Football Comment: Low’s men primed to enjoy lots more highs
THEY were he best team on the night and deserving winners over the whole tournament – this was Germany’s occasion and it might just be the dawning of a new era.
Germany looked sharper and stronger than Argentina in the final, despite having to deal with the twin blows of losing Sami Khedira in the warm-up and then his replacement, Christoph Kramer, in the first half.
Over the four weeks, I admired the fact that Joachim Low preferred a system without a designated defensive midfielder, instead choosing a fluid central three who rotated.
Germany are able to do that because they have such depth in the squad. They don’t have a star like Lionel Messi; they have lots of highly technical players, and any one of several can hurt you. Last night it was Andre Schurrle and Mario Gotze.
Their players are also nearly all at a good age to continue this success, and that’s without considering the ones who missed out, such as Marco Reus and Ilkay Gundogan.
Low is an innovator and Germany invest brilliantly in their team, which means they get the best out of their players. They look well placed to dominate the game for years to come. The question is whether any of the rest can keep pace.
Trevor Steven is a former England international who played at two World Cups and two European Championships. He now works as a media commentator.