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Focused Germans want title after Brazil rout

Want to end their country's 24-year wait for a fourth World Cup title

AFPPTI Belo Horizonte
Germany insist their only focus now is winning Sunday's World Cup final, with the euphoria of their historic 7-1 semi-final drubbing of Brazil quickly forgotten.

Germany will face either the Netherlands or Argentina in Sunday's final at Rio de Janeiro's Maracana Stadium, which was their immediate concern in the wake of their stunning semi-final win in Belo Horizonte.

The Selecao were put to the sword by the Germans in the emotionally-charged semi as they felt the loss of injured superstar Neymar and suspended captain Thiago Silva.

But the Germans quickly switched their attention to Sunday's final as they bid to end their country's 24-year wait for a fourth World Cup title.
 
"We haven't reached our goal yet, we will put our foot to the floor once again and put our heart and souls into it to win this thing", said Thomas Mueller, who scored Germany's 2000th international goal to kick-off the rout.

"We can't run away with ourselves, just as it was said that we were finished after the (last 16 win over) Algeria, now we'll be praised to the heavens.

"That's really the wrong approach -- we're really just a very good team."

Germany will now travel to Rio for their eighth World Cup final, having avenged their 2-0 defeat to Brazil in the 2002 final in emphatic style.

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First Published: Jul 09 2014 | 10:39 AM IST

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