Publications
Partners
Comment by George Dearnaley
I won’t bore you with my full analysis of the Argentina vs Germany match – there have been a million words written by every football expert in the world. But it was the perfect match to highlight the difference between the way the game used to be played and how it will be played for the next decade, and so a little more from me about the style of play that took the Germans to a new level.
The game in the last 30 years has really been dominated by individual stars – think Pele, Maradona, Cruyff, Platini, up to the modern day Messi, Rooney and Ronaldo.
But there has been a fundamental shift in how teams prepare against the individual stars – no more is there the ‘man-to-man’ marking job that has been assigned to the stars over the last few years.
Much more prevalent is the ‘double-teaming’ method, where 2 players per zone are assigned to close down a particular threat – think Ronaldo on the wing with both the right full back and one central midfielder assigned to closing down that space as quickly as possible.
Modern football demands that there are 10 attacking players and 10 defensive players on the field at all times – this is the mindset that the Germans are playing with.
Argentina still had 5 attacking players and 5 defensive players and this worked in their group matches, but was exposed by the ruthless Germans. Everyone attacks; everyone defends – even if it is only a mindset.
Maradona in his prime would have dribbled past 5 defenders individually and created a goal or scored one – Messi 24 years later cannot dribble past all 4 defenders who are operating as a single unit.
There are three phases in football:
1. Possession – you have the ball and are attacking.
2. No possession – you don’t have the ball and are defending.
3. Transition – the exact moment you win or lose the ball and go from defending to attacking or vice versa.
It is the Germans, and to some extent the Dutch and Spanish too who have adopted and adapted to the transition phase the quickest – and counter attacking football is the result of quick transition.
It helps when your players are fit and fast too – and the Germans are unbelievably well conditioned to play this game.
Maradona’s Argentina was exposed tactically, with his star attacking players closed down by efficient defensive organisation.
And now we have Spain vs Germany, which has all the ingredients for an absolute thriller. I can’t wait.
The Dutch are slightly slower at the back, but also well organised. Their great technique, organisation and speed going forward should be enough to see them past the resolute Uruguayan defence who are also without Suarez in attack for tomorrow’s semi-final in Cape Town.
As the giant flag says ‘Die Kaap is weer Oranje!’.
George Dearnaley played for Bafana in 1992/93 and was top goal scorer in SA in 1992. George's money WAS on Argentina. His kiss of death is now on Holland!
George Dearnaley will be writing exclusively for Sport24 for the duration of the Soccer World Cup.
I won’t bore you with my full analysis of the Argentina vs Germany match – there have been a million words written by every football expert in the world. But it was the perfect match to highlight the difference between the way the game used to be played and how it will be played for the next decade, and so a little more from me about the style of play that took the Germans to a new level.
The game in the last 30 years has really been dominated by individual stars – think Pele, Maradona, Cruyff, Platini, up to the modern day Messi, Rooney and Ronaldo.
But there has been a fundamental shift in how teams prepare against the individual stars – no more is there the ‘man-to-man’ marking job that has been assigned to the stars over the last few years.
Much more prevalent is the ‘double-teaming’ method, where 2 players per zone are assigned to close down a particular threat – think Ronaldo on the wing with both the right full back and one central midfielder assigned to closing down that space as quickly as possible.
Modern football demands that there are 10 attacking players and 10 defensive players on the field at all times – this is the mindset that the Germans are playing with.
Argentina still had 5 attacking players and 5 defensive players and this worked in their group matches, but was exposed by the ruthless Germans. Everyone attacks; everyone defends – even if it is only a mindset.
Maradona in his prime would have dribbled past 5 defenders individually and created a goal or scored one – Messi 24 years later cannot dribble past all 4 defenders who are operating as a single unit.
There are three phases in football:
1. Possession – you have the ball and are attacking.
2. No possession – you don’t have the ball and are defending.
3. Transition – the exact moment you win or lose the ball and go from defending to attacking or vice versa.
It is the Germans, and to some extent the Dutch and Spanish too who have adopted and adapted to the transition phase the quickest – and counter attacking football is the result of quick transition.
It helps when your players are fit and fast too – and the Germans are unbelievably well conditioned to play this game.
Maradona’s Argentina was exposed tactically, with his star attacking players closed down by efficient defensive organisation.
And now we have Spain vs Germany, which has all the ingredients for an absolute thriller. I can’t wait.
The Dutch are slightly slower at the back, but also well organised. Their great technique, organisation and speed going forward should be enough to see them past the resolute Uruguayan defence who are also without Suarez in attack for tomorrow’s semi-final in Cape Town.
As the giant flag says ‘Die Kaap is weer Oranje!’.
George Dearnaley played for Bafana in 1992/93 and was top goal scorer in SA in 1992. George's money WAS on Argentina. His kiss of death is now on Holland!
George Dearnaley will be writing exclusively for Sport24 for the duration of the Soccer World Cup.
