The detailed analysis of six technical pearls of Napoli last night: from the Anguissa-Raspa exchange, to the Di Lorenzo twist up to the apotheosis of 1-1
Raspadori and other impressive technical gestures
It was a game that would not be believed, and in fact we still do not believe it.
A game so full and overflowing with individual technical gestures and “together” as to make it difficult, for obvious reasons of space, a detailed analysis and a complete story.
The choice therefore falls on the technical episodes have most captured the attention of the writerfavoring “subjective” perceptions and sensations, up to the point of concluding with what is a clear and “objective” example of what it means to play football (which is very different from playing football, maybe one day we will return to the subject).
These are the superlative technical gestures in my opinion:
1) The exceptional vertical exchangeat that stage that whoever transformed football and sports show a spectacular narrative defines “active transition”, between Anguissa and Raspadori in the action of Zielinski’s goal.
Anguissa jumps from a standstill at least one meter making his head a classic “second ball” in our three quarters, directing the ball to Raspadori.
Who, as per his usual work of sewing between departments and his usual intuition, is already going to receive the ball where he then receives it; the ball, however, is coming too much on him, and indeed it is coming very high compared to the possibility that he can try a control before the bank to Anguissa, thanks to the great speed with which the attacker is approaching the action, which almost makes him lose the playing time.
At this point Raspadori makes a brilliant gesture, however banal it may seem.
He realizes that Anguissa wants that ball back, and wants it back on the run right in that area of the field where a prompt reception of the ball would put him in front of the field to try to enter space or try the pocket.
At this point, in order not to lose either the playing time or the opportunity that the partner asks of him, while he is moving with the run and with the body towards the right of the field (compared to us who defended) in order to take with him the movement of opposing pressure, strokes the ball with his head in practice by placing it back in the opposite left direction, and with this light and brilliant bank it closes the triangle at Anguissa.
Which at that point finds itself in an open field and in the condition to choose which of the two aforementioned solutions to adopt;
2) Zielinski’s goal (which can be reached starting from the spectacular one-two above).
The writer, in the commentary on the technical gestures of last Sunday’s match, referred to the ability of Zielinski, among the very few in Europe, to manage and treat the ball as a true ambidextrous (i.e. indiscriminately with both feet), despite being a right foot natural.
And in fact, what does Zielinski do?
Not only does it launch into space to receive Anguissa’s hole, made possible and easy thanks to the one-two described above, thus declining the more classic vertical ascent pattern in which the “third man” (that is, the one apparently not interested in the exchange between the first two teammates) throws himself into space to receive the ball.
No.
Precisely, Zielinski receives the ball and covers 40 meters of the field leading it only with a left foot to then conclude at the net (in fact) with the left, a technical gesture that carves on stone the characteristic (of true ambidextrous) that distinguishes it, because only those who are characterized can not with their natural foot: a) to maintain the advantage running on opponents while having to carry the ball; b) to maintain the direction of movement towards the goal without leaving the light space of the goalposts, thus preventing the face-to-face with the goalkeeper; c) to maintain this space and this reduced time of coverage of the field thanks to the touches given to the ball with the right part of the foot, and with the right caress, or dose of strength (it seems easy, but those who have played football seriously know that it is one of the most difficult technical gestures to perform); d) in fact, face to face with the goalkeeper, to direct the ball, like a billiard bank, in that corner hole that is the pole away from the goalkeeper.
3) Il goal from Di Lorenzoand indeed:
a) the imperious deadlift with even feet (which is more difficult to do than the deadlift that occurs with the classic “third time”, in which the momentum of the steps of the previous run and the deadlift that generally occurs with the strong leg allows you to reach the maximum height from the ground); b) the twisting of the body already exerted during the take-off, so as to be able to give the ball, together with the simultaneous movement of the head, the direction you want to give it; c) the ball aimed at the far post, a choice that is not only the result of great football intelligence (it is the “long” post, the one farthest from the goalkeeper and where it is more difficult to reach), but also of great physical capacity, because giving that whip to the ball while it comes off in that way is not something for everyone (indeed: not for all right-backs in Europe);
Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s goal in the 33rd minute on an assist from Kvaratskhelia#DiLorenzo #UCL #AjaxNapoli pic.twitter.com/55XEZwGPjS
– Naples Football & Market (@NapoliCM) October 4, 2022
4) The triangle between the Georgian champion and Raspadori on Kvaratskhelia’s goal
Always continuing in the wake of the game “with the others” (if Kvara definitively realizes that the others can be banks for his personal solutions, he becomes definitively unstoppable), the Georgian asks his partner for the quick triangle (because he knows that he has the characteristics to “follow” him in the game) and knows that, as usual, the first move of the opposing defense remains to baptize the marking on him, given the danger, thus leaving the partner more free in the execution of what concerns him.
