hockey
It’s do or die for Pakistan hockey
The national team will have to somehow unshackle itself from the vicious cycle of underachievement in London 
By Khalid Hussain

On July 30, Pakistan will open their Olympic campaign with a game against Spain in London. The smart money will be on the European side, who will be one of the chief contenders for a semifinal spot from Pool A. As for Pakistan, things won’t get any easier as they will also have to tackle world number ones Australia and hosts Great Britain (world No 4) later in the league matches of the Olympic tournament. Even Argentina and South Africa — two of the lower-ranked teams in the group — appear to be tough rivals for the Pakistanis, who have seen their Olympic preparations suffering major setbacks in recent months.

So, is there any hope for Pakistan, three-time Olympic champions, to somehow elbow their way into the last four of London 2012? Or is it a foregone conclusion that the Greenshirts will not be able to bounce back from their Beijing humiliation?

In Beijing 2008, Pakistan slumped to an eight-place finish, their worst-ever showing in Olympic hockey history. On current form, some critics believe that even an eighth position in London would be an achievement for the Pakistanis, who finished last in the seven-nation Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh (Malaysia) earlier this month. Pakistan lost five of their six matches in Ipoh even against lower-rated Malaysia, who haven’t even made the cut for London 2012. More recently, they were thrashed 6-1 by Belgium in Antwerp, a result that once again underlined that Pakistan are lagging far behind their competition both in defense and offence.

The problem with Pakistan hockey is that it cannot simply sit back before going through the motions in London. There is just too much at stake. As usual, Pakistan’s hockey team is the only hope of a country of over 180 million for an Olympic medal. That’s a lot of responsibility and our hockey players and officials can’t shy away from it.

The biggest responsibility rests on the shoulders of Pakistan’s hockey chiefs. They are the ones, who blundered in their decision to discard several key players just months before the Olympics. They are the ones, who were unable to retain the team’s Dutch coach. Michel van den Heuvel was roped in back in 2010 as Pakistan’s coach amid promises that he will use his vast experience and technical expertise to put Pakistan back on track. But he was sacked at a time when the national team was supposed to begin the final leg of its London homework.

They, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), opted to replace the Dutchman with Akhtar Rasool as Pakistan’s head coach. A former national captain, Akhtar belongs to the old school and my sources tell me that he is quite out of touch with the finer points of modern-day hockey. This scenario hardly paints a reassuring picture.

However, it’s time that PHF amends all the wrong decisions it has made in the lead up to the Olympics. There may still be time to salvage Pakistan’s Olympic hopes as the national team has more than a month to work on its weaknesses.

Last week, there was some reason for Pakistan’s hockey fans to cheer about when the Greenshirts edged Germany 4-3 in a test match in Cologne. It wasn’t a big game but still beating a top-flight team like Germany so close to the Olympics should have come as a huge morale-booster for the Pakistanis. Germany, currently ranked number two in the world, are regarded among the favourites for the hockey title in London.

Another positive sign for Pakistan is that Sohail Abbas converted all four short corners that came their way in the match. The aging drag flick ace has often been criticised for his failure to help Pakistan win major titles during what has been quite an illustrious international career. His critics regard Sohail as an average player, who has amassed personal record without delivering the goods for his team.

I disagree with them. Sohail has scored almost 400 international goals, the most by any hockey player in history. That’s a huge achievement. The problem with Sohail is that he has been an extra-ordinary player in an otherwise ordinary team. Major titles like the World Cup or Olympics cannot be won on individual brilliance. And in any case, Sohail has to depend on his teammates to be able to score goals. A short corner has to be earned and executed before Sohail can take a shot at the goal.

I’ve talked to Sohail in recent times and he seems really determined to give his best in London. He is well aware that the Olympics could be his last chance of achieving glory. Sohail may be the world’s leading goal-scorer but he doesn’t have any Olympic or World Cup medal to show for it. The 2014 World Cup is still two years away and at 35, Sohail is unlikely to last till then. If he wants to realise his dream of winning an Olympic medal, he has to do it in London.

That’s where Sohail’s teammates come in. Players like Shakeel Abbasi, Waseem Ahmed and Rehan Butt have the skills and experience to shine on the international stage and like Sohail need to give their best in London.

