked long consumed after a match that turned out to be a real battle. After a 120-minute-long battle of attrition, the scars were visible. Bastian Schweinsteiger sported a cut on his right cheek. Schweinsteiger hit the ground many times in this game, sometimes as a result of hard tackles, sometimes due to cramp. But as Schweinsteiger picked himself up over and over, he became an example but also a symbol for the evening.

After he returned to the pitch after requiring treatment on the sidelines to stop the bleeding from that cut - to a roar of approval from the German fans present - the German team showed what it is made of. They dug deep against Argentina, an opponent that was just as strong - battling on to avoid an impending penalty shootout - and against their own exhaustion.

Yet again, Germany gave it everything they had in extra time - and got their just rewards. Andre Schürrle, on the wing, crossed in to Mario Götze who tucked the ball home from close range.

Fighting Spirit

It was the killer blow for the Argentina team - and the deserved rewards for a selfless and battling Germany side, which truly earned title of world champions.

This was a match that hung in the balance for long spells. Both teams had their fair-share of unforced errors, but neither side could take advantage. As the game went on, one thing became clear: first goal wins.

Germany got that goal because they simply wanted it more. The Germans were prepared to push themselves beyond the limits of exhaustion. The same applies to the national team's head coach Joachim Löw. The man has always polarized opinion because of his tactical stubbornness and his insistence on a particular format for the team.

Like his team, Löw too went through a process of growth that was not always smooth, but always had one target in mind - success. Löw has taken a gifted generation of players and formed them into a real team, with all egos checked at the door. But he deserves even more praise for the fact that he was prepared to question the very idea of playing aesthetically pleasing football and to change strategy in the middle of the tournament. He did so with one goal in mind - winning the World Cup. Hats off to you Coach Löw, you've reached your goal!