The iconic scene of the 2021 Copa América lasted just under thirty seconds. Two men in a close embrace, degrading the mix of celebrating and crying teammates to a mere background image, much like they have done countless times with their footballing qualities. Neymar congratulating his friend Messi on finally winning that international trophy was […]
Peru out-pressed Chile, and that was the key difference in this dramatic Copa América semi-final. The edge the Peruvians gained from being that bit tighter to their opposition enabled them to manipulate the ball at the cost of the Chile defense. How Peru managed to hold on for the next hour would, however, be a […]
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 […]