1
Football / The evolution of football and tactics
« on: July 16, 2018, 02:09:13 PM »
It's fascinating to me to see how football tactics, strategies, formations etc evolve over time
In 2010 South Africa, Spain won the World Cup for the first time and heralded in the age of "Tiki Taka".
Possession football. The longer you had the ball, the less opportunity it gave the opposition to score.
If you don't have the ball.....you can't score. Simple enough
Top teams that possessed the ball then, worked like demons to regain possession when it was lost. It rendered opposing teams at the time virtually helpless. I remember Barcelona playing Man U in a CL Final and making them look decidedly second class.
But as with all things......people evaluate and devise a scheme that will overcome that tactic
In 2014...Germany won the World Cup producing some devastating football in the semi against Brazil...thrashing them 7-1 at home in a display of ruthless and clinical efficiency. They beat Argentina in a tightly contested final with both teams giving away little.
In 2018....France won despite being "out possessed" by nearly 50% in almost all of their matches. Theirs was a triumph of efficiency, defensive solidity, and clinical counter attacking football. And yeah...they could also play "champagne football" as they showed glimpses of in nearly every match.....but they weren't about that, and those glimpses only came about when they were on top. They were about the efficiency
It will be interesting to watch how that will impact club football tactics. Undoubtedly it will. Essentially it says...."have the ball....keep it for as long as you want......come in and attack us.....and then BOOM....we ketch you on the counter".
This is not new.....but the hybrid of tactics from years past with new wrinkles thrown is what's intriguing. Croatia played the football (in the first half). France took home the spoils. And at the end of the day....that's what has always mattered.
In 2010 South Africa, Spain won the World Cup for the first time and heralded in the age of "Tiki Taka".
Possession football. The longer you had the ball, the less opportunity it gave the opposition to score.
If you don't have the ball.....you can't score. Simple enough
Top teams that possessed the ball then, worked like demons to regain possession when it was lost. It rendered opposing teams at the time virtually helpless. I remember Barcelona playing Man U in a CL Final and making them look decidedly second class.
But as with all things......people evaluate and devise a scheme that will overcome that tactic
In 2014...Germany won the World Cup producing some devastating football in the semi against Brazil...thrashing them 7-1 at home in a display of ruthless and clinical efficiency. They beat Argentina in a tightly contested final with both teams giving away little.
In 2018....France won despite being "out possessed" by nearly 50% in almost all of their matches. Theirs was a triumph of efficiency, defensive solidity, and clinical counter attacking football. And yeah...they could also play "champagne football" as they showed glimpses of in nearly every match.....but they weren't about that, and those glimpses only came about when they were on top. They were about the efficiency
It will be interesting to watch how that will impact club football tactics. Undoubtedly it will. Essentially it says...."have the ball....keep it for as long as you want......come in and attack us.....and then BOOM....we ketch you on the counter".
This is not new.....but the hybrid of tactics from years past with new wrinkles thrown is what's intriguing. Croatia played the football (in the first half). France took home the spoils. And at the end of the day....that's what has always mattered.