NOVEL NEXT Chapter 172: 172
172. El Clásico (2)
Tiqui-taca (Tiqui-taca)
In Spanish, meaning ping pong balls being passed back and forth, it is now called a play style.
In fact, Tiki Taka was introduced to Barcelona about 40 years ago during the Johan Cruyff era.
Through him, first Coach Rijkaard achieved excellent results, and then Del Bosque of the Spanish national team used it, making its reputation known to the world.
Then, this year, Guardiola perfected his own strategy by incorporating his soccer philosophy into Ticataca.
To put it simply, the characteristics of tactics can be compared to 'basketball'.
As you move the ball, you have to move more than your opponent and pay great attention to your position.
At the same time, the rhythm, tempo, and flow of the game must change from time to time.
Pressing to score and
passing to score.
Possession to score a goal.
And the aggressive attitude (play) that encompasses all of this.
That was Guardiola's tactic.
People called it Pep's Tiqui-taca, but he actually hated the name 'Tiqui-taca'.
I thought the act of exchanging passes just to maintain possession was trash, not soccer.
It was Guardiola who repeatedly emphasized to Barcelona's players that all actions taken on the field must contain an 'offensive tendency'.
If that kind of behavior is not shown in training or in actual games, the player will be mercilessly removed from the force, no matter how experienced the player may be.
The process of scoring a goal was more important than scoring a goal.
This is because if you solidify your course, you can score a goal at any time.
That was Guardiola's football philosophy.
It was being called a 'flawless tactic' that could not be stopped at present.
Guardiola himself thought so too.
That no one can stop it.
however.
Real Madrid's formation changed in a completely unexpected way.
Robben had moved to the right flank and was actively participating in the defense.
In fact, it was no different from five hundred.
And Woo Ho-young and Zidane moved down to midfield and played central midfielders.
This happened two minutes after the game started.
It was then that the tactical coach approached me and opened his mouth.
"Director. Currently, the 5-3-2 formation that Real Madrid is using. It's similar to the formation Argentina used during the 1986 World Cup to get the most out of Maradona, but it's actually very different. "What Madrid is using is not an extreme offensive tactic, but an extreme defensive tactic."
That was right.
The formation established by Real Madrid is 5-3-2.
It was a tactic that was rarely used these days, and although there were cases where an aggressive variation of 5-3-2 was used in Italy these days, it was not common in La Liga.
'Why on earth all of a sudden? Are you simply going to defend and then counterattack?'
Question after question came to mind, but no answer came to mind.
I needed time.
I needed to know what Schuster was up to.
One thing is certain.
'shit.'
It feels cheap.
I felt like I got hit before the game even started.
8 minutes in the first half.
Barcelona played their own way.
When the ball was passed to Real Madrid, they moved frantically to steal the ball within 6 seconds, and once they had possession, they increased their possession through a pass in the midfield.
Before they knew it, they had increased their possession rate to 63% and were playing as if they were dominating half the court.
Barcelona seemed to have an overwhelming advantage.
[With 14 minutes to go in the first half, Barcelona's possession rate rises to 70%. The pass success rate in midfield is approaching 93%. Real Madrid seems to be leaving it as is.]
[That's right. We changed the formation to 5-3-2 for extreme defense, but we can't do anything. Of course, we'll have to watch a little more to find out, but from what I've seen so far, it seems like I've made a mistake. They are not showing as good defensive organization as they have increased their defensive numbers. Arjen Robben's defense isn't that good. Offensive resources inevitably have clear limits defensively, right?]
Barcelona's powerful offensive power comes from its high possession rate.
However, rather than stopping them, Real Madrid seemed to be encouraging them to play the way they wanted.
'Are you saying you plan to use Robben as the spearhead of the counterattack?'
That was Guardiola's thinking.
'But it's not a threat.'
Guardiola immediately ordered Abidal to focus on defense.
This was to prepare for Robben's sudden breakthrough attempt.
[Busquets' short pass to Xavi. Xavi looks at Messi in front.]
[He gives the ball to Messi Iniesta, who receives the ball on the spot, and comes back down.]
"Stick to your position, but don't get caught up in it! "Don't lose concentration even for a moment!"
Sabi's voice resonated widely.
The rhythm and flow of the game was changing every moment according to his movements.
[It is truly a game that is pleasing to the eye. People say that watching Barcelona's games these days is like watching a 3-hour movie.]
[That's right. It is not for nothing that pure soccer fans who value technique and passing praise Barcelona.]
Barcelona displayed their own play.
By passing the ball, he had over 70% possession, and based on this, right fullback Alves showed off his destructive overlapping skills.
Xavi and Iniesta were constantly looking ahead and preparing to deliver a kill pass at any time.
Madrid's crisis began from there.
[Abidal, the left fullback, goes down to prepare for a counterattack, while Alves stands high, giving strength to the midfield.]
[Barcelona changes its lineup to 3-4-3. That's huge. Diarra, Zidane, and Woo Ho-young completely dominated the midfield and took control of the second line. It's true that you can literally play with it.]
