Thursday, August 24, 2006
Reasons why Brazil lost the World Cup
The World Cup has been gone for a over a month now but its repercussions is still being felt by the losers and winners. Dr Istivan Gorgenyi has just written an article as to why Brazil lost the World Cup on SBS's The World Game website.
Below is the article:
How Ronaldo delivered Brazil's failure - Dr. Istvan Gorgenyi
Dr. Istvan Gorgenyi was the coach of the Gold medal winning Australian Women’s Water Polo team in Sydney 2000. An expert in group dynamics, he developed a theory in team life called 'The Hunting Territory®'.
Gorgenyi is a consultant and presents at universities, management and coaching courses. He prepared a study about the Socceroos' 2005 Confederations Cup performance for Football Federation Australia and is currently working on the Australian national team's 2006 World Cup performance analysis).
In this first instalment of three, Gorgenyi examines the 2006 World Cup failure of Brazil, via his theory of 'The Hunting Territory'.
The failure of Brazil to win its quarter-final against France and its lacklustre performance throughout the 2006 World Cup reveals the importance of structural issues in football, which can in fact be applied to any team sport.
Every player needs a certain 'personal space' in order to deliver his actions.
In football imagine a forward taking on a defender: if a team-mate now enters into this contest he would bring a defender there, often from outside the range of dribbling player’s peripheral vision. That would be the end of the dribbling action; the entering defender might steal or block the ball.
Many a team’s attacking tactics are built around this need. Screens and picks (to use basketball parlance appropriate to this situation) are designed to provide this space by disturbing the defence, deterring defenders’ moves and attention. On the other hand defensive tactics are designed to prevent attackers getting the necessary space to deliver their passes or shots.
Moving players carry their personal space with them. By doing this they are able to open up space for others to make incisive passes or create goal-scoring chances. This creates the flow of attack that confuses defence and provides continuous opportunities for the attacking team. It gives the rhythm, the beauty of the game. It is like jazz - this music is not just to enthuse the spectators but provides the energy and creativity that teams cannot win without.
When a player who occupies a crucial territory or position in front of goal is not creating space, whose touch and control is off, who doesn’t have the speed and flexibility to snap up the sudden and unpredictable half chance, then the attacking team is dead. This player does not simply underperform but also prevents others from utilising that crucial space. It is frustrating and it is energy draining.
The above situations epitomised Brazil’s performance throughout the whole tournament. Ronaldo was slow, often had trouble with controlling the ball and yet still held this pivotal position in the team. No doubt his fading talent still provided some brilliant moments and goals against weaker teams but it was no surprise that he wasn’t able to perform against the truly world-class opponents.
Like an injured whale blocking a whole channel...he drew opposing defenders far up into the congested midfield preventing Ronaldinho, Kaka and others from freely using this area and therefore stymied any true penetration into the box chased by trailing and confused defenders. Something they do for their club teams so brilliantly.
The idea of a central striker similar to Ronaldo might be bold. If he is able to control the ball then he can draw several defenders onto him and create space for others to exploit.
Didier Drogba routinely does that to great effect for Chelsea, thereby providing scoring opportunities for others. (In fact Ronaldo did that too when, in the 48th minute of the Brazil v Australia game he set up Adriano to score the first goal).
This role requires agility, awareness and fitness, separate from brilliant ball-skills and, fundamentally and first of all, vision, quick decision making and a certain degree of unselfishness.
Ronaldo hardly possessed any of these values during Germaqny 2006.
On the other hand when Robinho came on in the 72nd minute for Brazil against Australia game the whole game changed. He was moving, dribbling, dancing with the ball across the pitch and, as in the fairytale of 'Sleeping Beauty', the Brazilian team suddenly came alive. It was only a question of time as to when Brazil would score. And score it did.
I wonder what kept Ronaldo in the team when his lack of fitness was so obvious to everyone that loved and watched Brazil’s games. I remember Ronaldinho supporting Ronaldo after his poor performance against Croatia in Brazil's first group game. He claimed that Ronaldo would quickly improve and that the team indeed needed him. Ronaldo stayed on and it was Ronaldinho who also faded by every consequent game. Perhaps it wasn’t only the territory blocking Ronaldo that stopped him playing well, but it was certainly a major factor.
Had Ronaldo too large a public image in Brazil, preventing coach Carlos Alberto Parreira from dropping him and playing young Robinho more? Was there a strong clique of older experienced players to whom Parreira was committed? Was Parreira blinded by the number of goals scored by Ronaldo throughout his World Cup career?
We might never know the answer to those questions.
