Well that’s it. After 64 games, 171 goals we have our World Cup champions, Germany. It has been a great World Cup, from the goal filled group stage through to the cagey tactical knockout rounds, filled with late goals and penalty drama, not to mention the historic score lines and goal scorers. With a full month to wait until domestic action returns, we take one last look at the World Cup and how its key events could affect the upcoming Premier League season.

Victory for German planning

Germany overpowered a solid but unspectacular Argentina to win their fourth World Cup. The Germans were the best team at the tournament, playing exciting football with a team packed with top quality talent they were worthy winners, but the Germans didn’t just stumble upon this new footballing identity or indeed this group of supremely talented players. This was the culmination of a long term strategic plan formed by the German FA after the country’s early exit at Euro 2004. They wanted to put the nation back on top of the  footballing world and they succeeded in Brazil in style.

In 2010 the world was treated to a first sight of this new breed of German football, playing fast attacking, free-flowing football the Germans were a revelation in a tournament that produced so few goals. Key to this new footballing identity was the introduction of the young talented players the German youth system had nurtured such as Mesut Ozil, Sami Khedira and Thomas Muller alongside the already established players like Bastian Schweinsteiger, Miroslav Klose and Phillip Lahm. The Germans impressed but ultimately came up just short finishing third in South Africa, but it showed they were on the right track.

So in 2014 the German team came into the tournament as one of the favourites to lift the trophy. However, there were still plenty of question marks surrounding the team, with injuries to key players and big decisions to be made on team selection. Coach Joachim Low stuck by the new German footballing philosophy, believing in his squad of talented players and as the tournament progressed Germany went from strength to strength.

Mario Gotze was the hero as his superbly taken goal in extra time proved the difference. He is the latest young talented player to come off the German production line and his introduction as a substitute illustrates the strength in depth Germany have. So after 10 years the German FA’s strategic plan has finally come to fruition, but it doesn’t stop there, with the German system for developing players already in place, it will continue to churn out top level talent, supplying the national team with players and with the average age of this World Cup winning side only 26 Germany could very well become a dynasty similar to that of Spain’s recent dominant side.

Messi unable to inspire Argentina to victory

On the opposite side of Germany’s win was the official FIFA player of the tournament, Lionel Messi. Without the injured Angel Di Maria and with Sergio Aguero at less than full fitness, Messi was left to do it all alone for Argentina. Unlike his countryman Diego Maradona, who dragged the 1986 team to World Cup victory, the Barcelona forward was unable to inspire his Argentina team to triumph.

Sergio Aguero was meant to be the foil for Messi, spreading the burden placed on the little number 10, but the Manchester City forward has been plagued by injuries and having got himself fit just in time for the World Cup Aguero suffered yet another injury in the final group game. He missed both the last 16 and quarter final ties. Clearly unfit, Aguero made a substitute appearance in both the semi-final and final but struggled to make an impact. The Premier League kicks off in a month with only a small amount of time for Aguero to get fully fit. Can fantasy managers really rely on him to lead the line for our Fantasy teams?

At the other end of the pitch, Aguero’s city teammates Pablo Zabaleta and Martin Demichelis had World Cups to remember. The Argentine defence kept five clean sheets and conceded just four times. Zabaleta played every minute of Argentina’s campaign and was as dependable as ever, but with the signing of Bacary Sagna he now has serious competition for his place in the City team. Demichelis was installed into the Argentina backline in the quarter finals, looking solid and assured on the international stage in marked contrast to some woeful Premier League appearances for City during 2013/14. His performances did improve for City in the Premier League run in and currently he seems assured of game time at City, with only Nastasic for competition. Demichelis could be a cheap route into the City backline this season if they fail to land a more reliable partner for Vincent Kompany in the heart of defence.

Van Gaal’s Holland win 3rd place playoff, but United are the real winners

The Dutch claimed the bronze medal with a convincing 3-0 win over hosts Brazil with coach Louis Van Gaal nstrumental in guiding an unfancied Dutch side out of a difficult group to the brink of a World Cup final. Manchester United fans will be filled with hope and optimism as Van Gaal takes charge at Old Trafford this summer.

