Fourth place, especially at home, just isn't good enough for a nation that lives and breathes the game.

And so the shakeup and possible philosophy change within Brazil's national soccer team begins. Because fourth place, especially at home, just isn't good enough for a nation that lives and breathes the game.

Brazil's nightmare of a week continued Saturday as the host nation absorbed another loss to bow out of the World Cup with back-to-back defeats for the first time in 40 years.

With Brazil still reeling from a 7-1 demolition at the hands of the Germans in the semifinals, the Netherlands turned a Blind eye (pardon the pun) to Brazil's hopes of redemption and beat the Selecao 3-0 in the tournament's third-place match. Goals by the Netherlands' Daley Blind, Robin Van Persie and Georginio Wijnaldum added one last punch to the gut of a team and country that had grand visions of raising a sixth championship trophy on home turf. 

It took just two minutes for disaster to strike again for Brazil, to the horror of the crowd at Brasilia's Estadio Nacional. Thiago Silva, the team captain, was called for a foul in the box on Dutch star Arjen Robben, and Van Persie drilled the penalty kick to give the Netherlands an early lead.

A perfect penalty, as taken by Robin van Persie - his first ever knockout stage goal #BRAvsNED. WATCH » http://t.co/Vbl4O8kdmr

-- ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 12, 2014

Brazil supporters react after the World Cup third-place soccer match between Brazil and the Netherlands at the Estadio Nacional in Brasilia, Brazil, Saturday, July 12, 2014. The Netherlands won the match 3-0. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) 

Brazil looked better than it did against Germany -- how could it not? -- but still had no structure to its defense in the early part of the first half. 

The back-to-back lopsided losses might very well cost coach Luiz Felipe Scolari his job at the helm of the national team. Many called for his dismissal even after the Germany loss, and those voices only grew louder after Saturday's loss.

Brazil didn't field a lineup of typical starters, making six changes from the Germany game. The Dutch, despite an expressed lack of desire to even play for third place after their loss to Argentina in the semis, sent out all regulars except for midfielder Wesley Sneijder, who would have started had he not suffered an injury in warmups. 

Brazil appeared highly motivated to play and go for the win. The stadium was full of Brazil supporters singing the national anthem at full throat.

And there was this piece of inspiration from star striker Neymar Jr., who despite being sidelined once again by injury sat on the bench with his teammates after expressing pride in his team. He ends this tweet with the phrase, "The dream continues."

Só queria dizer q sinto ORGULHO DE SER BRASILEIRO e o mais importante SINTO ORGULHO DESSA SELEÇÃO! E O SONHO CONTINUA pic.twitter.com/k887c0crvG

-- Neymar Jr (@neymarjr) July 12, 2014

But his team's fate appears to be just the opposite. Brazil will have much work to do to get back to the level of five-time World Cup champions. Players from the current roster will be removed from national team consideration. A new style or approach, or maybe even better a return to the more improvisational style that long defined Brazilian soccer until recent years, is needed. Ten goals allowed in two games means the defense must be addressed. 

And off the pitch? The fans' pride is hurt, too. They booed their own team at the final whistle Saturday, perhaps the realization that all of that money spent on airports, stadiums and infrastructure for a fourth-place finish wasn't worth it. 

Soccer, as it turns out, could cost President Dilma Rousseff her bid at re-election. 

As for the Netherlands, third place is a nice consolation prize for a team not expected to finish so high in the World Cup. It wasn't easy, as the Dutch were pushed to the brink in the knockout stage by Mexico and Costa Rica, but Robben, Sneijder and Van Persie led a plucky team to considerable success.

Netherlands' Arjen Robben, center, Dirk Kuyt, left, and Daryl Janmaat, right, cheer fans as they leave the pitch after the World Cup third-place soccer match between Brazil and the Netherlands at the Estadio Nacional in Brasilia, Brazil, Saturday, July 12, 2014. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) 

Robben's diving didn't endear him to soccer fans; nevertheless he was a factor throughout the tournament and at age 30 (how is he really 30?) might still have another World Cup in him. 

The average age of the Dutch players on the World Cup team was 26.5, making it one of the youngest teams in the event. 

So the Netherlands has a runner-up and a third place to its credit in the last two World Cups. Pretty tough to not respect that kind of success.

The World Cup ends Sunday with the final between Argentina and Germany, and Rio de Janeiro might as well be Buenos Aires. The pre-match party is already underway, and images like this have to make Brazil fans feel even more sick to their stomachs.

The Fan Fest in Copacabana has turned into a giant Argentina pep rally. It's legit bonkers. Als:o awesome. pic.twitter.com/FZm9yvUCbv

-- Rick Maese (@RickMaese) July 12, 2014

The Indians acquired lefty Nick Maronde from the Angels for cash or a player to be named. Maronde, designated for assignment Thursday, was optioned to the minors by the Tribe.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Before the Indians lost to the White Sox, 6-2, Saturday afternoon, manager Terry Francona was asked if Jason Giambi would play again this year.

Francona's answer was a definite yes. There's no reason to doubt Francona, but it could take a little longer than expected before Giambi comes to the plate for the Tribe.

The Indians transferred Giambi from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day DL after Saturday's game to make room on the 40-man roster for left-hander Nick Maronde. The Indians acquired Maronde from the Angels for cash or a player to be named and optioned him to the minors.

The team did not say at what level Maronde will play at.

Maronde, 24, has appeared in 33 big-league games for the Angels over the last three seasons. He has no record and a 7.13 ERA (14 earned runs in 17 23 innings) with 19 strikeouts, 18 walks and 22 hits.

The Angels designated him for assignment Thursday after he pitched for LA's Arizona Rookie League team, Class AA Arkansas, Class AAA Salt Lake and the big league club this year.

Maronde was the Angels third round pick in 2011 out of the University of Florida.

Giambi, 43, went on the disabled list with a sore right knee on June 12. It is his third time on the DL this season. He last played for the Tribe on June 11, going 0-for-4 against the Royals.

The Indians are 4-8 against the White Sox this season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians played the White Sox in the second of a three-game series Saturday. Here is a capsule look from The Plain Dealer reporter Dennis Manoloff:

Game: 93.

Opponent: White Sox.

Location: Progressive Field, Cleveland.

Time of day: Afternoon.

Time elapsed: 3 hours, 10 minutes.

Attendance: 23,837.

Result: White Sox 6, Indians 2.

Records: Indians 46-47, White Sox 45-50.

Reversal of fortune: The White Sox improved to 8-4 against the Indians. Last year, they went 2-17.

Bottom line, up front: Put this one in the missed opportunity column for the Indians, who lost in large part because they were handled for five innings by righty Scott Carroll (2 H). The White Sox are mediocre, at best, and when they don't start Chris Sale or Jose Quintana, the opposition needs to capitalize.

Z-Mac returns: Indians right-hander Zach McAllister, making his first start in the majors since May 21, gave up three runs on four hits in seven innings. He walked two and struck out two.

McAllister had been sidelined because of ineffectiveness and back trouble.

McAllister (3-5, 5.63 ERA) threw the ball reasonably well, especially for someone who had not pitched in the majors since May. He secured his first quality start since May 5 against Minnesota (6.2 IP, 5 H).  

