By TIM FONTENAULT
When Mario Götze replaced Miroslav Klose in the 88th minute of Sunday’s FIFA World Cup Final, he replaced one of the most historic players in tournament history.
In the 113th minute, Götze made history himself.
The 22-year-old forward took a cross from André Schürrle off his chest and fired it past Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Romero to give Germany a 1-0 lead in extra time. It was the goal kids all over the world dream about, the one they score in their backyards and at local parks hundreds of times during their childhood; it was the goal that won the World Cup.
For his part in winning Germany’s fourth World Cup, Götze earns the SBI Man of the Match award. He wins the award over teammate Jerome Boateng and Argentina’s Javier Mascherano, who both played a big part in the match staying scoreless for so long.
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Does Götze deserve the Man of the Match award, in your opinion? Would you have given it to someone else?
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