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The Essence of Action Language in Football Coaching: Constraints, Communication, and Problem-Solving

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Football, a globally cherished sport, embodies a set of universal rules and principles. Teams strive to score goals while adhering to these laws, and coaches play a pivotal role in training players to master the intricacies of attacking, defending, and transitioning between these phases. To enhance player skills, coaches often employ variations of the game, deviating from the traditional 11v11 format. These modifications serve as tools for improvement, focusing on specific aspects such as individual behavior tendencies, decision-making, and technical execution. In the pursuit of refining player abilities, coaches introduce constraints or modifications to training sessions. These alterations, rooted in the 11v11 game but tailored to elicit desired behaviors, impact perception, decision-making, and execution of football actions. However, the challenge lies in striking a balance; overemphasizing or neglecting certain aspects may hinder overall player development. A delicate equilibrium is...

Real Madrid 2020/21 - A Journey To The Shore!

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  16 th July 2020, Zidane is seen crying tears of joy with his consort David Bettoni as moments ago Benzema had scored a brace to secure Real Madrid their 34 th league title after what had been Zidane’s most testing 38 games at Real Madrid as a coach. A season in which even the most loyal of his fans were questioning if he should have risked his 3-peat legacy to save Real Madrid, or Perez should have gone for the likes of Conte or Mourinho who are more tactically astute according to a large number of fans. Real Madrid went on to lose the CL Quarterfinal 2 nd leg to Manchester City but everyone at the club thought that the worst is behind them and the next season will be easier with Hazard and Asensio returning and other youngsters taking up more responsibility Here we are 9 months later, 2 days before a Champions League semifinal against Chelsea and 6 days from a game that will decide our destiny in La Liga. What happened between these 9 months from winning the league and bein...

Kai Havertz – A Footballing Genius

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Kai Havertz – A Footballing Genius The 20 year old German wonder kid came to limelight when he became the youngest debutant for Bayer Leverkusen in 2016. Getting a consistent role in the side he also became the youngest player to play 50 Bundesliga Games. The 2018/19 season under Peter Bosz was a breakthrough season for the youngster as he managed to convert his ability into numbers by getting 20 goals and 7 assists in 42 games. Havertz along with Julian Brandt became a deadly duo under Bosz which fired Leverkusen into a Champions League Spot. Kai Havertz has a lot of qualities to describe but the one which stands out the most is his Footballing IQ, the ability to make split second decisions with regards to his positioning, movement and passing and as a result he is often used as an outlet to start counter attacks. He is also a very versatile midfielder who can easily slot into different positions in the midfield. There are very few things that the youngster can’t...

Indian National Hockey Team - 1948 Olympics

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" Superb ball control , accurate passing and intelligent positional play "  Which team comes to you mind when you read these words ? Manchester City ? Barcelona ? Liverpool ?  These words were used by the media for the Indian Hockey team which defeated  Britain in the Olympic Final , 1948.  The Indian team played in wet weather and a muddy ground on August 12, 1948 - 3 days before the Independence Day. The captain of the team Kishan Lal and vice-captain K.D Singh Babu played the game barefoot to cope with the slippery surface.   The Great Balbir Singh scored a brace as India won the final 4-0 to bring home Independent India's first Olympic gold  medal 💜

PV Sindhu - "I was prepared for everything"

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2016 Olympic Games 2017 World Championship 2018 World Championship 2018 Commonwealth Games 2018 Asian Games PV Sindhu lost in the final of all these major tournaments before coming to the World Championship this year. With critics questioning her mental fortitude to take the final step , even her most ardent fans had started doubting her. PV Sindhu must have had these doubts herself , but she kept grinding out results and reaching these situations as many times as possible. She reached the final of the World Championship this year again defeating World No.3 Chen Yufei with relative ease and then went on to dismiss her opponent Okuhara in the final 21-7 , 21-7 to win the title. However, her real challenge was overcoming Tai Tzu-Ying in the Quarterfinals. Losing the first game 21-12, she held her nerves to make a stunning comeback and win the next two 23-21 , 21-19. PV Sindhu's consistency and perseverance has allowed her to get past the final hurdle and become a World...

Julian Brandt - The Baby Face Jewel

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Julian Brandt - The Baby Face Jewel Borrusia Dortmund signed the young German winger/attacking midfielder from Bayer Leverkusen , after having a breakthrough season under Peter Bosz . Peter Bosz changed his position from winger to being in the midfield alongside Kai Havertz to increase his involvement in the game. This partnership brought great success to Leverkusen as they finished 4th in the league and managed to secure a place in Champions League . Julian's main strength lies in his awareness of the space around him , and his verticality ( the tendency to find forward passes which create chances ). He is also gifted with the ability to deal with pressure allowing him to operate in tight spaces in the midfield without losing possession. The young midfielder also plays an important part in the build up by coming deep to help his teammates. He has the ability to transition the play from defence to attack in a matter of seconds by finding the right pass. Dortmun u...

Xabi Alonso - La Barba Roja ("The Red Beard")

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"As long as we still have the possibility, we have to fight for it" - Xabi Alonso . Xabi Alonso recently won his first trophy as a manager after his Real Madrid U13 side won the league title. There is a strong belief in the club and the fans that Xabi Alonso will make a great manager. This belief stems from the fact that Alonso adapted to different tactical setups and managers seamlessly in his playing career. His ability to read the game , dictate the tempo and organize play will all be helpful in his managerial career. Xabi Alonso didn't just adapt to various systems but he also was a crucial cog in each one of them. He was present in the Liverpool team that made the Miracle of Istanbul possible , He was present in Mourinho's scintillating counter attacking side and also in Pep Guardiola's possesion oriented Bayern Munich which dominated Germany. He was also part of the Spanish side which won 2 Euros and a World Cup and was almost invincible. Xabi w...