And the Winner of the 2014 World Cup Is......

GERMANY!!!

Oh, what an exciting game it was to watch with fellow supporters of the Deutsche Mannschaft.  First 90 minutes were tense, both sides strong, and resulted in a 0-0 score. Germany and Argentina had several chances to score, but the goalies were too good, and/or a player was off-side.  There was a bit of blood, a few yellow cards, and several fouls that the referee appeared to ignore (hmm...).  It could have gone either way.

In the 88th minute, German coach Joachim Loew made a substitution, and brought in #19 Mario Goetze.  What a wise decision that was.  Once the two 15 minutes of overtime started, Mario got right to business, and pushed agressively toward Argentina's goalie.

In the 112 minute, it paid off.  Goetze scored a thrilling goal.  It was mayhem for the German fans.  Loud cheers and screams for Germany to keep the score 1-0 until the 120 minutes + 2 minutes of overtime.  It was intense, it was crazy, it was exciting.  And when the final whistle blew, a VERY, VERY LOUD CHEER erupted, followed by loud music, and people singing "we are the champions...."

Germany had won the 2014 World Cup, after 24 years since winning the last one.  What a beautiful ending to this World Cup run.  I am very proud of the way Germany played, and thrilled that believing in a team finally yielded the result I had been hoping for so many years.

Below are a few pics of this amazing finale.  Enjoy!!!

Singing the German National Anthem

GER vs. ARG: 1-0 at 113min

German fans

Germany wins World Cup 2014

Mario Goetze after getting the job done

Manuel Neuer winning the Golden Glove

The Trophy

Fireworks in Brazil after Germany wins World Cup

Germany is in the Finals of the World Cup 2014!!!!

So, my long-time favorite team Germany has made it to the World Cup Final, which will be held tomorrow, July 13, at 3pm EST.  Yippiehh!!!

They will be playing Argentina, another top-notch team.  It will be an absolute pleasure to watch these two rivals play against each other.

Germany made it to the finals by beating Brazil 7-1.  Yes, 7-1 on the home turf of Brazil....unimaginable, but it happened.  The first 5 goals were scored in the first 45min.  I watched the match with my jaw dropped open, and started taking pics of the screen, because this was truly history in the making (see below).

First 7min of match - 0-0....all looks calm, both teams defending well (yeah, then the tides turn.....see below).

No typo....in the 85th min, Brazil trails Germany 0-7....woahhh!!!!

Wrap-up mode at 91min....Brazil trails Germany 1-7, and that is how the score stood when the final whistle blew

Argentina on the other hand, did not have such an exciting semi-final vs. Netherlands.  Nevertheless, they held on to a 0-0 score after 120 minutes of playing.  Argentina then won in penalty kicks 4-2.

It will be a great feast for any soccer fan to watch both Germany and Argentina play.  I will be rooting for Thomas Mueller to score at least one more goal.  He has 5 on his resume in this World Cup thus far.  Also, interesting to note is Miroslav Klose, who in the semis scored his 16th World Cup Goal.  He is now the top-ranked scorer. 

Lionel Messi (Argentina) scored 4 goals in this World Cup.  I hope Germany will be able to defend well, and be cold and clinical, and get the job done, so that they can walk home with the WC 2014 Trophy. 

As they say in German, "Ich druecke mir die Daumen dass Deutschland gewinnen wird."

Just a side note, my other favorite is USA, and I am very proud of the way they played this year....kudos to both the team and to the coach, Juergen Klinsmann...a delight to see the underdog get out of the Group stages.  Most worthy is that they only gave up 1 goal vs. Germany, so that says something.  Also, while USA lost against Belgium (1-2), one needs to commend the 16 saves by Tim Howard (goalie).  In 4 years, USA will be even more prepared, and get out of Round of 16.

French Cuisine

French cuisine is one of the most emotionally satisfying meals to eat, because it is made with a lot of thought, creativity, and love.  The cuisine is known for its high quality and fatty food products, i.e., emphasis on freshness over preservatives, and usage of a lot of cream and butter....and by a lot, I mean REALLY A LOT.

Below are a few dishes I recently attempted.  Bon Apetit.

Baked salmon, dill dijonnaise (slightly burned on top...c'est la vie...but still it was juicy on the inside, courtesy of lemon juice)

Coquilles St. Jacques Mornay (i.e., scallops)

Creme Brulee (came out heavenly)

Nicoise Salad (note for vegetarians: can be made without tuna & anchovies, and still be yummy)

Potato galette (I know, a bit overdone, but still edible, once grease was rubbed off)

Wilted spinach (with a little sprinkle of chilly flakes...note: NEVER attempt to overcook or burn the chilly flakes, they will cause a non-stop cough and your eyes to water...above picture is attempt #2 after experiencing the after-effects of burned chilly flakes)