Verdienter Sieg

It was but scarcely a few weeks ago that we as a collective audience often surmised that there was no clear favorite to be had in this summer's World Cup. Indeed, such a widely held opinion was largely supported as the tournament's path wound its way through the group stage, casting the likes of Portugal, England and Italy aside and throwing plucky underdogs of the likes of Costa Rica, Algeria and the United States into the spotlight.

Yet, as was perhaps inevitable, the cream rose to the top. The Cinderella stories ultimately ended, and even as the final four sides stood as an invariable "who's who" of international pedigree, there would be, in the end, one side that proved its worth as being the rightful champions of the world.

With hindsight and the most recent of memories confirming Germany's triumph in our minds, it would be quite easy to forget that the seemingly unassailable Germans came into the World Cup with their own share of questions. Bastian Schweinsteiger and Sami Khedira came in at less than 100% fitness thanks to injuries. Questions surrounded the defense's mettle, and accordingly many doubted Joachim Löw's decision to play with four center backs instead of reverting Philipp Lahm back to his familiar fullback spot.  Löw's insistence upon only bringing one true striker, an aging Miroslav Klose, likewise drew derision from many.

For Löw and his 2014 team, however, none of this mattered. In looking back on Germany's seven games in Brazil, it is especially interesting to note that seemingly every tactical decision worked out brilliantly, and in doing so, every move, led to yet another step in a rapid evolution of the German side. 

Löw demonstrated that his team was not one married to a Plan A and Plan A alone; it was fluent in Plan B and Plan C as well. This was a team flexible enough to play the False-9 system to great effect, but as Miroslav Klose began to play a greater part and ultimately set the all-time World Cup scoring record, we saw that Germany could easily revert back to having that tried and true target striker serving as the fulcrum of its attack.

Along the way, the Germans' flexibility and nous was also borne out in how they avoided defeat over the span of seven games against a slew of formidable opponents. They came back after being on the verge of defeat against Ghana, staved off the threat of a late equalizer against the United States, weathered an Algerian storm, delivered efficient, workmanlike performances against France and in the final against Argentina, and, now famously, annihilated Brazil on their home turf. Regardless of the situation, they were ready, and for that, accolades are in order for all involved.

Predictably, the conversation now turns to one of a potential German dynasty. Given the state of the international stage at the moment, that might be asking a lot. Parity reigns to an extent rarely seen. Yet, this German side, with so many of its crucial pieces still being quite young, will be up to the challenge of flying to such heights. With Euro 2016 coming before we know it, Germany will be proverbial favorites and will have another chance to cement their modern legacy.