TOKYOism

"Tactics arise from excellent positioning"

Positional Play

Ahead of the match against Sagan Tosu on May 8, a rather difficult topic has come up. This is an attempt to gather the voices of midfield players to illustrate the "positional vs. positional" concept, unraveling the current state of this new style and what lies ahead.

First of all, what exactly is "positional play"? This is a concept that originated in the world of chess. It is not about capturing or being captured by the pieces in front of you, but rather a way of thinking about how to control areas on the board and ultimately lead to checkmate. Hmm, that sounds quite difficult.

But if you think about it this way, it's much simpler. Just think of it as the strategy you desperately devised as a child to defeat the neighborhood chess champion. Let them take a pawn in the opening, and when they let their guard down, snatch their queen. There's a great movie that helps understand this.

This is the movie 'Searching for Bobby Fischer,' based on the true story of chess player Josh Waitzkin's childhood. The film depicts the growth of a boy who learns about the attack and defense of chess, as well as its joys and challenges, from two different coaches. Larry Fishburne, known for his role as Morpheus in 'The Matrix,' is incredibly cool, and the depth of love portrayed by Joan Allen, who plays the mother, is touching. If your child is passionate about something, I believe this is one of the movies that parents should definitely watch. I actually have much more to say, but there is a quote left by the great player born in Brooklyn, which is also the title of this movie.

"Tactics arise from excellent positioning"

This famous quote from Bobby Fischer is known as a phrase that illustrates the concept of positional play. It involves manipulating pieces on the board while securing three advantages: numerical, qualitative, and positional, and devising a strategy aimed at checkmate by anticipating several moves ahead. When applied to soccer, it means changing positions based on the characteristics of the players and devising tactics aimed at scoring goals by utilizing the three advantages. Therefore, the way a team aiming for positional play competes and the design of the team greatly differs based on the characteristics of the players on the roster.

So, what is the positional play that the capital club aims for with coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA? Looking back on the journey since the start date, we must first mention that various experimental player usages were conducted in the practice matches before the opening. Among them, one example is trying a certain player as a 'false 9' and converting Ryo Watanabe to a side back. It can be said that after such tryouts, the current main players have settled in.

From here, we will delve into a specific play model using the words of midfielders Takuya AOKI, Shuto ABE, and Kuryu MATSUKI. AOKI testifies to the true nature of the style that Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA aims for.

"What the coach has been asking for since the camp and what I've heard is very simple, so I felt it wasn't difficult."

What needs to be understood is that what Coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA is conveying to the players is never complicated, but very simple. The attack is based on triangles, but diamonds are also important. From there, they repeatedly engage in post-play, delivering the ball to always positive players, advancing the entire team. Ideally, this should be done by carrying the ball from the sides rather than through the central route, pushing the opponent into their territory. Matsuki expresses, "The most important thing I keep in mind, which the coach often says, is that in a situation where you can't see forward while facing backward, it's easy to drop the ball with a single touch. Many things are very simple, so I play soccer while thinking through each one."

On the other hand, there are still many instances where the tempo of play does not accompany it, and situations where they cannot escape from the opponent's pursuit during the match are still observed. To avoid the opponent's press, they are utilizing medium to long-range passes. Aoki said, "When it inevitably goes wide, there are positions that get caught in the opponent's press. When that happens, the two center-backs at the back can kick the ball, so I tell the two inside midfielders that when a long ball is played, I want them to be in a position to pick up the second ball. I think it would be great if we could change our positioning more smoothly when going to pick up after kicking and when connecting from the back."

And here, Abe adds, "When the ball is in our own half, I am conscious of participating in the build-up, but once the ball crosses the halfway line, I am told to be aware of making runs from the second line and not to drop too deep. While aiming for the space behind, I am also conscious of positioning myself to receive the drop from the forwards." This is likely the basic structure and current state of the build-up.

Next, regarding defense, the way to defend changes depending on the opponent, but the ideal is to regain possession immediately. The transition between offense and defense, as well as strength in one-on-one situations, remains a consistent strength of the team. For this reason, Abe stated, "Basically, I want to continue with a high press and a short counterattack. Once we enter our own half, we tend to set up a block due to (Kenta) HASEGAWA's influence. The coach dislikes that, so I want to maintain a state where players continue to attack the ball. In that case, I am conscious of either myself or Ko HASEGAWA stepping up."

On the other hand, there is a defensive approach where both wings cut outside and lure the opponents to the center to aim for an interception. In that case, the tasks for the three midfielders are also numerous.

"When going for an outside cut, the winger will leave the opposing side back (SB) to press. Therefore, we have to cover the area of the opposing SB. Also, the forwards (in Tokyo) are quite fast, which puts pressure on the opponent. It then comes down to how many balls we can recover that are played into the middle. We need to predict the opponent's gaze and where they are likely to pass. Our primary aim is to intercept, and from there, it will be a shape where I and Hirato-kun move forward to recover with Takuya-san. However, we are defending in a way that minimizes Takuya-san's movement distance." (Matsuki).

All positions require intensity and movement in both offense and defense. It can be said that the optimal solutions identified by coach Albert PUIG ORTONEDA from the start until now are strongly reflected in the selection of members. That is why it should be understood that Abe and Matsuki, who have been symbolically active so far, are the first choices for the inside half.

Smoke started coming out of my head, so this is the end of the first part.

In the second part, we will delve into checkmate, that is, how to score goals, and further considerations through the comments of three players. This may be a spoiler, but I believe that Fischer's famous quote, "Tactics arise from excellent positioning," and the growth of Josh throughout the movie will be key.

Text by Kohei Baba (Freelance Writer)

Here is the second part!