This Dutch Soccer (Football) prodigy and a gifted strikermay not be as famous as the famed Pele. But he was an awesome player who coined the term "Total Football" which forever revolutionized the game of soccer.
Prior to Johan Cruyff popularized this concept, soccer was compartmentalized - with backs for defence, center forwards only engaged in atrack. He broke this conservative attitude by liberalizing the game, making it more fluid, where all the players can switch, toing and froing between attack and defense.
His fancied side in 1974 was the much favored to win the Soccer World Cup hekd in Germany that year, same was the Windies in the Cricket version in 1983. The Dutch started spectacularly, scoring the first goal in minutes against their rival finalist West Germany. But they could not sustain the blitzkrieg from the gritty and cohesive Germans. What could be a fitting finale to a befitting career, ended up in Dutch tears.
The inertia of Dutch juggernaut continued till 1978 World Cup, when the Dutch lost again in the final, this time again to the host team, this time Argentina at Buenos Aires. However Cryuf wasn't part of this team. He had already retired from Soccer, but not his concept of total Football which thrives today. RIP, Johan Cruyff, the legendary "Flying Dutchman" - for the way his dribbling resembles a floating butterfly through Green Meadows.
Prior to Johan Cruyff popularized this concept, soccer was compartmentalized - with backs for defence, center forwards only engaged in atrack. He broke this conservative attitude by liberalizing the game, making it more fluid, where all the players can switch, toing and froing between attack and defense.
His fancied side in 1974 was the much favored to win the Soccer World Cup hekd in Germany that year, same was the Windies in the Cricket version in 1983. The Dutch started spectacularly, scoring the first goal in minutes against their rival finalist West Germany. But they could not sustain the blitzkrieg from the gritty and cohesive Germans. What could be a fitting finale to a befitting career, ended up in Dutch tears.
The inertia of Dutch juggernaut continued till 1978 World Cup, when the Dutch lost again in the final, this time again to the host team, this time Argentina at Buenos Aires. However Cryuf wasn't part of this team. He had already retired from Soccer, but not his concept of total Football which thrives today. RIP, Johan Cruyff, the legendary "Flying Dutchman" - for the way his dribbling resembles a floating butterfly through Green Meadows.
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