Totaalvoetbal

Totallvoetbal - "total football" in English - is the Dutch term for advance soccer tactics. In short, total football means that any player on the field can play any position. If a forward is injured, a defender should easily be able to take his place.

The height of total football was the 1970's, when the Dutch national team reached two consecutive World Cup Finals, losing both to West Germany and Argentina. During this same time, Ajax Amsterdam, the leading club team in the Dutch Eredivesie, utilized total football to win three consecutive Europen Championships. The best player using total football, and probably the best player in the world during his time, was Johan Cruyff. Cruyff epitomized total football by roaming the field without regard to position. One could easily see him in the defense and then in the offense in a matter of seconds. When all players move so flexibly, other teams, stuck to such movement based on position only, could not keep up with the Dutch.



The reason that I bring this up is because of the Netherlands vs. Italy game today in the EURO 2008 tournament. Italy is the reigning world champ and therefore the Dutch did not have much of a chance to win. The Dutch however, showed their class with renewed total football. Note that the second and third goals were scored by defenders on plays that were both counter attacks begun on their own goal line. In other words, the Dutch defenders are playing at a level that even the Italian forwards could not sustain. Below are the highlights.