Das Reboot

Winning the World Cup is one of the most difficult things to do in soccer. Germany has usually been one of the most consistent contenders for it, but had been on a bit of a losing streak going into 2014, and even worse, seemed to be moving in the wrong direction. Das Reboot, a great name for a book about Germans, tells the story of how the German football team, and the football association as a whole, updated themselves, and evolved into World Champions.

Of course, the Reboot reminds me of one thing: The Process. The 76ers were not happy being middling contenders in the NBA, and hired a General Manager, Sam Hinkie, who decided to try and use the system to his advantage. By putting together teams that would lose, he would guarantee high draft picks, and better chances at a game changing player. In the NBA, one player can make all the difference, since there are only 5 on the court at the same time. Turns out, the Sixers got 2.

If there’s anyone who occupies the Sam Hinkie role for Germany, it’s Jürgen Klinsmann. He brought radically different ways of thinking to the extremely conservative German National Team. The Germans didn’t tank for better picks though, they invested in their young players, making sure there were development centers in as many places as possible in order to try and develop the best talent possible.

They also invested in the players minds, not just their bodies. As we get farther and farther into the Cup run, the players keep saying how important it was that they: 1) Got along with each other, and 2) had time to get away from soccer. Like the Cura Personalis (care of the whole person in Latin) that the Jesuits practice. It just proves that the great teams all have some kind of X-factor when it comes to winning, not just being the best, whatever that means.

Raphael Honigstein does a great job moving between the 2014 World Cup run, and all of the history that has lead up to it, including interviews with almost everyone involved. If you’re a soccer fan, there’s a who’s who of the football here, including Klinsmann, Jurgen Klopp, Messi, Pep, and Alejandro Bodeya… Wait that should read Bedoya. Sorry Raph, as a Union fan I’m gonna have to deduct a point for that typo.

Overall, this serves as a great piece of history on the culmination of a lot of work for a lot of people, and one of the greatest runs in soccer. It also shows how a reinvention of things can sometimes be just what the doctor ordered. That’s why I’m ranking it a full point higher than The Perfect Kill. This gave me something cool to read, and a little something more to think about. It would have been easy enough to just write about the World Cup run, but the inclusion of the history of the rebuild makes this Process fan very happy. It’s a shame about that Bedoya typo though.

3.5/5. Shoutout Alejandro Bedoya.

also 2018 lol