The aim of this type of football is to catch the opponent on the "break". When they give away possession in midfield or attack, opposing players will tend to be further up the field than usual and may not be able to quickly adjust to a defensive mindset. Counter-attacking football may involve leaving one or two strikers near the half-way line in the hope that a through ball can be played to catch the opponent off guard. This parallels the long through ball tactic explained below. In the example, an attack by the black team has broken down and ended up in the hands of the white goalkeeper. By kicking a long through ball for the furthermost white player (left up there in the hope of this situation - this is the "break" mentioned above), the player has a chance of scoring as he should have evaded the defence if he is fast enough. In other cases, defenders and midfielders may join in the counter-attack, trying to outnumber or otherwise overtake the opposition by quick and intelligent movement and fast passes. Speed is an important factor both in attack and defence, as the probability of scoring decreases sharply when the opponent has managed to organise their defence. Chelsea under Jose Mourinho perfected this style of play. This tactic was utilised in the 2012 Champions League Semi-Final against Barcelona, in which Chelsea would cumulate the majority of their players at the goalpost, and have a lone striker in the form of Drogba or Ramires lead the counter-attack, which proved successful, allowing Chelsea to progress to the Final; they subsequently won the tournament. This type of game was displayed well by the quick, counter-attacking play of Germany in the 2010 FIFA World Cup and heavily utilized by Jose Mourinho's record-breaking Real Madrid in the 2011-12 La Liga.
