Big C said:
sluggo said:
Big C said:
I don't trust my observations to be accurate, but what I saw from Spain today was great team defense with no brainfarts or lapses (like France had when they gave up that second goal). No flashy Haalands or Mbappes but they just play winning soccer the entire game with no let up
How am I coming along?
I think Lamine Yamal is a top 2 player in the world. They play a disciplined system with him staying on the wing. It is hard to score from there with two out of bounds lines and two defenders. I think later in his career he will move to attacking center mid and have even more impact. I also think the key to the game was the Spanish midfield dominating the French midfield. Ruiz, Olmo, Rodri all breathtakingly good. But focusing on the defense is a perfectly fine way to look at the game.
My situation right now is, goals and assists are obvious, but it's harder for me to notice when other players are good, short of going by the overall results. An exception would be a player obviously winning a 1 v 1.
Don't try to reduce it to individual stats. First, it is a team game. Second, it sucks out the joy. I say this as a professional data scientist.
Try to find little nuggets. Here is one I will give you. It is called the "half turn." Generally, to receive a pass that goes forward you need to face the player who sends it, which puts your front towards your own goal. However, you want to push the ball towards the opposite goal. So the question is how do you (almost) simultaneously receive the ball and starting pushing towards the intended goal? The answer is the half turn. You receive it sort of sideways and turn upfield by straightening out. And there are variations. That may sound easy but there is only one person in the whole 340 million population of the USA who does it properly, Gio Reyna. (McKennie is not bad, but not like a Spaniard.) So it must not be.
My daughter reached a fairly high level in soccer, by my standards, in middle school. She got her first real coach and he spent the whole first week on turning. I was taught by dads, and while I can see a lot, I cannot do much on the field. Maybe in retirement I will learn how to play properly. (I played my first game 50 years ago, so probably not.)
In the first half of the finals watch Rodri turn every time he receives the ball. No one will touch the ball, ever, and he will be in position to lay off the ball easily. Then in the second half watch Pedri, who is even better at the skill, and is actually the best I have ever seen. Messi is and Maradona was spectacular at this skill as well.