However the clear message of Brazil’s fall is that personal space, ' the hunting territory', is an important factor of the game and ignoring each players’ need to capitalise on this territory severely undermined the former world champion’s overall team performance.
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Below is the article:
How Ronaldo delivered Brazil's failure - Dr. Istvan Gorgenyi
Dr. Istvan Gorgenyi was the coach of the Gold medal winning Australian Women’s Water Polo team in Sydney 2000. An expert in group dynamics, he developed a theory in team life called 'The Hunting Territory®'.
Gorgenyi is a consultant and presents at universities, management and coaching courses. He prepared a study about the Socceroos' 2005 Confederations Cup performance for Football Federation Australia and is currently working on the Australian national team's 2006 World Cup performance analysis).
In this first instalment of three, Gorgenyi examines the 2006 World Cup failure of Brazil, via his theory of 'The Hunting Territory'.
The failure of Brazil to win its quarter-final against France and its lacklustre performance throughout the 2006 World Cup reveals the importance of structural issues in football, which can in fact be applied to any team sport.
Every player needs a certain 'personal space' in order to deliver his actions.
In football imagine a forward taking on a defender: if a team-mate now enters into this contest he would bring a defender there, often from outside the range of dribbling player’s peripheral vision. That would be the end of the dribbling action; the entering defender might steal or block the ball.
Many a team’s attacking tactics are built around this need. Screens and picks (to use basketball parlance appropriate to this situation) are designed to provide this space by disturbing the defence, deterring defenders’ moves and attention. On the other hand defensive tactics are designed to prevent attackers getting the necessary space to deliver their passes or shots.
Moving players carry their personal space with them. By doing this they are able to open up space for others to make incisive passes or create goal-scoring chances. This creates the flow of attack that confuses defence and provides continuous opportunities for the attacking team. It gives the rhythm, the beauty of the game. It is like jazz - this music is not just to enthuse the spectators but provides the energy and creativity that teams cannot win without.
When a player who occupies a crucial territory or position in front of goal is not creating space, whose touch and control is off, who doesn’t have the speed and flexibility to snap up the sudden and unpredictable half chance, then the attacking team is dead. This player does not simply underperform but also prevents others from utilising that crucial space. It is frustrating and it is energy draining.
The above situations epitomised Brazil’s performance throughout the whole tournament. Ronaldo was slow, often had trouble with controlling the ball and yet still held this pivotal position in the team. No doubt his fading talent still provided some brilliant moments and goals against weaker teams but it was no surprise that he wasn’t able to perform against the truly world-class opponents.
Like an injured whale blocking a whole channel...he drew opposing defenders far up into the congested midfield preventing Ronaldinho, Kaka and others from freely using this area and therefore stymied any true penetration into the box chased by trailing and confused defenders. Something they do for their club teams so brilliantly.
The idea of a central striker similar to Ronaldo might be bold. If he is able to control the ball then he can draw several defenders onto him and create space for others to exploit.
Didier Drogba routinely does that to great effect for Chelsea, thereby providing scoring opportunities for others. (In fact Ronaldo did that too when, in the 48th minute of the Brazil v Australia game he set up Adriano to score the first goal).
This role requires agility, awareness and fitness, separate from brilliant ball-skills and, fundamentally and first of all, vision, quick decision making and a certain degree of unselfishness.
Ronaldo hardly possessed any of these values during Germaqny 2006.
On the other hand when Robinho came on in the 72nd minute for Brazil against Australia game the whole game changed. He was moving, dribbling, dancing with the ball across the pitch and, as in the fairytale of 'Sleeping Beauty', the Brazilian team suddenly came alive. It was only a question of time as to when Brazil would score. And score it did.
I wonder what kept Ronaldo in the team when his lack of fitness was so obvious to everyone that loved and watched Brazil’s games. I remember Ronaldinho supporting Ronaldo after his poor performance against Croatia in Brazil's first group game. He claimed that Ronaldo would quickly improve and that the team indeed needed him. Ronaldo stayed on and it was Ronaldinho who also faded by every consequent game. Perhaps it wasn’t only the territory blocking Ronaldo that stopped him playing well, but it was certainly a major factor.
Had Ronaldo too large a public image in Brazil, preventing coach Carlos Alberto Parreira from dropping him and playing young Robinho more? Was there a strong clique of older experienced players to whom Parreira was committed? Was Parreira blinded by the number of goals scored by Ronaldo throughout his World Cup career?
We might never know the answer to those questions.
However the clear message of Brazil’s fall is that personal space, ' the hunting territory', is an important factor of the game and ignoring each players’ need to capitalise on this territory severely undermined the former world champion’s overall team performance.
Post a Comment
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