Van Gaal produced a tactical master class throughout the tournament, starting with the decision to switch formation after the loss of influential midfielder Kevin Strootman. Out went the 4-3-3 standard Dutch template and in came 5-3-2. The Dutch played it to good effect in the opener against defending champions Spain, securing a 5-1 victory. Van Gaal showed more tactical flexibility as he reverted to 4-3-3 when chasing the game against Australia and twice changed formation in an attempt to find the equaliser against Mexico, with the Dutch claiming a last minute victory. United fans will be happy to see a manager in charge able to tailor a formation to suit the players available but also has the tactical nous to change formation to either exploit opponent’s weaknesses or mask their own deficiencies.

Van Gaal’s most controversial call came in the quarter finals, with the game heading towards penalties the dutch coach threw on substitute keeper Tim Krul to replace the starting Jasper Cillessen. This could have backfired had the Dutch lost, but Krul made two saves and Van Gaal was made to look like a master tactician. This ability to not only make the big call but make the right calls make him are set to make him a more credible replacement Sir Alex Ferguson than David Moyes. Van Gaal’s decisiveness and conviction in his decisions along with his willingness to change tactics could not be further than Moyes’s disastrous nine month tenure.

Van Gaal looks set to hand Robin Van Persie the captaincy at United and with no European distractions Van Gaal can put out his best team weekly with minimal squad rotation. If Van Persie stays healthy expect to see him on the field regularly for United. Hopefully a price drop will have fantasy managers keen on acquiring his services for the upcoming season. The big question will be where do Rooney and Mata fit in to Van Gaal’s plans?

Brazil end their own world cup in embarrassment

This wasn’t how the tournament was meant to end. Brazil were meant to be lifting the trophy in the Maracana last Sunday, but in the end a World Cup that started with so much promise for the hosts, ended in humiliation as they were convincingly beaten for a second straight game. The hosts made six changes but were unable to produce a display needed to restore some pride for the Brazilian nation. Brazil have always been everybody’s second team, but they have lost plenty of admirers as the flair and attacking football of the past was replace by a defensive pragmatic approach. The two embarrassing defeats showed the tactical ineptitude of coach Luis Filipe Scoalri and as such he has since handed in his resignation.

Chelsea’s Oscar had a mixed tournament, he did score two goals but was largely anonymous and unable to inspire the team against Germany in the absence of talisman Neymar. He appeared to fall out of favour with Mourinho at Chelsea towards the end of the season and with the signing of Cesc Fabregas to add to an already crowded midfield, Oscar may find it tough to earn a regular starting place this coming season.

Suarez bites off more than he can chew

The most controversial moment of the World Cup saw the Premier League lose one of its best players. With time running out and Uruguay needing a goal Luis Suarez once again lost his cool and sunk his teeth into yet another opponent, the Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini. I personally do not think Suarez engineered the situation to get his move away from Anfield as some have suggested. It was just Suarez once again losing his composure; with everything on the line he will do anything to win and his frustrations took over. With the media storm that accompanied Suarez after his bite on Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic, the Uruguayan knew this second biting incident would have the English press hounding him all season. His departure once Barcelona showed interest was arguably inevitable.

With 31 Premier League goals last season Suarez dominated all Fantasy game and will be a big loss to Liverpool fans and Fantasy managers alike. But with £75m to spend Liverpool has strong potential to offer Fantasy managers a wealth of new options, even though none are ever likely to match Suarez’s epic 2013/14 season.

Liverpool fans will be hoping Brenden Rodgers is more shrewd with his cash than Tottenham and Andre Villas Boas were a season ago, as they seem to have little to show from the £80 million sale of Gareth Bale. Rodgers should be smart enough to go for quality over quantity and should look to bring in three top quality players to add to the summer signings of Rickie Lambert and Adam Lallana. Despite the loss of Suarez and the added Champions League fixtures Liverpool under the guidance of Rodgers should be title challengers once again this season.