[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"header-nav":3,"footer-nav":29,"article-tottenham-de-zerbi-tactical-foundations-auckland-pre-season":82,"category-counts-nav":97,"related-tottenham-de-zerbi-tactical-foundations-auckland-pre-season":107},[4,8,11,14,17,20,23,26],{"label":5,"to":6,"exact":7},"Home","\u002F",true,{"label":9,"to":10},"World Cup","\u002Fworldcup",{"label":12,"to":13},"Standings","\u002Fstandings",{"label":15,"to":16},"Football","\u002Fcategory\u002Ffootball",{"label":18,"to":19},"Basketball","\u002Fcategory\u002Fbasketball",{"label":21,"to":22},"Tennis","\u002Fcategory\u002Ftennis",{"label":24,"to":25},"F1","\u002Fcategory\u002Ff1",{"label":27,"to":28},"Long Reads","\u002Fcategory\u002Flong-reads",{"brand":30,"columns":32,"tagline":80,"copyright":81},{"description":31},"In-depth sports journalism covering football, basketball, tennis, F1, and beyond. Daily analysis, long reads, and expert opinion.",[33,51,59],{"heading":34,"links":35},"Leagues",[36,39,42,45,48],{"label":37,"to":38},"Premier League","\u002Ftag\u002Fpremier-league",{"label":40,"to":41},"La Liga","\u002Ftag\u002Fla-liga",{"label":43,"to":44},"NBA","\u002Ftag\u002Fnba",{"label":46,"to":47},"Formula 1","\u002Ftag\u002Fformula-1",{"label":49,"to":50},"Champions League","\u002Ftag\u002Fchampions-league",{"heading":52,"links":53},"Content",[54,56,57],{"label":55,"to":16},"Analysis",{"label":27,"to":28},{"label":58,"to":16},"Data & Stats",{"heading":60,"links":61},"Company",[62,65,68,71,74,77],{"label":63,"to":64},"Terms of Service","\u002Fservice",{"label":66,"to":67},"Privacy Policy","\u002Fprivacy",{"label":69,"to":70},"Editorial Policy","\u002Feditorial",{"label":72,"to":73},"Contact Us","\u002Fcontact",{"label":75,"to":76},"About Us","\u002Fabout",{"label":78,"to":79},"Website Disclaimer","\u002Fdisclaimer","Built for the love of sport","© SportPulse. All rights reserved.",{"title":83,"slug":84,"category":85,"badge":86,"author":87,"excerpt":88,"date":89,"readTime":90,"image":91,"imageAlt":83,"tags":92,"body":95,"_path":96},"De Zerbi's Tottenham Take First Steps in Record Auckland Crowd","tottenham-de-zerbi-tactical-foundations-auckland-pre-season","football","Football: Match Report","Elena Rossi","Spurs' functional 2-0 win over Auckland FC offered early clues to De Zerbi's tactical implementation with a rotated squad.","2026-07-26 12:08:46","2 min read","https:\u002F\u002Fi.guim.co.uk\u002Fimg\u002Fmedia\u002F14c78dd4e968814b634ba4ea3ac9a62d471f73a9\u002F189_0_2137_1709\u002Fmaster\u002F2137.jpg?width=140&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=bb1ae2caf1652c86e79c3b23b7c00e9a",[37,93,94],"Pre-Season","A-League","Roberto De Zerbi opened his Tottenham tenure with a **2-0** win over Auckland FC at Eden Park, a useful first runout for a rotated side in damp conditions.\n\nDe Zerbi rested most established starters against the A-League champions. The selection was standard for early pre-season, where physical loading matters more than rehearsal, though it also forced fringe and academy players to execute his build-up structure without the usual custodians.\n\nDane Scarlett and Richarlison scored. Scarlett led the press from the central channels, while Richarlison's goal gave him a needed early taste of sharpness. His runs in behind a deep defensive line give De Zerbi a different forward profile as the schedule intensifies.\n\nThe build-up phase is the backbone of every De Zerbi side. Against a compressed block, Spurs circulated through Auckland's first line of pressure using numerical superiority, cycling possession while the defensive line held compactness on turnovers. The coaching staff tracks progression speed, ball circulation, and rest-defence positioning even in friendlies, and the early returns were functional.