There are a number of ways to state the second law of thermodynamics. The scientific community has moved from a slightly misleading definition of entropy as “disorder” within a thermodynamic system toward a description of how heat or energy moves toward equilibrium within such a system.
Physicists take care to define thermodynamic systems with great car when dealing with physical or natural elements of the universe. The reality is that these laws take the form of tightly-constructed mathematical expressions. Often it is dangerous to apply these concepts to human constructs, to move from nature to culture, but taken metaphorically, the idea has some explanatory power.
Consider the case of Sunday’s thrilling draw between Spain and Italy. As the team sheets were announced, a certain subset of tactical bloggers quivered with anticipation. Italy announced a back three! Spain would play without a striker!
It was the second of these two tactical announcements that would have the biggest impact on the match. Ignoring convention, Spain played in what amounted to a 4-6-0 formation, without a traditional forward. While such a system is not without precedent—Luciano Spalletti’s Roma teams and Pep Guardiola’s subsequent Barcelona provided a blueprint—its appearance in the rarefied sphere of European competition was significant. The decision to play without a forward, without a focal point to the attack, represents the logical conclusion of the so-called “tiki-taka” style of soccer based on short passes and incessant movement.
There is a slightly counterintuitive argument in favor of the forward-less “false 9” system. Without a defined offensive presence, conventional defenses struggle with positioning and marking. Allowing midfield players to rotate into forward areas preserves an important element of surprise. The more obvious drawback of the system is that without a defined goalscoring target, attacks tend to be diffuse.
Taking the match as our metaphorical thermodynamic system, the first half seemed to obey soccer’s tendency toward equilibrium—the goalless draw. The very even period saw Spain’s complex attacks break down. Part of their failure was due to Italy’s dogged defending. De Rossi, playing the sweeper role in Italy’s back three, showed intelligence and grit to thwart the Spanish incursions into the final third.
The tendency toward disorder or equilibrium seemed to follow from Spain’s desire to play a complex, technically demanding style. Long sequences of passing broke down with a stray touch or a well-timed Italian tackle. Spain looked vulnerable on the counter, no more so when Italian striker Mario Balotelli easily dispossessed Sergio Ramos and bore down on goal. The enigmatic striker seemed to slow down to a walk for no apparent reason as he approached Casillas’ goal allowing Ramos to recover and extinguish the danger.
There was a certain irony that the Italians opened the scoring in the 61st minute through a highly traditional striker, Antonio Di Natale. Willed on by a strong run and pass from the masterful Andrea Pirlo, Di Natale’s goal disrupted the match’s equilibrium. Thankfully, thermodynamic equilibrium, for all its theoretical elegance, is insufficient to describe the excellent, dynamic, unpredictable game of soccer. Receiving Pirlo’s pass, Di Natale raced toward Casillas and made an almost imperceptible feint before opening his body to guide the ball past the Spanish ‘keeper. Spain’s “false 9” system was undone by the latest in a long line of ruthlessly efficient strikers, and a mechanistic theory of the universe was shaken.
With the equilibrium of the match disrupted, Spain struck back, finally concluding one of their technical moves. The ever-present Andres Iniesta (still Spain’s most important player) shuffled a pass toward David Silva at the edge of the Italian area. Silva received the pass facing away from goal toward the sideline, a seemingly innocuous position. Displaying the confidence that comes with technical mastery, Silva hesitated until he spotted Cesc Fabregas making an incisive run from the right-hand side of the box. Silva’s left-footed pass, pushed by the outside of his foot was mathematical in its formal elegance, eliminating the Italian defense allowing Fabregas to equalize.
Both sides made changes following the flurry of goals. For Spain, Jesus Navas looked lively, giving the attack a real sense of width. Fernando Torres, doing his best to justify Spanish manager Vicente Del Bosque’s decision not to employ a striker, missed two clear chances.
In the end, a draw was a fair result in the best match of the tournament so far. Spain and Italy played a game to the highest international standards—each side played to their strengths and did their best to disrupt the game’s default equilibrium. This contrast of styles is the basis for much of the joy of international soccer. Let’s hope the rest of the tournament can live up to the high standard set in this match.
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Follow Alex Campolo on Twitter: @AlexCampolo
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