Intro
Ciao! This is the first issue of Handball Talking. I am Sergio and I am a week late: I’ve said I start this newsletter along the start of Champions League. I must improve my time management as a team in September has to improve his game model, so forgive me.
Barça – Kielce was the Match of the Week and I tried to find links between the last season Final and this match and to go beyond in the analysis looking at Kielce’s defence and how they suffered pivot play. Pivot is still the theme of “an Idea” and “This is not a drill” section.
Enjoy your read! And if you like what you read, please send it to some friends.
The Game
Barcelona, 22/09/2022 | Machineseeker Champions League – Group B – 2nd round
Barça – Lomza Industria Kielce 32-28
We can end discussion about this match simply comparing goalkeepers’ performances. You cannot win in Barcelona if your goalkeepers save roughly 28% of the shots and on the opposite Nielsen and Perez de Vargas did 36% (with a peak of 50% or more). Last year, when Kielce won in Barcelona Perez de Vargas and Maciel combined 21% of saves against 31% by Wolff.
I was curious, before the match, about Talant Dujshebaev’s strategy: last June, he preferred Vujovic to his son Alex in the beginning, I guess for balance and defensive reasons. It’s hard to play Alex Dujshebaev and Karacic (plus Sicko) together against a high-tempo Barça. Actually, looking at stats Kielce played more counterattack (29% of their possession) than Barça (26%).
But Talant did using his wings as nr2 and nr5 defender along with Alex and Karacic as nr1 and nr6. Watching live, I thought that everyone but Nahi could suffer a physical mismatch and I did not remember to have seen already Kounkoud as nr2. One more difference was in the retreat with Kounkoud as forward in a temporary 5:1 defence.
Despite scoreboard, I think the decisive detail of this match is in pivot-marking by Kielce.
If you didn’t already, I recommend you watch the video above and then with that in mind read these points: Fabregas was decisive not only as top scorer of his team, but he was also outstanding in recognising high nr2 position to leave 6m-line and take advantage or to accept fight when his defender was behind him. I think Barça could have scored more goals from these situations but misses decision-making or technical precision.
I don’t know where starts Barça’s strategy and finish Kielce’s mistakes, Polish team was too open and allowed a lot to reigning champions.
The photo below tells a lot: Dani Dujshebaev (nr4) is on the side following pivot, Thrastarson (nr6) lost N’Guessan, and the French is free to pass to Janc, forgotten by Nahi (nr5).
It’s only 2nd round, ok, Group B is tough and avoid playoff is good for load management and to avoid possible surprise. Kiel’s defeat helps Kielce, but now they have to win in Aalborg next Wednesday.
An Idea
Pivot is like a statue of a Saint during a religious procession: everyone wants to touch it. Ehi, defender, forget religion, it will not help you! Pivot is a hard job, and it is main distraction for defence. I would say pivot is one of the main reasons of defensive mistake and it is not a case that use of transitions (real or fake) is increased a lot.
So, questions are: how to mark pivot? Who marks pivot? Do I defend man-oriented? Do I defend ball-oriented? Who is the pivot? Who is the back that cooperate with pivot? I will not write an essay here, but I will suggest two extremes on the continuum of pivot-marking. Perhaps, truth is in the middle. Or not.
Here is France during 2021 World Championship in Egypt. Look at nr5 defender: he stays with pivot so far to give backs to backs!
Here is Bidasoa Irun, few seasons ago. They did not touch pivot; they invited the pass. (Thanks to Riccardo Trillini, Technical Director of Italian National Team, to allow me the use of this clips he showed in a lecture.)
Number says pivot shot is one of the best and pivot is the one who gets more 7m during a match. I think these two things make us “stupid” about pivot-marking.
I don’t like man-marking, I think sometimes it is necessary, I prefer to provoke attack and to cover passing lanes. Video below shows a beautiful thing by Thiagus Petrus and a “more normal” but effective defence by GOG: it seems nobody is marking pivot, but it is what in football calls “cover shadow”, it is your position to mark pivot closing passing lane.
This is not a Drill
Barcelona is the main character of today newsletter because the principle I will talk comes from a drill proposed by Xavi Pascual when he coached Barça. He used to create a square close to 6m-line in which pivot and his defender starts: pivot must take position against his defender to try to receive first pass, then he was free to move while defender must stay inside the square. Target of the drill was attack; I propose the use of the square to train defence.
In my idea, the start is the same, but the follow-up is opposite: pivot must stay in the square, defender must leave the square after first pass. The square serves to prevent defender to touch pivot and to let him focus on staying on the ball and cover the passing lane. You can use two squares and allow pivot to move from one to the other, receiving the ball only inside the square. Dimensions of the square depends on how much you want to challenge your defence.
Outro
I am still experimenting. I am pretty sure the best day to come in your inbox is on Saturday morning and in this issue I preferred video to text.
I ask you to give me suggestions and advice. And spread the word, forwarding this email to somebody that could be interested in this topic.
Read you soon,
Sergio
If you have questions or suggestions, please reply to this email or leave a comment on the website.