Xavi Hernández

brilliant header.

he makes those runs quite often, but usually the cross doesn't find him, or he connects like a spanner. this time? BOOFT.

Xavi touched the ball about 2.48 times per minute tonight #fcblive

Scoring a header = epic.

For me, the epic one from Xavi was not his header last night... It's the one when Puyi missed to score from Pedro's cross. Xavi actually spotted Puyi getting into a good position and so he released Pedro into space. What a hero!!

Barcastuff
Etxeberria (ex-Athletic): "Xavi not only determines the rhythm of his own team but also that of the opponent - of all 22 players" [via rac1]

Flavia said:

Barcastuff
Etxeberria (ex-Athletic): "Xavi not only determines the rhythm of his own team but also that of the opponent - of all 22 players" [via rac1]

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so true

This guy is f*cking supernatural, he's like one of those blind monks who hears anything and know everything that happens in his enviroment. Xavi doesnt even have to look, he just knows where his teammates are and where they are heading.

joffess said:

This guy is f*cking supernatural, he's like one of those blind monks who hears anything and know everything that happens in his enviroment. Xavi doesnt even have to look, he just knows where his teammates are and where they are heading.

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Actually, his "secret" is that he *does* look, probably more than any other player on the planet. Watch his head move when he is off the ball- he scans 180 degrees every few seconds.

In just these 4 seconds vs Arsenal, you can see why Xavi has the vision he has. Watch his head:

Runs to receive ball from Busquets
When Busquets passes ball, while "waiting", Xavi looks over his left shoulder upfield
Looks back towards Busquets to finish receiving ball
Ball under his feet, he looks upfield again
Looks back to Busquet, lines up his pass and releases
As he releases, he runs back to receive from Busquets, and looks over his left shoulder again upfield
He immediately looks back at Busquets to see how Busquets is receiving the pass, then looks over his right shoulder to see where the downfield player is
He looks back to Busquets to receive another pass, and turns with it to carry towards the other side of the pitch, away from the opposition.

All in FOUR seconds. I'd be happy if anyone I played with looked ONCE in the opposite direction of where they were facing.

BerkeleyBernie said:

Actually, his "secret" is that he *does* look, probably more than any other player on the planet. Watch his head move when he is off the ball- he scans 180 degrees every few seconds.

In just these 4 seconds vs Arsenal, you can see why Xavi has the vision he has. Watch his head:

Runs to receive ball from Busquets
When Busquets passes ball, while "waiting", Xavi looks over his left shoulder upfield
Looks back towards Busquets to finish receiving ball
Ball under his feet, he looks upfield again
Looks back to Busquet, lines up his pass and releases
As he releases, he runs back to receive from Busquets, and looks over his left shoulder again upfield
He immediately looks back at Busquets to see how Busquets is receiving the pass, then looks over his right shoulder to see where the downfield player is
He looks back to Busquets to receive another pass, and turns with it to carry towards the other side of the pitch, away from the opposition.

All in FOUR seconds. I'd be happy if anyone I played with looked ONCE in the opposite direction of where they were facing.

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Yeah it's extraordinary, but the thing is that not only does he look. But when he's had the ball for like 5 seconds and havent looked up, in some way he knows which direction every player has mowed towards. He's got Barca pumping in his vains.

Props for the very well described explanation BTW!

I've tried to do the Xavi thing few times on the pitch. I mean always scanning: left, right, front, back, and constant off the ball movement. It's so demanding. You get mentally exhausted in 5 minutes. And you need to be perfectly fit. Xavi is the best thing I've seen in central midfield. Ever.

He's a human metronome, simples

soarq said:

I've tried to do the Xavi thing few times on the pitch. I mean always scanning: left, right, front, back, and constant off the ball movement. It's so demanding. You get mentally exhausted in 5 minutes. And you need to be perfectly fit. Xavi is the best thing I've seen in central midfield. Ever.

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I do the same (rec leagues and pickup), but it's particularly exhausting when no one is on the same "Barça" page as you. You keep offering yourself to players, but the average player holds the ball too long, looks for the long cross instead of the simple pass, only forward never lateral, etc. The rewarding thing about the Barça system is that if you offer you receive, and that makes it easier to keep that rhythm going. It's exhausting to keep scanning and offering for the short pass when my teammates insist on booting chase balls up the field, or making the clean back pass only to have my teammate boot it aimlessly.

soarq said:

I've tried to do the Xavi thing few times on the pitch. I mean always scanning: left, right, front, back, and constant off the ball movement. It's so demanding. You get mentally exhausted in 5 minutes. And you need to be perfectly fit. Xavi is the best thing I've seen in central midfield. Ever.

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that's a very good point. many people actually think that all xavi does is just passing. but to that he always thinks 3-4 steps ahead. when to set the tempo higher, when slower, when to create space for teammate, to see the free spaces. it's not only gibing the pass, it's what you have to do to get the pass, or what you have to do after giving the pass. it's mentally very demanding yes, but xavi makes it look so simple - that's why people often think it's just about passing the ball. he said once that in england, when you blast the ball to the stands, everybody applaud to you. it's like shows that you are like a warrior, giving your all, playing with hearth etc. but in spain, when you do the same, people whistle at you because you didn't play yourself out of trouble and shows you are nervous and afraid.
thats one of the best things i like in spanish football and dislike in other cultures. they are so confident and not afraid to play, even when you are under pressure. in other cultures players just don't want to 'think' too much and just blast the ball away. i know that myself to, as a player, like BerkeleyBernie. in here everybody thinks that you always have to go forward, when somebody makes a run you just HAVE to give him the troughball. 95% of the passes are forward. that makes the game ridiculous. nobody wants to control the game. everytime i give a backpass or yell at my teammates that don't rush, don't always go forward, slow down then they are like - what're you yacking again here.
the worst thing in football for me is when players are too scared to think and play themself out of trouble. when other player is pressing you it's like an instinct to kick the ball as far away as they could because they are too afraid to make a mistake. and they are teaching that at very young ages. to kick the ball away when you are under pressure instead of think and play yourself out of trouble.

xaviniesta said:

the worst thing in football for me is when players are too scared to think and play themself out of trouble. when other player is pressing you it's like an instinct to kick the ball as far away as they could because they are too afraid to make a mistake. and they are teaching that at very young ages. to kick the ball away when you are under pressure instead of think and play yourself out of trouble.

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A lot of the players I play with don't have the technique to control the ball well (which is what they should work on). Being able to trap a ball quickly and then defend it gives one time to look and make a good choice. The better one gets at technique, the calmer one becomes. Then one has to practice holding the ball safely under pressure, and keeping one's head up while doing so. Again, most amateur players aren't comfortable moving the ball precisely with the outside of their boot, with small quick changes of direction. Instead, they try to sprint the ball out of danger (usually moving it way too far in front of them where it is tackled).

I was watching David Silva today, such a calm silk touch. And look at 2:44 in this video of Riquleme, another master of defending the ball. He holds the ball about nine seconds until he has a safe outlet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvDN5N69c9k&t=2m44s