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7 definitions starting with "O"

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You're offside if you're closer to the opponent's goal than both the ball and the second-to-last defender when the ball is played forward. But you only get penalized if you're actually involved in the play. The rule has changed over the years, now focusing on whether you're interfering rather than just where you're standing. VAR has made calls tighter but also sparked endless debates about armpit offsides.
Filippo Inzaghi was famously described as being "born offside" due to his risky positioning, yet his timing was so exceptional that he scored over 300 career goals by mastering the offside trap.
Robbie Jan 23, 2026
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Deliberately stepping up as a defensive unit just before a pass to catch attackers offside. Risky because mistiming leaves attackers through on goal. Requires the whole back line to move together on the same cue. Some teams use it constantly; others avoid it because one mistake is catastrophic. VAR has made tight offside calls more reliable, which should help traps, but marginal decisions still create controversy.
Italy in the 1990s were masters of the offside trap under Sacchi and Capello. Their back four moved as one, stepping up simultaneously to catch attackers offside. It was precision defending - beautiful when it worked, terrifying when it didn't.
Robbie Jan 31, 2026
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A player who spends their whole career at one club. Rare now because the transfer market moves everyone around. When it happens, the player becomes a club legend and symbol of loyalty. Totti at Roma is the modern example - he turned down Real Madrid and United to stay in his hometown for 25 years. Cynics point out some one-club men just never got offers to leave.
Francesco Totti spent 25 seasons at Roma, becoming the ultimate one-club man in modern football - he turned down offers from Real Madrid and Manchester United to remain in his hometown, retiring as the club's all-time leading scorer and an icon of Italian football.
Robbie Jan 14, 2026
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A quick pass and return - you pass to a teammate, run past your marker, and receive the ball back. Also called a wall pass or give-and-go. Simple but effective for breaking through tight defenses. Requires two players on the same wavelength and a pass with enough pace that the defender can't recover. Basic attacking play that never goes out of fashion.
Iniesta and Xavi's one-twos at Barcelona made defending impossible. They'd play quick one-touch combinations that eliminated two or three defenders in a few passes, gliding through midfield with seemingly telepathic understanding.
Robbie Jan 18, 2026
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Running outside and past a teammate who has the ball, usually a full-back going around a winger. Creates a 2v1 against the defender, who has to choose between following the runner or staying with the ball. Even if the pass doesn't come, the threat of it stretches the defence and opens space to cut inside. One of the most basic attacking moves, taught from youth level, and still works at the top.
Andy Robertson's overlapping runs at Liverpool became a signature move - his tireless surges past Sadio Mané down the left flank created countless chances through whipped crosses and pulled defenders out of position.
Robbie Jan 18, 2026
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