A slow tempo had appeared by design. Brazil’s buildup faced a strong Serbian defensive block, geared to shut down avenues on their left side of the field. Tite needed an answer and had a trick up his sleeve, the groundwork for the fantasy Brazillian goal to be scored. Tactical analysis and match report by Joel […]
After a slow first half from both sides, a more open second half led to a flurry of goals. Portugal capitalized on transition moments to go 3-1 up in a flash, though a late goal from Osman Bukhari made the nine minutes of stoppage time a cagey affair for Fernado Santos’ team. Tactical analysis and […]
Spain’s style is one of the most discernible in international football. If you let them carry out their standard patterns, they can wear you down. But Costa Rica resigned themselves to defeat from the off, allowing La Roja to show off why they will be eyeing up another lengthy cup run. Tactical analysis and match report by […]
Germany famously fell victim to the curse of the champions in 2018 when they crashed out of Group F after losing their opening game against Mexico and failing to beat one of the 2002 hosts in South Korea. Both of those things have happened in 2022 as well now, as Japan started off their campaign […]
Prompted by strong fan support, Tunisia bravely pressed a slow Denmark and deservedly came away with a point. The Danes never got in full control of the midfield and suffered the intensity and commitment of a highly determined Tunisia. In the end, both teams lacked accuracy in the final third, sharing the first goalless draw […]
France began their World Cup title defence with a comprehensive Australia in the final fixture on Tuesday night. They did suffer an early scare as they conceded the opening goal, but it was all one-way traffic thereafter. In the process, they also seemed to find the right setup in possession that gets the most out […]
Saudi Arabia brought an ambitious gameplan into this match, looking to impose themselves on the game by pressing Argentina’s buildup and deploying an offside trap to stay high up the pitch. This looked exploitable at various points, but Saudi Arabia were able to take their limited chances at their other end of the pitch, scoring […]
Both teams struggled on the offensive side of things, until a late moment of defensive collapse presented a moment for the Dutch to express their individual qualities. Up to that point, Senegal’s neat tactical adjustments and well-executed high pressing proved very challenging for Van Gaal’s possession-dependent system. Two late goals tipped the result and showed […]
Gareth Southgate’s team dominated possession from the start here against a passive Iran side. England looked cohesive in their 4-2-3-1 formation as sharp movements helped them carve out openings, and they were able to gain a comfortable win against an Iran team who grabbed two consolation goals in the second half. Tactical analysis and match […]
While in some national teams like the Netherlands or Spain the coach is the superstar of the project, Lionel Scaloni has followed a more player-based approach. His flexibility and diplomacy allowed him to build the most consistent Argentina of the Messi era, with particularly strong possession and counterpressing phases. This tactical preview has been written […]