A Late Post-Game Analysis of Germany vs, Brazil (From The View of the Art of War)

There are many reasons why Brazil lost to Germany or why Germany prevailed.

Regardless of the superficial reasoning on why Brazil lost, the loss of their two major players was the main reason. The players then fell apart as a team.  

Look at the following statistics

BRAZIL VS GERMANY STATISTICS

ATTACKS: Brazil win 55 to 34

ATTEMPTS: Brazil win 18 to 14

ON TARGET: Brazil win 13 to 12

DELIVERIES: Brazil win 19 to 11

CROSSES: Brazil win 22 to 10

CORNERS: Brazil win 7 to 5

SAVES: Brazil win 7 to 3

LOST BALLS: Brazil win 69 to 76

TACKLES WON: Brazil win 5 to 1

RECOVERIES: Brazil win 46 to 34

CLEARANCES: Brazil win 20 to 4

POSSESSION: Brazil win 52% to 48%

BUT...

PASSES: Germany win 592 to 547

COMPLETION: Germany win 82% to 79%

GOALS: Germany win 7 to 1

All statistics courtesy of FIFA.

The Victory Temple Model
“These are the ways that successful strategists are victorious. They cannot be spoken or transmitted in advance. ... Before the confrontation, they resolve in their planning  room that they will be victorious, have determined that the majority of factors are in their favor. Before the confrontation they resolve in their planning room that they will not be victorious, have determined a few factors are in their favor.

If those who find that the majority of factors favor them, will be victorious while those who have found few factors favor them will be defeated, what about someone who finds no factors in their favor?

When observing from this viewpoint, victory and defeat will be apparent.”

- Art of War

In this case, players, teamwork and tactics  are the primary factors. 

Players ---> Teamwork  ---> Tactics

   
While the quality of the players determines the solidification of team work. the teamwork concluded the category of employed tactics.  It also determines the success of the the employed tactics. 

Whenever the starters are injured, the quality of the bench players rarely matches up with the level of the starters.  The strategically-minded observers could expect the scope of the scoring tactics would be limited.

The Guest Plays the Host Factor
"The Guest Plays the Host" is one of the various stratagems of the 36 Stratagems and is used for gaining strategic momentum. 

In antiquity those that excelled in warfare first made themselves unconquerable in order to await [the moment when] the enemy could be conquered.

Being unconquerable lies with yourself; being conquerable lies with the enemy.

Thus it is said a strategy for conquering the enemy can be known but yet not possible to implement. 

- Art of War 4

To gain the status of the host, the guest employ tactics to transform their underdog position into an active position.

The Brazil team possessed the advantage of the home terrain factor.  Their fan base thought that the win was an automatic.   

Once the German team scored the first three goals, the bubble of the home team advantage burst.  As the Brazil fans left in droves, the spirit of the Brasil team began to decline dramatically regardless of what the statistics said.

Side Note
This alternative meaning of this stratagem is that the host "disrespects his guest,  but is respected well by the guest. 

Click here for one's prediction on tonight's game.