The White Sox runs against McAllister came on a two-run homer by Cuban rookie sensation Jose Abreu in the fourth and an RBI single by Adam Dunn in the sixth.

Alexeeeeeeei Ramirez led off the fourth with a walk. During the at-bat, he winced several times and, upon reaching first, was removed for pinch-runner Moises Sierra because of back issues. Abreu stepped in.

McAllister and catcher Yan Gomes, figuring Abreu would be looking for a first-pitch fastball, opted for a slurve away. The pitch stayed up and over the outer half, providing plenty of swing room for Abreu to drop it into the White Sox bullpen in right. It was Chicago's first hit.

Abreu leads the majors with 29 homers, five of which have come against the Indians. McAllister's slider wasn't his best by any means, but it wasn't a cookie, either. Most right-handed hitters would not have been able to hit it out the opposite way. And the decision to open with an off-speed pitch made a lot of sense.

McAllister's pitch selection on the RBI single by lefty Dunn, though, was highly questionable. With a runner on third and two out after Abreu grounded into a double play, Dunn stepped in. McAllister fell behind, 2-1. In a situation where Dunn was begging for a fastball middle/in, McAllister gave it to him. The pitch, intended to be inside, leaked over the middle and Dunn lined it off the right-field wall to give Chicago a 3-0 lead.

McAllister can submit that, if the pitch were where it was supposed to be, he would have gotten a different result. But McAllister gave in to Dunn -- who lives for fastballs against anybody, especially righties -- when he didn't need to do so. Even if Dunn eventually walks, it takes a minimum of two hits to score him. And the next batter, right-handed Dayan Viciedo, was 0-for-2 with a strikeout.

On the pitch after Dunn's hit, Viciedo grounded out.

Overall, though, McAllister and the Indians can feel good about his performance.       

Operation shutdown: Carroll allowed the two hits, walked one and struck out three in his five scoreless. Carroll did not come out for the sixth because of back issues.

Carroll (4-5, 4.19 ERA) is not supposed to make hitters nervous, but the Indians largely were lost against him. Their hits came with two outs in the third, when Mike Aviles singled and advanced to third on Jason Kipnis's single. Asdrubal Cabrera, one of the worst hitters in the majors with two outs and runners in scoring position,  grounded to short to end the threat.

Carroll is very much a finesse righty, relying on location and changing speeds. He must keep the ball down to be effective. He consistently stayed down in the zone and off the plate against the Indians; his two-seamer and changeup featured good late action.

The Indians can say they ran into a hot pitcher, and there is some truth to that. In Carroll's previous start, July 7 in Boston, he allowed one hit in 6 2/3 innings of a 4-0 victory. However, in his six starts before the Boston game, he was 0-5 with an 8.10 ERA.

The Indians also can say that Carroll has been a difficult matchup. In his other two games against Cleveland this season, he gave up a combined two runs (zero earned) on 10 hits in nine innings. He had a six-inning start and three-inning relief appearance.

Regardless, if the Indians are serious about contending for the playoffs, they can't let the likes of Scott Carroll come into their house and shut them down. One of the reasons they are 46-47 is because of repeated failures against lesser-light starting pitchers.

Scratching and clawing: The Indians finally broke through in the seventh. With the bases loaded and two outs, Kipnis drew a four-pitch walk against righty reliever Javy Guerra. Cabrera, who likes to swing at the first pitch in big spots, instead laid off a fastball that appeared to be high. Plate umpire Hal Gibson III called it a strike, thereby throwing Guerra a lifeline.

Cabrera took the next pitch for a ball, then swung and missed at a fastball in a similar spot as the first. Gibson's call no doubt influenced Cabrera's decision to swing. Cabrera swung and missed at the next pitch, a breaking ball, to end the inning. Gibson's call should not have influenced that decision to swing.

Cabrera is really bad with runners in scoring position (16-for-88) and absolutely awful with two outs and RISP (2-for-40) -- but he deserved better from Gibson.

Dr. Smooth delivers: Tribe center fielder Michael Brantley homered off lefty Eric Surkamp in the eighth. Brantley has 15 homers and 63 RBI.

Rough debut: Just when the Indians had made a game of it, righty reliever Austin Adams allowed three runs in one-third of an inning in the eighth.

Adams made his major-league debut. Why Adams was in a one-run game, late, two days before the All-Star break, is a mystery.

LeBron James reunites with Cleveland Cavaliers teammate Anderson Varejao in Brazil for Sunday's World Cup final.

RIO DE JANEIRO — Just a few hours after arriving in Brazil, LeBron James sized up the World Cup final and said it trumps the NBA finals.

"This is the highest you can get," James said Saturday, a day after announcing he was returning to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers. "This is bigger than the NBA finals in the sense that it's the world and you have so many countries here."

James, who reportedly has signed a two-year deal with the Cavs, met a few hundred fans in a large warehouse located on Guanabara Bay, where he watched some young Brazilians show off a few of their basketball skills.

He will attend Sunday's final at the Maracana Stadium, but he declined to pick a winner.

"I'm not sure," he said. "I think Germany is the better overall team, but Argentina has one of the best players in the world — maybe the best, (Lionel) Messi. So that's why we play the game and we'll see what happens. I hope it's a great one."

James is a minority investor in Premier League club Liverpool and said he's been following football — he called it both football and soccer and seemed comfortable doing it — "for a pretty long time."

"I've been watching it from home in the States and it's been an unbelievable tournament," he said.

James walked around with Cavaliers teammate Anderson Varejao, a Brazilian, and said he couldn't wait to start playing again in Cleveland.

As for playing at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, however, James wouldn't commit to a decision either way, saying it was "too early to say."

Blatt says "there's no reason for cause or worry" because Andrew Wiggins is not involved in any trade possibilities as far as he knows.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Cavaliers coach David Blatt's 17-year-old son wrote to him recently a quote that resonated and left an impression:

"Danger is real; fear is a choice."

Well, if there is any danger of No. 1 draft choice Andrew Wiggins being involved in a trade that would pair Minnesota Timberwolves center Kevin Love with LeBron James, the first-year coach is showing no fear.

"No, there's no reason or cause for worry on his part because Andrew's not going anywhere as far as I know and as far as the club has expressed," Blatt said following Saturday's practice.

One day after the Cavs traded Alonzo Gee to New Orleans and hours after sending guard Scotty Hopson and cash to Charlotte in exchange for center Brendan Haywood and forward Dwight Powell - the 45th pick in last month's NBA Draft - Blatt was much more eager to discuss the talent he's currently assessing in the NBA Summer League, and how it might mesh with James.

"I would think for a guy like Andrew, to have the opportunity to play with arguably one of the best players of all time, and to learn from him and to be tutored by him and to play alongside him - which he will - I gotta think that's a tremendous boost to his confidence and his comfort level and probably his motivation," Blatt said.

Wiggins made his pro debut on Friday against Milwaukee's Summer League entry, in a showdown of the top two players in June's NBA Draft. Wiggins led all scorers with 18 points, while No. 2 pick Jabari Parker had 17 for the Bucks.

