Let's liken the Brazilian National side to a jazz ensemble, more specifically Miles Davis' famous sextet. On his signature album Kind Of Blue, Davis was accompanied by five of the greatest jazz musicians in history, one of them notably being John Coltrane. Such a star-studded group is easily comparable to Brazil's XI, wherein each and every player currently plies their trade at one of the top club sides on earth, when not busy performing for their home nation. With that connection established as a grounding detail, I'll move on. It should now be noted that much of Davis' Kind Of Blue, like many jazz albums, is played at a laid back, hypnotic pace with the band playing as a cohesive unit. On the opening track "So What," for example, over a minute and a half passes in a lazy, harmonized sort of fashion at the beginning of the tune. Such organized, plodding, gradual progression is also seen in the play of Brazil's current Olympic side. When opposing teams systematically foul the Brazilians to stunt their play (see: New Zealand), or have managed through resolute defending to stifle the South Americans (see: Belarus' first half performance), the Seleçao defenders take the initiative to start knocking the ball around to one another at a slower, more measured tempo. A certain cadence is established in order sort out the frenetic pace of the previously oft-interrupted game; Rafael to Thaigo Silva, then to Juan, back to Silva, over to Marcelo, maybe Sandro gets a touch. Then, and often abruptly, the passing picks up speed...
Maybe the Number 10 Oscar drops back to receive the ball before spraying a quick pass out to the flank. And like how Davis' first blow into his trumpet over the smooth baseline announces that the band is ready to get to business, so has this incisive pass announced Brazil's ambitions. But like how Oscar's incisive pass has not disected the opponent's defensive line, neither does Davis' part in his song punctuate the whole event; Davis has not moved to dazzle his audience, but rather he is setting the stage (on this particular track at least) for a grander occasion. From the flank, Hulk picks up his head and finds Neymar who has drifted into space. He has enough room to begin a dribble, but not simply two or three touches with the intent to distribute, but rather a real dribble, the sort of run that only a master of the moving, grounded football can accomplish. Quickly return your thoughts to "So What", where Davis plays his final note and allows John Coltrane the next three minutes to have a real solo, the kind where the drummer and bassist play entirely unobtrusively as to allow Colrane's saxophone the room to resonate that much more impeccably; these accompaniment parts act like the Brazilian attacking players off the ball, carefully guiding their runs to give Neymar that much more room to shine. The dribble has begun, the solo is in progress, all others involved are merely background entities. Coltrane plays his horn, Neymar carries the ball.
A dribble, like a good solo, is accomplished by the greatest players in the world when they, and those around them, are playing at the highest possible level, yet individual brilliance still conquers. The quality of defending must mirror the talent of the dribbler, otherwise sheer speed or the gap in overall talent alone will be enough to guide the dribbler through to goal. It is a glorious moment when a man receives the ball and, after raising his eyes only to have them gaze upon a crowded pitch of well-positioned, near masterful defenders, decides to have a go anyways.
So who, today, fits my description of a dribbler? Unfortunately the rigid tactics of the modern game, as well as teams coached by men unwilling to allow individual brilliance to shine for fear of possession loss (see: english speaking parts of the world), have made the dribbler an endangered entity. Still, luckily, fans of the game have been treated to some brilliant and dynamic one-on-all attackers in recent years. This article began with Neymar because, having watched him play four full games now in the Olympics, I struggle to think of anyone else (Messi included) who looks like him in full flight. His speed looks effortless, his feints flowing and measured to the point of artistic movement. So he is the man we will start with, Brazil's precocious talent whose play over the past three years has placed him firmly into the discussion of the finest footballers on earth.
In my mind, what has separated the dribbling of Neymar from that of say Cristiano Ronaldo or the aforementioned Messi is his blatant disregard for the intentions of defenders. Whereas Cristiano is obsessive in his efforts to unbalance defenders, and therefore obtain his goal of reaching the space he desires via a footrace wherein he always starts first, Neymar uses a particular feint because he wants to. The Brazilian is cognizant of the fact that he is so brutally fast (acceleration-wise as well as with his top speed) that any hesitation caused by his move is more than enough to allow him to carry onward regardless of how well position said defender is. He goes at defenders with a childish arrogance which refuses to entertain the idea of losing the ball. One might wonder, when watching the star, why he doesn't simply go in the direction afforded by the defense; even if a defender wants him to try to beat him to the byline, does he not have the pace which will allow him to reach an angle where a shot is more than possible? But therein lies the brilliance of the young man, for he is so determined to reach his predetermined destination that the defender before him is somewhat of an afterthought.
