As his career ends in MLS, Sergio Busquets' small decisions remain perfect

"Sergio Busquets didn't expect to last this long. More than a decade ago, he predicted he'd retire by his early 30s. But when he finally announced in September that he'll hang up his boots at the end of Inter Miami's season, he did so as a 37-year-old defensive midfielder who still somehow never leaves the pitch for one of the best teams in MLS."

"He could be playing his final game this weekend, if Miami losetheir conference semi-final against FC Cincinnati on Sunday. For me it's a shame, because I think he's a player who's still active, who can continue to give a lot to the club. We can continue to enjoy the level he has, said his manager Javier Mascherano, who was once forced to become a center-back when he couldn't beat out a young Busquets in Barcelona's midfield."

"What is it that still makes Busquets so good? The one flaw in his game is glaring he's old and immobile, practically Methuselah by midfield standards. But his virtues are more subtle, a hundred small decisions per match that have to be rewound a few times to be fully appreciated. As an anonymous blogger's wife famously said, watch Busquets and you see the whole game."

"I'm not, and never have been, an athletically quick player, Busquets confessed on Catalan radio a few years back. Like everything else about him, that was elegantly understated. According to data from Gradient Sports, no midfielder in MLS travels less total distance per 90 minutes this season or covers less ground at speeds above a jog. Although his sprints still top out at a respectable 19.6 miles per hour,"

Sergio Busquets will retire at the end of Inter Miami's season at age 37 after a career marked by positional mastery and relentless match presence. He remains a near-constant starter for one of MLS's top teams and may play his final game in the conference semi-final against FC Cincinnati. Manager Javier Mascherano praised his ongoing value and influence. Busquets' main physical limitation is age and limited mobility, with MLS data showing minimal distance covered and low high-speed running, but his elite reading of the game, scanning, decision-making and timing compensate for reduced athleticism.

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