Perhaps, more importantly, much will depend on how Pakistan’s coaches will fare in London. Akhtar Rasool may be the weak link in the team management but there are coaches like Khawaja Junaid and Shahid Ali Khan, who can bring the best out of their charges. They will need to devise winning strategies for each of their rival teams. Pakistan’s target in London is pretty simple. They know they have to brush aside Argentina and South Africa — two of the more beatable teams in Pool A. Since only two teams can progress from their group, Pakistan will have to win or at least avoid losses against two of their remaining three opponents — Australia, Britain and Spain. It seems like a Herculean task but it’s not impossible. Last year, Pakistan tamed Australia in their backyard to win a tri-nations tournament in Perth. It may not have been a big title but the result proved that the Aussies are not unbeatable.

For Pakistan, it’s a do-or-die situation. Another Olympic debacle in London will push them further back in world hockey. Who knows whether we will even be able to qualify for Rio 2016. If there ever was a time for Pakistan hockey team to unshackle itself from the vicious cycle of underachievement it is now.

Khalid Hussain is Editor Sports of The News, Karachi

khalidhraj@gmail.com

The real duel
By Khurram Mahmood

Pakistan and Sri Lanka begin their three-match Test series on June 22 after completing the one-day series on June 18.

Seven players will join the Pakistani squad for the Tests: Taufeeq Umar, Faisal Iqbal, Aizaz Cheema, Junaid Khan, Afaq Raheem, Muhammad Ayub and Adnan Akmal.

Since 1981-82, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have played 14 Test series. Pakistan won seven, Sri Lanka remain successful on three occasions while four series ended without producing any result.

In all, 37 Test matches were played, out of which Pakistan won 15, Sri Lanka eight, while 14 ended without a result. The two teams also met in the Asian Test Championship twice and won one each.

The first ever Test between the two countries was played in March 1982 in Karachi that was won by Pakistan by a huge margin of 204 runs. It was a memorable Test for Pakistan, as some senior players had refused to accept the board’s decision following the appointment of Javed Miandad as the captain, but the then PCB Chief Air Marshal (R) Nur Khan stood firm and inducted youngsters Saleem Malik, Saleem Yousuf, Rashid Khan, and Tahir Naqqash. Saleeem Malik scored a century in his debut Test.

The second Test at Faisalabad ended in a draw while the third Test at Lahore was also won by Pakistan with a convincing margin of an innings and 102 runs.

Pakistan’s 765-6 in Karachi in 2009 is the highest innings total in the bilateral Test cricket. Sri Lanka’s best total against Pakistan of 644-7 came in the same Test.

Sri Lanka were bowled out for just 71 in August 1994 at Kandy. This is the lowest total in Test cricket between the two countries. Pakistan’s lowest total is 90 that they got in 2009 at Colombo (PSS).

Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakara is the most successful batsman with 1830 runs in 13 Test matches at an average of 79.56 with the help of seven centuries and seven fifties.

Pakistan’s former skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq is the highest run-getter with 1559 runs in 20 matches, averaging 59.96, including five hundreds and seven half centuries.

Younis Khan’s 313 at Karachi in February 2009 is the highest individual score. Sanath Jayasuriya’s 253 runs at Faisalabad in 2004 is the highest score for Sri Lanka.

Former spin magician Muttiah Muralitharan with 80 wickets from 16 matches at the average of 25.46 is the most successful bowler of the two sides. His best innings performance was 6-71.

Swing master Wasim Akram with 63 wickets in 19 appearances at an average of 21.26 is the most successful bowler for Pakistan. His best innings figures are 8-73.

Former captain Arjuna Ranatunga played most 22 Test for Sri Lankan against Pakistan while Aravinda de Silva and Jayawardene played 21 matches each.

Inzamam-ul-Haq played 20 Test matches against Sri Lanka. Younis Khan who is part of the current Test squad has played 18 Tests. If he plays all three matches, he will become the most capped player against Sri Lanka.

Khurrams87@yahoo.com

The state of squash in Punjab 
By Muhammad Ahsan Khalid

After ruling the world of squash for decades, Pakistan is desperately looking for talented youngsters, who can help the country regain its lost glory.

Concerted efforts are being made at the top level including launch of talent-hunt programmes at the district level. Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) is fighting against all odds to make this game popular among the youth and create an environment wherein they can polish themselves to reach the top of the world.

Traditionally, the Khans from Nawakhili have won most laurels for the country. But there have been contributions from other parts of the country as well, especially from Gogi Alauddin whose performances at British open are hard to forget.

