Enjoying the Evolution of Albert Tokyo [Tactics Edition]
~ The One and Only Reason I Want to Watch FC Tokyo ~
I don't understand positional play!
The Hypothesis of Trust
"Do you know how many years Jurgen Klopp, one of the greatest managers in the world, has been leading Liverpool FC?"
What Director Albert PUIG ORTONEDA is asking is that even Coach Klopp needs time to build a team, and that's why he says, 'Well, just wait.' After the wait, there is confidence.
There are countless reasons to want to see FC Tokyo right now, but for me, it ultimately comes down to one thing: the goal.
By the way, it seems that a wonderful culture of showing respect for the already published columns has emerged in this "FANZONE," and I was particularly struck by Kohei Baba's "Unraveling Albert PUIG ORTONEDA's Positional Play through the Testimonies of Three Midfield Players". There was a line quoted from a movie that was written there.
"Tactics arise from excellent positioning"
If the arrangement creates tactics, then our physical and conceptual positions as spectators may also present a strategy that leads to the victory of understanding.
I will write with the hope that it will become a text that can help (or, conversely, provide a certain kind of indicator by not helping at all).
Well, I do not understand "positional play." Just when I think I am starting to understand it, it feels like new elements are added and it transforms again.
Not knowing something is also a seed for learning, and since I have a contrary personality, I take a lot of time to decide whether to trust someone who explicitly says, "I understand," not just in positional play but in general. The world often tends to favor those who claim to know and those who are loud, but I seem to place my trust in the "knowledge of ignorance" that acknowledges what one does not know (it might be a complicated and disadvantageous personality trait).
By the way, this "trust" is very important in team sports like soccer. Because we can trust each other, we can entrust the important ball. In positional play, trust may hold even greater significance compared to other styles. This hypothesis comes to mind.
If we consider that being in the right place at the right time is the fundamental premise of positional play, then the criteria for what is "right" must not be ambiguous. This is the essence of the hypothesis regarding trust. If you position yourself in the most trustworthy location at the most trustworthy moment, you can receive the ball from your teammates. Through this repetition, the ball circulates and moves forward.
Thinking that way, I covered the J1 League Sec. 12 match against Sagan Tosu. After losing 0-1, when asked about not scoring a goal, Hotaka NAKAMURA said this.
"In positional play, it is important to maintain possession of the ball, but it should not just be for the sake of positional play; it must be possession aimed at scoring. To achieve that, we need to take risks and play offensively at some point, otherwise, the opponent won't feel pressured. I believe that is the wall we are currently facing."
In order to take risks and achieve success, action cannot be taken without trust. Otherwise, that choice is nothing more than a reckless gamble. Positional play aimed at the goal also includes risks, so I believe that the underlying principle should be "trust."
Anyone can be anywhere
There was a good example in the 28th minute of the first half against Tosu.
After FC Tokyo pressed, Nakamura confidently delivered a one-touch vertical pass to Kuryu MATSUKI, who had slipped into the center. After securing the ball, he executed a vertical one-two with Leandro, who was positioned diagonally behind to the left, and took a shot. This was blocked by the opponent, but it was a scene where the intention to score overlapped with the goal.scene
<J1 League Sec. 12 Sagan Tosu Match Scene at 28 Minutes of the First Half>
If I were to carefully drip the points from this scene in my own way,
Nakamura's awareness of "immediate recovery" that did not miss the opponent's mistake
The speed of Nakamura's "decisive vertical pass" sent forward with a one-touch.
・Matsuki's "certain technique" as he stopped the ball while being pressured by the opponent
・Leandro's "positioning" that achieved a one-two in the narrow central space
・Matsuki's "breaking idea" that initiated a one-two with Leandro
・Leandro's "passing technique" through a narrow course
・Left inside half Matsuki and left wing Leandro positioned themselves towards the right and center to break through, demonstrating a "positional play of being in the right place at the right time" that is not bound by positional concepts.
To score a goal, position yourself in the right place at the right time to advance the ball, position yourself in the right place at the right time to break down the opponent, and if the ball is taken away, if you are in the right place at the right time, you can regain it and attack again.
It doesn't matter who is where. In other words, someone must always be in the right place.
To achieve the goal, there are what you might call "carefully selected gear," such as the diamond-shaped positioning created by countless triangles and forward players, the five-lane theory for efficient execution, and the "eye" to choose locations while observing the opponent's arrangement.
However, the words that Nakamura asked drew attention only to that "tool," and it sounded like an important message that we must not confuse the purpose with the means.
So, I may never understand positional play. But I think that's okay. It's because I have the desire to keep moving forward, aiming to understand it someday.
A journey that continues to seek the luxurious pleasure of the necessary minimum of "organization and tidiness," and the improvisation hidden behind it. Whether on the pitch or from the stands, it may be the essence of positional play that supports this positive attitude.
Text by Taiga HIRASAWA (Soccer Magazine Web)
