The so-called attacking third divides the pitch into three equal sections: front, middle, and back.
The section closest to your own goal is the defensive third, or attacking first zone.
The middle section is both the defensive second zone and offensive second zone.
The area closest to the opponent's goal is the attacking third, or defensive first zone.
The attacking third is essentially the danger zone, where threats are created.
Horizontally, the field is also divided into five sections:
From left to right—left wing, left half-space, center, right half-space, right wing.
The left and right half-spaces closer to your own goal are also called the left and right midfield zones.
Later, this evolved into the Golden Fourteen Zones, and eventually Guardiola's famous Twenty-Zone System.
All of these are just refinements in positional breakdowns.
Different players have different responsibilities depending on where they play.
Different tactics demand different things from each position.
Those who adapt thrive.
Those who don't, struggle.
Take the King of Highbury, Thierry Henry. Incredible player, right?
But not long after he joined Guardiola's Barcelona, Henry was subbed off early because he drifted from his Left Winger position to the right side, taking on duties that weren't his.
This Real Madrid setup requires both wingers to push forward.
But when they do, they leave gaps in defense.
That means the defensive midfielder has to cover.
Baptista, who often had to cover for Carlos, wasn't a true Defensive Midfielder. His awareness was lacking, and more importantly, he also loved pushing forward to attack.
In the last eleven matches, aside from Su Hang, Figo, and Zidane, Baptista and Roberto Carlos actually had the best stats.
But today, Liverpool targeted exactly that flank.
And it worked.
Bang!
Steve Finnan drove a perfect cutback cross into the box.
Morientes and Crouch, two towering strikers, leapt high in the middle.
Pavón completely lost his bearings.
Thud!
The taller Crouch faked a header.
Morientes connected cleanly, powering the ball with his head toward goal.
Whoosh!
Casillas didn't even have time to dive.
"GOAL! One-nil!"
"Just eleven minutes in, Liverpool take the lead!"
"And the scorer? None other than last season's Real Madrid player, Morientes!"
"Morientes strikes against his former club! Oh! But what's he doing now?"
On the pitch.
This time, Morientes wasn't his usual quiet self.
He sprinted to the byline, faced the Real Madrid fans behind the goal, and hammered his chest furiously.
"Roar!"
His roar was filled with bottled-up frustration.
He had lost too much at Real Madrid.
Once the proud number nine, the cornerstone of Spain's national attack, he had been shipped off to Monaco.
The last time he scored against Real Madrid, he didn't celebrate.
Because he still wanted to return.
He showed them respect.
But how did Real Madrid repay him?
They preferred to bet on an eighteen-year-old academy kid instead of giving a veteran in his prime a chance.
By the time he joined Liverpool, Morientes knew he would never wear the white shirt again.
So this time… if they had no loyalty, he would show no mercy!
Boo! Boo! Boo!
The Bernabéu erupted in furious whistles and boos, the crowd enraged by his celebration.
The atmosphere instantly grew tense.
Some Madrid players looked unsettled.
Casillas and Helguera, for instance.
They were close with Morientes.
They knew his frustrations.
Eventually, Casillas went over and hugged him.
"Hey, man, calm down."
"Don't do this."
"It'll only make things worse."
"We understand you, really."
But the fans weren't in a forgiving mood.
From that goal onward, boos echoed across the Bernabéu.
The Madridistas now desperately needed a white-clad hero to put Liverpool in their place.
...
Twenty-second minute.
Su Hang dropped back to link up.
After receiving the ball, he didn't rush to turn. Instead, he collided with the charging Gerrard.
Gerrard was knocked off.
Su Hang spun smoothly.
The tempo slowed, but it was steady.
In the past, Su Hang disliked playing this way—because the longer the ball stayed at his feet, the greater the risk of losing it.
But now, he wasn't afraid.
Holding the ball longer was the only way to truly create opportunities.
Otherwise, it was like dancing on the edge of a blade.
Thwack!
Su Hang launched a long ball to the left.
His vision was sharp.
Roberto Carlos surged forward, received it, and whipped in a superb cross.
Unfortunately, Baptista, arriving late from the back, was just a step slow and missed the header.
The ball sailed out over the byline.
Still, that attacking thrust down the left startled Liverpool.
Their midfield anchor, Xabi Alonso, found himself staring at Su Hang a moment longer.
Su Hang was different now.
Alonso had faced him before with the national team.
As the playmaker, Alonso knew Su Hang's style well.
Su Hang thrived in quick one-touch play.
But his fundamentals were weak—his first touch and passing forced him to play fast, never daring to hold the ball.
That had its advantages. Many players couldn't keep up with his speed.
But it also had drawbacks—it was opportunistic, and it placed huge demands on teammates' movement and passing.
Real Madrid's midfield could accommodate Su Hang. Spain's couldn't.
After all, they didn't have Zidane, Figo, Ronaldo, Beckham…
But this time… Su Hang had slowed things down.
And not just slowed—his long ball afterward, though not technically perfect, showed excellent awareness.
With it, he reignited the tempo instantly.
That shift—slow to fast—was deadly.
It's the greatest weapon of a true organizer.
Players like this are called the team's metronome.
Zidane and Ronaldinho were metronomes.
Alonso too, though less obvious because of his deeper position.
And now, Su Hang… was starting to look like one as well.
...
Thirty-first minute.
Alonso showed his own metronome quality with a sudden long pass from deep.
Crouch outmuscled Helguera to win the header.
But in the tussle that followed, Helguera pulled and dragged.
The referee blew the whistle—free kick to Liverpool, and a yellow card for Helguera.
Helguera immediately exchanged words with Pavón.
Their defensive coordination had just broken down.
Helguera had been covering for Pavón.
...
Thirty-sixth minute.
Alonso launched another long-range missile, connecting with Morientes.
Morientes dropped back and flicked the ball with his head to Luis García on the right.
Luis García returned it.
Morientes played a sharp one-two.
Luis García broke through with the give-and-go, slicing past Roberto Carlos.