Moleskine Ten ------------------------- Part A

Moleskine Ten
------------------------- Part A -------------------------
ATTACKING IN WIDE AREAS
Spesso, durante una gara, la squadra che attacca ha l’esigenza di giocare sulle corsie
esterne per cercare di aggirare la difesa avversaria che non sembra essere attaccabile
nella zona centrale. Ma possiamo decidere di giocare sulla fascia anche perché
abbiamo giocatori adatti a questo tipo di gioco.
Sull’argomento, allenatore e giocatori si confrontano:
COACH: during games, when we are in possession of the ball, we can try to create a
2 vs 1 situation in wide areas.
PLAYERS: yes, we agree. But we know we aren’t very good at it.
COACH: I know, maybe we can improve it. It is important to focus our attention on
speed, communication and timing of the final pass in 2 vs 1 situations.
PLAYERS: how do we develop width in attack?
COACH: well, we are in possession of the ball, one of our attackers stays in the wide
area, just one. No players must go with him until the ball has been passed in to him.
Once the ball has been passed successfully, our fullback overlaps and together they
create a 2 vs 1 against the opponent in that area.
We need a good tempo and excellent communication between our players.
At this point, we can cross the ball into the goal area for our strikers to head.
GLOSSARY
Wide areas=fasce laterali
Width=ampiezza
To try=provare
Until=fino a
We agree=siamo daccordo
Once=una volta
Maybe=forse
Fullback=terzino
To focus=concentrarsi
Overlaps=si sovrappone
Speed=velocità
Tempo=ritmo
2 vs 1=2 contro 1
To head=colpire di testa
Ex. 1 Complete the sentences below with one of the following:
[ communication, 2 vs 1,
very good, focus ]
1. My fullbacks can
create,
overlap
2. You always must
wide areas,
once,
overlap,
in the left wide area
focus your attention on speed
3. They must try to create a
2 vs 1 situation
4. My attackers aren’t
very good at heading
5. We usually create
a 2 vs 1 situation in the left wide area
6. They have an excellent
communication between them
7. We are very good at attacking in the
8. They overlap once
wide areas
the ball has been passed
Ex. 2 Answer
1. What can we try to create when we are in possession of the ball in wide areas?
A 2 vs 1 situation
2. What do they focus their attention on?
They focus their attention on speed, communication and timing of the
final pass
3. Must any players go with the attacker in wide areas before the ball has been
passed in to him?
No, they mustn’t
4. What do we need when we attack in wide areas?
We need a good tempo and excellent communication between our
players
------------------------- Part B -------------------------
BARCA, one leg to go on dreaming
Champions league
Barca - AC MILAN
4
0
THEY believe Lionel Messi can walk on water at Nou Camp, after he and his
team mates overturned the 2 – 0 first leg defeat.
The Argentine scored 91 goals in 2012 and now he deserves the title of best player
to ever play the beautiful game.
The Barcelona star saved his team from a difficult situation as he twice tip-toed
through the AC Milan defence — and made Berlusconi’s club say good bye to their
Champions League dreams.
His 52nd and 53rd goals of the season took him past Ruud van Nistelrooy and into
second place on the all-time Champions League scoring charts. He has 58 goals, with
only Real Madrid legend Raul ahead of him on 71.
But it was left to David Villa to grab the crucial third before Jordi Alba sealed Barca’s
passage through to the quarter-finals in injury-time.
Villa said: “We believed we could do it from the first minute — in fact, from the final
whistle of the last game.
You always achieve things when you have your hard work combined with that belief .
We were fired up and the early goal helped us.”
Alba added: “Milan only needed a goal but we knew how to handle the game.”
Milan’s plans to defend their 2-0 first-leg lead at the Nou Camp were undone after
just five minutes as Barca found top gear.
Messi played a one-two with Xavi on the edge of the box and, surrounded by white
Milan shirts, he found the top corner.
Milan occasionally threatened on the counter-attack as they looked for Stephan El
Shaarawy — but he twice shot weakly at Victor Valdes
Barcelona had penalty claims turned down when Pedro was bundled over by Ignazio
Abate.
Milan keeper Christian Abbiati then made an incredible save from Andres Iniesta,
pushing his fierce drive on to the bar, with Messi heading the rebound wide.
Xavi forced Abbiati into a full-length save from an angled drive.
But the game’s crucial moment arrived on 37 minutes as M’Baye Niang ran on to
Javier Mascherano’s misplaced header only to hit the foot of Valdes’ post
And from the next attack Barca were two up as Messi received Iniesta’s pass and hit
the ball past Abbiati in a flash.
Villa got his moment in the spotlight when Xavi slipped him in on the right edge of the
area on 55 minutes. He shifted the ball on to his left foot and coolly bent home.
But Barca were still just one goal from going out and Mathieu Flamini nearly flicked
the ball past Valdes only for Gerard Pique to intercept.
Then substitute Robinho thought that he had put Milan back in front on away goals
when he connected with Bojan’s low centre with eight minutes left only for Alba’s
sliding block to deny him.
Alba then ran Milan out of the competition as he sprinted 60 yards to clip home the
fourth
Glossary
To go on=continuare
Top corner=angolo alto
Overturned=capovolsero
Threatened=impensierì
Deserves= merita
Weakly=debolmente
To ever play= che abbia mai giocato
Claims=reclami, proteste
He twice tip-toed through=egli 2 volte si
incuneò in punta di piedi nella
Turned down=rifiutate, inascoltate
Ahead of=davanti a
Bundled over=strattonato
To grab=agguantare
Rebound=respinta
Injury time=tempo di recupero
Wide=a lato
Whistle=fischio
Ran on to=continuò a rincorrere
Combined with=unito a
Misplaced header=errato colpo di testa
Fired up=caricati
Spotlight=ribalta, gloria
To handle=condurre
Slipped him in=lo servì
Lead=vantaggio
Coolly bent home=freddamente girò in
porta
Undone=distrutti
Flicked=toccò
Found top-gear=ingranò la marcia(più alta)
To clip home=insaccare
Edge=limite
Top corner=angolo alto
Ex. 1 Match the words and phrases in column “A” to the definitions in column “B”
COLUMN “A”
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
To grab
Penalty claims turned down
Spotlight
He coolly bent home
Counter attack
First leg
Defeat
Weakly
COLUMN “B”
1. When someone is beaten in a competition
2. A player who scored a goal calmly
3. A lot of attention in newspapers, on television etc
g
d
c
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
You attack after your opponents lose possession
Done without energy
A penalty denied by a referee
The act of getting something quickly
The first match played in the knock-out stage
e
h
b
a
f
Ex. 2 Answer
1. What do they believe Messi can do?
They believe Messi can walk on water
2. How many goals did Messi score in 2012?
91 goals
3. Who is ahead of him on the all-time Champions League scoring chart?
Raul, 71 goals
4. What did Villa and his team mates believe?
They believed they could do it from the first minute
5. Were Milan’s plans successful ?
No, they were undone
6. Describe Messi’s first goal:
He played a one-two with Xavi on the edge of the box and, surrounded
by white Milan shirts, founded the top corner.
7. When had Barca penalty claims turned down?
When Pedro was bundled over by Ignazio Abate
8. When did the game’s crucial moment arrive?
It arrived when M’Baye Niang hit the foot of Valdes’ post
9. What did Robinho think?
He thought that he had put Milan back in front but Alba blocked his
shot at goal