Jeong Do-jeon's disposition of troops and the evolution of soccer

Brazil won the 1962 Chile World Cup, in which the 19-year-old Pele also made his debut. In the 1960s, Brazilian players made European players a fool with their fantastic footwork. The soccer games they played felt otherworldly. In the second century BC, nomadic cavalry made Han Chinese cavalry a fool. Both horsemanship and archery were no match. In Italian football in the 1960s, "Catenaccio,“ a tactical system in football with a strong emphasis on defense, was born. With a strong emphasis on defense, left and right wingers make sudden counter-attacks to score goals. As the defenders also joined the attack, a wingback position was developed.

In the Joseon Dynasty, Jeong Do-jeon's disposition of troops was about placing shield troops in the front and archers in the rear. First, enemies were attracted to the defense area for attack, and the Joseon troop hit and exhausted enemies as much as possible. Next, the cavalry deployed at the rear from both left and right wings attacked the enemies. In short, the concept was similar to that of Catenaccio.

There is a theory that soccer was created to relieve the belligerent temperament of the warriors. In 1349, Edward III of England issued a decree banning soccer because the game was tough, and the city's center was destroyed.

In the second half of the second century, Cao Cao led his cavalry to win a landslide victory over the Huns and scholarly cavalry. Although Cao Cao recruited his main force from nomadic cavalries, it was a complete come-from-behind victory compared to the days when he was defeated by the Huns’ cavalry.

These days, European players also show off amazing soccer skills. There are many players of African descent, so the days of distinguishing nationality by skin color are gone. Meanwhile, some Brazilian players use European styles.

Asian teams are enjoying unprecedented victories in the 2022 World Cup. It is different from the past. The world changes, and people learn from each other and grow. The history of the World Cup shows this change every four years. To be sure, this kind of unexpected change is not allowed easily in terms of national and economic power. However, the change in soccer suggests that change is ongoing. We must now move away from the passive victimization of Asia, Africa, and the Third World.