Beiruting News

Germany's players and supporters could barely tear themselves away from the Maracana as Brazil's World Cup got the winners it deserved and the winning goal it deserved.The giant figures of Per Mertesacker and Benedikt Howedes were the unlikely leaders of the dance troupe that spread from the turf in Rio to the fans celebrating behind the goal to the strains of Daft Punk's disco anthem Get Lucky.It was a joyous scene and one in which no luck was involved. This was a World Cup victory - their fourth - by German design and years in the making - the 1-0 final win over Argentina was merely confirmation of the success of a strategy forged on embarrassments at successive Euros in 2000 and 2004.
the after-party snaked along the curve of Avenida Atlantica, the stretch of carriageway that accompanies Copacabana, Argentines were drowning sorrows while Germans were simply drenched in the success of their first World Cup triumph since 1990.In particular, the sorrow of the Argentine fans surrounded their superstar Lionel Messi, who was unable to inspire his team to the heights of his predecessor Diego Maradona when they last won the World Cup, in Mexico in 1986.