Blatt was pleased with his rookie's performance, particularly noting the confidence he competed with and responsibility he displayed in being a floor leader. He called Wiggins a definite two-way player and was impressed with his offensive finesse at one end of the court and defensive prowess at the other.

He also said he's never been a coach who emphasizes "names of positions" and has never really designated players from one through five: "You gotta be a basketball player," he says.

Then again, he's never coached in the NBA, other than Friday's Summer League-opener. Instead, it's been teams like Hapoel Galil Elyon, Benetton Treviso, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Dynamo Moscow.

"Over the last couple of decades the guys I've coached have been interchangeable, in terms of condition and in particular I'm talking about second guard and small forward," Blatt said. "They're gonna be moving around the floor, they're gonna catch the ball, they're gonna be in situations where they're gonna have to make decisions with the ball or to facilitate and move it off to the next player.

"The better teams of course have multiple ball handlers on the court and multiple shooters on the court. Certainly that fits LeBron and eventually will fit Andrew's game."

Showing no Love: After Friday's game, Cavs personnel kept the media from asking Blatt or Wiggins any questions surrounding trades and acquisitions.

And though he addressed the issue after practice Saturday - strictly that there are no plans of trading Wiggins - Blatt and a pair of team spokesmen were highly protective when asked if there are any conversations at all about acquiring Love.

"No I have not," he said. "We can't (discuss that), and (I) haven't had any discussions of that nature."

Several reports have indicated Love is "intrigued" about playing in Cleveland alongside James, a combination that many believe would solidify the Cavaliers as an immediate Eastern Conference favorite.

Starting fresh: Anthony Bennett may be approaching his second season with the Cavaliers, but Blatt said since this is his first year at the helm, he considers the both of them starting anew and isn't concerned with Bennett's disappointing rookie season.

"I'm coming in here and he's coming in here with a clean slate," Blatt said. "Anthony has done a great job working with our performance guys, our training staff and with our skills coaches to, 1. Get himself in good physical condition; 2. Work on his game and many elements of his game; and 3. Allowing himself to come out and play like he played yesterday, which I thought was pretty good."

Bennett, Cleveland's No. 1 pick in 2013, had 15 points and seven rebounds Friday, and it was his confidence level, energy and ability to run the floor and stay in the for extended periods of time that impressed Blatt most, and has him excited to see him playing alongside James.

"I just think with his approach and with his improved conditioning, he's going to get better and better," Blatt said. "And he's going to get all the support from me that he needs and of course ultimately that he deserves."

Cavs in action: Cleveland (1-0) returns to play Sunday at 4 p.m. (EDT) vs. San Antonio (1-0), which opened Summer League play with an 85-69 victory over Sacramento's entry.

Trailing by as many as 11 in the opening half, the Spurs rallied in the third quarter and led by as many as 16 in the game. San Antonio got a balanced effort as five players scored in double figures.

Austin Daye scored a game-high 14 points, while Bryce Cotton and Darius Morris each chipped in 12. Marcus Denmon chipped in 11 points while Jeff Ayres added 10. Sunday's game will be shown on NBA TV.

- Story by W.G. Ramirez, Special to Northeast Ohio Media Group.

Ramirez is a freelance sports reporter in Las Vegas and the Southern Nevada correspondent for Associated Press. (Follow him at @AP_WG)

The NBA's new TV contract is in 2016 and the salary cap is expected to take a big jump. LeBron James wants to be in position to capitalize on that.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Fans may wonder why LeBron James signed only a 2-year contract worth $42.1 million with the Cavaliers.

In fact, James can opt out of the deal after the first season. The second season is a player option.

Why guarantee only $42.1 million, when a full maximum contract is $88 million over four years for a player switching teams.

Telephone calls to those close to the situation revealed the following:

1. Remember that James has never had a full maximum contract. With Miami, he was tied with Chris Bosh for being the highest paid player on the team. With the Cavs, someone else always had that distinction. I explained why in a story earlier in the week. It all had to do with salary cap considerations.

2. James makes between $50 million and $80 million EACH season in off-court endorsements. That income will continue to rise. So unlike some players who don't have massive endorsement contracts, if he wants to bet on himself staying healthy and the salary cap rising -- he can do so. In other words, he doesn't feel the need to have four years guaranteed at $88 million.

3. The salary cap rises 7-10 percent most seasons. The moment you sign a long-term deal, you are locked into that deal. Those close to James estimate that the starting salary for the maximum deal next season could be at least $22 million. So they want to keep their options open when it comes to the contract.

4. It would not be a shock if James opted out of his deal at the end of the season, and signed another 2-year contract this like this one -- only the starting point would be that estimated $22 million.

5. Two years ago, the starting point for the maximum deal was about $18 million. Now, it's $20.7.

LeBron James' agent Rich Paul is from Cleveland and helped James figure out the right way to return to the Cavaliers. Lynn Ischay / The Plain Dealer 

7. The point is the men representing James are from Northeast Ohio and understand why James wants to stay here. They were thrilled with the letter in Sports Illustrated about why James re-signed with the Cavaliers. Home is very important to them, too. And  they want to cut the best possible deals to keep James here.

8. The new NBA television deal will start  in 2016, and the salary cap may take a huge jump. That could be when James signs the long-term maximum. James will be only 31. They are positioning James to cash in at that point -- or at least, have the option.

9. James believes he has been under-paid for years. The Cavs will probably sell out every game this season thanks to his return. James and his representatives know that other teams have told their players, "LeBron isn't getting the max-deal, why should you?" They believe there is a bigger issue here -- that the owners are making lots of money off stars, and stars deserve the biggest cut possible.

10. Yes, it's about making deals and slanting them in your direction. But they argue that owners such as the Cavs' Dan Gilbert do the same in their businesses. For Gilbert, that's Quicken Loans and casinos. No one is running a charity.

11. James was upset when Miami won back-to-back titles in 2012-13, but CUT its payroll from $82 million to $80 million in 2013-14 to save money on the luxury tax. While coming home was the main attraction to signing with the Cavs, the actions of ownership in Miami also were a factor. James knows that Gilbert will spend. As I wrote, Gilbert's final two seasons with James (2008-10) had higher pay rolls than Miami ever had with James.

12. James loves business and deals. He wants to have the most leverage and edge possible. He believes this type of deal delivers that.

13. The Cavs are willing to take James on any terms -- and they should. James just traded an established President/GM Pat Riley and Coach Erik Spoelstra in Miami for two rookies with the Cavs -- General Manager David Griffin and Coach David Blatt. He likes them, but they have no real track record.

14. Paul and Termini presented several options to James, starting with the $88 million for four years and working to this current deal. This is what he picked.

15. James believes that the summer option does not have to cause angst, that it can be worked out quietly after the season. At least, that's his goal.

For the second time in his career, LeBron James is a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- For the second time in his career, LeBron James is a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

James made the announcement on Friday afternoon in a powerful and touching essay on Sports Illustrated's website. The deal was made official on Saturday night.

"We could not be happier to welcome LeBron James home," Cavs general manager David Griffin said in a statement released by the team. "Yesterday, LeBron, through his essay, told us he wasn't going anywhere except Cleveland and that 'Cleveland is where he always believed he would finish his career.'"

