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World Cup Final: Argentina vs. Germany (SBI Live Match Commentary)

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By IVES GALARCEP

RIO de JANEIRO– Argentina and Germany square off at the Maracana today in the 2014 World Cup Final.

Germany will look to become the third team to win four World Cup titles today as they try and stop Lionel Messi and Argentina, which look for a third World Cup crown.

SBI will be providing live commentary on today’s final, so please feel free to follow the action with us. As always, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.

Enjoy the action.

Live Blog World Cup Final: SBI Live Match Commentary

Comments

  1. I have no idea why American tv people can not get Toni Kroos’s name right.

    It is not cruise, like Tom Cruise, or let’s go on a cruise. It is Crose, Rhymes with close, like, that was close.

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  2. And, outside of the game proper, that was literally the worst telecast of a major championship sporting event I can recall seeing.

    It was especially horrid extra time after Goetze scored. I didn’t even have a team, but I did want to *watch the game*–the shots of people in Lederhosen, people in silly wigs, that poor sad Argentine boy, all while the game was actually being played. At one point Germany had a thrown-in on the far touchline in their own half, we saw extended shots of the fans and really anything but the game, and then Argentina had a throw at the half line. No game shots between.

    At another point, Germany had the ball, we saw fan shots, and then the cut was to Argentina just then carrying the ball into the attacking third. How did that happen? How did they get the ball? Who’s now in and out of position? Is the tension building, or was this an outlet? Oh yes, forgot, what I really care about is some ubermensch joker.

    To put it another way, literally 27 seconds of minute 120 (i.e. 1:19:00-1:19;59) were not of the actual soccer game. Nearly half the final regulation minute of a World Cup final is spent on fans’ reactions to soccer, not to soccer itself.

    Other lowlights included Ian Darke’s butchering of Higuain’s name (it’s not Hi-GWAIN, Ian, it’s ee–gwai–EEN) and Toni Kroos’ names, although he fixed Kroos by halftime.

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      • I think mario is on to something. Could we get “possession” stats that reflect how much camera time the fans versus the players get? It’s what’s lacking in post-game analysis.

      • ESPN is not in the business of broadcasting coaching analysis game tapes.

        If you can’t find those on line somewhere then go to the game.

        Broadcasters like ESPN are selling broadcast time to advertisers. The idea is to fit the game somewhere between the commercials.

    • I mean the feed from FIFA sucked sometimes but it was okay for this game. The director made some wierd choices sometimes.

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    • I bet you complain a whole lot if you find ways to complain about Ian Darke… Dude is one of the best commentators in the biz and we’re lucky to have him doing most of the key games in the Cup.

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  3. Messi is a great player… but the Golden Ball is a complete joke. For what? Goals aganst Nigeria and Iran?

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      • True, but you could say the same about frigging John Brooks.

        If Argentina goes out there, then they should be shot dead. That is no group at all. Helping avoid defeat to utter mediocrity, and contributing nothing in the final three rounds is not Golden Ball-worthy

      • Messi go them to the final.

        Which is not a bad result for a crap team that were clearly inferior to Germany.

        I don’t think he should have won the Golden Ball but he wasn’t
        the failure you portray him to be.

      • “True, but you could say the same about frigging John Brooks”

        Not the same thing. Brooks did not play again after Ghana and Messi got them all the way to the final.

        Messi is a superior player who plays on a superior team in Spain. He does his “thing” maybe better than anyone ever has and that can get a team very far but his “thing” does NOT include dragging a mediocre team past a superior team in a big time final. Leo got little help in finishing off the Germans.

        Higuain and Palacios showed you all why Wondo’s miss was not all that unusual

        Maradona would have destroyed this German team on is own but Leo is not and never has been that kind of player.

      • Messi simply did not get them to the final. Totally false. He got them out of a mediocre group and that’s where his contribution became absolutely marginal. Invisible in quarterfinals. Even more invisible vs. Netherlands in semifinal. And fluffed his one 1-2 lines in the final. Mascherano, Demichelis, even Romero… they got them to the final. Messi fluffed the few lines he had.

        Everybody knows he is a superior player. Amazing. But he doesn’t deserve credit for things he could’ve done with better service. He gets plenty of that anyway.

      • How much effort and energy did Switzerland, Belgium and Holland expend holding Messi down?

        Where else would Argentina’s offense have come from? Di Maria, their only other credible offensive threat went down after 33 minutes vs Belgium, Arguero was never fit, Palacios, an Higuain showed their mettle vs. Germany

        Messi’s pass resulted in Di Maria’s goal vs Switzerland. And ask the Argentinean players if they beat Belgium without Messi.

