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The intrigue of football tactics
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Beauty, as the old saying goes, is in the eyes of
the beholder.
That goes for football as well as everything else.
Hence, a division of opinion among those who watched Jamaica's 2-0 semi-final victory over Guadeloupe in the Digicel Caribbean Championships at the National Stadium on Thursday night. Jamaica, as most readers are aware, will now meet Grenada in tomorrow's final.
'Ugly Victory' was the big, bold headline on the back page of this newspaper yesterday above an article which argued that while the Reggae Boyz dominated possession against Guadeloupe, their passing game "lacked purpose" and "resembled more a friendly kick about of man in the middle".
Author of the article, Assistant Sports Editor Mr Sean Williams, would have had plenty of support among fans at the National Stadium, some of whom unfortunately, occasionally resorted to booing the national team. They felt very strongly that having taken an early lead the Reggae Boyz should have been pushing hard for more goals rather than merely seeking to frustrate the opposition.
There was a second strong view. There were those - among them coaches and journalists - who delighted in Jamaica's play on Thursday night. They felt that after taking the lead, the home team was correct in resorting to a cautious possession game.
The logic they argued was that 'if you have the ball, the other side can't score' and further, that by frustrating the opposition, desperation will eventually set in among them and errors will be induced, which can be exploited. That, they contended, was precisely what led to the second goal, as Guadeloupe lost possession in attack, were caught short in defence and Mr Luton Shelton - described in the Observer story as a "speed demon" - raced away to score.
Not surprisingly, Jamaica's coach Mr John Barnes, who would have instructed his players on the tactical approach, was very much of the second view. Indeed, Mr Barnes told journalists that of the four games thus far in the Digicel Cup, the semi-final performance from his players was "perhaps the most pleasing". This because of what he called their "application", their "management" of the game, "the way they kept the ball" and held their form and composure. According to Mr Barnes, every game in the tournament to date has required a different strategy, and on Thursday night he felt his players' response was appropriate.
Of course, variance in tactical approach by coaches and teams has long been among the more intriguing aspects of football. Thankfully, unlike a few of his predecessors, Mr Barnes seems prepared to discuss tactics and the reasons. Should he persist in this manner, he could well find that those of us watching will become more attuned to his style of play.
Bottom line is that Jamaica are now in the final of the Digicel Cup, with their place in the CONCACAF Gold Cup now secure. But Mr Barnes and his squad will be well aware that after the exit from World Cup qualifiers at the semi-final stage, the watching public will be expecting no less than the winner's podium for the Reggae Boyz come tomorrow's final.
After Jamaica's 4-0 drubbing of Grenada in the preliminary round there are some who will feel tomorrow's result is a fait accompli. Then again, there are others, wise in the world of sport, who know that the ball is round.
We wish the Reggae Boyz well.
Copyright© 2000-2001 Jamaica Observer
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Beauty, as the old saying goes, is in the eyes of
the beholder.
That goes for football as well as everything else.
Hence, a division of opinion among those who watched Jamaica's 2-0 semi-final victory over Guadeloupe in the Digicel Caribbean Championships at the National Stadium on Thursday night. Jamaica, as most readers are aware, will now meet Grenada in tomorrow's final.
'Ugly Victory' was the big, bold headline on the back page of this newspaper yesterday above an article which argued that while the Reggae Boyz dominated possession against Guadeloupe, their passing game "lacked purpose" and "resembled more a friendly kick about of man in the middle".
Author of the article, Assistant Sports Editor Mr Sean Williams, would have had plenty of support among fans at the National Stadium, some of whom unfortunately, occasionally resorted to booing the national team. They felt very strongly that having taken an early lead the Reggae Boyz should have been pushing hard for more goals rather than merely seeking to frustrate the opposition.
There was a second strong view. There were those - among them coaches and journalists - who delighted in Jamaica's play on Thursday night. They felt that after taking the lead, the home team was correct in resorting to a cautious possession game.
The logic they argued was that 'if you have the ball, the other side can't score' and further, that by frustrating the opposition, desperation will eventually set in among them and errors will be induced, which can be exploited. That, they contended, was precisely what led to the second goal, as Guadeloupe lost possession in attack, were caught short in defence and Mr Luton Shelton - described in the Observer story as a "speed demon" - raced away to score.
Not surprisingly, Jamaica's coach Mr John Barnes, who would have instructed his players on the tactical approach, was very much of the second view. Indeed, Mr Barnes told journalists that of the four games thus far in the Digicel Cup, the semi-final performance from his players was "perhaps the most pleasing". This because of what he called their "application", their "management" of the game, "the way they kept the ball" and held their form and composure. According to Mr Barnes, every game in the tournament to date has required a different strategy, and on Thursday night he felt his players' response was appropriate.
Of course, variance in tactical approach by coaches and teams has long been among the more intriguing aspects of football. Thankfully, unlike a few of his predecessors, Mr Barnes seems prepared to discuss tactics and the reasons. Should he persist in this manner, he could well find that those of us watching will become more attuned to his style of play.
Bottom line is that Jamaica are now in the final of the Digicel Cup, with their place in the CONCACAF Gold Cup now secure. But Mr Barnes and his squad will be well aware that after the exit from World Cup qualifiers at the semi-final stage, the watching public will be expecting no less than the winner's podium for the Reggae Boyz come tomorrow's final.
After Jamaica's 4-0 drubbing of Grenada in the preliminary round there are some who will feel tomorrow's result is a fait accompli. Then again, there are others, wise in the world of sport, who know that the ball is round.
We wish the Reggae Boyz well.
Copyright© 2000-2001 Jamaica Observer