Germany and Argentina: Efficiency Prevails Over Flash

From the time that Diego Maradona, once the world’s undisputed best soccer player, took over the reins of Argentina’s national team the undeniable flash and charisma he exuded as a player returned in full measure.

The Argentine team was perpetually in the news due to its new coach.  Maradona was ready for the cameras as a player.  The same pattern reemerged as a coach, with his target a 2010 World Cup victory.

His flashy playing style was transmitted to his players.  The Argentine players were speedy attackers, overwhelming the opposition with goal creating prowess.

Buenos Aires, where Maradona shone as the king of soccer players, is a sunny city with loads of panache.  The dazzling Calle Florida is alive with tango dancers, singers, and musicians.  By night the cafes are crowded with patrons enjoying life to the fullest.

This is the style that Maradona sought to transfer to his team members while creating a World Cup championship squad.

Germany, like Argentina, is a fascinating country to visit, but for different reasons.  The German world is replete with dynamic efficiency.  This is a land known for scientific achievement.

Germany’s Coach Joachim Low is as sharply contrasting a figure to Maradona as Buenos Aires differs from Berlin or Hamburg.  All are wonderful cities, but the basic sociological patterns are utterly different.

Diego Maradona sought to dominate with electrifying passion.  Joachim Low, with his stoic sideline presence, so different from the expressive Maradona, was like a BMW foreman steering cars through an assembly line, a master of brisk efficiency.

A team loaded up with strikers led by Lionel Messi-subject of boundless publicity going into the World Cup but devoid of a goal in competition-was able to win in entertaining style up to a point.

Germany was that point.

The team Joachim Low put on the pitch was young, swift, and highly disciplined on defense.  When Messi would break into the open and arrive anywhere near the German goal a wall of resistance consisting of two, three, and sometimes four defenders were there to track him.

The German team had the perfect stylistic antidote to the Argentine, goal-oriented speed machine.  It was built on initial resistance followed by speedy and efficient counter attack, like a BMW on an open autobahn.

With the Argentine concentration so heavily oriented toward scoring, holes developed when attackers lacking needed proficiency as defenders sought  to contain speedy German players who were balanced in offensive and defensive technique.

Joachim Low put the issue in perspective as quoted in a Saturday New York Times article:

“That would create spaces if the opposing side attacked quickly.  I told my players, you are younger, faster, more enduring.  We were able to put Argentina’s defense under pressure and take it apart completely.”

Talk about brutal efficiency!

As Maradona pondered the sadness of a brutal 4-0 defeat, he sounded like a warrior whose style of warfare had passed, leaving him flabbergasted.

“I think we were more selfish, and now players are more collective, more team players,” Maradona said following the devastating loss.  “They want to do everything with their teammates.  Before, perhaps it was a matter of being selfish players who had the rest of the team working for us.”

Maradona spoke afterwards about stepping down, perhaps as early as tomorrow.

Was this an understandable reaction of disappointment or more?  Time will tell.