“… A truly extraordinary game of football – Spain took the lead, but the Netherlands repeatedly breached their high defensive line and recorded a historic victory. High lines. This match was all about high defensive lines, a concept that has become a key part of both Spanish and Dutch football – the two are strongly linked, of course. At the last World Cup, barely any teams were brave with the positioning of their defensive line, instead sitting deep and allowing space in front of their defensive block. Here, the space wasn’t in midfield, where no-one had time to put their foot on the ball, but instead in behind the opposition.” Zonal Marking