Last night on “60 Minutes,” one report showed Anderson Cooper literally swimming along the bottom of the Okavango Delta in Botswana, located in Southern Africa. He and a small group of dare devils swam through murky underwater caves, mere feet from one of the most feared predators on the planet: the Nile Crocodile. Seeing previews for this from the days prior and watching the segment Sunday night sparked a random revelation for a subject completely unrelated to the 20-foot reptiles. What did the story remind me of?
FC Barcelona.
This footballing giant features Lionel Messi, Gerard Pique and David Villa, to name a few. They are a brilliant passing team, perfecting the tika taka system (Search “Three is a Magic Number”). This strategy is rooted in movements that continually create triangular passing lanes. If and when they lose the ball, they even have a defensive protocol to regain possession within six seconds. Stating the obvious, the kings of Barça are widely considered to be the premier club in the world the past few years. Reflect on this mind-blowing statistic for Argentine Lionel Messi, a Barcelona youth academy graduate. Rik Sharma of The Daily Mail UK online succinctly described Messi’s achievement at the conclusion of last year in a December 22, 2012 article.
“He broke Gerd Muller’s 40-year-old milestone of 85 goals in a calendar year by grabbing 79 for Barcelona and 12 for Argentina.”
I don’t think I ever scored that many goals with one player in EA Sports’ Fifa on PlayStation!
The elite reputation of Messi, and Barcelona, is unequivocally well deserved.
With such a dominating philosophy and collection of championship trophies, the proposition presented before each of their opponents is deciding how to prepare defensively. Here is my analysis, assisted by the underwater king of the Nile.
I call it TheCrocodile Trance.
Playing Barcelona, there will inevitably be stretches when they string together ten or twelve passes together on their opponents side of the field, possibly ten to fifteen yards outside the 18 yard box. As they build up a quick one-two or a give ‘n go to penetrate the defense or open up for a long distance shot, this is when TCT should be utilized.
When crocodiles attack, they are frequently laying perfectly still like a horizontal statue on land, submerged in water or are moving so unassumingly they are barely visible and are not seen and/or perceived as an immediate threat. They spot their prey from a distance and then slowly move in. We’ve all seen the clips. Dogs, in contrast, will pursue without any delay and can frequently miss their target (remember “Tom & Jerry”). The point is they are unique in this tact. Conversely, the gigantic cold blooded reptiles are patient and wait for the exact right time to strike. At least nine times out of ten (while not a scientific statistic, it’s probably pretty accurate), crocodiles are victorious in their mind game with their prey.
Insert Barcelona. Defenses cannot become psychologically discouraged by their passing superiority during short and long stretches throughout the ninety minutes. Instead, they need to keep the ball and their mark in front of them, try to detect a pattern and allow the offense to feel comfortable. Appear to be non-threatening. Then, at this precise moment, after putting a trance of sorts on the offense, step up and in as if lunging from the Nile river onto the water sipping (and devastatingly unfortunate) prey.
To be clear, the objective is not to commit a hard foul or be brutal in nature. This suggestion is an approach to turn the advantage from an offensive juggernaut to an over-matched defense in the appropriate situations. The tackles or lunges are intended to be clean.
Sans the Tyrannosaurus Rex chomping strength and the accompanying lethal consequences of a crocodile attack, the strategy of laying back a little bit, being patient and stepping into a passing lane or pressuring a player at the instance they’ve presumed to put you to sleep is a viable game plan for attempting to defend one of the most prolific goal scorers in history, along with his talented friends.
The men of Camp Nou will know you’re there, but the key is for that to be the only thing they know.
This was a revolutionary phrase to a freshly minted college freshman sitting at his desk in his dorm room in the fall of 2004 as a girl with a familiar smile energetically stepped into his door frame. In the fall of 2004, the question was what was ‘the facebook?’ As the major motion picture, “The Social Network” showed us, Mark Zuckerberg, through a series of consequential events, concocted the idea for a newkind of social network with the help of his friends and roommates. Facebook was beyond the parameters of the already existent MySpace and Friendster and, as a result, sparked an online craze that has yet to yield in a society based in minutes and seconds.
