FIFA World Cup Analysis on iSport: Brazil, Argentina, France, Italy and England – the leading footballing nations in the world failed to make it to the semi-finals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. iSporter and ace sports psychologist Dr. Chaitanya Sridhar tells us WHY they didn’t. A MUST READ!
After my previous column where I wrote about the 'acting' bonanza at the FIFA World Cup, this column will focus on 'pressure' and 'team-work' that most top teams lacked causing their downfall.
The biggies of world football – Brazil, Argentina, France, Italy and England failed to make it to the semi-finals of the on-going FIFA World Cup. While it has made the FIFA carnival a lot more exciting, their successive failures does make one wonder – WHY! Sadly, Italy and France both finalists of the previous edition, were out in the league stages itself. The quarter-finals also proved a dampener, especially with Argentina looking hapless against the mighty German invasion.
Wonder why teams with great potential fail to perform? It all comes down to the manner in which teams ‘deal with pressure’. Of course there are numerous technical reasons but that is beyond my purview.
Italian coach, Marcello Lippi rightly said, “In this day and age you win if you become a team. It doesn’t necessarily mean you have the best players. It’s possible that the best all together don’t become a team.”
The in-fighting of the French team causing its early expulsion is a prime example of the importance of team play and team spirit. Football is a team game and no one player can win a match single handedly. The team needs to perform as a cohesive unit, especially at crucial junctures.
Of course differences with the coach/manager can also result in communication gap within the team. And one must not forget the ‘high egos’ that these managers have to deal with.
Playing the FIFA World Cup is a euphoric feeling, but the pressure involved is tremendous as well. Added to this, media hype of focusing on victory [at any cost] undoubtedly spills on to the eager fans and countrymen. This sort of pressure can be dangerous and it could be one of the reasons why key players like Kaka and Messi failed to deliver at the World Cup (in addition to technical reasons).
The psychology of a game can be broken down to two vital constituents- ‘fear of failure’ or ‘will to win’. Of course, every team wants to win but then what are they focusing on? Is it on ‘we can’t lose to this team/player’ or ‘we can get them’? In a single game, players may shift from one thought to the other but how they begin (at the start of the match) plays a crucial role as its setting the trend and also sending a strong message to the opponent.
Let’s consider Germany versus Argentina’s clash in the quarter-finals. Germans came out all charged up from the word ‘go’. They seemed unstoppable. They believed they ‘could win’ and played a stupendous game. On the other hand, hot favorites Argentina seemed clueless and dismal, especially after Germany’s first goal. They seemed paralyzed and must have been thinking ‘we can’t lose’ instead of thinking ‘we can still do it’.
Re-coping with set-backs is an essential part of the game. Brazil was leading against Netherlands by 1-0 and was poised to sail through to the semi-finals. But then the Dutch scored and all of a sudden, Brazil seemed to have lost the tempo. Netherlands’ goal was a bolt not only to Brazil’s hopes but their spirits too. It seemed like Brazil was thrown off guard!
Football is a fast-paced game and it is very essential to ‘be in the present’ and focus on the game. Players cannot afford to think about their mistakes or play the blame-game as it takes their minds off the game, though they’re still playing the game. They have to learn to ‘concentrate on the essentials’ and not on what is already done (mistakes).
On the other hand, Netherlands came from behind and took the game away from Brazilians. Why and how did this happen? Could be that Brazil was over-confident and hence panicked when Netherlands scored. The game which the Brazilians dominated for the first half was replaced by Netherlands triumph.
Brazil and Argentina panicked when their oppositions scored off them. What was required was the ‘resolve to fight’ and not ‘give in’. Instead of ‘focusing on their strengths and task at hand’, they started focusing on what the opposition achieved. Yes, the ‘game plan’ was not fool-proof but isn’t adapting to change and challenge a vital ingredient of sport and champions?
The focus should have been on a ‘change in game-plan’ and not on deliberate fouling, fighting with referees and other unwanted stuff. ‘If you don’t control your emotions, your emotions will surely control you’ is a lesson players ought to learn. A good player learns to manage his emotions as it is vital for success.
Agree pent-up emotions and frustrations need ‘venting’ but not on the ground. In addition to losing focus on the match, it will cause the player more harm (yellow or red card) for fighting with the referee or opposition player. Felipe Melo’s red card for stomping on Robben proved costly for Brazil’s dreams. It is in the best interest of the player and team to keep his cool and concentrate on the match.
Germany seems to be coping and performing brilliantly like a team though they were written off as a young and inexperienced team. They are not only thriving under pressure but also enjoying pressure. That’s the kind of spirit champions are made of. May the best team win!
Dr. Chaitanya Sridhar is a renowned sports psychologist who practices out of Bengaluru. Dr. Sridhar covers the psychological aspect of sport in her fornightly column on www.isport.in
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Kunal Shah
said:
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... Some great insights into competitive sports! A great psychological perspective of sport! Bravo1 |
a guest
said:
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... Good analysis of the mind behind the game with splendid illustration from the presently played hot games. You have argued well with strong data at your command from the game on field. Quite illuminating on the factors contributing to the success of Germany and the failure of Argentina. Congratulations. Keep it up. |
a guest
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... Good one! 'Team cohesion' and 'being in present' are the two thing that are very important in football and other games too. looking forward to your column for the psychological perspective on other games too. Madhuli |
a guest
said:
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... Thank you both. Glad you'll agree. Please continue interacting and providing feedback. |
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