Portugal proved that they are better off without Cristiano Ronaldo with a big win over Switzerland, scoring as many goals in one match as they did during the entire group stage. Benfica youngster Gonçalo Ramos was the star, registering three goals in what was a dominant and physical display from the striker. Tactical analysis and […]
High in stakes. High in emotion. It can lead to wild rides and in a week of incredible drama, Serbia and Switzerland also delivered. Serbia brought firepower, but Switzerland brutalized a poor defensive set-up to dump them out of the World Cup once again. Tactical analysis and match report by Joel Parker. Though it was […]
After a slow start and great opposition pressure, Brazil solved passing issues down their left side to win. Sound familiar? The title may suggest a sequel, but Brazil had to problem-solve in a new way with a Neymar-less void in their attack. Tactical analysis and match report by Joel Parker. Though famous for their […]
Few can rival Spain’s strength at retaining the ball, but this clash demonstrates why this trait alone has not assured success. Control counts for little if one lacks efficiency in the boxes. These fragilities made an untimely return, complicating the hosts’ route to the Nations League final. Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere. […]
This Nations League fixture gave both countries a prospect of turning around the fortunes of their campaign. The Swiss gambled on a familiar chink in the Spanish armor to hold onto their stake in this duel, but their improvement after the break could not make up for a fatal deficit. Tactical analysis and match report […]
Italy and Switzerland remained level on points at the top of Group C in the European section of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, as Silvan Widmer’s goal was cancelled out by Giovanni Di Lorenzo to give both teams a share of the points. With only the group winners going through to next year’s tournament, […]
Eight minutes in, Spain looked well on their way to slide into the last four of EURO 2020. But dominance of the ball and territory alone does not win games. A familiar lack of penetration around the Swiss box and the fierceness of their opponents kept the door ajar for two hours of action, another […]
An unpredictable EURO 2020 needed a truly unpredictable moment to make its mark. It arrived last night, and the football world stood stunned. The variance of international tournaments makes upsets very likely, but few predicted that it would be France who fell victim to fate. And few would have predicted it should come in such […]
Italy made it back-to-back impressive showings as they handily dealt with Switzerland. The Italians were not fazed by the Swiss pressure, regularly cutting through. Their numbers in the attacking third were tough to deal with, both centrally and on the flanks, while clinical play, led by a Locatelli brace, ensured they cruised to victory. Tactical […]
Vladimir Petković’s Switzerland were full of tactical intrigue in this surprisingly energetic first semi-final of the UEFA Nations League. Switzerland’s plan in midfield enabled them to intricately pick holes in Portugal’s shape, which resulted in them generating countless great attacking moments. Most of them fizzled out into nothing, however, giving Ronaldo the chance to take […]