In a World Cup filled with surprises, Argentina's hardy defense now faces a powerhouse German team at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Argentina has two World Cup titles under its belt, in 1978 and 1986, as it vies for a third. And so far in this tournament the team's defense has been second to none; Argentina made it to the final without conceding a single goal in the round of 16, quarterfinals and semifinals.
The team will need that stalwart defense against Germany, which is coming into the final with a massive boost after its 7-1 win over World Cup host Brazil and 17 goals so far in the contest. And Germany is no World Cup slouch either, having won the title in 1954, 1974 and 1990.
But according to ESPN, Germany will be the sixth European team to play a World Cup final in the Americas, and none so far has been able to win a title there.
Players to watch are Germany striker Thomas Mueller, who has scored the second most goals in the tournament. Also to watch is Argentina star player and team captain Lionel Messi, though he has been less than effective in the knockout stage as defenses have tried to bottle him up.
We will be watching and live-blogging the major twists and turns of the game below:
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