This is a belated response but …
I still might have lost given how powerful Germany was and how smart Ksmckay’s play is, but I was feeling pretty pleased with myself before the neutral crush because I thought I had just managed to turn around a losing game and recover the economic advantage. And the loss is in some ways more painful because of that since more careful play with that UK stack might have given me time to save Cairo and still have a chance to win the game. Its a good lesson, although one I think I should have learned before (Adam beat me in a similar way earlier although in that case, I had no chance and the neutral crush was just speeding up his victory).
In any case, it was a very close, well played, and fun game. I’m looking forward to a rematch down the road. At the moment though I’m avoiding getting in another game for a bit, but I am following your two playoff games with interest.