GERMAN GRIT AND MENTAL STRENGTH

Emphasis on mental aspect of the game, training to keep calm during big moments reasons behind strong show

- SWAROOP SWAMINATHAN

IN the space of 150 madcap seconds, all German sporting tropes had come to life. Efficiency. Coming back from a 0-2 deficit to win. Playing badly but still advancing. Punishing indiscipline. Mentality monsters. Missing a penalty but still not letting it affect the final outcome. Beating England. Beating England in a shootout.

Ever so incredulously, it’s also a welcome return to the status quo after a few years of losing big games (bronze medal match against India at the 2021 Olympics, losing the shoot-out in the EuroNations finals against Netherlands in 2021 and losing to Belgium in the quarterfinals of the 2018 World Cup).

For folks who missed the ending on Wednesday, a recap. England thoroughly dominated the first 55 minutes. Germany decided to remove their keeper to go with 11 outfield players to England’s 10 to gain a numerical advantage. They had already missed a penalty but got a sniff through skipper Mats Grambusch’s field goal. Then, Zachary Wallace’s indiscipline cost him a green. 11 vs 10 outfielders had become 11 vs 9 outfielders. England were suddenly hanging on and the pressure told as Mats’ younger brother, Tom, tucked away a stroke with some 100 seconds remaining. They almost stole it at the death but they spurned the chance from a penalty corner. In the shoot-out, they were flawless to win 4-3.

Watching it unfold in real time and one couldn’t help but slightly twist Gary Linekar’s famous quote. “Hockey is a simple game. Twenty-two men hit a ball for 60 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win.” Now, this is only partly true. Germany used to be one of the undisputed kings of the sport but there has been a change in the world order over the last 10 years.