The terms of the deal were not disclosed because of league policy. However, ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported earlier in the day that James, the Akron, Ohio native, inked a two-year, $42.1 million deal with Cleveland.

According to the report, the contract includes an option for James to once again become a free agent following the 2014-15 season.

"I always believed that I'd return to Cleveland and finish my career there," James said in his announcement. "My relationship with Northeast Ohio is bigger than basketball. I didn't realize that four years ago. I do now."

That doesn't sound like a player looking to skip town after one or two seasons in the wine and gold. The four-time MVP signed a shorter deal for business reasons. With the NBA soon negotiating new television contracts for the 2016-17 season, James will be positioned to capitalize. He will only be 31 at the time, and the TV deal is expected to lead to a bump in the salary cap in 2016.  

James, the biggest prize of the off-season, returns to the Cavaliers where he remains the franchise's leader in points scored (15,251), scoring average (27.8 PPG) field goals made (5,415), steals (955) and minutes played (22,119). 

The 10-time All-Star spent his first seven seasons in the NBA with the Cavs, leading them to their first finals appearance in 2007.

"LeBron's motivation to return home is clearly fueled by the kind of emotions and ideals that we can and should embrace," Griffin stated.

"The contract and those details are secondary to his commitment to Northeast Ohio and the Cavaliers. It extends well beyond the boundaries of basketball and speak to his love and passion for his family, home, and our fans. He communicated his role and growth as a husband, father, teammate, community leader, and business person.

"This resonated in a special and personal way for all of us. LeBron put it well when he stated; 'In Northeast Ohio, nothing is given. Everything is earned.' We can't wait to get started and look forward to his leadership, on and off the court, for many years to come."

When asked why he's already hit 15 homers this season -- five more than he's ever hit in any other big league season -- Michael Brantley said it's all about making consistent contact with his bat to the ball.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – If Michael Brantley knows, he's not saying. Truth be told, he probably doesn't know. Sometimes things just click.

Last year Brantley hit a career-high 10 homers. At the All-Star break he had seven.

This year he'll represent the Indians at the All-Star game Tuesday at Target Field with at least 15 homers. He hit No.15 in the eighth inning Saturday in a 6-2 loss to Chicago at Progressive Field.

In a year when MLB is worried about a decrease in offense, Brantley has already hit five more homers than he's ever hit before.

"I'm just putting the barrel on the ball," he said. "If it goes out, it goes out. I don't control that. I just try to put the barrel on the ball as much as possible."

Brantley is hitting .326 (113-for-347) with 20 doubles, one triple, 15 homers and 63 RBI. He's 10-for-10 in steals and is tied for first in the AL with 10 outfield assists.

He leads the Indians in hits, homers, doubles, RBI and runs.

"I haven't changed my approach at all," he said. "It's all about putting the barrel on the ball consistently. I don't have a real reason why.

"I'm older (27), smarter and I work hard."

Brantley says he's not a cherry picker when it comes to trying to ambush a pitcher with power swing at a certain point in the game.

"I've said it before, I'm not a home run hitter," he said. "I put good swings on the ball and whatever happens after that is out of my control. The key is to put good consistent swings on the ball as much as possible."

Giambi update: Manager Terry Francona was asked before Saturday's game if Jason Giambi would play again this year.

Francona's answer was a definite yes. There's no reason to doubt Francona, but it could take a little longer than expected before Giambi comes to the plate for the Tribe.

The Indians transferred Giambi from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day DL after Saturday's loss to make room for left-hander Nick Maronde, acquired from the Angels for cash or a player to be named. Maronde was optioned to the minors, but the Indians didn't say where he'll be playing.

Maronde, 24, has appeared in 33 big-league games for the Angels over the last three seasons. He has no record and a 7.13 ERA (14 earned runs in 17 23 innings) with 19 strikeouts, 18 walks and 22 hits.

The Angels designated him for assignment Thursday.

Giambi, 43, went on the disabled list with a sore right knee on June 12. It is his third time on the DL this season. He last played for the Tribe on June 11, going 0-for-4 against the Royals.

Wrong place, wrong time: When the Indians activated Zach McAllister to start Saturday, a roster spot had to be created. Out of the 10 pitchers in the bullpen, Vinnie Pestano's number was called and he was optioned to Class AAA Columbus.

Pestano allowed one earned run in 10 appearances covering 4 1/3 innings in his second tour with the Tribe this year. He struck out nine, didn't walk a batter and allowed five hits.

So why did Pestano's name get called?

"It's not just for today and tomorrow," said Francona. "It will probably be more clear as we keep going. Vinnie actually was doing OK, but sometimes with the matchup in our bullpen, when we were trying to protect him against left-handers, it might get a little harder once we get through Detroit and go back to a normal bullpen.

"So we decided to make the move to get Zach on the roster."

After the All-Star break, the Indians start an 11-game trip with a four-game set against the Tigers on Friday at Comerica Park. It series includes a day-night doubleheader on Saturday.

While Pestano did a nice job against righties, Francona said, "Trying to gauge where Vinnie is, is not the easiest thing. It's hard for him, too. He shouldered so much responsibility here that when a player is in a reduced role, it can be a difficult thing."

Finally: Chris Dickerson didn't play Saturday because of a tight hamstring. . . Right-hander Mark Lowe cleared waivers and accepted is outright assignment to Columbus. Lowe has made seven appearances with the Tribe this year . . .St. Louis claimed catcher George Kottaras on waivers following an injury to Yadier Molina.

Cleveland Gladiators run win streak to six by beating San Antonio.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The Cleveland Gladiators late-game magic worked again as they rallied to defeat San Antonio, 50-47, in overtime.

The win lifted the Gladiators to 15-1 and stretched their win streak to six.

The Gladiators held a two-point lead after three quarters, but San Antonio rallied and held the lead until the final play of regulation when QB Shane Austin hit Dominick Goodman with a 5-yard touchdown pass then hit Thyron Lewis for the conversion to tie the game and force overtime.

Aaron Pettrey's 20-yard field goal at the 11:07 mark of overtime won it for the Gladiators.

Austin completed 23 of 34 passes for 272 yards and six touchdowns, including three to Collin Taylor. Goodman caught 12 passes for 101 yards and two touchdowns. Austin also ran for a score.

San Antonio's Matthew Bassuener threw four TD passes.

Austin threw two touchdown passes in the first half but San Antonio led, 17-13, at the half. Austin threw two more TD passes in the third quarter to put Cleveland on top, 26-24, entering the final period.

The Gladiators are home to Jacksonville next Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Q, then close the regular season at Tampa Bay on July 26 at 7:30.

Indians' right-hander Austin Adams' big-league debut didn't go as he envisioned, but he got it out of the way and it's time to move on.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Seen and heard Saturday at Progressive Field.

Clubhouse confidential: It wasn't a great big-league debut, but it was a big-league debut.

Rookie right-hander Austin Adams entered Saturday's game in the ninth inning with the Indians trailing Chicago, 3-2. He faced four batters and by the time the inning ended three of them scored as the White Sox cruised to a 6-2 win.

"I was a little nervous, a little amped up, a little excited . . .everything," said Adams, promoted from Class AAA Columbus on Friday. "It was the first time getting a taste of it. The results weren't good, but we'll go on from there."

