Defenders will gatecrash party
THE truism ‘attacks wins matches but defenses win trophies’ was first coined in the Serie A in the early 1990s when Italy was branding itself as the bastion of defense.
Joseph Kabuleta
THE truism ‘attacks wins matches but defenses win trophies’ was first coined in the Serie A in the early 1990s when Italy was branding itself as the bastion of defense.
It was soon discarded as cynical and old-fashioned as a fad of attacking wannabe-ism swept through the globe —— started by the media, caught on by fans and embraced by some capricious coaches.
Now even Franz Beckenbauer, the world’s most celebrated defender, believes that attack will be the key to winning the World Cup. Does he really, or is it just the ‘politically correct’ thing to say?
World Cup stats prove that the theory on defenses winning trophies is as true today as it was in the early 1990s, probably more so.
Since Italia 1990, the two teams with the best defensive record contested the final. That’s a reality that will shake the romantics. Ironically, the only exception to that rule was in Italia ’90, when the hosts had the best defense but lost a shoot-out to Argentina.
Even then, Carlos Bilardo’s Argentina and Germany earned their place in the final through frugality, not attacking extravagance. And the country which had conceded least won that final.
That was a turning point and, regardless of what purists are selling, football is not reverting back to the old days when attack was everything. It never will!
Brazil, who arrived in Italy in 1990 as the symbol of beauty, fell to the cynicism of Argentina. The Sambas had to go and re-invent themselves as a team that defends well too. Consequently, they have played in the three World Cup finals since, the only one they lost in 1998, was to a nation with a better defensive record.
So Brazil’s last two World Cup triumphs have been about keeping goals out — in 2002 they played five defenders and two defensive midfielders but still had everybody convinced that they were relentless in attack.
Everybody was fooled except Johan Cruyff, who should know what true attacking teams look like. He said: “Brazil have eight players looking backward and three looking forward.â€
France’s 1998 success was also down to the men at the back. Four years later, when Les Bleus arrived in Korea with the best array of attack they fell flat on their faces.
You see, defense will always rule.
That’s why, in looking at any nation’s chances, I start from the back, not the front.
In trying to re-brand Germany as a forward-thinking team, Jurgen Klinsmann is actually adopting a losing formula. If he sticks to it (and I doubt he will) it might win good media reviews, but not the World Cup.
Nonetheless, there’s such an array of exciting forwards on show in Germany; Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho, Wayne Rooney, Rafael van der Vaart…. But I have bad news for them all — defenders are going to gatecrash the party.
THE truism ‘attacks wins matches but defenses win trophies’ was first coined in the Serie A in the early 1990s when Italy was branding itself as the bastion of defense.
It was soon discarded as cynical and old-fashioned as a fad of attacking wannabe-ism swept through the globe —— started by the media, caught on by fans and embraced by some capricious coaches.
Now even Franz Beckenbauer, the world’s most celebrated defender, believes that attack will be the key to winning the World Cup. Does he really, or is it just the ‘politically correct’ thing to say?
World Cup stats prove that the theory on defenses winning trophies is as true today as it was in the early 1990s, probably more so.
Since Italia 1990, the two teams with the best defensive record contested the final. That’s a reality that will shake the romantics. Ironically, the only exception to that rule was in Italia ’90, when the hosts had the best defense but lost a shoot-out to Argentina.
Even then, Carlos Bilardo’s Argentina and Germany earned their place in the final through frugality, not attacking extravagance. And the country which had conceded least won that final.
That was a turning point and, regardless of what purists are selling, football is not reverting back to the old days when attack was everything. It never will!
Brazil, who arrived in Italy in 1990 as the symbol of beauty, fell to the cynicism of Argentina. The Sambas had to go and re-invent themselves as a team that defends well too. Consequently, they have played in the three World Cup finals since, the only one they lost in 1998, was to a nation with a better defensive record.
So Brazil’s last two World Cup triumphs have been about keeping goals out — in 2002 they played five defenders and two defensive midfielders but still had everybody convinced that they were relentless in attack.
Everybody was fooled except Johan Cruyff, who should know what true attacking teams look like. He said: “Brazil have eight players looking backward and three looking forward.â€
France’s 1998 success was also down to the men at the back. Four years later, when Les Bleus arrived in Korea with the best array of attack they fell flat on their faces.
You see, defense will always rule.
That’s why, in looking at any nation’s chances, I start from the back, not the front.
In trying to re-brand Germany as a forward-thinking team, Jurgen Klinsmann is actually adopting a losing formula. If he sticks to it (and I doubt he will) it might win good media reviews, but not the World Cup.
Nonetheless, there’s such an array of exciting forwards on show in Germany; Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho, Wayne Rooney, Rafael van der Vaart…. But I have bad news for them all — defenders are going to gatecrash the party.