The italicized words new kind are paramount to predicting the next “big thing” in communicating and interacting with each other in modern society. Nobody will reinvent the human capability of talking, writing or typing, but instead could reveal a before unknown adaptation of the way we interact with each other, potentially on a grand scale.
What will it be? Think not of originality in its purest sense, but rather of variance. How will you kick, throw or spin a ball in a way that hasn’t already been done? The greatest soccer players don’t invent absolute alternatives to kicking a ball, but instead figure out a better way to kick a ball with their foot by making a superior touch or spin with a certain motion with their leg and foot. If they prove on enough occasions their new technique is beneficial and leads to personal and team success, and, let’s face it, if it looks “cool,” then they have successfully redefined the game while playing within the same rules as everybody else. They have elevated not only their style, but themselves in a sport with countless players. Their jerseys will be sold in soccer shops all over the world and fans will know and cheer their name. World-class indeed!
One scene in “The Social Network” showed Zuckerberg’s inquisitive mind at work when sending out a link to Facemash, which was a website he created in the aftermath of an angry break-up one night. His best friend Eduardo asks, “Who are you gonna send it to?” Zuckerberg responds by saying, “Just a couple of people. The question is, who are they gonna send it to?”
The answer? In the movie, 22,000 people clicked on the link within a two-hour window. Nearly a quarter of a hundred thousand curious Harvard minds clicked on a link late one random evening and brought Super Bowl halftime show-caliber activity to a brand new website. In fact, it crashed the Harvard network.
In today’s world, with the unprecedented speed of communication literally at the control of our fingertips and smart devices, the next “big thing” or person can arise from an abyss to celebrity status after a day or a week…or even just in a two-hour window on a college campus, for better or worse as the movie portrayed with the mere posting of the website. Want more proof? Does the name Psy mean anything to you? Guess it was a good idea for the South Korean rapper to post his wildly outrageous, and addictive, music video on YouTube.
There are countless ideas swirling around the sky of big thinkers everyday in this country and around the world. It’s not a matter of just being seen by a large group of people anymore, but creating a type of metaphorical spotlight on yourself like one found on a Broadway stage that generates genuine interest from an audience wanting to know more. Nora Ephron’s, “Lucky Guy,” is a Broadway play with Tom Hanks featured as the lead actor. Whether he is on a stage, in a movie or doing a late-night interview, he gins up intrigue because of his affable, charming personality. He instills trust in his fans, from performance to performance. It’s a rare and admirable quality.
“Nice guys finish last.” At least Tom Hanks has opened that door slightly to the contrary within the realm of popular culture. The question is who will star next in this against all odds story of hope and goodness? Who knows? But in this society of constant negativity, he or she just may become the next big thing…
This past Wednesday, Arjen Robben once again proved why he is a world-class soccer player. Starting for Bayern Munich in their German Cup clash with Borussia Dortmund, a team that has had their number the past few meetings, Robben was the beneficiary of receiving a deflection in the 43rd minute from a tackle just on the outer perimeter of the reigning Bundesliga champions’ 18-yard box. What did he do instantly upon having the ball at his feet?
On Saturday night, the Argentinian maestro for the Columbus Crew, who sports the unusually high number 33 (although 3×3=9…), also had the ball come to his feet several yards outside of the 18-yard box in the 2013 season opener at the Home Depot Center against Chivas USA. What did he do with it?
In the best leagues in Europe, players do this with frequency. Robben’s strike was fantastic, but not necessarily rare. The best players do not think, but rather react in the many situations throughout any given match. Practice is designed for thinking and the game is won by reacting. For example, most do not focus on the immediate pass or action right in front of them, but are cognizant of their surroundings and instead prepare for what the second and third pass needs to be. In those quick moments, they move and act accordingly. In the case of the two shots above, both the Dutchman and Argentine knew what to do in each of their split second decisions. They’ve trained many years for such opportunities.
Arjen Robben and Federico Higuaín showcased moments of brilliance that are celebrated so passionately in “the beautiful game.” To witness this just three days apart was particularly special because two players from completely different backgrounds, cultures and leagues shared an exhilarating commonality of giving its fans the thrill of a game altering goal with a similar impromptu strike on distant pitches, separated by the world’s largest ‘pond’: the Atlantic Ocean.
