ARGENTINIAN "TANGO" MEETS COLD CALCULATING GERMAN JUGGERNAUT

ARGENTINIAN TANGO MEETS THE COLD CALCULATING GERMAN JUGGERNAUT

Germany's last win in Italia '90

According to Dictionary.com, the word Juggernaut is defined as “a destructive force or object, as in war, a giant battleship, or powerful football team”. Another definition is “anything requiring blind devotion cruel sacrifice or any terrible force especially one that demands complete self sacrifice.”

The word has its origin from the 1600’s at a place called Puri in the Bengal region of India, where Jagannath was an annual ritual where the idol of the Hindu god Krishna would be drawn on an enormous cart under whose wheels devotees are said to have thrown themselves to be crushed!

With the Imperial British occupation and colonization of the Indian subcontinent and subsequent creation of the British Raj, the word Jagannath found its way to Britain and into the English vocabulary finding new meaning as “a very large lorry or truck for transporting goods by road, especially one that travelled throughout Europe”.

The British introduced mechanized warfare in World War I but it was the Germans who took that concept to hitherto unseen heights during the Second World War when they introduced the elite and devastating Panzer Divisions during the Battle of France in 1940.

The concept of the Panzer basically meant combining man and machine or infantry with cavalry into one. The combination of the mechanized infantry, use of tank formations, Howitzer cannons with Lufwafte airplanes providing aerial support resulted in the German Juggernaut’s destruction of enemy forces with lightning speed and overwhelming firepower, otherwise known in military terms as the Blitzrieg!

Many modern historians now understand the blitzkrieg as the outcome of the rejuvenation of the traditional German military principles, methods and doctrines of the 19th century but with the use of latest weaponry and systems.

Sounds familiar? 
The historical digression was meant to lay the foundation or create a mental picture of the attitude that Germany as a nation has approached the game of football during subsequent decades leading to the modern era.
Mental strength, the will to reign, and the wisdom to understand when and how to adapt to changing conditions and circumstances all describe the adaptability and dynamism of the German game.

Abandoning the outdated Sweeper system, Germany’s football fathers cranked their football notch a click higher in the new millennium by harnessing the natural attributes of physical strength, speed and strong mental fortitude, equipping the modern German footballer with the “tiki taka” skills borrowed from the Spanish game!

This creation, the formidable German machine is what the world witnessed executing its show of purpose against a disjointed Brazilian side during the semi-finals of the World cup and is what Argentina’s national team the Albiceleste is meant to contend with at the final game of the Brazil 2014 World cup.

On the road to the final Germany has conceded a paltry 3 goals while pumping in a total of 16. Germany’s goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has kept 3 clean sheets for an 84% record translating to a total of 24 shots saved. 
Does this mean it’s perfect and therefore without any chinks or defects on it’s armor? As witnessed against Ghana and Algeria the Juggernaut struggled against the equally strong and physical nature of the fast Ghanaians while the sublime skills and passing of the Algerian Desert Foxes asked many a question of the German machine.

Those two games didn’t go unnoticed by the keen eye of Argentina’s tactician Alejandro Sabella. Sabella’s shrewd and cunning tactical formations are the reason the Albiceleste is lining up at the final. He has been able to tweak and adjust his game plan with the changing opposition and circumstances. 
One glaring shortcoming of the Mannschaft that he will look to exploit is the fact that Germany prefers to play a very high defensive line and the three goals conceded thus far were scored on the counter. He will also look to exploit the fact that Germany's left back Hoewedes is not a natural fullback but a central defender who's occasionally seemed uncomfortable at that position.

Maradona Captained the triumphant Argentines in '86

With one of the most talented offenses in world football containing four times FIFA World Footballer of the Year award winner Lionel Messi and five other exceptional forwards to contend with, German tactician Joacquim Loew is unlikely to set out a formation that will play to Argentina’s strengths. 
Germany is team with two faces comprising 15 players from the two top clubs in the country Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. The two different styles that Loew has adapted came out clearly during Germany’s semi final win over Brazil. During their dominant first half show where Brazil afforded them space and time, Germany played the passing game preferred by Loew and espoused by Bayern’s Spanish coach Pep Guardiola. In the second half with Brazil on the ascendancy and pressing to catch up, Germany switched to a more conservative Transitional game espoused by Borussia Dortmund tactician Jurgen Klopp. It’s this biphasic nature of the Mannschaft that makes it a formidable opposition that is able to switch faces and formation depending on adversity and circumstances. 
Because of the predatory nature of their game, like a pride of lions, Germany will patiently prod and probe their opponents until they find any weakness they can exploit.

The Argentine squad with a mean age of 29 years came into the tournament as the oldest team. Most of the core players will have sensed this as their last chance at making their mark and leaving behind a legacy that will be admired by posterity much like their predecessors in 1986. 
It’s this siege mentality and sense of finality and desperation that the Albiceleste might stroke  in order to find the inspiration required to overcome their tough adversaries. 
The Argentines bring with them the spirit of the “tango”. The tango dance is known for its passion and deep emotional expression be it love, romance, happiness, or even melancholy. That passion and the sense that this might be their best chance in a long time to come, may conspire to inspire the Argentines to their third title.

 History is also stark in favour of Germany with Argentina’s last win coming at the final of the 1986 edition 28 years ago. Germany administered revenge at the final of the of the subsequent tournament played in Italy in 1990. 
They've followed that win with two more in 2006 as hosts and 2010 in the quarter finals of South Africa 2010. To further play out this theme of history, if Germany wins Europe as a continent will have surpassed their South American foes with a record tally of 10-9.

Home ground advantage may or may not be advantageous to Argentina. With the Brazil’s proximity to Argentina providing the impetus for a huge influx of their fans, the traditional rivalry between Argentina and Brazil will thus guarantee that the Brazilian fan base at the Maracana will throw its overwhelming support behind Germany.

Germany has the edge over Argentina and therefore comes out as the favourites to win the final. However if they underestimate their opponents and come out expecting freebies like they received from Brazil, they have another thing coming their way!