Uruguay outshot Peru and created a number of goals that were just called offside, only to lose in the penalty shootout by the narrowest of margins. Tournament football! Tactical analysis and match report by Om Arvind. Uruguay and Peru could not have entered the Copa América quarter-finals in more different ways. Uruguay topped Group C, […]
Both teams struggled to find solutions against the other team’s defensive block. This was unfortunately only partly due to solid defending, as the possession games of both sides were relatively uninteresting and not particularly effective. A shootout saw Chile through, in a chaotic and intense, yet not very good, Copa América matchup. Tactical analysis and […]
Both Venezuela and Qatar have been swept aside with Argentina’s new 4-4-2 diamond formation. Some genuine tactical questions remain unanswered however, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Tactical analysis and match report by Erik Elias. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it – that is what must have been on Lionel Scaloni’s mind […]
With a 5-4-1 setup and very little pressing, Paraguay’s tactical intentions were clear from the start. A red card early in the second half led them to essentially parking the bus for the remainder of the match. The stern nature of their defense nullified much of Brazil’s attacking threat and it took a Gabriel Jesus […]
With a 5-3-2 setup, Chile coach Reinaldo Rueda came up with an outstanding plan to nullify the Uruguayan attack and create spaces up front for Alexis Sánchez to lead the Chilean offense. However, Uruguay matched Chile’s intensity during the second half, nullifying the Chilean attack and forcing a close game with very few open play […]
A switch to a 4-4-2 diamond formation improved Argentina’s offensive structure and helped them overwhelm Qatar, despite a limp showing from Messi. A classy performance from Sergio Agüero also helped. Tactical analysis and match report by Om Arvind. It is old news that Argentina are no longer one of the world’s elite teams. Since the […]
Peru struggled to cope against a well-structured and totally superior Brazil team, who cemented their place in the quarter-finals of the Copa América. Brazil picked Peru apart, effectively gaining possession back in great areas, as well as pulling their opponents out of shape thanks to constant switches and vertical passing. Tactical analysis and match report […]
Uruguay’s vertical and intense approach made this a game revolving around direct play, counterpressing and counterattacks. Uruguay’s possession was fairly ineffective in the first half, but looked dangerous in the second half, especially when Japan sat deeper and Uruguay could send cross after cross into a packed penalty box. Ultimately, they were unable to find […]
In a contest between two sides that did not play particularly well, it was not much of a surprise that neither side came out on top. Scaloni’s game plan read like a book that had been torn up and put back together again… except, out of order. Tactical analysis and match report by Peter M. […]
Brazil’s asymmetric shape created some interesting possibilities against Venezuela in the first half, but ultimately suffered from small structural issues. After some reshuffling, Brazil found more balance in the second half but were ultimately unable to break down a resilient Venezuela defense. Tactical analysis and match report by Josh Manley. Brazil came into this game […]