# Strategy: What causes teams like Barca and Ajax to blow 3-0 aggregate leads?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strategy-what-causes-teams-like-barca-and-ajax-to-blow-3-0-aggregate-leads/833697>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [May 9, 2019, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strategy-what-causes-teams-like-barca-and-ajax-to-blow-3-0-aggregate-leads/833697 "2019-05-09T02:52:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\
**Post date:** [May 24, 2019, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strategy-what-causes-teams-like-barca-and-ajax-to-blow-3-0-aggregate-leads/833697/21 "2019-05-24T16:55:19Z")

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> [@EllisDee](#):
>
> American football has a similar concept and silly cliche regarding it: When teams get a big lead, they focus on stopping the “big play” quick score by lining up a bunch of defenders deep – conceding runs and short passes – and just waiting for the clock to run out. This is called the “prevent defense.”
> 
> As the cliche goes, the only thing a Prevent Defense does is prevent yourself from winning.

This is also called “taking your foot off the gas” and often loses games the same way slowing down can lose a race.

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