Tomorrow may never come – always a day away – but Germany's time finally arrived at 7:36am on Monday. And the beer was flowing, if not free, once the men in white clinched their first World Cup in 24 years.

"I think I'm going to cry," said Earl Lobendahn, 28, already looking a bit teary after Germany broke the deadlock deep into extra time. "My grandfather would have loved this," he said.

More than 200 people gathered from 4am at the Concordia for pretzels, apple strudel, hot dogs and the chance to see their team become the first European champions on South American soil.

By the end of the two-hour contest, they were begging "whistle, whistle", frayed by the missed chances and close calls. Moments later, elation.

The last time Germany won, in Italy in 1990, Julian Baumbach was a newborn in his football-loving father's arms.

"Now I'm watching the 2014 final with him and we've just reached the pinnacle of sporting achievement in the world," Mr Baumbach said, pretzel and beer in hand.

At the Bexley Bowling Club it was an unmistakably Argentinean affair. There were swinging blue scarves and signings of the cross. There was coffee and chorizo and a large, bearded man in a poncho. There were nervous silences and frenzied shrieks. And, in the end, there were tears.

“I’m trying to tell him not to cry but what can I do?” Argentinean-born Marcos Soto said of his teary young son. “We feel that in our blood. It’s something you can’t explain to people, how you feel over a stupid game, but it’s inside of you.”

No amount of sleep deprivation will quell passionate Latinos at a football game, even if they are on the other side of the world in a suburban bowling club. “They jump up and down every time their players touch the ball,” the bartender quipped.

But when Germany scored in extra time, the room was silent. It was even more so when the final whistle blew.

“Can you believe I have a dentist appointment to go to now?” said 64-year-old Carlos Panetta. “I’ll just suffer for a while. I’m very, very upset.”

German-Australian Hans Loether, 73, said the Argentinians fought well but "we had that fraction more".

He and his son Dennis were planning a day of beer and schnapps. After all, who is afraid of a hangover if tomorrow is always a day away?