In this article ‘The News on Sunday’ focuses on what is going on in Punjab, especially Lahore, in this game. This microcosmic study may not present the overall picture with 100 percent precision but will discuss all the main issues, nevertheless.

The recovery of squash in Punjab is being looked after by Gogi Alauddin. Currently, he is engaged at the Punjab Squash Complex (PSC) in Lahore as head coach.

Talking to TNS at the PSC, Gogi said the first and foremost need of the time is to make players work hard and improve their stamina, endurance and mental composure up to international standards. “It is unfortunate that young players do not work hard enough. I remember seeing Jahangir Khan go through rigorous training in London during a competition. The temperature there was below freezing point and his competitor was no match, but he did not slacken.”

Gogi said there are lots of attractions which stop youth from indulging in physical activity. For example, they waste a lot of time in playing computer games, watching cable TV and using other gadgets, he said. They must be told by parents, teachers and peers that there is no substitute to strenuous physical activity, he added.

While he was talking a young player Ali appeared. He complained that he was not getting a chance to play in the court. The reason was simple; few courts and too many players. Players are allowed to play on ‘first come, first serve’ basis and the maximum play time allowed to a pair is 45 minutes.

Gogi said the shortage of squash courts in the province was a big problem. “There are a number of squash courts in the city but most of them are for the rich and the common man has no access to them,” he said. “They are in elite cubs, top schools or in certain housing societies where only the residents of the locality can play.”

PSC is a blessing for squash players from the lower classes, said Gogi. He clarified the 45-minute restriction is only for the private members who come in the evening. From early morning till late afternoon, the players selected by Punjab Squash Association are trained by highly qualified trainees and coaches.

PSC Secretary Tariq Khan proudly told TNS that under-15 player Israr Ahmed, who won the junior British Open title last year, had learnt his basics from the PSC and that his success boosted the hopes of the youngsters who play here. Many of them have started playing with renewed vigour hoping to earn similar successes.

The complex offers different packages to members of the club. For cement courts, admission fee is Rs500 and monthly fee is Rs300. For wooden court, admission fee is Rs1,500 and monthly fee is Rs750.

Playing in air-conditioned glass court is a little more expensive option. The admission fee for the glass court is Rs3,000 and monthly fee is Rs2,000. As an incentive to encourage players, admission fee for players under 10 years of age has been waived off.

Naeemul Haq, a qualified squash coach, told TNS that the game lacks popularity in the country because of dearth of corporate sponsorships, inability of Pakistani players to participate in international events abroad, Pakistan’s failure to host international events and unavailability of government jobs for star performances.

In the past, successful players were given goods government jobs and PIA helped them travel all over the world to play in events for free. “Today, this option is not there. If players miss international events, it affects their rankings in the international circuit,” he added.

Naeem lamented the fact that quite often Pakistani players had difficulty in getting visas, which deprived them of participation in international events. “Similarly, international players are worried about the security situation here due to the negative image of the country portrayed in the international media. Theses issue should be taken up by the government at diplomatic level,” he suggested.

He said the major chunk of corporate sponsorship went to cricket. “Businesses should not ignore squash,” he said. “Even a percentage of the money spent on cricket can do wonders for squash.”

Kashif Ali, an academician based in Lahore, said revival of the sport was impossible without encouraging students to participate. “It’s a pity sports have been separated from the education ministry,” he said.

His point was that if admissions to colleges and universities on sports basis were revived, more and more students would opt for games like squash. Kashif said not much was spent on constructing squash courts. “And the maintenance cost is also negligible, especially when compared with that spent on cricket, football and hockey grounds. Therefore, I suggest all government and private educational institutes should have squash courts. This would help a lot in developing the overall personality of students.”

m.ahsankhalid@gmail.com

Nadal proves his mettle
By Hasan Junaid Iqbal

There is a proverb in French, “Fortune lui permet de qui est prêt à s’aider lui-même”, which means fortune helps only those who are willing to help themselves.

Rafael Nadal proved this maxim true at Roland Garros when he tamed world No 1 Novak Djokovic of Serbia to win his seventh French Open crown.

The Serbian was stopped short in his quest to become the first man since Rod Laver to win four consecutive majors. He had defeated Nadal in each of the previous three Grand Slams.

The two were the first ever to play in four Slam finals in a row. Injuries after injuries that Rafa suffered in the recent past did not prevent him from appearing as a champion once again.

