Germany’s World Cup Loss, Europe’s Schadenfreude
The geopolitical metaphors practically write themselves.
PARIS—When some countries place out of the World Cup, the news barely registers. When others do, it prompts shock, comparisons to geopolitics, and bad jokes. That’s what happened after Germany’s 2-0 loss on Wednesday to South Korea, which sent the 2014 champions packing and immediately inspired dramatic headlines, comparisons to the state of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government, and soul-searching about what the loss says about Germany and its possibly hidebound approach to management.
