Why Germany Lost To Spain And Continues To Lose In Finance

Part 1-

On the onset I would like to start by saying that, it was a fantastic match, which surely lived up to the expectations of a World Cup Semi-final match. For keen observers of the game, it was a real treatise; quality of the highest order. The blackboard strategies and planning were implemented well by the players on the pitch, and it took the match to another level. Nevertheless, Spain proved to be a better side, with their fine passing and skill. For me, the Spanish flair and game-play had more of a Barcelona character than the traditional Spanish style of play. (7 out of Spain’s 10 outfield players were Barcelona players.)

It was heartbreak again for Germany, and the prominent thought on everyone’s mind was ‘Not again!.. when will they?’. The next day, the match had a better hangover on me then any vodka-rum mix has had. Thus, in one of my erratic moods, I started to think about last night’s thought. How Germany often falls, just before reaching the zenith. I tried to correlate it with the recent Euro debt crisis and the role Germany has played in it.

Yes I think, Germany truly deserves the blame for exacerbating the Debt crisis, by holding on to bailout kitty until the last moment, and then the surprise and uncalled ban on short selling and CDS. If you look deeper into the German economy and their socio-political structure, you will find them to be very different to their fellow Europeans. Germans are more thrifty and prudent, but yet still pertinacious and very conservative in their opinions and preferences.

The Germans have always held pride over their seemingly impregnable defence, which has been their legacy for the last five decades. They have invariably been a defence focussed team, but what we saw in the beginning of the world cup was a radical shift in strategy. The Germans were bursting with energy and youth, and so an aggressive and attacking approach came naturally to them. Thus, they performed exceptionally well in every match except the last, beating some good opponents by 3 goal margins. (I said ‘good’, so please lessen by one if you included England.)

But I was really surprised to see their strategy in the Semi-final. They left their wining for their old defensive strategy. From what I understood they planned to soak up all the pressure and to release only on the counter-attack. But, what really transpired on the pitch was the frustration of German players of not getting the ball enough, and eventually then not holding the ball in possession long enough.

From then onwards it was a downward spiral, till they finally suffered a goal and so they were forced to go all out and attack. If you remember closely they had more chances in the last 20 mins than before. So what really did them in? In one word- Hubris. The Germans felt that they could rely on their archaic style of play and because they have always been so good in the past, then why not depend on it as always. It is truly said, that when you walk with your head in the clouds, you either flying or dead. Either ways you lose touch with reality. So did Germany and they paid the price for shunning the modern for the old.

But why finance?? Follow up in sometime.