The Mallorcan suffered a 6-4, 6-2, 6-3 defeat to compatriot David Ferrer in the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park after sustaining a hamstring injury in the second game of the opening set last year at the Australian Open.

Nadal left the court during the first set so that his left thigh could be treated and continued to have medical time-outs throughout his defeat.

Despite battling on through the pain, Nadal’s movement was visibly hampered and he was not able to mount a comeback against Ferrer.And then a knee injury forced him to retire during his quarter-final clash with Andy Murray at two sets and a break down at the same event.

After the Australian Open, the scenario repeated itself at Wimbeldon, when Nadal suffered a foot injury. He fell behind 3-0 in the tiebreaker and was limping between points, but saved a set point at 6-5 down and took the tiebreaker on his fourth set point when Del Potro double-faulted.

“For a moment at the end of the first set, I thought that I had to retire,” Nadal said. “After that, the pain goes a little bit down and finally I was ready to play.” Djokovic fought vigorously for his World No 1 prestige, but remained unable to put Rafa in trouble. He had to be offensive against Nadal in rain-delayed final of Roland Garros.

The Serb produces his very best when his back is against the wall. He amazingly won eight straight games from 0-2 in the third set to 2-0 in the fourth set before Nadal finally held serve when play was suspended due to rain. Winning eight straight games against Nadal should come with a trophy all of its own.

An analysis of those eight games highlights the way Djokovic handled adversity — when attacked, he becomes the attacker. On the other hand the former No 1 Roger Federer struggled for form all fortnight, but he felt he could take confidence away from his semifinal match with Djokovic on to the grass.

“The semifinal is, at the end of the day, a very good result for any tennis player. For me too. I wish I could have done a bit better, especially with the wasted opportunities. But that’s how it goes sometimes,” Federer said.

“I’ve got to go and change things around now for grass anyway. I’m looking forward to that. It’s been a difficult clay-court season.

“I did feel my very best coming into the semis. I was where I wanted to be, but I ran into an opponent who was just better. Still, it gives me a little bit of a lift coming into the grass-court season now,” he added.

In the other half of French Open that means women’s side (WTA), Russia’s Maria Sharapova emerged as a queen after defeating Italy’s Sara Errani — in easy-to-handle-final of Roland Garros — to become the world No 1 and 10th woman in the sport’s history to win all four Grand Slams.

This mentally tough girl proved her resilience by coming back from career-threatening shoulder surgery in 2009. Her ranking went from No 1 to out of the top-100 by 2010 but she struggled and struggled hard. “I’m motivated by wanting to be the very best I can be,” she said. “I’m not satisfied with where I am, I want to keep going, keep getting better every day. The day I don’t want to get better is the day I retire.”

Born in Siberia, Russia, Sharapova made her professional breakthrough in 2004 at age 17, when she defeated two-time defending champion and top seed Serena Williams in the 2004 Wimbledon final for her first Grand Slam singles title. She entered the top 10 of the WTA Rankings with the win. She subsequently won 2006 US Open and 2008 Australian Open, before being forced out of the game for ten months by a recurring shoulder injury, which ultimately required surgery in October 2008.

Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark failed to show her expertise in Roland Garros. She reached the third round but was defeated by Estonian Kaia Kanepi, ranked 23rd.

hasan.junaid.iqbal@gmail.com

Power, Politics & Olympic Games – III
By Aamir Bilal

After Munich, Brundage departed from Olympics, which had grown beyond his comprehension and capacity. The NOCs and the IFs were revolting against his arbitrary administration. He was accused of bigotry and both racial and class prejudice, not to mention the denunciations proclaiming him politically naïve.

Brundage served IOC as President for 20 long years — from 1952 to 1972. Michael Morris Lord Killanin directed IOC for the next eight stormy years. He was an English-Irish nobleman. Killanin offered new style of management. Despite various problems the IOC assets had grown from $2 million to over $45 million.

The USA and a few other states kept away from the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Killanin’s biggest achievement was the liberalization of eligibility rules, which opened the Olympics to professional athletes.

After Killanin’s retirement in 1980 for reasons of health, Juan Antonio Samaranch, a Spaniard, took over as IOC president. Samaranch had rich experience of diplomacy, as he had served as Spanish ambassador to Moscow for four years preceding the Moscow Games of 1980. Probably the two greatest developments in the operations of Olympics Samaranch oversaw were the increase in the role of women in the IOC and further opening of the games to professionals.

