Some teams and coaches get lost in repetitions – 10/28/2023 – Tostão

The human being is an animal of habits, repetitions, reflections and inventions. Many repeat, do without thinking or questioning, while others think without doing.

Great players, in a fraction of a second, without thinking, map everything that is around them and execute beautiful and efficient moves. They have unconscious knowledge, which neuroscience calls kinesthetic intelligence, movement. To be a great player, it is necessary to combine this intelligence with technique and good physical and emotional conditions. It is necessary to go beyond what was programmed.

Repetition is necessary to improve individual and collective technique, but when excessive it leads to inefficiency.

In the middle of the week, there were surprising games at the Brasileirão, which improved the quality and emotion of football. Were the many goals more due to offensive virtues or defensive failures?

A 5-0 victory in a classic is something unexpected. Palmeiras, in the last two games, recovered what they do best, goals from crossed balls and those created through quick transitions, with long passes between the opposing defenders. São Paulo, which seemed to be ready, defined, after winning the Copa do Brasil and the victory over Grêmio, was lost, powerless in the face of Palmeiras’ avalanche.

Grêmio’s victory over Flamengo was also not expected because the team was playing poorly and was missing its best player, Suárez. Flamengo, after two victories, thought they were ready, with Tite’s style. He lost his identity.

I don’t watch all of Grêmio’s matches, but whenever he comes on, Ferreirinha improves the team with skill, dribbling and speed. However, he is heavily criticized and booed by the fans. I realize that many fans have been quite cruel to some players because of certain mistakes. Cruzeiro’s goal against Atlético-MG was much more due to the merits of full-back William than to the failure of defender Jemerson, who was widely criticized by fans.

Who said that Felipão is just a repetitive, disciplining, uncreative coach? In the victory over Bragantino, the coach organized the team to score from behind, close the spaces on the sides, the opponent’s strong point, and counterattack with long throws to the great attacking duo (Hulk and Paulinho) behind the backs of the advanced defenders. Fluminense against Bragantino tried to exchange passes from the defense and lost the ball, because of the pressure from the Bragança team, the team’s main quality.

Fluminense, a creative, daring team that involves the opponent by exchanging passes, also needs to be disciplined and repetitive. Marcelo will play in midfield, and no one occupies the full-back position. Arias and Keno usually occupy the same place on the left. Against Goiás, one played on the right, and the other on the left, which is more logical and should be maintained in most games.

Atlético-MG and Fluminense face each other this Saturday (28). The story could be different, very different from the performances of the two teams in the previous match. These variations make football great.

Some teams and coaches get lost in repetitions because they don’t see or because they don’t know what to do when faced with new, sudden and surprising situations. To know, you need to know how to see.

“The essential thing is to know how to see. To know how to see without thinking. To know how to see when you see, without thinking when you see or seeing when you think.” (Fernando Pessoa)

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