“Andre Schurrle put in a superb ball and I was able to control it on my chest,” a somewhat incredulous Gotze told FIFA afterwards. “Then somehow the ball was in the net.”
With seven minutes of the 120 remaining, the decisive moment arrived. Schurrle bulldozed past three Argentina defenders on the left flank, drawing Sabella’s charges out of shape and clipping over them to Gotze. The 22-year-old’s technique was exquisite, cushioning the ball on his chest and volleying at an awkward height, finding the far corner of the net to write his name into German and World Cup football folklore.
