Thomas Muller and Lionel Messi. Photo: Marcus Brandt/Corbis, Oraito/Corbis The World Cup comes to an end this afternoon in Rio, when Germany and Argentina meet in the tournament’s final. It’s Germany’s eighth appearance in the final (they’ve won three times), and it’s the fifth time Argentina will play for the title (they’ve won twice). The game is sure to draw monster ratings, with both die-hard fans and casual observers tuning in. And so if you’re the type who only watches soccer once every four years, here’s a primer to get to ready for the big match. How did these teams get here?a lot of sad Brazilian front pages. This goal by Sami Khedira made it 5–0: Argentina, meanwhile, has won all of its games, finishing the group stage 3-0-0 before beating Switzerland and Belgium to earn a berth in the semis. They needed a penalty shootout to get past the Netherlands in the game, after neither team scored in either 90 minutes of regulation or 30 minutes of extra time. Here’s the Maxi Rodríguez shootout goal that sent Argentina to the final: What do I need to know about Germany?• They’re an efficient, disciplined team that beats opponents by working as a unit….