La Pausa – Tactical Analysis

La Pausa - Spanish for 'The Pause' is a fantastically useful skill for players looking to fool their opponents. La Pausa is a skill whereby players in possession pause on the ball, drawing in defenders and enticing them to make a movement toward the ball. After the defender makes a movement toward them, the player in possession will often quickly speed up play or then make their pass or movement in a direction that exploits the fact that the defender has approached them.

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Counter Attacking and the Death of Tiki-Taka Football

For a while, tiki taka, highlighted by the intricate triangles created in Spain's Xavi-Iniesta years, prevailed as the dominating tactic of the beautiful game. However, with Spain's struggles in recent tournaments and the much talked about "possession without purpose" that has haunted many teams in recent modern day matches, I pronounce the death of tiki taka.