As soon as the Russian troops moved into Afghanistan in December 1979, the American government launched a campaign aimed directly at undermining Moscow Olympics.

President Jimmy Carter’s administration facing re-election in 1980 virtually screamed for a strong response. Calling for unity against Soviet action in Afghanistan, the United States then sent messages to over 100 heads of state, urging them to shift the Olympics from Moscow.

Killanin came out openly to protect the Olympic truce. He objected strongly to what he considered the White House’s “arrogance” and “high handed approach”. President Carter announced his “irreversible” decision of boycotting the Moscow Games.

He used his presidential powers to block business involvement in Olympics including NBC’s televising the Games, the US Postal Services sale of commemorative stamps and post cards as well as export of “any goods or technology” for Moscow Games.

In contrast to their earlier pronouncements on the relationships between sport and politics, the soviets now spoke of the need to keep politics out of sport as they worked with IOC in defence of Olympic Games.

The extinguishing of Olympic flame in Moscow put Los Angeles on the spot. The Soviets called for sanctions against the Americans including taking 1984 Games away from Los Angeles (USA).

By that time Killanin had stepped down and Juan Samaranch had taken over. The IOC’s agreement with Los Angeles for 1984 Games was controversial from the start. The Russians had announced their decicion not to send their athletes for 1984 Games due to security reasons.

In the end, the Soviet boycott fell short of its objectives, as only the soviet Socialist allies supported it. The Los Angles Games passed into Olympic history as the first “Capitalist” games, and many commentators bemoaned the open presence of giant sponsors.

Some Olympic officials insisted the Americans were to blame for Soviet boycott. An American television magnate took the full opportunity of the situation by bringing American and soviet athletes together in a new multi-sports competition known as “Good-will Games”. This was a great challenge to Olympic Games. Ted Turner who was a yatchman, businessman and an idealist, approached the soviets directly. Turner announced that the first Goodwill Games would take place in July 1986.

The opening of Goodwill Games in Lenin Stadium displayed a prominent political dimension. Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev personally greeted the assemblage.

On the other hand IOC approved the admission of professionals in soccer and ice hockey. In June 1987, it approved the admission of tennis professionals into the 1988 Games, which were to be staged in Seoul.

Samaranch now had a mammoth task at his hands; this was a true test of his management, diplomatic and strategic understanding and abilities. Samaranch’s task had prodigious dimensions; he literally had to restructure the “Greatest Show on the Earth”.

Despite all efforts, uncertainty still hung over the plans of Seoul Games and indeed over the future of Olympic Games. There were tensions between North and South Korea just as between India and Pakistan.

Following the example of 1964 Tokyo games, the South Korean government looked at Seoul Olympics as a demonstration of their country’s newfound economic strength.

Although no one knew it at that time, but the Olympic Games of 1988 were the last to occur in the context of cold war between the world’s superpowers.

By the time of Barcelona Games in 1992, the Soviet Union would no longer exist.  Koreans successfully hosted the 10th Asian Games, which was perfect dress rehearsal for 1988 Second Olympics. In 1987 political convulsion shook South Korea. Chun Doo Hwan lost the presidential election to Roh Tae Woo, and the East European governments declared themselves satisfied with developments in South Korea.

Soviet Union followed by China announced that they will attend the Seoul Olympics. Mikhail Gorbachev’s programme of perestroika aimed at making the Soviet economy more efficient and productivity, but for Soviet sport this meant some cataclysmic changes.

Soviets lead the Seoul Olympic medal table with 132 medals, followed by East Germany with 102 and the United States trailed at No 3 with 94 medals.

sdfsports@gmail.com

Euro 2012: Formation and tactics
By Zain Qureshi

The European Championships are generally considered superior to the World Cup in terms of the quality of football (both in terms of possible match-ups and the football itself) that is on show in the group stages, let alone in the later stages of the tournament. This is owed in large part to the format of the European tournament, which this year fielded 16 sides, as opposed to the World Cup, where the draw covers twice as many sides.

As with most things in life, there is a trade off between the positive and negative aspects of having this small draw. The positive, as an example, is the possibility of Spain and Italy or Germany and the Netherlands playing against each other in the first few days of the tournament.

