C

How close together a team stays when defending. A compact shape has small gaps between players and lines, making it hard for opponents to play through. When compactness breaks down - players drift, lines stretch - holes appear. Analytics can measure it by tracking the distance between the deepest defender and highest attacker, or the space between lines. Staying compact requires discipline and fitness.

Getting destroyed by an opponent, either individually or as a team. If a defender gets cooked, they've been beaten repeatedly. If a team gets cooked, they've been embarrassed. The opposite of the player who's "cooking" - someone has to be on the receiving end. Common in post-match social media analysis, especially with clips of players getting dribbled past.

When a player is on fire and can't stop performing. "He's cooking" means they're in unstoppable form, usually dominating matches and making everything look easy. The term spread from internet slang into mainstream football commentary. Can also be used negatively - "they got cooked" means they got destroyed.

Winning the ball and attacking immediately while the opposition is still out of position. Speed matters, and so does finishing the chance before they recover. It works well against teams who dominate possession and push lots of players forward. Some teams, like Leicester in 2015-16, build their whole approach around it. Others do it out of necessity when they're outmatched.

The cue that tells a team to immediately press after losing the ball rather than drop back. Common triggers: a heavy touch by the opponent, the ball going to a player facing their own goal, or a bouncing loose ball. The whole team has to recognize the trigger and react together within seconds. Get it right and you win the ball back in a dangerous area. Miss it and you're scrambling.