At that point, once he has received the ball, Raspadori makes yet another incredible technical gesture of his game.
It is turned three quarters of the line of the ball that reaches it, yet it does not waste the playing time by simply using two weapons: the delicacy of the touch and the simple movement, or rather the simple rotation (with the body immobile) of the ankle of the left foot. , which allow him to close the triangle – in that patch of field and with that density of opponents that cover it – with the right laps and the right time.
5) The recovery of Anguissa’s ball on Raspadori’s second goal
Frank notices which player the goalkeeper has baptized the support on, he realizes that the pass is too long and goes to attack space and the ball.
The exceptional thing, however, is that once he has landed on the ball, in order to frustrate the opponent’s attempt to tackle, he plants his left leg on the ground to cover him, he slips the ball on his right foot, caresses it accompanying him from the ‘other part of the body, thus sends the Ajax defender empty and is ready to put the ball back on his teammate who puts into practice to take a penalty in motion.
A game of Zidane, so to speak, in which awareness of one’s physical and technical means, as well as the combined use of the body and the treatment of the ball make it impossible for the opponent to be able to recover it and guarantee the interested party that possibility of a game that already he foreshadowed.
6) We arrive at the “objective”, that is what the evening is actually worth, as well as the price of the ticket.
We refer to the development of the action on Raspadori’s first goal and to the two technical gestures that made it possible.
Caressa and Bergomi had been praising Ajax’s pressing in our trocar for ten minutes, and in particular the choice to resort and never give up on one-on-one. in every area of the pitch on the Gasperini model, plus times quoted in the enthusiastic comments to the Dutch team’s “lancers” (moreover, that Gasperini who, since the beginning of this championship, seems to have abandoned this philosophy in favor of an easier waiting for the opponents to climb the pitch).
Well, just as the commentators’ “paean” reached its peak, this happens.
There is a long pass from the Ajax defense towards the Napoli defensive line.
The whole team follows the trajectory of the launch and, in fact, tries to go en masse to press the Neapolitan defensive line that is positioning itself, in the name of that one against one that can never give up.
And here the amazing thing happens.
Kim reads the trajectory and chest-squeezes the ball for Olivera, who immediately puts it on Lobotka.
Lobotka, thanks to the “peripheral” typical of great directors, has already noticed that they are going to press him to physically take away the possibility of playing the ball.
Wrong’ideological organization sometimes he clashes with the “genius”.
And in fact, Lobotka, the first receiver of the ball from Olivera, plants his “pivot” foot (the left) in the ground, uses the left part of his body to shield the ball from the opponent’s intervention in pressing, and then softly opens the plate. right (with appropriate rotation of the ankle that this allows) to get the ball to the Georgian champion who is close to him.
First opposing pressure defused.
At that point Kvara, also aware of the pressure that is hanging over him, staying still with his body slides the ball on his right neck to facilitate (with that light and imperceptible touch it gives him) the arrival in Olivera.
Second opposing pressure defused.
Because in the meantime Olivera, with a slight run that allows him to wait for the end of this path of the ball that is coming to him, is already positioned in that free space that the two brilliant plays of his teammates guaranteed him, to then receive the ball and fly away where he must arrive to call the movement of Raspadori (which ends in the “Callejon area”, behind the last man who closes the diagonal of the opposing defense).
This action reminded me of what they were conceptually telling me about the “paradox” of judo: exploiting opposing violence to defuse it.
This is what Lobotka and Kvara do: the blind violence of pressing and one-on-one (moreover at that moment in an area of the pitch harmless for Ajax) is defused with two light moves of the body and foot.
And ole!
All at home, with all due respect to Caressa and Bergomi.
Which, from that moment on, they stop talking one-on-one.
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