“Großen Fußballtor!”
“Gran Arco de Fútbol!”
Incredibly, regardless of any language barriers, at least everybody can agree both men scored a “great soccer goal!”
Gus Johnson as “The Voice of Soccer in America.” What?
To soccer fans and television viewers, it is common knowledge that announcers from the British Isles are the most elite soccer commentators on the planet. It’s a fact. As opposed to purely stating the action that is occurring on the pitch plus a few strategic suggestions, the gents from across the pond engage with each other and instead tell stories. They are free flowing and make it sound as if you are in a pub watching the game on the television while sitting next to a couple fellow football fans, and smart ones at that.
Now, is there any play-by-play man in the good ol’ United States of America who can send electricity through the veins of his fellow men, women and children, by which leading them to the nearest tele to indulge in a sport before considered foreign? Will the guy heard in the video below provide the spark that creates a fire of intrigue and curiosity for “the beautiful game” to people in the land that stretches from sea to shining sea and across purple mountains majesty?
Ladies and gentlemen, let’s all relive a few of the magical moments spoken by the aforementioned announcer during the chaotic month of March.
According to a recent Sports Illustrated article, Gus Johnson (yes, the one from the clip above), is being groomed by Fox Sports to become their vocal leader of soccer in America. “…Johnson begins the long road to becoming the voice of the 2018 World Cup for Fox.”
While he has been gaining experience by calling games of MLS’s own San Jose Earthquakes on the radio along with other low-key assignments, his tasks are about to send him into the soccer heavens.
As revealed in SI, “The 45-year-old broadcaster will call his first match for Fox Soccer on Feb. 13 (2 p.m. ET) from Madrid’s Estadio Santiago Bernabéu when Real Madrid faces Manchester United in a mouthwatering Champions League Round of 16 match. The assignment is the first in a series of high-profile soccer matches for Johnson, including a second Champions League match between Arsenal and Bayern Munich in London on Feb. 19 and a Premier League game between Manchester City and Chelsea at Etihad Stadium on Feb. 24. Johnson will call additional Premier League and Champions League matches and is scheduled to call the FA Cup final on Fox on May 11 and the Champions League final on Fox on May 25. Johnson will be on site for each of the games.”
Here could be a few common reactions to this news: Wow. Really? The guy who broadcasts college basketball? Do I get the Fox Soccer Channel? If not, how can I get it?
Before these colossal matches begin in one week, let’s hypothesize his potential based on culture. The men who hail from the British Isles speak casually, but with the highest degree of intelligence and humor, and are all around fun to listen to for ninety minutes. The Mexican soccer announcers are very intense with the fastest tongues and stretch the elasticity of the word “goal” longer than anyone else on planet Earth: “GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOALLL!!!!!!”
FYI: This is the shortened version.
For your listening pleasure, the one and only Andrés Cantor:
And now Gus Johnson will try to define himself as the “voice” of American soccer on Fox. Thus far, there is a vacancy so-to-speak that is waiting to be filled. The commentators on ESPN are 90% former American players who may understand the game, but are poor to average at best in analyzing the sport and generating excitement, superior insight or perspective to the viewer. Also, when MLS resumes March 2nd, take notice the accent of the play-by-play broadcaster. Does it sound a bit…British? Just something to listen for on The Worldwide Leader in Sports’ soccer coverage.
One of the pivotal questions we will be asking is whether or not Johnson will more closely align to the American broadcaster or the British broadcaster? You could say the leap from one side of this spectrum to the other is about the size of the Atlantic Ocean.
Gus Johnson has a big voice and can gin up excitement like only a select few can in today’s world. What does he want to tell anxious soccer fans? As stated in the SI article, Johnson had to reflect on his response for more than a few seconds (30 in fact) as this sport has not become second nature to him…yet.
“What would I say to them? I would probably say just give me a minute and I’m going to become a convert, and once I do, I am going to give you the passion and the commitment to your sport that I do for every other sport that I’m part of. I see this as a great opportunity for my life, and I’m down with it and I want to get in there.”