Adams was throwing hard, really hard. He topped out 97 mph, but he couldn't find the strike zone.

"I didn't leave my best impression," said Adams, who allowed three runs on three hits in one-third of an inning. "But it can only get better. It was nice to get the first out of my big-league career."

Adams said he had nine family members and friends make the trip from Millbrook, Ala., to see his debut.

Break time: Mike Aviles, a New York city kid through and through, will be spending the All-Star break at home . . . in Utah.

"My wife (Jessy) is from Utah so that's where we ended up," said Aviles. "It's a long way from New York. I think I might be the only Puerto Rican in Utah. Definitely, there aren't many of us.

"But it's fun. I've met some of the nicest people ever. I love it out there. I've been there five years."

Stat of the day: The Indians are 18-18 in the AL Central this year.

In the seventh edition of the Where Are They Now series, we take a look at Luke McCown.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – When the Cleveland Browns drafted Luke McCown in the 2004 NFL Draft, it was another attempt to secure a quarterback talent that could change the face of the franchise. 

McCown got his shot, but it was brief. 

In four games as a starter in his rookie season – all of which were losses – the Browns identified what McCown is still today: a reliable backup quarterback. 

But at the time, the Browns needed more than that. They needed a starter, a player to spark a franchise dying to give the city of Cleveland the winner they've been so desiring. 

Seventh on our list of former Browns QBs since 1999, here's a look back at the McCown era and what has happened with the quarterback since.

Luke McCown, 2004

0-4 as a Browns starter

Before the Browns

A product of Louisiana Tech, McCown was one of the best quarterbacks in college football during his senior season in 2003 and he remains the program's No. 2 all-time leader for passing touchdowns, passing yards and total offense. 

A four-year starter for Louisiana Tech, McCown still holds the FBS record for seasons with 2000 or more passing yards, a feat he reached in every year as a starter.

He proved himself worthy of the Browns when he faced Miami (Fla.) as a true freshman in 2000 against a Hurricanes team that was then led by Butch Davis. Davis, who eventually drafted McCown, watched the quarterback complete 42-of-72 passes for three touchdowns. Miami won the game, 42-31, but Davis was exposed to prolific passing that was consistent throughout McCown's collegiate career. 

How he came to the Browns

The Browns' No. 1 overall pick in 1999, Tim Couch, had already fallen to the wayside, and the franchise had no luck securing a reliable starter heading into the 2004 season. So when McCown was available in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft, Davis was tickled by the idea of taking a chance on the Louisiana Tech standout. The Browns selected McCown with the 10th pick of the 4th round (No. 106 overall). 

Playing for Davis in the NFL "is something that I've thought about since coach Davis left Miami and went to the Browns," McCown said after Cleveland selected him. 

Browns highlights

Unfortunately for McCown, this section is short. Though he came to Cleveland behind then-starter Jeff Garcia - which at the time seemed positive because he'd have time to develop before being thrust into the fire – he ended up on the field as a rookie. It may have been premature. 

Davis resigned 11 games into the 2004 season with a record of 3-8 and interim head coach Terry Robiskie took over the Browns. With nothing to lose by starting the rookie, Robiskie turned to McCown to try and bring some life into the otherwise dead Browns. That he became a rookie starter was the biggest highlight of McCown's Browns tenure. 

Browns lowlights

McCown's first game as an NFL starter came against the reigning Super Bowl Champions, and the New England Patriots hammered the Browns, 42-15. McCown did finish the game with his first two NFL touchdown passes - both to Antonio Bryant - but the Browns were out of the game by early in the second quarter when the Patriots held a 21-0 lead. 

Robiskie stuck with McCown for the next three games, but the rookie only managed to throw two more touchdowns total. The Browns lost all three of those games, and Robiskie went with Kelly Holcomb at quarterback in the season finale. McCown never stepped on the field for the Browns ever again. 

How he left the Browns 

After his rookie season, the Browns traded McCown during the weekend of the 2005 NFL Draft to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a sixth-round pick, the 203rd overall selection. The Browns used the pick to select Virginia defensive tackle Andrew Hoffman. 

McCown felt as if he wasn't a fit in Cleveland in the eyes of new general manager Phil Savage.

"I think Phil Savage is the kind of guy who wants the guys he drafts," McCown said. "They felt like they'd probably get more if they traded me than Josh Harris.

McCown later added that he was glad to be "somewhere they want you, where you feel wanted and where you feel like you have a real shot to compete. They're not going to make judgments on just those four games that I had to play last year."

Where is he now? 

McCown has enjoyed an 11-year NFL career as a backup and he's currently on the New Orleans Saints roster behind Pro Bowler Drew Brees. McCown has never been given a chance to start permanently, and he has just a shade over 2,000 career passing yards. 

The best game of his career came in 2007 when he was with the Buccaneers. Ironically enough it was in a spot start over Garcia, who was also in Tampa at the time and he threw for 313 yards and had a game-winning drive against the Saints. 

Brunswick's senior quarterback says he never sees himself as the second-best QB on the field.

BRUNSWICK, Ohio -- Steven Ficyk believes being a great quarterback means having confidence in yourself and the willingness to make mistakes.

The Blue Devils' senior recalled the moment last preseason when both qualities clicked for him. It was during a workout at Ashland University when his offense was struggling and he needed to make something happen.

"I hooked up with Zach Parker on a tough pass for a touchdown," Ficyk said. "That's when the confidence kicked in."

With plenty of confidence, a big-time arm and a desire to etch his name in the Brunswick football record book, Ficyk and his coaches believe he can become one of the area's top quarterbacks in 2014.

Every day in July, check out a profile featuring one of the many standout football players in Northeast Ohio as part of the 31 in 31 series.

As a junior, Ficyk completed 53 percent of his passes for 1,645 yards and 14 touchdowns while playing in coach Luke Beal's run-oriented system. But Beal says Ficyk's arm is his biggest strength.

"He throws a great ball," Beal said. "If you watch his highlights from last year, there were a lot of times when he used his arm strength to make plays for us."

Beal says the 6-foot-3, 218-pounder has put in a lot of work in the offseason, adding muscle and improving his footwork. According to Beal, Ficyk could be part of the conversation - along with Hudson's Mitch Guadagni and St. Edward's Brett Keane - when it comes to the area's top quarterbacks by the end of the season.

"We want him to be that type of quarterback," Beal said. "He's got all the tools to get there."

Ficyk earned praise last season from opposing coaches, including Mentor's Steve Trivisonno, who offered encouragement to the QB after defeating Brunswick in the 2013 playoff opener.

"You could see on the film that he's got what it takes to be a good one," Trivisonno said. "He has the arm strength and the accuracy. And he had command of that team when we played them."

Ficyk, who likes to golf and often hits baseballs from both sides of the plate at the local batting cages, looks to pro QBs such as Aaron Rodgers for inspiration.

"He faced so much adversity to get to where he is today," Ficyk said of the Green Bay QB. "He's just so confident. Even when he throws an interception he comes back and drives the team 80 yards to a touchdown."

Ficyk said he will take his lead from Rodgers this season and eliminate "tentative" play on the field. 

