MAGICAL WIN BY GERMAN MACHINE
By Recah Trinidad
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 15 Jul 2014
HE materialized out of nowhere, maybe not from the dugout of the German national football team that had been feared for its unforgiving regimented style of play.
A sweet-faced substitute wearing a baby beard stole his way between two frantic Argentinian chasers, collected a pass with his chest, and scored on a winged attack from left of the box to win the World Cup for Germany, 1-0, over Argentina in Brazil yesterday.
The golden goal came during the extra period, the 113th minute of the grinding final match, seven minutes away from a prospective penalty shoot-out.
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Mario Gotze, 22, was praised for his calm and composure.
The shot was also called a product of perfect technique.
Great, indeed, but what apparently escaped the naked eye was the dare-deviltry, the prodigious leap that helped the silent substitute score from a precarious angle.
Gotze was both cool and precise.
But he, above all, was magically creative.
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Gotze, in fact, stood out as a fresh curiosity in the normally dry, mechanical German team set-up.
Anyway, at its perplexing best, it could seem that some unseen hand had plucked Cotze from somewhere up there and placed him in the right place at the right time.
It?s odd though because, if there was a team that could most likely benefit from faith or some unseen hand, it should be Argentina, mother nation of the well-loved Pope Francis.
For the record, not a few kibitzers had been overheard to wonder if the Pope, who had been rumored contemplating on possibly attending the World Cup Final, would also try ?his Hotline to Heaven.?
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Seriously, if Gotze did appear out of the ordinary, it must be traced to what German coach Joachim Low had been claiming ahead of the championship about the complete transition for a group of emerging players.
?Ominously, match winner Gotze symbolized the next generation of German players that coach Low declared would dominate for years to come,? the BBC noted.
That symbolic style, faintly German, was visibly thick with the magical Latino element patented by Pele for Brazil and next by Maradona for Argentina.
It could not be determined if coach Low, once the record revelry subsides, would dare inject that pervasive ingredient permanently into the emerging breed of German winners.
Photo: Mario G?tze (L) scores for Germany at the 113' of the time extension during their finals match against Argentina to seal the victory.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Recah Trinidad.
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