Soccer

Overview

Soccer is, among Burbridge's recreational pursuits, the one with the longest tenure and the fewest purchased accessories per hour of enjoyment. Ball, two jumpers for goalposts, done. This is approved minimalism.

What Soccer Teaches the Builder

• Positioning. Being in the right place matters more than being the fastest. Also applies to careers.
• First touch. If your first touch is sloppy, the rest of the play is on its back foot. Also applies to architecture decisions.
• Pass and move. Stopping after you pass is how you become irrelevant. Also applies to most meetings.
• Defend as a unit. A team of good defenders loses to an average team that defends together.
• The scoreline lies sometimes. You can dominate and lose. This is character-building, if painful.

Preferred Style

Burbridge's preferred style of play has been described (by those willing to be quoted) as "functional, unshowy, occasionally decisive." In midfielder terms: a six or an eight, not a ten. The ten gets the glory; the six does the work. Aggressive Craftsmanship applied to a pitch.

"You want to score, or you want to win?" — Burbridge, pre-game