Jonatan Giráldez and Washington Spirit: Why they are a perfect match
The confirmation that outgoing Barcelona head coach Jonatan Giráldez would be taking charge of Washington Spirit this season came as no surprise to anyone, with it having been widely rumoured and reported that he would be making the switch to the Spirit ever since his departure from the Spanish club had been announced.
The union of Giráldez and Washington does appear to be a match made in heaven, with him an ambitious coach who wants to reach the top and they a club who, under the ownership of Michele Kang, have made no secret of the fact that they want to be one of the leaders when it comes to implementing a new style of play that will take the NWSL into the modern day (there is a strong feeling among many in the league that the direct tactics that previously served the American game so well are holding it back when compared to the more modern European approaches, such as Spain’s famous tiki-taka philosophy).
What many do understand is that appointing a coach like Giráldez will mean that patience is required as he gets his ideas across to the team and they adapt to his methods, and there will be a period of transition before they do resemble more closely the shape and system that he will ultimately want to see.
However, it may not be as long as some might fear, with there already being a number of key ingredients in place that will ensure that he can implement his ideas in a quicker timeframe and Washington will perhaps see them lead to success earlier than might be expected.
Giráldez’s tactics
When watching the way that Barcelona have played under Giráldez’s tutelage, it has become clear just how closely his ideas align with traditional Spanish ideas, and that too is perhaps why Kang pursued him as a replacement for previous head coach Mark Parsons. Certainly, there are several key themes that many people would recognise, such as the way that his players move the ball through the thirds using succinct passing sequences as they look to dominate possession and the positional rotations that are present in so much of their play.
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