Welcome back to the Sunstone Way.
Is your favorite team still alive? I bet they are.
There already have been 72 World Cup games in the group stage. And 32 of the 48 original teams are still playing!
I admit, I’m not sure I understand the complex formula. The first and second place finishers in each of the 12 groups advance, but that’s only 24 teams. So eight of the third place teams get to keep playing as well. That gets the pool up to 32.
Win or Go Home
There’s still plenty of amazing World Cup soccer to watch – 32 more games, to be exact. The pressure has increased, and will continue to increase as the July 19 championship match approaches.
That’s because we’re now in what’s known as the knockout phase (the first games are this Sunday, June 28). Every game will have a winner and a loser – no more draws. And that loser is done, with players packing up their kits and going home.
This is where heroes are made, legends are born. If a game ends in a tie, it means a 30-minute “extra time” session is played. If it’s still tied after that, the game comes down to the notorious penalty shootout. There are few moments in sports to match a penalty shootout when it comes to drama.
The phrase “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat” may have been coined more than 50 years ago to describe the Olympic Games, but it is just as appropriate for these World Cup moments.
All About Preparation
These teams representing their nation have been preparing for the last four years for this moment. In some cases, the tradition of excellence in soccer has been built decade by decade – think Brazil, Argentina, Spain and more.
Team organizers have sought out the best management – head coaches. Head coaches have sought out the best talent – players – making sure along the way that those players fit together with their different skills complementing each other.
Plenty of practice helps players learn how to work together, making the most of everyone’s skills to reach the goal (pun intended). That way, when the pressure is on, the team can rely on each other and their shared experience.
Entrepreneurial Experience
That same approach can be seen in the most successful entrepreneurs. Seeking out talented teammates is key to creating a startup, and working together is the best way to succeed.
Just like World Cup teams, startups need to be able to shift course if the original approach doesn’t work, and must always be ready to add new pieces to the team when necessary. Support – from the home country for national teams, from partners and investors for startups – is critical to staying alive and prospering.
Any founder worth his or her salt takes advantage of experienced mentors and their advice. Sometimes, they are even called coaches! A primary qualification for the head coaches of national soccer teams is their experience of “being there.” The same is true for mentors and advisers in the entrepreneurial world.
Innovation on the Field
Have you heard about the hot new tactic on the soccer pitch? It’s called a “meat wall.”
England takes credit for the tactic, which packs players in front of the opposing goal for set pieces like corner kicks. The goalie is literally trapped on the line in front of his goal, allowing the kicker a shot to the net or into the six-yard box, where a slight deflection by one of his teammates can result in an easy goal.
That ability to change tactics, to take advantage of situations, can be the difference between success and failure – for startups and World Cup teams alike. Innovation can make a startup stand out. It certainly worked for the Arsenal Football Club, which won the English Premiere League title after scoring 19 goals on corner kicks to the Meat Wall this past year.
Watch for the tactic as teams pull out all the stops in their quest for the World Cup. Innovation can be the key to victory.
And that is the Sunstone Way!
Remember, always be a Sunstone.
John Keisler
CEO & Managing Partner
Sunstone
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Sunstone Investment Group, headquartered in Southern California, is the holding company for the Sunstone family of entities, including: Sunstone Investment Management Services, responsible for administrative services; Sunstone Advisors, an SEC-registered investment adviser, which oversees Sunstone Venture Partners LLC, a private capital fund manager; Sunstone Cities, a government economic development consulting firm; and Sunstone Community Fund, a charitable organization that supports entrepreneurship. Sunstone is dedicated to enriching lives through investment, entrepreneurship, and community. Email us at contact@sunstoneinvestment.com.
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