        I see no reason to think Argentina get to the final w/o Messi. Getting to the final was a team effort but one that was heavily dependent of Messi being who he is.

      • All true. He’s good. But Golden Ball is about extraordinary achievement. It just isn’t there this time for Messi. Ask the Argentina players if they could’ve done it without Mascherano, Demichelis, etc. and you would get the same answer about them.

        A good team effort. Messi helped at least wear out some defenders and participated in a QF goal. Very nice work… He belonged on the field and contributed. So did numerous others on numerous teams.

        But you can’t possibly convince me that an attacking player– with ZERO defensive responsibilities (or contributions really) — was even the most valuable player on his team, when that team scored one goal in the final three rounds of the World Cup. Doesn’t pass the red-face test.

        Time to show some respect for the guys who somehow held Netherlands and Germany to zero goals in regulation (Spain and Brazil conceded a combined 12 in their respective encounters). Messi did his job but he really did not do this. The guys in the trenches carried them to the final… Messi was a nice distraction.

        I accept that he was a valuable contributor but Golden Ball? C’mon GW… You don’t believe that! 🙂

      • DM,

        Did you bother to actually read what I wrote? I wrote and I quote;

        “I don’t think he should have won the Golden Ball but he wasn’t
        the failure you portray him to be.”

      • Ok ok. That’s fair. My bad, GW.

        I think I’m good on this topic for now. Let’s move along.

  4. Nice compact play attacking the penalty area’s by both teams. That Goetze goal was a great example of getting into the penalty area and the ball arriving. Good things happen when you get players and the ball into the penalty area. Germany and the Bundesliga won this World Cup. Germany did there fair share of crossing by getting out wide, but they got deep on the wing. When Germany got deep in the wing it allows players to get into the penalty area (like a mini corner kick). Germany was responsible to press high while at the same time getting back to there own half in compact numbers. Could be a blue print for youth soccer here in the USA. I remember coaches saying, “spread out…do not bunch up”, that was wrong. You see, youth soccer is not much different from adult soccer. It’s still the same game.

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      • Moderation? If William the Terror wants to keep making a fool of himself, why should Ives stop him?

      • Nothing wrong with disliking Messi. Mahesh great when he’s surrounded by a Barca team full of the best players money can buy. Otherwise, not so much. Love to see him have to play week in and week out on a team like Genoa or Stoke City. Nobody would know his name. #overhyped

      • At least I know the difference between “to” and “too.” Maybe it’s not TOO late for you TO repeat the second grade.

    • Surely Messi wants that free kick back. Last chance for ARG ends with a dud (though they missed some good chances and could’ve won the WC).

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  5. It’s too bad casual soccer fans only tune in every four years. The best football in the world is played at the club level in the top leagues, not at the World Cup.

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      • Oh it was legal. He played the ball and Higuain didn’t. The knee was a bit mean. But not shocking when you jump like that.

      • Higuain didn’t ?!? so he was running towards the ball, just because? agree that it was legit and neuer got there first, but to say that higuian didn’t play the ball is a dumb comment.

      • Okay, ill put it another way. He was waiting for the ball to come back down so he could play the ball. Then it got cut out by Neuer.

  6. I can’t believe they started the final an hour earlier than all the other knock out games. I missed the first half
    Argh!

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  7. This is an excellent 0-0 first half. Both sides with great chances. Argentina opting for a more defensive approach (largely successful in preventing dangerous chances till Schurrle’s rocket) and fluid, efficient on the break with Lavezzi and Messi. Germany starting to find their attacking rhythm towards the end of 1H.

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    • I think the pregame injury and then the replacement injury rather messed up Germany’s fluidity. They look like they figured it out again by the end of the hald.

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  8. The USMNT would do well to emulate zonal marking or any other tactic from Germany, as defense is not Their strong suit and containing some of the threats. This could allow USMNT to release a player from some defensive responsibilities. of course Germany’s best defense is their midfield and it’s our greatest liability.

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    • Boateng…we have no player like that. He made exactly zero mistakes today, was incredible in every 1v1 he had. amazing performance

      then they also have Hummels paired with him

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  9. Germany is playing the best compact offense and defense. It led them to the final. Argentina is also a very balanced team. Both teams pursue the middle of penalty area and use the wings when they can. Both teams do not use the wings as a mandatory method of attack like some other English speaking national teams do. What a wonderful display of soccer in this final.

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    • FIFA could learn something from the NCAA, NBA, and NFL. Allow more substitutions and allow a player to be substituted multiple times so if they believe a player has a concussion of any serious injury the medical staff will be able to take him to the locker room for proper evaluation and another player comes in so the opposing the doesn’t have an advantage.

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