In the World Cup, some of the group matches appear to be a mere formality, with the gap in quality between teams is much more pronounced. The down side comes from the style of play, more specifically, the tactical outlook of the participants. In this respect, the World Cup has more to offer than the Euros, and this is directly due to the participation of teams from other continents. To elaborate further; the formation used by teams in Europe is largely similar, a variation of the 4-4-2 than can meld into a 4-3-3, with a good sense of balance throughout the formation. In the last World Cup, we saw Brazil’s lop sided attack mindedness, Chile’s slick Bielsa-inspired movement, and North Korea’s odd shape which outrightly surrendered large tracts of the pitch while congesting some key areas.

So it is that I come to write this piece with a sense of satisfaction on the variety of formations that have taken to the field in the competition so far, regardless of how successful or not they were. The two formations that immediately stood out as more unique flavours, showed up on the second day of the tournament, and that too in the same match. Spain took to the field sporting a 4-6-0, with no recognised striker and just a ‘false nine’, while Italy were strutting a 3-5-2 with a Libero. The ‘broken’ 4-2-4 employed by the Netherlands was fascinating in its own way, but more on that later.

Spain established their dominance in world football over the last 4 years by following the Barcelona model; using players with technical ability and movement to use possession as a means of defence and attack, allowing them to carve up the most resolute of defences. If one takes the tiki-taka style of football to its ultimate conclusion, it calls for a team who are simply footballers, and not penned into one particular position; everyone is good on the ball, everyone is active off it, and the players rotate positions depending on where they were in relation to the ball. A key point here is the removal of the role of the designated striker. This year, Spain sought to do this to some extent. Hence the 4-6-0, where six midfielders would move around in front of a back four with one of the six meant to stay further up than the rest, yet deeper than a natural striker would be. Against Italy, this task was given to David Silva.

Italy’s formation was less of a surprise, as Cesare Prandelli had already declared that they would be playing a 3-5-2 with Barzaghli as a Libero, the sweeper-cum-ball playing defender. A few days before the tournament, however, Barzaghli picked up a calf injury, so it was assumed that Prandelli would see reason in reverting to a more traditional setup, but to his credit, he stuck to a system the team had worked with. Italy also benefited from the skills of Daniele De Rossi, the Roma midfielder who had, on occasion, played this role before. The interesting things about a 3-5-2 is how it can be read as a 5-3-2, since the two full backs push up to join the midfield in attack. The deep playmaker was Pirlo, who is not the most mobile of players when defending. This meant that Marchisio and Thiago Motta would have a busy time doing the running in midfield behind Italy’s only real option of a front pairing, Cassano and Balotelli.

The match ended in a draw, but Italy were more successful with their formation than Spain were. Spain’s midfield kept getting congested due to their lack of natural wingers who could provide width, as every player drifted to the centre. For Italy, Pirlo put in a great performance and the Azzurri stood toe to toe with the European and World champions. However, the man of the match was definitely De Rossi, who was outstanding in defence and in playing the ball out to both the midfield and directly the front line with long, accurate diagonal passes. Fabregas’ goal vindicated del Bosque’s formation, although they looked a much more potent attacking force when Navas and Torres were brought on late into the game. That said, Italy’s goal also came after a change in personnel up front, although the formation remained the same.

That is why I was happy to see Italy stick to their guns when they played with the exact same line up and the same formation in their second game against Croatia, though they had to settle for another draw. Spain, however, chose the safer option and opted to have Torres spearhead the attack. The plan worked, as he scored a brace to put Ireland out of the competition, but it was disappointing to see them revert to something so extensively tried and tested.

I mentioned the Netherlandsí 4-2-4 and how it was a broken formation. This is because with De Jong and Von Bommel in holding roles, there was no link between midfield and the front four, which leaves them to construct and execute all the attacks themselves. This sounds good in theory, in how it leaves a front line devoid of any defensive duty, able to break quickly and make mayhem as they wish, but it never quite played out that way for Oranje, as they wasted a few chances against Denmark before being stifled by a deep defensive formation played by the Danes. Against Germany, they never got that much space to operate, and Van Marjwick’s refusal to change to a more proactive approach until late in the game doomed them to their inconceivable fate of two losses out of two matches.

Sure, Italy and Netherlands did not get ideal results, and Spain were quick to do away with their experiment, but it has been great to see teams try something different than what is so much common fare. Hopefully, this trend will continue, and other teams will follow suit, making the Euros more exciting than it is now. Already, the tournament is moving nearer to the World Cup (the next tournament, in 2016, will feature 24 teams), and one would hope that Europe is able to churn out a similarly wide variety of playing styles, to maintain the quality it has exhibited thus far.

zainhq@gmail.com

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