Obviously I'm a fan of the all-rounder. I love a Creative Generalist. But, it's nice, if you can, to add complete, sublime, dedication to a specific and magnificent skill, on top of all that generalism. Like the way Oretga's mastered the unexpected chip. I could watch this all day. (via City Of Sound)
Have you considered interviewing Dan Hill for a podcast?
Posted by: Camiel | January 20, 2007 at 12:28 PM
wow - the chip has to be the most aesthetically pleasing of all the footy skills .
reminds me of watching Leeds. sort of...
Posted by: doug | January 20, 2007 at 05:26 PM
sick
Posted by: Dino | January 20, 2007 at 05:34 PM
Certainly doesn't remind me of watching Brighton, and i feel all the better for it!
Posted by: MB | January 21, 2007 at 04:07 PM
It's beautiful isn't it. The sheer economy of movement and timing enables the disguise and the surprise. Sometimes he doesn't even break stride and deploy any kind of conventional backlift at all - just times his run onto the ball such that his foot meets the ball to create the chip intrinsically somehow. As if he'd plotted the colliding trajectories from 30 metres back. I've just finished a great book about the 'No 10' position by Richard Williams. Puskas, Zidane, Bergkamp, Maradona, Rivera, Baggio, Pele, Francescoli etc. All fantastic, and beautifully described by Williams. Ortega gets a brief mention as one who didn't make the cut.
Posted by: Dan | January 24, 2007 at 01:50 PM