When I began this write-up about modern day dribblers, I realized that there are really only two categories into which a true carrier of the ball may fall; there are those who go where they want, and those who go where they are allowed. I believe I have touched on the latter category previously; Gareth Bale and Antonio Valencia use their blazing speed to get to the end-line with devastating results, even when the defender clearly is showing them that option. Furthermore, I believe most reading this blog are well aware of the two aforementioned men who well and truly blur the line between those categories; the two best players on earth, Ronaldo and Messi, are so keenly aware of spacing that they innately determine when best to either disregard defenders, or to engage them. So my focus is on the first group of dribblers, for those reasons just mentioned, and simply because they are the most impressive to me. So, if Neymar is the pinnacle of a man who goes where he wants, then who helped lay the foreground for a dribbler like him? From the past, I could mention George Best, or Garrincha, two men who seemed either oblivious or indifferent to the aims of their opposition. But I don't believe men like this can exist in the modern game; they were too carefree and utterly debonair to be allowed the freedom of the field at a time when fitness regimens dictate that a man can no longer walk about the pitch with the ball at his feet. So there had to be a man closer to our time who paved the way for Neymar's technique. And, of course, there was.
There was a certain violence about Ronaldinho's dribbling during his prime; the speed, the directional changes, the brute strength all together made for spectacular viewing. Overshadowing this, however, was the music of it all. The tempo of each touch as his left foot pivoted in the grass, and his right foot directed the ball; the drumline of his cleats on the turf. His speed carried the melody, the feints and stepovers functioning as the highs and lows which puctuated the solo. Ronaldinho was the ultimate soloist in a team game at the height of his powers. In Neymar's dribbling, I see Ronaldinho. Maybe with less strength. Maybe with more speed.
Maybe a different instrument in the same band.
So who, today, fits my description of a dribbler? Unfortunately the rigid tactics of the modern game, as well as teams coached by men unwilling to allow individual brilliance to shine for fear of possession loss (see: english speaking parts of the world), have made the dribbler an endangered entity. Still, luckily, fans of the game have been treated to some brilliant and dynamic one-on-all attackers in recent years. This article began with Neymar because, having watched him play four full games now in the Olympics, I struggle to think of anyone else (Messi included) who looks like him in full flight. His speed looks effortless, his feints flowing and measured to the point of artistic movement. So he is the man we will start with, Brazil's precocious talent whose play over the past three years has placed him firmly into the discussion of the finest footballers on earth.
In my mind, what has separated the dribbling of Neymar from that of say Cristiano Ronaldo or the aforementioned Messi is his blatant disregard for the intentions of defenders. Whereas Cristiano is obsessive in his efforts to unbalance defenders, and therefore obtain his goal of reaching the space he desires via a footrace wherein he always starts first, Neymar uses a particular feint because he wants to. The Brazilian is cognizant of the fact that he is so brutally fast (acceleration-wise as well as with his top speed) that any hesitation caused by his move is more than enough to allow him to carry onward regardless of how well position said defender is. He goes at defenders with a childish arrogance which refuses to entertain the idea of losing the ball. One might wonder, when watching the star, why he doesn't simply go in the direction afforded by the defense; even if a defender wants him to try to beat him to the byline, does he not have the pace which will allow him to reach an angle where a shot is more than possible? But therein lies the brilliance of the young man, for he is so determined to reach his predetermined destination that the defender before him is somewhat of an afterthought.
When I began this write-up about modern day dribblers, I realized that there are really only two categories into which a true carrier of the ball may fall; there are those who go where they want, and those who go where they are allowed. I believe I have touched on the latter category previously; Gareth Bale and Antonio Valencia use their blazing speed to get to the end-line with devastating results, even when the defender clearly is showing them that option. Furthermore, I believe most reading this blog are well aware of the two aforementioned men who well and truly blur the line between those categories; the two best players on earth, Ronaldo and Messi, are so keenly aware of spacing that they innately determine when best to either disregard defenders, or to engage them. So my focus is on the first group of dribblers, for those reasons just mentioned, and simply because they are the most impressive to me. So, if Neymar is the pinnacle of a man who goes where he wants, then who helped lay the foreground for a dribbler like him? From the past, I could mention George Best, or Garrincha, two men who seemed either oblivious or indifferent to the aims of their opposition. But I don't believe men like this can exist in the modern game; they were too carefree and utterly debonair to be allowed the freedom of the field at a time when fitness regimens dictate that a man can no longer walk about the pitch with the ball at his feet. So there had to be a man closer to our time who paved the way for Neymar's technique. And, of course, there was.
Maybe a different instrument in the same band.
No comments:
Post a Comment