Last month, I wrote about the Germany vs. Australia match and how impressed I have been with the Germans. Today, as I watch the Germany vs. Argentina match, I am floored by the German team. They scored their first goal within the first 3 minutes of a game. They finished the first half of the game with a 1-0 lead. The second half was just spectacular.
Image: Wikimedia
When they scored the second goal, what the commentator said about the German team really struck me. The commentator said “It is the Germans’ unselfish team play that has got them so far”. Wow, what tremendous implications for the other teams. The German team is all about setting the goal up for another player. It is not about the glory, it is about the team winning and moving forward. For when the team wins, we all win. Yes, this sounds great in theory. I have seldom seen this in action, let alone, in a world class soccer game. It is about the glory, it is about the man of the match, so for a commentator to say that Germans are unselfish is huge.
The team above the self. I would like to see more examples of this unselfish team play in Education where parents, teachers, administrators, superintendents all work in concert to produce unselfish team play for the kids. I’d like to see unselfish team play in politics, global issues, corporations, you name it. You say I am dreamer, an idealist, a Utopian, well, I see the German team in action. They can do it. They have shown us proof of what happens when you play that way. They are relentless, they don’t stop playing, trying to score, even when they are ahead. I mean, after a 2-0 lead, there is hardly any reason to score, or try to score another goal. Yet they keep at it.
And the German coach, well, to you sir, I say, Thank You. Without your vision, this type of a game, team play, and perseverance is probably not possible. I am pretty sure the German team will be used in coaching from here on out. I can picture the following:
“You have to play like the Germans. It is not about you, it is about the team”.
“If our team wins, we all win”. You know like the German team?.
The game will probably end at 4-0. This is proof of the fact that team over self works.
