Osieck's global perspective

Tactical approaches
Osieck, Franz Beckenbauer's assistant when West Germany won the 1990 FIFA World Cup, began by studying the World Youth Championship in the Netherlands this summer. He first concentrated on the various playing systems employed by the 24 participating teams, with eventual winners Argentina adopting a solid 4-1-3-2 approach that offered a compact defence and imaginative attack.

Defensive strength
Strength in defence was one of the factors identified by Osieck as a key initial aim of the more successful sides, with most looking for a solid base before launching attacks. Another interesting development at the tournament was the new interpretation of the offside law, which changed the rule regarding passive players. Osieck admitted the new approach had caused some confusion, and that a rethink was needed as well as a new definition of what is meant by "interfering with play".

Solid foundations
The next aspect under discussion was the swift transition, meaning the speed of switch from defence to attack and vice versa. The championship in the Netherlands, according to Osieck, demonstrated that teams looked to launch quick attacks from a compact defensive block, and the more successful sides attacked cautiously, leaving men behind the ball at all times rather than flooding forward.

Knockout eliminations
A particularly interesting issue was the contrast between the group and the knockout stages. Three pool winners lost out in the last 16, and a number of teams who had performed convincingly in the group phase could not maintain their performances in the sudden-death element of the competition. This led into a study of European showings in the tournament; between 1977 and 1995, UEFA countries won five of the ten editions, but have struggled somewhat since the championship became a 24-team event in 1997. Osieck asked his audience to consider the possible reasons for this.

Adaptable and flexible
The presentation then turned to the U17 competition in Peru, which again began with a study of the tactical systems of some of the sides involved. One clear factor in a team's success was a willingness to adapt and be flexible, both individually and collectively, either within a game or from one match to the next. The players that were most successful, according to Osieck, were those who could assert themselves on their opponents and master the ball even when under pressure.

Artificial approach
The U17 finals were also notable for two innovations. They were played on artificial turf, and the ball featured a chip to determine whether or not it had crossed the goalline. The FIFA study showed that the game altered on the new surface, with fast and technically strong players adapting swiftly. Life became tougher for defenders, however, who found it harder to turn and stop, while chipping the ball was also problematic, resulting in a large number of short corners.

Tests inconclusive
The tests on the ball chip proved inconclusive, with further studies to be carried out at the FIFA Club World Championship in December. Osieck concluded by saying the results from Peru had not been entirely satisfactory, and more research was required before FIFA's international board could make a final decision on whether to use the technology in future events, such as next year's FIFA World Cup.