"Last year I was afraid to make mistakes," Ficyk said. "Now I think I'm comfortable enough to live with my mistakes."

Ficyk's father, Steve, played quarterback for Brunswick in the late 1970s and volunteered as a scout for the program from 2000-10. During that time, young Steven acted as a ball boy for the Blue Devils, studying every move the players made from the sidelines.

"He's a student of the game and it just pleases me to know he plays it the right way," Steven Ficyk said of his son. 

Growing up in that environment and seeing how much Brunswick football meant to all the players who went through the system, including his father, left a deep impression on the young quarterback.

"It was always a dream of mine to grow up and play for Brunswicjk," he said. "They love football here. It's fun to make the city proud."

An injury in his sophomore season and Brunswick's strong running game last season led to fewer opportunities for scouts to see a lot of video on Ficyk. But his performance at several offseason camps has drawn interest from Division II schools and some Mid-American Conference programs. 

All of that gives Ficyk the confidence he needs to succeed heading into this season.

"I've never walked on the field thinking I'm the second best quarterback," Ficyk said. "No matter what I'm not the No. 2 guy. I'm always right there."

More about Ficyk

Height: 6-foot-3.

Weight: 218 pounds.

Position: Quarterback.

Grade: Senior.

2013 stats: Completed 105 of 197 passes (53 percent) for 1,645 yards, 14 touchdowns and four interceptions.

Zach McAllister looks good in his return to the Indians' rotation, but Jose Abreu and Adam Dunn stung him with big hits.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – It's not like the Indians haven't gotten Jose Abreu out this year. They've actually gotten him out a lot, just not at the right times.

The Cuban rookie did it to the Indians again Saturday afternoon, hitting a two-run homer to ruin Zach McAllister's return to the starting rotation as Chicago beat the Indians, 6-2, at Progressive Field.

Abreu, who leads the big leagues with 29 homers, has seven hits against the Indians this year, including five home runs. He has inoculated Danny Salazar (twice) and Corey Kluber, Josh Outman and McAllister once each with a shot of long-ball fever.

"He's a dangerous hitter and that might be the understatement of the year," said manager Terry Francona.

McAllister, making his first start since May 21 after being activated before the game, retired Abreu in the first inning on a weak grounder to third.

"I made some good pitches down and away and got him to roll over," said McAllister.

Abreu's next at-bat came in the fourth. McAllister walked Alexei Ramirez to start the inning. Abreu, the next batter, hit McAllister's first pitch just over the wall in right field for a 2-0 lead.

"I left a breaking ball out over the middle of the plate and he did some damage with it," said McAllister.

They met again in the sixth with runners on first and second and no one out. McAllister stuck with his fastball and Abreu sent a grounder to Jason Kipnis, who turned it into a double play. That was all well and good, but McAllister gave up an RBI double to Adam Dunn to give Chicago a 3-0 lead.

"The two big swings by Abreu and Dunn were just mistakes that I left in the middle of the plate," said McAllister. "Those really hurt me."

Abreu is hitting only .200 (7-for-35) against the Tribe, but it's a hard .200. He is the second player this season to hit five homers against the Indians with Kansas City's Mike Moustakas being the other. Unlike Abreu, Moustakas has only 10 homers overall.

Overall, Abreu is hitting .287 (91-for-317) with 20 doubles, one triple, 73 RBI and .969 OPS. He will go to the All-Star game festivities at Target Field after Sunday's game with at least 50 extra base hits and 200 total bases.

"He's a really good hitter and you've got to make smart pitches to him," said McAllister.

McAllister allowed three runs on four hits in seven innings. He struck out two and walked two on 92 pitches.

"I though he was aggressive," said Francona. "I thought he threw his fastball inside enough. When he commands his fastball, he's very effective."

McAllister, who went on the disabled list on May 22 with a strained lower back, went 5-0 with a 2.23 ERA in six starts during his extended stat at Class AAA Columbus before rejoining the rotation.

"I was extremely happy with the outing," said McAllister. "It's what I had in mind and was hoping to accomplish. It would have been a lot better if we could have picked up the W, but it was a good step in the right direction."

Chicago starter Scott Carroll (4-5, 4.19) pitched five scoreless innings, but had to leave with a stiff back. Carroll's early exit didn't inspire an Indians' offense that managed just six hits, struck out eight times and went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

Kipnis drew a bases-loaded walk in the seventh to make it 3-1. Singles by Lonnie Chisenhall, Yan Gomes and David Murphy loaded the bases. Gomes' single was the result of a Francona challenge after Gomes was called out on a low liner to left. The challenge got the call overturned as replays at MLB headquarters in New York showed that Dayan Viciedo trapped the ball.

The Indians are 11-for-21 on challenges this season.

Michael Brantley's leadoff homer in the eighth made it a 3-2 game. It was Brantley's 15^th homer, five more than he hit all last year.

Francona opened the ninth with rookie Austin Adams making his big league debut. The White Sox quickly scored three runs to put the game away. Gordon Beckman's two-run double was the big hit.

"What I didn't want to do was go until next week without him pitching," said Francona, referring to the All-Star game break. "Sunday will be the last day before the break and you figure Cody Allen and Bryan Shaw are going to pitch. So we had the bottom of the order and a clean inning, but it didn't work."

The Indians, with one game left before the All-Star break, are 5-4 on this 10-game homestand. Overall, they're 46-47.

Former Cleveland Cavaliers small forward Luol Deng has agreed to a contract with the Miami Heat.

MIAMI, Fla. -- After losing LeBron James on Friday to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Miami Heat appeared to be in trouble. However, the team has continued to bring in players, this time signing former Cleveland Cavaliers forward, Luol Deng.

First reported by Adrian Wojnarowski, Deng will sign a two-year, $20 million contract. The contract most likely will include a player option for the 2015-2016. Deng chose the Heat because he feels despite the loss of James, the core of the Heat could be enough to contend in the Eastern Conference.

Many people thought that the Miami Heat would be in full rebuilding mode after James left the team, but Pat Riley has shown that he is not going to let the team become irrelevant.

On Saturday, Bosh signed a max contract with the team, despite many people thinking that he was going to go to the Houston Rockets. 

The next step for the Heat is to sign guard Dwyane Wade, who has been in Miami his entire career. According to Marc Stein of ESPN, that move could be happening very soon.

Look for Heat to follow swiftly for deal with Heat lifer Dwyane Wade. Riley and Co. clearly not ready to strip this thing all the way down

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 11, 2014

Deng was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers from the Chicago Bulls on January 7 of this past season, but could never get into any kind of groove with the team.

CHICAGO, Ill. -- After missing out on Carmelo Anthony, the Chicago Bulls did receive some good news as power foward Pau Gasol announced that he would be leaving the Los Angeles Lakers to play for the Bulls. It hasn't been easy. After meditating it a lot I've chosen to play with the Chicago Bulls. Looking forward to this new...

CHICAGO, Ill. -- After missing out on Carmelo Anthony, the Chicago Bulls did receive some good news as power foward Pau Gasol announced that he would be leaving the Los Angeles Lakers to play for the Bulls.

