'Tactical cam' shows soccer in a new light

Recommended Video:

A game of soccer is protean. But you would not know it from looking through the camera angles the broadcaster has chosen to use for decades.

The main view is perched on a gantry in the stand on the sideline. It was considered innovative when a harnessed cameraman on the field shot close-ups of players taking corner kicks or throw-ins. There is a camera in the top corner of the net that rattles violently when a goal is rammed home. Cue the image of the scorer turning away, skidding on both knees across the grass in celebration, and rising to stick a kiss on the lens of the camera on the harness.

The singularity of the impression and the fixation on the individual with the ball misses the point. Soccer play is essentially a collective of shifting parts, a subtle creation of spatial awareness. Now, we have the opportunity to witness its true form.

NBC Sports Digital rolled out its "tactical cam" Monday for Manchester City's Premier League match against Liverpool. And what a bonus it turned out to be for those of us watching on a computer or tablet.

Gazing down from considerable height, the bird's-eye view captured the entire field. There was no commentary, no replays, and no noise from the crowd. I listened to Mozart and enjoyed the composition of the game.

Everything revealed. Players pulling space apart, some pinning their positions, others ignored by the player on the ball. The standard camera angle would never have picked up the multiple options players are presented with.

Witness the intricate geometrical patterns that developed when one team attacked to be met by the slide rule of defense. Being up high, one better understood the power of possession, the fact that soccer is not random but a definitive exercise to control the orb and demoralize the opponent by keeping it from them. Noticing the speedy trajectory of the ball and its clean, sharp distribution assessed the talent of both sets of players as excellent.

Manchester City scored first. I could not tell who bagged the goal, and I did not care. The player did run to the sideline, I think, and skid on his knees, but I couldn't be sure. I saw something different. The linesman and the ref walking back to the center circle, the Liverpool players taking up their positions for the restart, a panoramic image of the fans in turbulent joy, seen in its totality. It was like art-house cinema.

Missing from the experience are the close-up shots of the coaches' faces. Certainly, a televisual loss not being able to see Arsene Wenger's constipated look when Arsenal are stuck trailing by a goal with a minute left or Jose Mourinho's exclamatory indignation when the referee dares to award a marginal call against his beloved Blues. This drama is a loss to the fun. Perhaps NBC may be inspired to invent the "coach cam" to satisfy the curious.

The "tactical cam" is without doubt an extra boon for those fans who love game analysis. There are soccer websites that track statistics and flash confusing vector arrows of plays via diagram. Those who paid attention to teachings on graphs in high school math class can understand this. For those of us whom plotting failed to target with its wonders, the tactical cam delivers.

Satisfyingly splendid, I may watch the rest of the EPL season up high with the gods.