i have resisted writing
on the topic of soccer many times,
but this time,
I'M GOING TO WRITE LIAO!
(paisei ah, fingers too itchy)

and a very long one too.

(don't fret, non-soccer pals!
i've prepared another entry
which will be posted shortly
after one or two days.

but this entry is not entirely chim;
it is still readable la.)



Major Change

soccer has changed over the last few years.

as seen from euro 2004,
greece played an unbreakable defence
that eventually won them
the european trophy.

their success shocked the whole world,
who regarded them as underdogs
throughout the whole competition.

Greece's Gimmick

greece's tactic was simple,
yet effective.

to defend as a whole unit,
and to maintain a lion's share of possesion,
by playing a ultra-defensive formation.
(not 10-0-0 la, guys, you all are just exaggerating)

kudos to them, though,
for recovering the long-lost technique
of catenachio, the bolt or lock in italian.

the idea was to squeeze the ball
out of the opponent's half,
and defend as if their lifes depended on
the outcome of the match.

boring, but deadly.

greece coach otto rehhagel
made shrewd decisions
by sending on substitudes at the
right time,
namely for time-wasting and defending.

Tactics And Formations

since the fairy-tale victory,
many managers and coaches
are more tactically aware of the
art of defending.

the widely-recognised 4-4-2 formation
has been replaced by the 4-3-3 formation
by many managers,
where the front wingers can
drop back into midfield
to act as wide midfielders (4-5-1),
thus, enforcing the midfield.

this tactic is used to regain possession
after the ball is lost,
and it is often seen in big european matches
like the Champions League.

okay, i'm talking too much soccer liao.
time to halt.