Brazil tops Argentina for World Cup

Maracana is filled to bursting for the World Cup final between Brazil and Argentina. If ever there's home advantage, this is it.
The date? July 13, 2014, and Brazil doesn't fail its fans, lifting the trophy.
Well, that's how Brazil's fanatic fans see the next six weeks unfurling.
Sixty-four years after a stunned home crowd watched its beloved team beaten 2-1 by another neighbour, Uruguay, in the World Cup decider, Brazil gets a second chance in 2014.
In between times, Brazil has become the standard in football, winning a record five titles. All of its stars have become global citizens, competing for the biggest clubs in the world, where they are exposed to stress and the toughest opposition on a weekly basis. The coach himself, Luiz Felipe Scolari, has been there before, leading the Selecao to their last World Cup in Yokohama in 2002.

All that experience matched with such skill was enough for victory.

Staring into the eyes of Brazil captain Thiago Silva at the toss was Lionel Messi, making Argentina the second part of the first all-South American final since 1950.
Messi had his own quest. Just like Diego Maradona, he needed a World Cup title to reach the ultimate accolade of greatness. Had he beaten Brazil, he would have been the first player to almost singlehandedly win the World Cup since Maradona did it in 1986.
Bent on redemption after being largely inconsequential at the 2010 World Cup, Messi's pride carried him this far into the tournament. He came in with only one World Cup goal and added to that, but he failed to fully switch gears from a lackluster campaign with Barcelona to a sterling one with Argentina.

Did such a final mean that the continental pendulum had fully swung back South America's way? Not really. Ever since the 1934 World Cup, European teams had at least half of the final four spots and it was no different here. The Old Continent was still there in the semifinals, with Germany and Spain.