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by PAM
It does look like I've been ignoring football for quite sometime now, and it's perfectly understandable that people assumed I have 'abandoned' my love for the 'beautiful game'. None of it is true, of course. I have been paying attention. I just couldn't find the time to show my appreciation here as I used to. I do admit that, over the last year or so, I have been usually a step behind. It's unacceptable, I know... but, under the circumstances, I'm afraid I was left with very little choice.
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The legend of Johan Cruyff
But, I digress... this post is not about me. It's about the great Oranje who wore the number 14 shirt, Johan Cruyff... the late Johan Cruyff, that is. He passed on yesterday after losing his bout with lung cancer. He was 68 years old.
It does bite some to refer to the great footballer, who had a strong presence in and out of the pitch, in the past tense. It does make one sadly realize of how huge a void he's left in the face of the 'beautiful game'. What's even sadder is to realize that, despite the rich pool of talents the game has now, no one will ever be of as grand of character and daring as the master himself to fill that void.
The legend of the fearless knight of the 'beautiful game' who wore the #14 shirt
on the pitch for the Oranje.
on the pitch for the Oranje.
Johan Cruyff was not only a brilliant footballer, he was a legendary strategist for the game as a coach/manager, and his leadership was, indeed, worth emulating. Sure, he can be too daring at times, crossing the fine line between fierceness and arrogance, but it was all a part of the whole 'package'. It takes even a bolder attempt for brilliance to avoid the rough patches in the Cruyff persona when one emulates him... and that's where the greatness of his 'students' in the game, such as Pep Guardiola, lies. They recognize the flaws, and avoid them... and Cruyff did not mind as he took pride in the gained wisdom of his 'students'.
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Brilliance that pulls like gravity
As I was a mere toddler in the early '70s when Cruyff was 'flying high' as an Oranje, I gotta admit I knew very little about him before. Football news that reached the Philippines in the '80s and '90s were dominated by Diego Maradona (due to his World Cup fame) and David Beckham (as English Premier League's biggest star), respectively. And, since Maradona was briefly under the Cruyff coaching days in Barcelona, there were a few mention of the legendary Barça coach. However, Pep Guardiola adored him like Cruyff was his "football creator"... like a new vampire's "creator", that is. And because I have humongous respect for Pep, anybody he adored, I believe was worth knowing. And so, in the early 2000s, when Pep was on his way to his own legendary tenure as Barça's coach, I did my very best to know as much as possible about Cruyff... and I never looked back since then. I found that his brilliance was like gravity... it just pulls you in - especially, his famous "Cruyff turn".
The Master: Total Football personified.
At some point, while watching a footage of his best runs, so daring as he shunned opponents, darting to the goal in laser precision, with the ball seemingly glued to his foot, long hair flying, I thought it gave one a glimpse of a young Lionel Messi... doing exactly the same as a 17-year-old Barça forward. And, as I watched his famous "Cruyff turn", which he executed as he eyed an "opening" to the goal while dribbling, getting rid of the defenders that swarmed him as he changed direction towards the opening, I thought it was a preview of a Xavi Hernandez patent move as he creates a play for his team... and even a move by Pep himself. The surprise attack when it's least expected by the opponents that Andrés Iniesta is famous for, winning Spain their first World Cup in 2010, is a part of the Cruyff arsenal, too. Wouldn't you believe it?
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His true legacy in the 'beautiful game'
Indeed, there are a number of Barça players who, while legends in their own right, are 'Cruyff iterations' in a way. This is partly because of his coaching days in Barça where he nurtured young talents, such as Pep, to find their greatest strengths, polished them, and taught them to use these strengths to make the sum of an arsenal of strengths for their Team. This is the fundamental of "Total Football" v. Cruyff. It was all about fluidity of movements, the adaptability to any situation
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| Legends: The Master and the Student. (Photo credit: www.taringa.net. Thanks.) |
Cruyff, being a versatile player, who had the speed, stamina and eye for goal opportunities was Total Football personified. He was in possession of a complete arsenal of talents, the utter fearlessness to use all of them, and the sharp feel for the flow of game that gave him the sense to know when to use which talent. These allowed him to move about a lot in the field, exploiting weaknesses of the opponents, or effectively creating damage in areas of strength of his side's opponent to make opportunities elsewhere. Indeed, he was a real genius of the beautiful game, and the fluidity of his movement on the pitch made him so awesome to watch, too. This brought so much success to his Dutch side, Oranje, in the world stage of football, and tremendous glory to his domestic side, Ajax, during his tenure with them in the #14 shirt.
Later, as forward in Barça in the #9 shirt, he helped his side win La Liga in the 1973-1974 season after an epic transfer from Ajax. The Catalan side won the trophy after more than a decade of drought. He also helped Barça win Copa del Rey in the 1977-1978 season, showcasing his unforgettable "phantom goal" - while on a sprint for the ball that was going wide, he broke his speed, shooting up to a jump that doubled his height, going almost horizontal while on air, kicking with fully stretched legs and catching the ball with his right heel to put it in the goal. All of these happening in a second, too awesome! As the Catalonia was undergoing a tumultuous political upheaval that time, Barça's good form on the pitch was a source of strength and joy for the region... and Cruyff was in the center of it all, making him Catalonia's favorite 'adopted son'.
During his tenure as Barça Coach/Manager for eight seasons, he formed his "Dream Team", with Pep Guardiola at the center of it all as midfielder. They won the La Liga four times,
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| La Masia: A succession plan that works. (Photo credit: www.fcbarcelona.com. Thanks.) |
While his years as player and manager were marked with many milestones, his tenure as manager in Barcelona was, by far, of most lasting impact. The FC Barcelona Youth Academy, La Masia, was his brain child. It was this Academy that nurtured to greatness raw talents like Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets... and even Pep Guardiola himself. The Academy churned fresh addition to the Barça side, with the Total Football philosophy and its many variants and iterations ingrained in their playing styles, while allowing them to develop their own unique strengths to become 'special' players of the beautiful game.
With the Youth Academy in place, there is very little doubt that FC Barcelona may maintain their good form with a "succession plan" that works.
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Moving forward without the Master
With his invaluable contributions to the continuous development of the 'beautiful game', the Total Football Master will be terribly missed. And yet, his legacy will continue to inspire new generations of players to keep the beauty in the game that is so loved by a multitude of 'devotees' in the world.
Therefore, the game will move forward without him. Inspired by his legacy, it will, however, keep turning a new leaf and will continuously flourish to a greater beauty each time.
Rest in peace, Johan Cruyff.
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Video Credit: Thanks, YouTube, for the video links.
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