Germany coach Joachim Low hailed Mario Gotze as the “miracle boy” after his extra-time strike sealed victory over Argentina in Sunday’s World Cup final.<\/p>\n
Low also revealed he told Gotze to show the world he was better than Lionel Messi minutes before the substitute came on to score the game’s only goal.<\/p>\n
It gave Germany their fourth success in the tournament and first for 24 years.<\/p>\n
Gotze, 22, said: “It is an unbelievable feeling. You score that goal and you don’t really know what’s happening.”<\/p>\n
Gotze, who began the 2014 Fifa World Cup in Germany’s starting line-up, came on as an 88th-minute substitute for Miroslav Klose in Sunday’s final.<\/p>\n
With seven minutes of extra time remaining, the Bayern Munich midfielder volleyed home with his left foot after controlling Andre Schurrle’s left-wing cross on his chest.<\/p>\n
“He is the wonder who can play in numerous positions, he is the decider who can come on and make a difference,” said Low. “That is what he did.”<\/p>\n
Gotze, who joined Bayern in a \u00a331.5m deal from Borussia Dortmund last summer, added: “It’s indescribable. The dream has become a reality. It is absolutely sensational.”<\/p>\n
Despite being on the losing side in the final, Messi was named as the tournament’s best player.<\/p>\n
Coach Alejandro Sabella said the award was “very deserved”, adding: “He played a great World Cup to get us where he did.”<\/p>\n
Germany counterpart Low, meanwhile, said victory in Brazil was the result of a 10-year project.<\/p>\n
Germany were knocked out at the group stage of Euro 2004 without winning a game but have since reached three semi-finals and two finals at five major championships.<\/p>\n
Before Sunday they had not won a tournament since tasting success in the 1996 European Championships in England.<\/p>\n
“We’ve made constant progress and believed in the project,” said the 54-year-old Low, who became coach in 2006 after stepping up from his role as assistant to Jurgen Klinsmann. “If any group deserves it, it’s this team.”<\/p>\n
Manuel Neuer, who won the Golden Glove award for the best goalkeeper in the tournament, hailed an “unbelievable” moment as the national side lifted the trophy.<\/p>\n
“The team has done superbly, not only the players, but also the team behind the team,” he said.<\/p>\n
Captain Philipp Lahm added: “Whether we have the best individual players or whatever does not matter, you have to have the best team. At the end, you stand there as world champions – an unbelievable feeling.”<\/p>\n
Chelsea forward Schurrle added: “This is the best moment of my life. I had to cry because I was so overcome. I couldn’t stop it. It was always a dream to be a world champion.”<\/p>\n
Centre-back Mats Hummels admitted the players were beginning to think about a penalty shootout before Gotze’s goal.<\/p>\n
“I am still completely trapped in another world, physically too exhausted to be able to rejoice euphorically, but that will come,” he said.<\/p>\n
“You can only be world champions when you act as a team. We wanted to make that clear to everyone the whole time.”<\/p>\n
A record 34.65m Germans watched the World Cup final, according to viewing figures released on Monday.<\/p>\n
The match, broadcast on ARD public television, beat the previous record of 32.57m who had watched the 7-1 semi-final win over Brazil.<\/p>\n
–<\/p>\n
Source: BBC Sport<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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