Tiki-taka, the latest buzzword
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Johannesburg, July 12: The ugliest final in the history of the Fifa World Cup, was fittingly won by the team that played the most beautiful brand of football.
Decades ago Samba King Pele coined the Portuguese term Joga Bonita, which literally means the beautiful game.
Vicente del Bosque’s Class of ’10 have redefined the way beautiful football is looked at and after adding the big prize, following a 1-0 extra-time win over Holland in the final on Sunday, to their European Championships win two years ago their brand of Tiki-Taka has forever been immortalised in the annals of football.
The almost onomatopoeic term roughly translates to touchy-touch or tippy-tappy. It is inspired by the style of FC Barcelona and the current Spain unit’s collective, short-passing game that hinges on ball possession.
“I think our effort, our flair ... is never-ending, that will last forever. We have excellent players in this squad and they demonstrate that every time they go on the pitch,” coach del Bosque told reporters after the final.
The ascetic beauty of this style of play mocks at almost any other style of play. Scoring a goal from distance is considered foolhardy, tapping it in is opportunistic, hitting the opposition on the break downright offensive and a goal born out of a moment of individual brilliance, well, too individualistic. And, as the Spanish may say, there is no ‘i’ in team.
The system is not without its detractors, the intricate passing of the ball, if defended solidly can fall into monotonous patterns and the lack of alternates can work against the team. But, after winning the two biggest prizes in international football, the critics’ voices will drowned by chants of Oles.
Asked to describe the key to the Spanish success, the coach said, “It is always based on the quality of the people in the midfield. It is a good, organised midfield and if you have order then you can really showcase individual talent. We have great players, excellent players, good substance and that makes everything easier.”
“Football is moving forward and, in this World Cup in South Africa — which has been an extraordinary success for this continent — the reward today was for beautiful football.”
The only way for teams to tackle Spain is not by playing attacking football, it’s by attacking, in a more aggressive and crude sense. Holland showed in the final that the only way to stop it is by constantly hacking the central schemers in the team.
Xavi Hernandez, Xabi Alonso, Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta were all at the receiving end of tackles on Sunday night which can be called hard at best and bone-crunching at worst. Proof?
Nigel De Jong’s first-half kung-fu kick which on any normal day would have led to a red card and lengthy Fifa review over the extent of the ban, and yet on Sunday it merely led to a caution.
As Jose Mourinho once put it: “If you have a Ferrari and I have a small car, the only way I can win is by putting sugar in your petrol tank.”
Well, for once even the Special One got it wrong. Tiki-Taka conquered all comers, and did so in style. Sweet Justice!
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