Gigantic Goetze lifts Germany to fourth World Cup title

Man of the Match Goetze chested a cross from Andre Schuerrle and volleyed past Sergio Romero for the winner.

Germany, who hammered hosts Brazil 7-1 in the semis, became the first European team to lift the World Cup in the Americas.

Germany won their fourth world title following 1954, 1974 and 1990, then also 1-0 against Argentina, and the first overall since Euro 1996 after several near misses in recent years.

The title was the culmination of an overhaul of Germany's football system at the turn of the century, and the crowning of a golden generation led by Philipp Lahm and Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Argentina, who won the title in 1978 and again in 1986, by beating Germany, had to settle for second as in 1930 and 1990, and superstar Lionel Messi was no real factor in the game.

Messi, Gonzalo Higuain and Rodrigo Palacio wasted first-rate chances while Mats Hummels headed against the post on the other end in front of 74,738 fans including German President Joachim Gauck, Chancellor Angela Merkel, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff.

German coach Joachim Loew had to make a dramatic last-minute change as Sami Khedira was replaced by youngster Christoph Kramer owing to a calf problem in the warm-up. The Borussia Moenchengladbach midfielder Kramer was starting only for the second time in his fifth cap, and had only 12 World Cup minutes to his credit before.

Alejandro Sabella for his part brought on Enzo Perez again for Angel di Maria who remained sidelined with a thigh muscle injury sustained in the quarter-final against Belgium.

Germany enjoyed the possession as expected amid "ole" chants from the German and seemingly many Brazilian fans, but Argentina were not sitting back as in the semis against Dutch and out for the counter attack.

In the seventh, Messi outran Hummels but his low cross from the touchline was cleared by Schweinsteiger with Perez lurking behind, as Argentina clearly tried to expose the left German side with Mesut Oezil and Benedikt Hoewedes.

Unlike in the quarter-final against France and the semi with Brazil the Germans failed to get an early goal against the well-organised Argentine defence which had kept a clean sheet in the previous three knock-out games and was of a different calibre than hapless Brazil.

Toni Kroos almost gifted Argentina the lead. The Bayern Munich midfielder headed the ball back at the centre circle, completely overlooking Higuain who ran at Manuel Neuer but incredibly fluffed his 16m shot wide left.

The Napoli striker Higuain thought he had scored on the half-hour mark when he tapped home Ezequiel Lavezzi's cross but was correctly ruled offside.

Seconds later the unlucky Kramer limped off in more bad news for Germany, replaced by Schuerrle, and their frustration showed when Schweinsteiger and Hoewedes were booked in quick succession by Italian referee Nicola Rizzoli.

In what was now an end to end game, Schuerrle forced Sergi Romero to an outstretched save, Jerome Boateng cleared Messi's dangerous cross in the goalmouth, and an entertaining half ended with Hummels heading against the right post off Kroos' corner-kick.

Sabella brought Sergio Aguero for Lavezzi after the break and Argentina almost stole the lead in the 47th, but Messi shot wide right from a promising position - remaining scoreless in the knock-out stages after getting for of Argentina's goals in the group stage.

Higuain then complained bitterly after a fierce tackle from Neuer who fisted the ball away by leaping over the striker, and even was awarded a free-kick for it.

Javier Mascherano and Aguero were booked within seconds as Argentina comfortably held the opposition at bay which was lacking precision.

But so did Messi by curling wide in the 74th, before Rodrigo Palacio replaced the luckless Higuain and Fernando Gago came on for Perez a few minutes later.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (C) celebrating with German national soccer team players after the FIFA World Cup 2014 final between Germany and Argentina. Photo by EPA/GUIDO BERGMANN

The second World Cup final of all-time top scorer Miroslav Klose ended in the 88th when Goetze took his place, seven minutes after Kroos shot wide right from 18m in the best second-half chance for the Germans.

Goetze himself shot harmlessly in stoppage time to set up 30 additional minutes for the third time in a row in the final, and Argentina's third successive extra time in Brazil.

Schuerrle aimed right at Romero early on and Palacio suddenly found himself unmarked on the other end after Hummels jumped under a cross, but he lobbed wide left over Neuer.

Argentina eventually paid for the missed chances in the 113th.

Schuerrle found space on the left wing to feed Goetze, who showed all his skill by chesting and volleying with his left foot past Romero.

Goetze, who had been dropped from the starting 11 after modest showings in group stage was the hero for good when Messi sent a last free-kick into the Rio night sky.