[LanceH]

Germany 2014 was about the best I've seen the game played.

Something I watch that seems to differentiate players and teams at every level is what happens on the first touch when receiving a pass. When you first start watching this, you'll notice that as you move up the ranks, the ball just sticks to a pro's feet, preferably in front of them a couple feet away where they are ready to play it again. Watching Germany that year, their first touch was not merely excellent, but aggressively so. They took the ball and instead of settling it, turned it into a rolling ball in the direction they wanted to play. Or a first touch pass. Speaking in wild generalities here and I don't have numbers to back it up.

Statistically I would guess that their second touch was on average farther away from them than other teams of comparable level, while still being under control.

It reminded me of Tiger Woods when he burst onto the scene. He played the game far more aggressively and relied on his skills to keep him safe rather than traditional shot selection. Germany 2014 decided these slightly riskier touches are consistently possible in the long run and the benefit outweighs the risk.

It also seemed that with the aggressive play, there is just more football played -- more chances. The more chances that are generated, the more it favors the better team.

[Someone]

After 2004, where Germany didn’t get through the group stage in the European championships, they realized they had become complacent, and started a project to focus on footballing technique throughout all their teams.

That turned their national side from a strong team into a strong team where all players have good technical skills.

2014 is where this led to the first great success (https://www.bundesliga.com/en/news/Bundesliga/confederations...), but they only could play like that because of that decade long process.

[zwaps]

That year, Germany had a team and it trounced all the other countries who had one or two star players, most notably Brazil. Individually, none of Germany's players became a superstar in Football. It was a lucky combination of technically decent players who just fit together perfectly to frustrate the opposition. Literally.

I would be interesting to see whether this common narrative holds true in the data.

[Mikeb85]

Watch Germany vs. France and say that. The Germans stalled and fouled the whole game and scored off a set piece. In the final versus Argentina too, the game was scoreless until extra time. They also needed extra time versus Algeria. Their only real display of attacking was versus Brazil who self-destructed after having their best player (and top 3 player in the world) horrifically injured.

[dekervin]

And yet, perhaps the most breathtaking display of football dominance I saw from that Germany team, was from their 2016 Euro semi-final against France. It was way more impressive than their brazil dismantling. Their control of the game was out of this world.

Football is "unstable" as a game. To dominate in a consistent way, you actually need to be overwhelming superior to your opponent in many different stages/aspects of the game. Any weak link and you are at the mercy of fate.

[Mikeb85]

Ummm they lost... I was actually in France that year. France advanced then lost the final to Portugal.

[pazimzadeh]

The one where they lost 2-0?

[brummm]

I think it seems that way because of the 7:1 in the semi finals. But honestly, the result came to be mainly because Brazil was really playing like garbage the whole tournament and only made it that far because the referees had seriously helped them. They shouldn't even have made it out of the group stages.

The remaining German matches were really close (The match agains France, mentioned below, was the real final of the tournament) and even the final was very close all the way to the end. Germany also struggled against Algeria.

[ericol]

Disclaimer: I'm from Argentina. the very next time you hear somebody from my country rooting for Brazil buy a lottery ticket.

Even thought to different results, Brazil is always a force to be reckoned with.

They are the only team (I think) that has constantly reached a certain point at the World Championships.

What I observed in their game, is that they play as a team (Contrary to what my country does) and at the same time, every single one of their players is somebody to be afraid of individually.

Regarding the world championships, if you ask me it wasn't Germany that won the 2014 world cup, nor it was Spain in 2010.

It was Pep Guardiola that won both.

[usaphp]

> Brazil was really playing like garbage the whole tournament and only made it that far because the referees had seriously helped them

I disagree, Brazil played great until Neymar got his back injured, he was by far their best player. Also the fact that their best defender and captain Thiago Silva was suspended for the game against Germany didn't help. These two were the best players on that squad. Remember - they beat Chile and Columbia who played really good in that world cup, while Germany barely beat Algeria and France.

[usaphp]

huh? Germany barely beat Algeria and struggled a lot against France. And they looked very vulnerable against Argentina in the final had Palacio or Higuain scored their good chances.