It hasn't been easy. After meditating it a lot I've chosen to play with the Chicago Bulls. Looking forward to this new chapter of my career

— Pau Gasol (@paugasol) July 12, 2014

The team is still trying to do a last minute sign-and-trade deal to acquire Gasol. However, if they can't complete a deal, then they will amnesty starting power forward Carlos Boozer.

A decision on what to do with Boozer has to be made by Wednesday.

The Indians will enter the All-Star break at the .500 mark. Maybe the club's record portends a spike in play after the Midsummer Classic. Maybe it serves as evidence that this is simply an average team.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It has often been unsightly, at times unwatchable.

The defense has looked sloppy, the bats have endured long spells of dormancy and the rotation has shuffled through starting pitchers like a revolving door.

And yet, the Indians will enter the All-Star break at the .500 mark. Maybe the club's record portends a spike in play after the Midsummer Classic. Maybe it serves as evidence that this is simply an average team.

Regardless of the possible means of foretelling, the Indians have reached the season's unofficial midpoint at 47-47 following Sunday's last-gasp, 3-2 triumph against the White Sox. The victory, witnessed by 18,070 at Progressive Field, polished off a 6-4 homestand for Cleveland.

"I wish our record was better," said manager Terry Francona. "I do think, the way we've played, now the next couple of months, if we play good baseball, it'll be very exciting. For everything that's happened and some of the inconsistencies in our play, it's in front of us now. But we do need to do some things better."

The effort the club received from Trevor Bauer was far from average. The 23-year-old tallied a career-high 10 strikeouts across 6 2/3 scoreless innings, an outing his catcher, Yan Gomes, described as "pretty incredible."

Gomes had a hand in the win as well. His go-ahead, two-run home run to right field in the bottom of the eighth inning erased a 2-1 deficit minutes after Chicago tagged Tribe reliever Bryan Shaw for two runs in the top half of the frame.

"He's really good," Francona said. "You almost want your catcher to be indispensable. I think he's rapidly becoming that."

Bauer scattered eight hits and three walks as he logged his third quality start in his last four outings. With the Indians in front, 1-0, thanks to Gomes' second-inning RBI single, Bauer departed after heaving 117 pitches, 74 for strikes.

"As the game progressed, like he does, he got stronger," Francona said. "When we leave him out there when he's up over 110, that tells you how we feel he's pitching."

Shaw manned the mound in the eighth, but surrendered an RBI single to Gordon Beckham. Two batters later, Leury Garcia squirted a grounder by the glove of second baseman Jason Kipnis. Beckham scored from second to provide Chicago with a one-run edge.

Gomes, who felt woozy all afternoon after being struck with a bat early in the affair, quickly eliminated that advantage. After Nick Swisher opened the inning with a bloop single to left, Gomes deposited a Javy Guerra slider over the right-field fence. The long ball measured 340 feet and allowed the frustrated fans at the ballpark to unite for a collective exhale. The timely tater relieved Gomes of his troubling symptoms.

"To get the winning hit is definitely a good feeling," he said. "I was just trying to get a pitch to stay up top and drive it that way. I didn't think I was going to [hit a homer]. It definitely felt good."

Cody Allen capped the contest with a flawless ninth, as he captured his 12th save and sealed the Tribe's first-half fate.

It was a first half that saw the Indians hover around the .500 mark for three months. The team enjoyed pleasant surprises from Michael Brantley and Lonnie Chisenhall while enduring the struggles of Nick Swisher and Carlos Santana. It coped with John Axford's shortcomings by depending more on Allen's flourishing right arm. Its two All-Star Game representatives from 2013, Kipnis and Justin Masterson, have followed up their stellar showings with unflattering performances in '14.

The Indians, though, contend that they're on the right track.

"We're right there," Gomes said. "Same thing as last year, we've gone through some ups and downs. ... I think we're making that turn right now. Everybody's understanding their roles right now."

Last season, the Tribe entered the break with a 51-44 mark. The division race was a bit tighter. Francona said he doesn't want to compare the two seasons, or bank on a 10-game winning streak to close out the schedule.

Like last year, however, the team expects a second-half surge.

"I think we're in a good place," said Mike Aviles. "I think we're slowly, but surely coming along. If you think about it, last year it was the same kind of deal and we just got better as the season got on. I think this is the same kind of thing. Nobody is running away with it.

"There's a lot of baseball to be played and I think we're in a great situation, where we're starting to understand, 'Hey, this is go time.' This is the time to really kick it into gear and start winning some games."

The goal gave Germany its fourth World Cup title in its eighth final.

RIO DE JANEIRO -- With two quick touches, Mario Goetze ended Germany's 24-year wait for another World Cup title.

Goetze scored the winning goal in extra time to give Germany a 1-0 victory over Argentina on Sunday in a tight and tense World Cup final that came down to one piece of individual skill.

Goetze, who wasn't born when West Germany beat Argentina in the 1990 final, controlled a cross with his chest in the 113th minute and in one fluid motion volleyed the ball past goalkeeper Sergio Romero and inside the far post.

It was a goal that gave Germany its fourth World Cup title in its eighth final, and left Argentina star Lionel Messi still walking in the shadow of his compatriot Diego Maradona, who led his country to the 1986 title.

Goetze had come on as a substitute for Miroslav Klose toward the end of regulation time and the 22-year-old midfielder's fresh legs made the difference.

Andre Schuerrle broke down the left flank, sending his cross into the area, and the Bayern Munich player did the rest with a clinical finish. The goal echoed that of Andres Iniesta's four years ago, when the midfielder scored in similar fashion but from the other side of the area to give Spain a 1-0 extra time win over the Netherlands.

For Germany, the win ends a string of near misses since winning its last major title at the 1996 European Championship. The team lost the 2002 World Cup final to Brazil and lost in the semifinals in both 2006 and 2010.

It is Germany's first World Cup title as a unified nation, having won as West Germany in 1954, 1974 and 1990. It was also the third World Cup final between these countries and had been billed as a matchup between the perfect team and the perfect individual, pitting Germany's machine-like unit against the brilliance of Messi, the four-time world player of the year.

But in the biggest game of his career, Messi came up short.

He had one good chance to score when he was sent free in the area just after the halftime break, but sent his shot wide of the far post. It was a difficult angle, but still the type of chance he so often converts for Barcelona.

Messi threatened intermittently throughout the match, but was effectively neutralized for long stretches. When he did try to break forward with one of his quick dribbles, he was surrounded by the German defense.

His free kick in the 120th minute went well high.

When the final whistle blew, Germany players collapsed in a pile in the middle of the pitch, while Messi walked with his hands on his hips toward the center circle.

Messi, who scored four goals in the group stage but none in the knockout rounds, then had to trudge alone up the stairs of the Maracana Stadium to accept the Golden Ball award for the tournament's best player, shaking hands with German Chancellor Angela Merkel along the way. He never broke a smile. Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was voted best goalkeeper of the tournament.

Up until Goetze's winning goal, the game was more notable for top-class defending than creative attacking, but both teams had their share of chances.

In fact, the first half had just about everything but a goal.

Gonzalo Higuain was gifted a free chance when Toni Kroos' back header landed at his feet and left him all alone with Neuer. However, he sent his shot woefully wide.

