They think it’s all over.....

Well in terms of the football, the World Cup is over.....

We watched the 3^rd/4^th playoff game at our newly adopted bar of choice, Guapo, and enjoyed the company of Pedro and his friends, complete with guitar and sing-a-long afterwards and far too much alcohol. It was sad to see Brazil once again beaten, but by now I think everyone around the world has come to accept that the current Brazilian team are a pale shadow of the teams that went before them. I can only hope that this sense of disappointment in Brazil is positively channelled into a deeper review of their national game and that the required changes are made, so that we see a more convincing Brazil at the next World Cup. I mean, can you imagine a World Cup without Brazil..., it’s almost unthinkable....!

Yesterday we returned to Guapo for a more restrained afternoon of Caiprahini’s/beer and occasional food, to watch the World Cup final. As we had been following Germany throughout the tournament, we were very much looking forward to the ‘Manshaft’ beating the Argentinians and taking the trophy for the 4^th time.  I my personal recollection, the actual World Cup final is generally an anti-climax in terms of the footballing on display, as both teams are so desperate not to lose, the games become defensive 'grind-fests' that often go to penalties, which in my mind is no way to settle a match, let alone the world Cup final. All we could do was watch and hope for the best. Fortunately, the game started with a roar and proceeded in a similar fashion for the whole of the first half, with a constant flow of end-to-end action, with many chances going to waste, but alas no goals. The second half was a little more defensive, but it wasn't for the lack of trying, with both teams squandering great opportunities to take the lead

and put the game to bed as extra time loomed. We stopped for more Caiprahini’s as the team threw themselves into extra time, but by now I was expecting the game to slow down and eventually go to penalties. How happy were we when Mario Gotze controlled the ball exquisitely on his chest before volleying into the far corner of the Argentinian net, wow, what a goal and only 7 minutes left to play. The Argies put on a spirited effort to claw back a goal and force the game to penalties, but even Messi could not save them as the final whistle blew... I can tell you there was much celebration in the bar, especially from the Brazilians that were happy that the Argentinians had not won the World Cup in their backyard, the sense of relief was tangible.

Overall, in the scheme of things, I think I can safely say that we have been lucky enough to have been a part of one of the best World Cups experience ever. We have seen more goals, more saves, and more pure raw excitement than during any of the past tournaments I have been to or can remember, with a World Cup Final and a winning goal worthy of this great competition. Germany are creditable champions, having played the most consistent and direct game of any team at the tournament, playing with style and pace, and putting in a ruthless performance when required. Well done Germany....

In terms of our holiday, we still have another month to go, as we settle in to the post-World Cup phase. Today is wet and windy in Salvador, almost as if the Brazilian weather is mourning the end of such a great 6 weeks of football, but we have a few things left to do in this great city.  In a few days time we fly to Rio de Janeiro for a handful of days and to see the sights before heading off to the Amazon for a week. So plenty left to see and do, even if we don’t have a constant diet of football to keep us entertained, we just have to wait for another 1425 days until the next World Cup kicks off in Russia.... 

You coming...?