Strength and Technique in Young Manzambi

When we heard Gabriel Alves (a big hug, my friend!) speak of the dichotomy between "the strength of technique versus the technique of strength" during major matches, we lived those words as if they formed opposing, irreconcilable worlds, in constant conflict. A technically gifted footballer rarely managed to assert themselves through physical prowess, as they seldom possessed it. Conversely, a powerhouse player couldn't dribble past half the opposition due to a lack of skill and, perhaps, a high center of gravity.

We looked at the Germans, the most successful representatives of physicality, and dribbling seemed unnatural to them. Of course, there were Beckenbauer, Littbarski, Hassler, Overath, Schuster, and Netzer, and many others after the revolution sparked by Sérgio Conceição in 2000. However, in our youth and early adulthood, such examples were few and far between.

At the same time, we saw Brazilians and Argentinians on the opposite end of the spectrum: Pelé had some muscle, but few would consider him a tank, and even less so Garrincha, Zico, Sócrates, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Tostão, Rivellino, Maradona, Messi, Ardiles, Kempes, Piojo López, and even Batistuta, among many others. Perhaps "O Fenômeno" might make me eat my words, given how often he transformed into a winding train, yet his very nickname helps me consider him an exception rather than the rule.

However, there's a Swiss player named Johan Manzambi who embodies all of this. He's 20 years old and already has three goals in this World Cup. We know him from Freiburg, but it's unlikely he'll return there, such is the stature he's gaining, despite not even starting as a regular. He's a prodigy, standing at 1.82 meters, who can withstand challenges from any barricade placed in his path. He controls the ball like few others. He knows how to dribble, pass, and finish. And his decision-making is excellent. No one has such autonomy, in Switzerland and – I suspect – in any other national team. He goes from his own box to the goal line. And he only seems to need to take one breath.