All the old clichés were rolled out about the Germans for this tournament, and their efficient, unspectacular progress to their seventh World Cup final did little to dispel the myth.
Yet this tournament marked an astonishing turnaround for a country humbled 5-1 by England in Munich less than a year ago.
That this was not the vintage Germany of 1990 – or even of Euro 96 – was unquestionable.
German legend Franz Beckenbauer was scathing of his team, stating that Oliver Kahn aside, he would like to put the players in a large bag and punch it repeatedly.
But while they rode their luck, their commitment and drive since the Munich defeat has been outstanding and deserves credit.
Kahn, who blundered to hand Brazil the lead in the final, should nonetheless be remembered as the tournament’s top goalkeeper. His saves against Ireland, Paraguay and the USA in particular were remarkable.
He did much to get Germany to the final, and it was unfortunate that his blunder put them behind.
And it was also ironic that the Germans’ best tournament performance was in the final – their only defeat of the World Cup.
The flair ultimately triumphed over work ethic. But make no mistake. This tournament proved that people write off the Germans at their peril.