Winning Doesn't Always Guarantee Happiness After Defeat

Paulomiiiii

Winning the game but feeling like you've lost the world seems to be the collective sentiment of all German players at the 2022 World Cup. Germany won against Costa Rica, but on the other side, Spain unexpectedly lost to Japan. Spain's defeat set two records: Japan became the first Asian team to top a World Cup group stage and advance as group winners, and it marked the first time in 88 years that Germany was eliminated in the group stage in consecutive World Cups. After winning the match against Costa Rica, the player voted as the official Man of the Match, Havertz, still appeared gloomy, reflecting the disappointment of the German players regarding the outcome.

Seeing Havertz holding the Man of the Match trophy looking so downcast, it's genuinely heartbreaking. The feeling of winning a game but losing the world is not easy to bear. But who can be blamed for this? Germany underestimated Japan in their match, and even their own player, Lüdiger, made a provocative and disrespectful gesture towards Japanese players. This kind of condescending attitude destined them for defeat and set the stage for Japan to create a historic miracle. Witnessing Germany fail to advance to the World Cup knockout stage for the first time in 8 years is something I couldn't have imagined back in 2014.

On the other hand, Spain played a backdrop to Japan's miracle but with a different outcome. Spain managed to beat Costa Rica 7-0, while Germany defeated Costa Rica 4-2. Ultimately, Germany was eliminated due to goal difference. This group was one of the most anticipated before the World Cup began: two World Cup champion teams alongside a rapidly rising Asian team. If someone had told me before the tournament that Japan would consecutively beat Germany and Spain, then lose to Costa Rica, and finish at the top of the group with 6 points, I would have probably thought they were crazy or not a true football fan.

However, as I've emphasized countless times before, the greatest charm of sports is its unpredictability. Even though I had bet against Japan in both of those matches, and bet on Japan against Costa Rica, I was pleasantly surprised by Japan's consecutive victories over Germany and Spain.

In the arena of sports, there are always winners and losers. This time, Japan undeniably created a miracle. Japan's rise proves that Asian teams indeed have the strength to compete against European and American players!

Prabhakar75

As you mentioned, the greatest charm of sports competitions lies in its unpredictability, so many people are looking forward to the future performance of the Japanese team.

Samiksha

When we used to make fun of someone boasting, little did we know that they were diligently working behind the scenes.

Ritu77

The elimination of the German team is really heartbreaking for many people.