\n\nA wet pitch at Eden Park accelerated passes and raised the margin for error. De Zerbi's system of short, sharp interchanges in the **half-spaces** demands precise weighted passing, and players like Scarlett had to operate in tight areas without conceding possession. Both goals, carved from those same interchanges against a deep block, pointed to the structure already taking hold with the rotated group.\n\nThe backdrop to the match was a milestone for New Zealand football: **40,112** spectators packed Eden Park, a record for a men's football match in the country. The venue is traditionally rugby territory. The turnout confirmed the Premier League's commercial pull in Oceania and the appetite for the sport in a market European clubs increasingly target for growth.\n\nThe tour continues with De Zerbi gradually introducing first-choice players, moving from physical loading toward tactical automation. The shift from a rotated XI to the starting lineup will reveal how quickly the squad processes his positional play. Tightening the counter-pressing triggers on ball loss is the next priority, with sharper tests coming against higher-tempo opposition before the Premier League season opens in August.","\u002Farticles\u002Ftottenham-de-zerbi-tactical-foundations-auckland-pre-season",[98,99,100,101,85,102,103,104,105,106],"analysis","basketball","cricket","f1","general","golf","mma","long-reads","tennis",[108,122,135],{"id":109,"stem":109,"path":110,"title":111,"category":85,"badge":112,"badgeType":113,"author":114,"authorRole":115,"authorInitials":116,"date":117,"readTime":118,"image":119,"imageAlt":111,"tags":120,"excerpt":121},"england-west-indies-t20-world-cup-semi-finals","\u002Farticles\u002Fengland-west-indies-t20-world-cup-semi-finals","England Storm Into T20 World Cup Semi-Finals","Match Report","tag","Marcus Wright","SportPulse Contributor","MW","2026-06-24 21:46:32","5 min read","https:\u002F\u002Fichef.bbci.co.uk\u002Face\u002Fstandard\u002F976\u002Fcpsprodpb\u002F39a0\u002Flive\u002Faf142770-700f-11f1-8546-8f19e4fe30f4.jpg","T20 World Cup, International Cricket","England crushed West Indies by 38 runs at Lord's to book their T20 World Cup semi-final spot with a game to spare.",{"id":123,"stem":123,"path":124,"title":125,"category":85,"badge":55,"badgeType":126,"author":127,"authorRole":128,"authorInitials":129,"date":130,"readTime":131,"image":132,"imageAlt":125,"tags":133,"excerpt":134},"kane-bellingham-england-world-cup-dependency","\u002Farticles\u002Fkane-bellingham-england-world-cup-dependency","England’s World Cup: Kane and Bellingham Carry the Load","category","Sarah Martinez","Transfer Correspondent","SM","2026-07-07 11:32:21","4 min read","\u002Fimages\u002Farticles\u002Fkane-bellingham-england-world-cup-dependency.png","FIFA World Cup, Premier League","Ten of England’s eleven World Cup goals came from two men, exposing a dangerous tactical reliance.",{"id":136,"stem":136,"path":137,"title":138,"category":85,"badge":139,"badgeType":126,"author":140,"authorRole":141,"authorInitials":142,"date":143,"readTime":144,"image":145,"imageAlt":138,"tags":146,"excerpt":147},"deschamps-france-mother-death-world-cup","\u002Farticles\u002Fdeschamps-france-mother-death-world-cup","Deschamps Leaves France Camp After Mother's Death","Feature","James Chen","Senior Football Analyst","JC","2026-06-25 04:08:14","6 min read","https:\u002F\u002Fichef.bbci.co.uk\u002Face\u002Fstandard\u002F976\u002Fcpsprodpb\u002Ff0a0\u002Flive\u002F390720e0-6f3e-11f1-a91d-9509c96f4739.jpg","World Cup, France, Didier Deschamps","France's World Cup preparations face an emotional jolt as Didier Deschamps departs to mourn his mother."]