I agree!
But I'm still waiting for the day I'll really understand the game - I mean, as much as I do about football, to be able to judge tactics and performances a lot better. I guess it comes with time, doesnt it!
It's always very entertaining anyway. Can't wait for the NHL playoffs now!
If you follow Football and understand the tactics. Its pretty much the same game. Picture a smaller playing field, less men and much faster. Other than that its really technically, the same game. Offsides is the same. attacking the goal, smooth passing, set plays and capitalizing on scoring chances. The same offensive and defensive schemes are the same. You pick up your man, in their zone you are offensive minded and trying to score, back in your zone your defensive minded and trying to take it away from them.
I see a lot of tactics employed in Hockey played out in football. The "Trap" which is moving the play to the sides, taking out the center of the field and collapsing back on defense, which is being used brilliantly by Chelsea and Aston Villa is a Hockey tactic used for years and years. I have watched Hockey since I was a little kid. Watching the greats like Messier,Gretzky,Chelios, Kariya, Bure, now Crosby,Heatly, Parissie,Thornton and Ovechkin can be mirrored to players like Torres, Gerrard, Rooney, Pele, Maradonna etc...I watch EPL and at times see a fantastic relevance between the sports. All in all. They are both great sports and anyone who doesn't watch them are truly missing out on something great.
Not too mention when the 2 toughest "goons" in the league happen to be playing eachother. You just know their is going to be a good 5 minute fight on the ice between the 2 toughest fighters in the league. Which in Hockey and the NHL is a highly prized skill. If you have a young, small scorer who is leading the league in scoring and another player hits him hard into the boards, the next time that player comes out, the enforcer is going to come out and beat the sh*t out the guy who hit your goal scorer. Thats his job. Then the next shift the other team sends out their enforcer and then the 2 go at it. The second the face off whistle goes off, they drop the gloves square up and go to town. Nothing better than the 2 best enforcers in the league fighting for 5-10 minutes in an all out war. Best thing in Hockey.
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