Barcelona's midfield.
They were as smooth as a stream and powerful as a waterfall.
It was like an organism that splits and comes back together from time to time.
It was Guardiola's soccer that seemed to capture a glimpse of nature.
And it was the 24th minute of the first half.
[Xavi's kill pass into the space behind the defense!]
[Messi attempts to penetrate through the through pass!]
Great crisis.
The moment Messi caught the ball, it felt like time had slowed down.
His breakthrough happened in an instant.
Crack, crack!
[Messi passes to Eto'o in the center, who is avoiding Carlos with a phantom dribble!]
[Quick-footed Eto'o breaks down Madrid's defensive line with a quick move.]
[Ramos catches up at the same time! They persistently follow in front of the gate.]
Ramos' speed and Pepe's strength hindered Eto'o's breakthrough.
'You guys are like leeches.'
Eto'o, who was no longer able to keep the ball, looked forward.
Originally, his style was to try to break through and score a goal.
But his choice was different.
Okay.
I quickly turned my gaze to the left and looked for a space to pass.
Because that was the play Guardiola ordered.
Barcelona's players had to follow his tactics unconditionally.
Eto'o actually hated him like that.
He couldn't bear the fact that a novice director was trying to teach him.
Moreover, while he is a striker, Guardiola is a defensive midfielder.
I thought Guardiola didn't care about his football at all.
but.
'I follow.'
As he has done so far, Eto'o gave in to his greed.
Because I knew very well that only then could we win.
so.
Percussion!
It was the moment when a pass was delivered to the left space.
[Fantastic pass-linked play! Thierry Henry goes diagonally inside and catches the ball!]
[This is Tiki Taka!]
The completion of Guardiola-style Tiki Taka.
Everything was perfect until the moment Henry caught the ball.
But what happened immediately afterward shocked everyone.
[ah! Cannavaro and Woo Ho-young cling to Thierry Henry as if they had been waiting!]
Cannavaro's defensive positioning allows him to build a wailing wall.
And Woo Ho-young's defensive position selection was exactly what it was.
"Tsk."
Two men who were wandering around in a perfect defensive position ran back and forth and turned Henry into a sandwich.
Hoyoung's tackling skills were below the average of a defender, but his excellent positioning was enough to harass Henry.
After all, the main task was Cannavaro's.
widely!
[Cannavaro steals the ball from Thierry Henry!]
[Cannavaro gives the ball back to Hoyoung Woo!]
Hoyoung's eyes sparkled after receiving the pass.
Thierry Henry, who had lost the ball, and Iniesta in front were seen rushing towards him.
Everything was as expected.
'6 second rule.'
Guardiola's 6 second rule.
It is a complex and sophisticated system that requires that if the ball is lost to the opponent, the player must apply strong pressure and regain the ball within 6 seconds without switching to defense.
Hoyoung knew everything.
Because it was a tactic so famous that it changed the history of soccer.
Tuk.
Hoyoung calmly gave a pass to Diara, who was nearby, as he had trained.
Diarra passed the ball to Zidane, who was right next to him.
It all happened naturally, like water.
Nevertheless, Barcelona's pressure continued.
Rather than returning to their defensive positions, all players applied pressure in their respective positions to win the ball.
Since that was Guardiola's core strategy, no one had any doubts and he applied forward pressure as usual.
It was that moment.
"run!"
Woo Ho-young's customized strategy that reverses Guardiola's core strategy.
[Carlos on the left and Robben on the right try to break through quickly!]
[Real Madrid's formation changes drastically from 5-3-2 to 3-5-2!]
Carlos and Robben were down to the back five.
The two attempted a flank penetration along the touchline as soon as Cannavaro took the ball.
It was at that time that Zidane's ground ball pass split the ground.
Percussion!
[Roberto Carlos receives the pass! [Next hit and run!]
Abidal, who was told to focus on defense, was able to stop Robben, but Alves, who was not, missed Carlos.
In response, Carlos cleaned out the left rear space like a fish in water.
There was no one around who could stop him.
Alves, who had attacked in midfield, returned at full speed, but it was already too late to turn back.
Truly a trance.
Cough!
Carlos' ground ball cross accurately entered the box.
Raoul and Van Nistelrooy were waiting at the front line.
The two men were aiming for their prey, their hair waving.
Guardiola's mouth dropped open at the sight.
I couldn't believe that the strategy I thought was perfect had been overlooked.
That was natural.
2014 Brazil World Cup.
Because I had no way of knowing the Dutch and Chilean tactics that destroyed Spain's Tiki Taka.
But Woo Ho-young knew the tactic.
Although Barcelona's current power was ahead of Spain's in 2014, the essence of tiki-taka was ultimately the same, so the tactic was working.
And then.
Everyone's attention was focused on the front line.
﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌
Support the Translation! 🌐✨
20+ Advanced Chapters are currently available in Patreon, make sure to visit and support our team.
patreon.com/Immortal_author
https://ko-fi.com/immortalauthor
https://discord.gg/KscfBegBPT