Higuain thought he had scored in the 30th after Messi picked out Ezequiel Lavezzi with a great ball and he sent a cross in toward the Napoli striker. Higuain slotted in his finish inside the far post and ran all the way to the corner flag in celebration before realizing he had been called for offside.

Shortly afterward, Germany was forced to use a substitution as Christoph Kramer had to go off with a suspected concussion after colliding with Ezequiel Garay's shoulder earlier in the game. Kramer had continued playing but looked visibly dizzy as he was led off the field. Kramer, who was a late inclusion in the lineup after Sami Khedira was injured during the warmup, was replaced by Schuerrle.

Germany's best chance came just before the break when Benedikt Hoewedes hit the post with a header from a corner.

The game grew more cagey in the second half as both teams became increasingly cautious, knowing that a single mistake could make the difference.

In extra time, both teams had chances to score early. Schuerrle controlled a ball in the area just after the restart and fired a hard shot that Romero had to react quickly to push out.

In the 97th, Palacacio controlled a cross on his chest and tried to lob Neuer, but the ball drifted wide of the post.

Spellman also picked up an offer from St. John's on Sunday.

NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio -- While Omari Spellman won't be playing basketball in Ohio next season, he now has another avenue to possibly return one day. On Sunday, Spellman picked up an offer from Ohio State.

Spellman, a rising junior who is transferring from North Royalton to MacDuffie School (Mass.) next season, is now the sixth player from Northeast Ohio to currently hold an Ohio State offer.

Joining Spellman, who stands at 6-foot-8, are Villa Angela-St. Joseph forward Carlton Bragg, Shaker Heights forward Esa Ahmad, Medina center Jon Teske, St. Edward forward Derek Funderburk and St. Vincent-St. Mary guard VJ King. Both Bragg and Ahmad are rising seniors while the rest are rising juniors.

As a sophomore, Spellman averaged 22 points and 9.8 rebounds per game and was named second team All-Ohio for Division I and was on the cleveland.com boys basketball first-team.

Over two seasons with the Bears, Spellman helped his team earn a 43-5 record. North Royalton lost just one game in the regular season this past season.

Also on Sunday, Spellman added an offer from St. John's. He also holds offers from schools including Florida, Villanova, Pittsburgh and Indiana.

Spellman was recently ranked No. 24 by ESPN for its class of 2016. He took part in the LeBron James Skills Academy this past week. Other locals included Ahmad and King.

This past season, Spellman and North Royalton matched up against Garfield Heights, which included Ohio State commit Dave Bell. With Bell guarding him for part of the game, Spellman scored 40 points.

Contact high school sports reporter David Cassilo by email (dcassilo@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@dcassilo). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

Olmsted Falls star guard Kerri Gasper has decided to play college basketball at Evansville.

OLMSTED FALLS, Ohio -- The Olmsted Falls girls basketball team last season was led by Kerri Gasper, who averaged 16 points and nine rebounds per game. On Sunday, Gasper verbally committed to the University of Evansville.

Gasper is a combo-guard that has the ability to control a game on both sides of the court. On offense, she can hit the outside shot, but she also does a tremendous job of getting to the basket. There are a lot of talented players in the area, and Gasper figures to be as good of player as there is.

Both the mens and womens basketball teams at Evansville have recruited the area hard, as former Villa Angela-St. Joseph guard Duane Gibson will be a sophomore for the Purple Aces next season.

Contact high school sports reporter Mark Kern by email mkern@cleveland.com or Twitter (@Markkern11). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

The Germans became the first team from Europe to win a World Cup in the Western Hemisphere.

The last time it won a World Cup, Germany was West Germany. 

That was 24 years ago. Now Germany is one unified nation, and once again champion of the world. 

The Germans became the first team from Europe to win a World Cup in the Western Hemisphere, defeating Argentina 1-0 on the goal that late-game substitute Mario Goetze will remember for the rest of his life. So will his countrymen, who will probably make sure Goetze never has to pay for another beverage for as long as he lives. 

Here's the play of the 120-plus-minute game, which happened in the second overtime period: 

WATCH it again: The goal that made Mario Gotze a German legend. Superb finish » http://t.co/04jemM69lc

-- ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 13, 2014

Another sub, Andre Schurrle, sent the cross in to Goetze for the assist. Manuel Neuer needed only to make two saves in goal as Germany's defense locked down Argentina megastar Lionel Messi and his teammates to power to another win.

Germany's goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, recipient of the Golden Glove trophy, stands next to Argentina's Lionel Messi after he receive the Golden Ball trophy following Germany's 1-0 victory over Argentina after the World Cup final soccer match between Germany and Argentina at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, July 13, 2014. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)  

Neuer was named the top goalkeeper of the tournament. Messi was named winner of the Golden Ball trophy as the best player in the 2014 World Cup -- though he fell short of the final grand piece of his legacy this time around. 

With Germany's Thomas Muller not adding to his five-goal total, James Rodriguez of Colombia won the Golden Boot for his six goals overall. 

The 2014 final featured some near misses and close calls, especially in the first half. Argentina got off to the start it wanted, and in the 21st minute Gonzalo Higuain got his chance off a bad back pass. 

Gonzalo Higuaín missed a golden opportunity to put Argentina ahead. Golden. #GER #ARG http://t.co/jJo6gS5ANW

-- Footy (@Footy) July 13, 2014

Imagine what could have been had Higuain managed to score. Argentina fans will cringe at the memory forever.

In the 88th minute, Miroslav Klose left the game for a substitution, marking the end of an amazing World Cup career for the German forward who was born in Poland. Klose played in his final World Cup match and walks away as the all-time leading goal scorer in its history with 16 goals. He played in four World Cups, in which Germany either advanced to the semifinals or the final.

It seemed only fitting that Klose ended it with a championship.

There were at least as many hard hits resulting in fouls or yellow cards as scoring chances. Neuer drove a high knee to Higuain's head in the second half. No card, no foul. 

Germany's goalkeeper Manuel Neuer collides with Argentina's Gonzalo Higuain during the World Cup final soccer match between Germany and Argentina at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, July 13, 2014. (AP Photo/Francois Xavier Marit, Pool) 

If defense is your thing, you saw plenty of it in this match. It wasn't always pretty nor exciting, but the tension that continued to build as we waited for someone to break through with the first goal was palpable. 

And one goal, as it turned out, was all that was needed. 

Fans watching live in Germany went crazy, the party getting started late Sunday night for them. Tearful Argentina fans, who had invaded Rio de Janeiro in hopes of being in the same city as their heroes had they won, were left with nothing more than sadness. 

But Argentina's players left everything on the pitch to try to win, or at least force penalty kicks. There was no faulting the effort.

For Germany, this could be the launch of a grand era for the national team. The team has a number of young players it took to Brazil who thrived, such as Muller and Schurrle. Other players were good enough to make the World Cup team but missed the cut due to injury. 

Argentina can probably get another World Cup out of Messi and some others. But the supporting cast will have to be deeper so as to take at least a little attention off their star. Not having Angel Di Maria available to play was a big loss, as he could have made a difference offensively with his on-ball ability. 

Either way, both teams remain two of the world's best. 

And now we say goodbye to Brazil, and goodbye to the World Cup until Russia 2018.