It's Good To Be King: Post-match awards from Bayern's DFB Pokal final win

Tip Of The Cap: Douglas Costa. This match was one in which we got to glimpse the Douglas Costa from the first half of the season. Remeber when he led the Bundesliga in assists? Back in his comfortable position on the wing, he was able to dribble and cross his way right through the Dortmund midfield and play the attacking game he craves. He had good chemistry with Franck Ribery as both showed a lot of creativity on the outside. It was also nice to see Costa score the winning penalty kick to put this game on ice. A wonderful end to a wonderful first season with the club.

Golf Clap: Thomas Muller. For a long spell, he looked like the most dangerous attacker on the pitch, managing to get a couple close shots and another three passes leading to quality scoring chances. But it wasn't just his work in the attack that tells the whole story. Muller also put in some work in the defensive end as well, intercepting passes to break up counter attacks and making timely tackles to regain possession. To put the final cherry on top, his penalty kick was just perfect. After having some bad luck in previous PKs, he calmly sauntered up to the ball and drilled it past Roman Burki with such nonchalance that only he could have pulled it off.

Standing Ovation: Franck Ribery. Just a couple of months ago, it seemed as if Ribery might not play another season in Bayern red. He was written off by many (including myself) as too old and too slow to have the same impact as before. Fast forward to Saturday night in Berlin, and Franck was carving up one of the best defenses in the Bundesliga for 107' before a cramp forced him off the pitch. Since coming back from his last injury, Kaiser Franck has played every match like it was his last and this was no different. His dribbling ability, speed, and crossing skill were masterful and if not for sheer bad luck, he could've easily notched a couple assists.

Meister Of The Match: Arturo Vidal. The second half of the season has been all about Vidal and the massive step forward he has taken in terms of form and leadership. In the biggest game of the season, Vidal took control and Bayern followed his lead. He led the team in touches, passes, passing accuracy, passes over 30 yards, passes leading to shots on goal, tackles and interceptions. He left everything on the pitch -- including a jersey which Sokratis had torn -- for over 120' but still found something left in the tank to bury his penalty kick and help ensure a victory. It was the type of performance that Bayern needed from their box-to-box maestro in a hard fought, tightly contested match against a very good opponent.

Jersey Swap: Sokratis Papastathopoulos. Yes, he tore Vidal's shirt in half. Yes, he had some questionable tackles that should have been carded. Yes, he missed a PK...off the post. Yes, he enrages the heck out of opposing fans. That's his job. But outside of his "instigator" tag, he played a very strong defensive game. He had the most clearances, interceptions, and tackles of any Dortmund player and denied quite a few quality scoring chances for Bayern. And if he gets in the head of the opposition, can you deny you wouldn't want that kind of edge on your team?

Paulaner Beer Shower: Pep Guardiola. For the last game in manager Pep Guardiola's Bayern career, a special section at the end of the awards was certainly merited. Pep brought three years of unrelenting, unforgiving, beautiful soccer to Munich. He picked up where Jupp Heynckes left off and won Bayern their unprecedented fourth straight Bundesliga title and a second domestic double to cap off a wildly successful three year stint. It goes without saying that Carlo Ancelotti will receive a warm welcome here, but before that happens I just want to say with the upmost sincerity: "Danke, Pep"