Posted on 07/12/2014 5:55:02 PM PDT by 1rudeboy
The most entertaining World Cup in a generation comes down to a final match that pits the planet's best player against the tournament's best team.
Lionel Messi will lead Argentina out against Germany at Maracana Stadium on Sunday for a game that will define careers, cement legacies and be watched by a global audience of about a billion viewers.
And it's a matchup that means more to both sides than just a chance to lift one of the most hallowed trophies in sports.
For Messi, it's a chance to firmly make his case for being perhaps the greatest ever to play the world's most popular game. For Germany, it's an opportunity to make up for a number of near-misses over the last decade and re-establish itself as the dominant force in international football.
And then there's the matter of settling a historical score. Argentina and West Germany played each other in two straight World Cup finals in 1986 and '90, games that are well remembered in the sports psyche of both countries. Diego Maradona and Argentina won the first, the Germans took the second. So call this game the tiebreaker.
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35 - 0!
If Germany wins it will be their 4th and will tie them with Italy’s 4 wins.
If Argentina wins, it will be their 3rd and will tie them with Germany’s 3 wins.
Brazil leads with 5 wins.
Only 8 teams have won the World Cup; Brazil 5, Italy 4, Germany 3, Argentina 2, Uruguay 2, France 1, England 1 and Spain 1.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_FIFA_World_Cup_finals
The Un scored 34 of those and a team mate accidentally scored the other. Right after the game that team mate was taken away to a prison re-education work camp along with all of his immediate family and some of his distant relatives.
Football has changed. It used to be a tightly defensive game with few scoring runs and lots of opportunities to deny attackers a shot at goal.
Now football is an attacking sport with the ability to rout team defenses and take full advantage of all shots on goal. It makes the sport more exciting, more vivid and more emotional for fans.
If you don’t keep your eyes peeled on the field, you’re bound to miss something. All the moments add up to a great football game.
Its still the world’s favorite sport but its a much livelier and more interesting game than we have seen in the past. The quality of the athletes and level of play on the pitch has greatly improved.
Brazil 2014 has shown us what the future of the game will be. It will set new records for attendance, growth and scoring throughout the world.
Good problem to have!
It would also be Germany’s first WC as a reunified nation.
I am not a big soccer fan, but I have enjoyed watching the World Cup. The British commentators are the best. They know how to slam someone with a huge insult and make it seem civilized. They seem to know more about the players than anyone else and are not afraid to say what they think.
I’ve watched almost every minute of it. Yes, Argentina have pulled off some impressive wins. My comment had more to do with Germany than with Argentina. Germany is a solid team from front to back. It’s going to take everything Argentina has ... and then some ... to beat them.
I must say ... Argentina are doing a pretty good job setting the pace of this game and frustrating the Germany team. We’ll see if they can keep it up.
LOL!
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