Come February 13th, Gus Johnson will proclaim to the world: “This is The Beautiful Game!!!”
Jimmy's Daily Planet 
Soccer is About to Get a Dose of ‘March Madness’
Feb 6
Posted by jimmy11lentz
Gus Johnson as “The Voice of Soccer in America.” What?
To soccer fans and television viewers, it is common knowledge that announcers from the British Isles are the most elite soccer commentators on the planet. It’s a fact. As opposed to purely stating the action that is occurring on the pitch plus a few strategic suggestions, the gents from across the pond engage with each other and instead tell stories. They are free flowing and make it sound as if you are in a pub watching the game on the television while sitting next to a couple fellow football fans, and smart ones at that.
Now, is there any play-by-play man in the good ol’ United States of America who can send electricity through the veins of his fellow men, women and children, by which leading them to the nearest tele to indulge in a sport before considered foreign? Will the guy heard in the video below provide the spark that creates a fire of intrigue and curiosity for “the beautiful game” to people in the land that stretches from sea to shining sea and across purple mountains majesty?
Ladies and gentlemen, let’s all relive a few of the magical moments spoken by the aforementioned announcer during the chaotic month of March.
According to a recent Sports Illustrated article, Gus Johnson (yes, the one from the clip above), is being groomed by Fox Sports to become their vocal leader of soccer in America. “…Johnson begins the long road to becoming the voice of the 2018 World Cup for Fox.”
While he has been gaining experience by calling games of MLS’s own San Jose Earthquakes on the radio along with other low-key assignments, his tasks are about to send him into the soccer heavens.
As revealed in SI, “The 45-year-old broadcaster will call his first match for Fox Soccer on Feb. 13 (2 p.m. ET) from Madrid’s Estadio Santiago Bernabéu when Real Madrid faces Manchester United in a mouthwatering Champions League Round of 16 match. The assignment is the first in a series of high-profile soccer matches for Johnson, including a second Champions League match between Arsenal and Bayern Munich in London on Feb. 19 and a Premier League game between Manchester City and Chelsea at Etihad Stadium on Feb. 24. Johnson will call additional Premier League and Champions League matches and is scheduled to call the FA Cup final on Fox on May 11 and the Champions League final on Fox on May 25. Johnson will be on site for each of the games.”
Here could be a few common reactions to this news: Wow. Really? The guy who broadcasts college basketball? Do I get the Fox Soccer Channel? If not, how can I get it?
Before these colossal matches begin in one week, let’s hypothesize his potential based on culture. The men who hail from the British Isles speak casually, but with the highest degree of intelligence and humor, and are all around fun to listen to for ninety minutes. The Mexican soccer announcers are very intense with the fastest tongues and stretch the elasticity of the word “goal” longer than anyone else on planet Earth: “GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOALLL!!!!!!”
FYI: This is the shortened version.
For your listening pleasure, the one and only Andrés Cantor:
And now Gus Johnson will try to define himself as the “voice” of American soccer on Fox. Thus far, there is a vacancy so-to-speak that is waiting to be filled. The commentators on ESPN are 90% former American players who may understand the game, but are poor to average at best in analyzing the sport and generating excitement, superior insight or perspective to the viewer. Also, when MLS resumes March 2nd, take notice the accent of the play-by-play broadcaster. Does it sound a bit…British? Just something to listen for on The Worldwide Leader in Sports’ soccer coverage.
One of the pivotal questions we will be asking is whether or not Johnson will more closely align to the American broadcaster or the British broadcaster? You could say the leap from one side of this spectrum to the other is about the size of the Atlantic Ocean.
Gus Johnson has a big voice and can gin up excitement like only a select few can in today’s world. What does he want to tell anxious soccer fans? As stated in the SI article, Johnson had to reflect on his response for more than a few seconds (30 in fact) as this sport has not become second nature to him…yet.
“What would I say to them? I would probably say just give me a minute and I’m going to become a convert, and once I do, I am going to give you the passion and the commitment to your sport that I do for every other sport that I’m part of. I see this as a great opportunity for my life, and I’m down with it and I want to get in there.”
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