One big lesson from this WC ...

ashtar

National Team Player
Aug 17, 2003
5,448
19
#1
Slow build up of attack on the ground and trying to penetrate the opponent's defense from the center by either dribbling or short passes no longer works in modern day football.

Every "big team" that has been knocked out of this WC tournament (surprisingly including Germany) has unsuccessfully tried to win their matches by slowly transitioning the ball to the opponent's penalty box only to fail to get through their tight defensive line.

Not long ago the defense used to start at the attack with the strikers trying to press the opponent's defense at the other end of the field and then the press trickling down to the the midfield and defense. But in today's football even the lone striker is expected to drop back to own half and even penalty box when defending and then the whole team to expend when attacking. because of this new defensive mentality it is almost impossible to find open spaces to maneuver the ball on the ground and get clear shots at goal.

Up until the last world cup it was just crappy teams like Iran that used to "park the bus" in from to their goal but in this world cup, with the exception of the "big teams" like Germany, Argentina, Spain and Brazil who were playing totally open games the rest of the teams have been falling back and defending with at least 10 players unless they were caught off-guard from a fast break or a long cross.
 
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