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Victor R. Caivano/Associated Press

It was so near and yet so far for the Argentina national team. The squad, coached by Alejandro Sabella, spent just seven minutes behind in the entire World Cup; unfortunately, those were the final seven minutes of extra time in the final, and the Albiceleste finished 1-0 down to miss out against Germany.

Argentina's fifth World Cup final appearance may have ended in disappointment, but that should not take away from what was an excellent tournament from the South American team. But who really came through for their nation in Brazil, and who will look back on Brazil 2014 thinking they could have done more?

The 19 players who played a significant role in the Albiceleste campaign are ranked and graded according to their individual performance, led of course by the magnificent Javier Mascherano who, from the first game to the final, was a titan for his country.