Serbia are the new Under-20 World Champions, after a shock 2-1 win over Brazil.
Despite being almost completely starved of possession in the final hour of the match, they scored a last gasp winner to take the game. It is their first title at this level.
Midfielder Nemanja Maksimovic was the hero for Serbia, slotting home in the 118th minute after a breakaway.
In many ways, this was a classic football tragedy. One team played with adventure and skill, the other basically defended for most of the 120 minutes. But that's football; that's the sport. Serbia will go down as one of the most limited teams to win an Under-20 World Cup but they've got the trophy.
And you had to admire their resolve. After barely seeing the ball for most of the extra time period, they took advantage of some naïve Brazilian defending (not the first time that sentence has been written) to score the winner late in injury time.
Serbia's defence - like it has been all tournament - was outstanding. The twin towers in the centre (1.93 and 1.95m respectively) repelled almost everything, and in front of the back four there was a defensive shield of Death Star proportions.
The stadium experience was again a bit of a shambles. The concourse often resembled a Tokyo subway station, with a heaving mass of people and nowhere to go. And it's never fun instructed by a burly security guard to "please return to your [uncovered] seat" when it's raining and between matches.
But there could be no complaints about the football; often finals are a bit of an anti-climax but this was a beauty. Some wonderful football, a stunning goal and plenty of drama, not to mention a spectacular dumping of rain in extra time.
Brazil honoured the legacy of the famous yellow shirts. They produced some sumptuous football, especially in the second half, with technical play that only they can manage.
There were `nutmegs' and another move that looked like the football version of a Basketball's Alley-oop. There were also typical shaky defensive moments, which contributed to both Serbian goals and probably kept the Europeans in the game.
One nearby spectator was heard comparing this Serbian team to the dour Greece side that shocked the world in 2004, by winning the European championships.
They certainly have the same fighting spirit, organisation, dogged determination and cynical edge. They also pack their defence, wait for a mistake and counter attack rapidly. And their main threat is from set pieces, with most of their goals in the knock out stages coming from dead ball situations. It's generally unimaginative. Maybe it's the face of modern football, maybe it's inevitable, but it ain't pretty.
That's not to say they don't have class, particularly midfielder Andrija Zivkovic, who is a sure bet for the tournament team and was a constant threat on the right.
Serbia's goal keeper Predrag Rajkovic was the difference. The captain kept his side in the match in the first half - getting down well to a stinging volley from the edge of the area - and made another brilliant save at his near post from Gabriel Jesus.
Brazil started the second half with a surge, but still couldn't beat Rajkovic, whose value must have been multiplying by the minute in the eyes of the watching scouts.
Serbia hardly had the ball - with 37 per cent possession - but it was enough. After going close through Milan Gajic - who forced a great reflex save from Brazil goal keeper Jean - they took the lead in the 70th minute.
The Europeans broke down the right and unmarked striker Stansia Mandic converted at the far post. The lead lasted only three minutes, as substitute Andreas Pereira scored - given the context - probably the goal of the tournament. The Manchester United midfielder beat four players in a mazy run, before finishing in the corner from a tight angle.
Pereira went close with a free kick in the 89th minute, and Brazil had a number of great chances in extra time before Maksimovic's late heroics.
- By Michael Burgess, Herald on Sunday
Serbia 2 (S Mandic 70', N Maksimovic 118') Brazil 1 (A Pereira 73') Half-time: 0-0
