“You get NOWT for being second,” resonated the phrases of legendary Leeds United supervisor Don Revie, practically 4,000 miles away throughout the Atlantic from Elland Highway.
In Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, two former Leeds managers discovered themselves on reverse sides within the third-place match of the Copa America 2024.
Canada, led by Jesse Marsch, fell to Uruguay, coached by Marcelo Bielsa. Curiously, Marsch succeeded Bielsa because the Peacocks’ supervisor after the latter guided them again to the Premier League.
Whereas the younger American supervisor and the Argentine veteran appear to have very totally different concepts for working a workforce, Marsch’s method to the sport, like most of his contemporaries, has been formed by Bielsa’s affect.
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As soccer author Jonathan Wilson wrote in an article for 8byeight journal, “For the reason that again 4 unfold from Brazil within the late Fifties and early Nineteen Sixties, no South American has had such an affect on how the world performs as Bielsa has had within the first decade of the twenty first century.”
Bielsa’s synthesis of preparation, laborious work, inflexible coaching methods, quick vertical soccer and urgent might be seen throughout the trendy recreation. From Mauricio Pochettino to Jorge Sampaoli to even Pep Guardiola, Bielsa has influenced an entire new technology of coaches by means of his soccer philosophy.
Regardless of his cult-like fame, Bielsa’s precise trophies are restricted. He has gained just a few league titles in Argentina, an Olympic gold medal, and a championship in England’s second division.
He’s additionally well-known for his eccentricities and intense behaviours, which have earned him the nickname ‘ El Loco’ (The Madman).
He by no means provides one-to-one interviews however orchestrates at instances enormously lengthy press conferences. He sits on an icebox or his haunches within the dugout throughout video games, paces 13 steps from one facet of his technical space to the opposite and makes his squad do uncommon issues like selecting up litters for hours.
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Bielsa is uncompromising in his method and unpredictable in his behaviour. His fame was not helped by stints in Lille and Lazio, which lasted solely 13 video games and two days, respectively.
Nonetheless, these elements didn’t cease Montevideo from celebrating when Bielsa turned Uruguay’s nationwide workforce coach in Might 2023. Following a profitable 15-year tenure underneath the legendary, however pragmatic, Oscar Tabarez, Uruguay struggled to discover a appropriate substitute. His successor, Diego Alonso’s reign lasted solely 12 video games, as Uruguay disappointingly did not advance from the group stage on the 2022 World Cup. Marcelo Broli then briefly took cost as caretaker supervisor for 2 video games earlier than a everlasting substitute was appointed.
Bielsa’s Uruguay revolution
With Bielsa within the dugout, La Celeste has been resurgent. He has not solely modified the fortunes of the workforce however has fully reworked the best way soccer is perceived within the nationwide workforce.
It’s at the moment sitting simply behind world champion Argentina within the CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers desk with 13 factors from six video games.
Forward of the Copa America, the South American press touted Bielsa as the one man who might cease Argentina from working the continental cup again.
Bielsa’s teaching philosophy emphasises a number of key rules alongside a rigorous coaching regime, in-depth opponent evaluation, and a requirement for dedication, laborious work, and health.
His most popular method seems to overload the defensive third with further attackers (“spare-man philosophy”) when in possession. Within the remaining third, he favours a system with one playmaker feeding three forwards.
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Moreover, he additionally seems to minimise the transition time (the change from defence to assault) by means of verticality and fast passing. To realize this, he utilises midfielders who can defend successfully, making certain ball-playing capacity from deep positions. He additional encourages clever motion to create these overloads and emphasises rotations amongst totally different positions. Lastly, he incorporates a hyper-aggressive urgent technique.
Within the group stage of the event held within the USA, La Celeste started its marketing campaign with a 3-1 victory towards Panama. It continued its dominance by thrashing Bolivia 5-0 and secured the highest spot in Group C with a 1-0 win over the host. It then defeated Brazil in a penalty shootout throughout the quarterfinal, earlier than being knocked out by Colombia within the semifinal.
In an period the place nationwide workforce coaches get more and more much less time to implement their concepts within the enjoying fashion of the workforce, Bielsa has efficiently implanted his blueprint into the workforce.
Gamers like Manuel Ugarte, Maximiliano Araujo, Facundo Pellistri, Matias Vina and Nahitan Nandez have all been revitalised by Bielsa’s tutelage alongside extra established names like Rodrigo Bentancur, Darwin Nunez and Federico Valverde, who has been the heartbeat of La Celeste.
Nonetheless, like many of the Bielsa sides of the previous, Uruguay additionally dazzled with out really going all the best way. It scored 10 objectives in 5 matches whereas solely conceding two.
Established names like Federico Valverde have been revitalised by Bielsa’s tutelage.
| Picture Credit score:
AFP
Established names like Federico Valverde have been revitalised by Bielsa’s tutelage.
| Picture Credit score:
AFP
Since Bielsa took the reins of Uruguay, it gained 11 of its 17 final matches. Not all wins are created equal, nonetheless, and amongst these 11 victories was a historic first win over Brazil in 22 years and the primary in a decade towards archrival Argentina.
The danger of pleasure
Bielsa’s full-throttle fashion pushes his gamers to the restrict. They must be in distinctive bodily situation, fearless, and fully devoted to successful each particular person battle on the sector. Nonetheless, this technique of marking opponents carefully when not in possession can depart gaps of their defence if the workforce’s urgent isn’t completely coordinated.
Nestor Lorenzo’s high-flying Colombia took benefit of it by scoring the lone purpose within the semifinal. Jefferson Lerma gave Los Cafeteros an early lead from a James Rodrigues ball after which defended it regardless of enjoying a complete half with 10 males.
Regardless of, Colombia’s decided defensive show, it was Uruguay’s lack of ending that permit it down within the crunch conflict. The Liverpool striker arguably ought to have had a first-half hat-trick as he missed a flurry of golden probabilities.
For Nunez, a Copa America that began with promise ends with a tournament-high 20 pictures with solely two objectives within the group stage.
Luis Suarez was given 25 minutes to make an influence within the second half and was inches away from doing so. La Celeste misplaced the match however what adopted will in all probability at all times be remembered as one of many darkest moments of Copa America historical past.
Chaos erupted within the stands as fights flared up between followers from each groups, apparently because of an absence of satisfactory safety. In response, Nunez, apparently aiming to defend his household, leapt into the stands and have become concerned in a confrontation with Colombian supporters.
Within the pre-match press convention earlier than the third-place match, Bielsa blasted the organisers of the event and identified the dearth of regard for the gamers and the sport for monetary features.
The shadows lengthened throughout the Financial institution of America Stadium as Uruguay secured a comfort prize however the echo of unanswered questions lingered. Bielsa, ever the firebrand, had scorched the earth together with his criticism, abandoning a smouldering legacy of ‘what ifs’. Was this a glimpse of a wonderful future underneath his reign, or a merciless reminder of the heartbreak that always accompanies his relentless pursuit of perfection?
The unanswered roar of the group hung heavy, a stark counterpoint to the quiet dedication in Bielsa’s eyes. One factor is for certain: underneath El Loco‘s watch, Uruguay wouldn’t fade silently. It will battle, it might press relentlessly, and it might depart every little thing on the pitch. However whether or not that will be sufficient to lastly quench its thirst for glory remained a thriller as charming as the person himself.