What will it take to win the World Cup 2010 ?
After months of speculative commentary and expert predictions, seemingly from everyone and their dog, actions will now finally speak louder than words as the 2010 FIFA World Cup gets underway. With 32 teams competing, what makes the difference between a participating team and a winning team? Can sports psychology help us to find the answer?
So, is it possible to predict the answer to the big question is: who will get their hands on football’s biggest prize on July 11th? Sky Sports soccer commentators favour Spain and Brazil for the final match. Paul Merson says, “I can’t see one of Spain or Brazil not making it to the final, with maybe Brazil as the favourites.” Charlie Nicholas adds, “Spain, for me, are probably deserved favourites but I think Brazil have probably got a bit more. I think Brazil will win it.”
A bit more what? What does it take to be a winning team? The Brazilian World Cup winning team of 1970 are regarded as one of the all-time greatest teams in soccer history, so their performance is a good place to start looking for some answers. Football fanatics could argue over the strengths and weaknesses of the now legendary 1970 team until the cows come home but what that team had, in a nutshell, comes down to three things:
A powerful mix of experienced heads and youthful legs
An unstoppable winning mentality
And undeniable team spirit – they were all singing from the same song-sheet
Team talk
Brazil weren’t favourites to win in 1970. They hadn’t played well in 1966 and it seemed even their supporters doubted the teams ability to improve on that performance. In sports psychology terms, the players were subject to a lot of negative feedback. A change of coach in the last few months before the start of the 1970 World Cup gave players the opportunity to make decisions that in effect defined the team. Adjustments were made and playing positions changed to create a team that made the very most of its strengths. That’s the key right there, the team made decisions. The players – that powerful mix of seasoned professionals with top level experience and youthful talent with boundless energy – worked with their coach to develop a team in which everyone could play to the best of their ability; a team that they, the players and their coach, could believe in. They knew their strengths, they believed in their abilities, and they went out there knowing what they had to do as a team.
Team building
If you’re a coach hoping to produce a winning team, understanding the importance of developing the sort of team spirit seen in the World Cup winning team of 1970 is crucial. Team spirit can be defined in many ways but developing open lines of communication is key. A coach who understands the importance of team spirit is aware of the needs and ambitions of every player as an individual and understands the need to help team members understand each other better. Without effective communication, this is simply not possible.
Interestingly, Holland are considered to be potential dark horses in the 2010 World Cup. Commentators have described the Dutch team as “the great disappointments” as they clearly have ability but they also have a tendency to “self-destruct” in big tournaments and historically there has always been evidence of “factions and in-fighting in the squad.” Holland have never won the World Cup – coincidence? It takes team spirit to build a winning team; so can sports psychology help us to answer the big question? Yes it can!
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