New Indian Express: Different ball game, same philosophy

By Swaroop Swaminathan

LUCKNOW: Cesar Luis Menotti’s Argentina were one of the favourites at the 1978 World Cup. And he wanted to enhance the attacking attributes of the hosts. It was not uncommon for the Albiceleste’s opponents to pack their defence and midfield. So the coach was looking at best ways to play through the opposition.

In March 1978, months before the big event, he had his Eureka moment. The hockey World Cup was happening in Buenos Aires and Pakistan, the sexiest in the sport then, were scoring for fun. Against teams that packed their midfield.

During the event, Menotti set up a meeting with Abdul Waheed Khan, Pakistan manager. People who chronicled the chat wrote that it revolved around Waheed’s interpretation of the double attack — if a move was going down cul-de-sac lane on one side, the attacking team would immediately try and initiate a move down the other wing, assuming the defending team would be exposed there. The Rosario resident noted down a few points and left.

You can argue to what extent Waheed’s tactics helped Menotti, but it’s safe to assume it had an effect. After the 39-year-old became one of the youngest managers to win a WC, he sent a letter to Waheed with the words ‘Thank You’.

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The two are different, but have relied on each other for innovation and tactical advancement. ‘Total football’, a phrase coined for the legendary 1970s Ajax teams, had its roots in a little-known hockey experiment in the 1930s. At the ongoing junior men’s hockey World Cup here, there are coaches unafraid to look outside the window to better understand their own game.

Netherlands’ Roelant Oltmans, Indian men’s team coach who is managing the juniors at this event, says the Dutch Olympic Committee actively promotes this. “There’s lots of interaction between coaches for exchange of ideas. Our Olympic Committee holds a Congress for this around thrice a year.”

One modern tactic hockey coaches have taken from football, according to him, is two controlling midfielders. “Football’s modern trend is to play with four defenders and two controlling midfielders, and I’ve seen a few teams, including Holland, do it in hockey,” he says.

The 62-year-old says coaches will have to be careful with what they take from the Beautiful Game because of differences — the offside law for instance. The Belgians, surprisingly, use this to make their forwards better. “We look at how strikers use running lines to create space, because they’ve the offside rule,” coach Jeroen Baart says.
“We watch videos to see how best to open space for our forwards to receive the ball and make the next action.”

He is of the opinion that interaction between both communities could grow further. “Last 2-3 years have seen football coaches and analysts seeing what their hockey counterparts have been up to. It’s pretty interesting to see how they interact vis-a-vis scouting, sharing of data and fitting set tactics into different games.”

It’s the same with Argentina, where “everyone plays football, including myself,” according to skipper Maico Casella. “We use their tactics, and for pressing, look at football videos to see how they do it, and vice-versa.”

Looking at lots of football videos forms a big part of off-field education for the Sky Blues.

Spain was the epicentre of a new wave of football revolution, thanks to emphasis on ball retention. Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona also contributed with counter-pressing — exerting pressure on teams who had just won back possession. It was only natural that their hockey team tried to play somebody in a Xavi-like role.

“It’s true that in Spain, all hockey players watch football. In that sense, (Lionel) Messi can be a reference to some of our work,” Alejandro Iglesias, the manager, says.

“In terms of systems, there’s a big difference, but there’s a connection between some fundamental principles.