Friday 7 July 2017

MY TAKE ON THE FINAL BETWEEN CHILE VS GERMANY .

now this is the last match of the season that i am writing . germany played chile in the finals and even the though the game was exciting in terms of the spectator but in terms of a analyst it was not . i will take into account both the games between these teams in the tournament . before i write about the game i want to say something . if somebody had read my blog carefully then they might had noticed that i give equal importance to observation . let me explain coaches are there are on the sidelines just so that they can observe the game and pass the inputs to players on what they are not doing or where they can explore the opposition and who should take the position where and try to explore which zone and try to carve an opening out of it  . certain coaches do like to sit in the stand so that they can have a bird eye's view of the game and they pass their instructions to their assistants who conveys to the players . i think its a very good move since in many other games like the american football the offensive and the defensive coaches sit up high in the box so that they can have a birds eye view of the game and from there they can have a better reading of the game and can take necessary changes in the game plan . the reason for me write this is because i had been disappointed with the chile coach because when you are on the offense then at that time its is up to you as to how you try to open the opposition . for that you have to take into consideration all the various factors . i once read zlatan praising about jose mouriniho because he had such a good report card about the opposition team and its players that he could plan his tactics according to it . the reason why i am writing this whole para is that there were chances for chile to exploit germany or you can say there were spaces in the german defense that chile should had exploited and made the game more interesting .
chile started the game with their usual 4-3-3 formation with vidal given the free . while germany started the game with 3-6-1 formation with werner retaining his place in the team . the game started the with the usual plot with germany sitting back and chile controlling the tempo of the game . germany were prepared for this that is why they played 3 at the back and whenever they lost the ball the three centre backs would get very narrow and just sit in front of the 18 yard box and defend . i had already written in the previous post that germany like to play out from the back so as to allow the opposition to come and close them down . this would create space and if the ball is moved crisp and properly then you can take advantage of it and punish the opposition just as they did it in the S/F against brazil in the 2014 world cup . timo werner was in the team because of his pace and his ability to make runs . stindl and draxler would join him on the offense and move inside to complement him . chile having moving there fullbacks high up the pitch since they are very mobile and also that germany had kimmich and hector as the fullbacks who would tuck along side the back three so make it a back five so chile's fullbacks could move high up the pitch because germany afforded them the space by playing the formation .
germany like to move the ball from the back but i had said that in the earlier post that they dont have players who can play crisp football plus compared to chilean footballers they are not that comfortable on the ball . rudiger is being linked with a move to chelsea but for me he still looks a little too shaky on the ball and when pressed can make mistakes . even though chile were playing the high line and pressing but when germany could escape that press and move the ball chile would try to cave up and but as much time as they can in a move to get players behind the ball and defend . the game was going with pretty much the same story line untill diaz tried to spend time on the ball and got himself caught on the ball and let the advantage to germany . 
now the why did i write the first para was that germany had the 3-4-3 formation . the reason for writing the first para was that the coaches observe the opposition and try to find out the weakness in the team . they try to find out the weakness in the opposition flank and try to exploit it . first off germany germany were playing on the counter attack but they had to make sure that wener was matched against a guy who he can have some advantage . so werner was moved to the right against medel so that he can have the pace advantage against medel .
chile were controlling the tempo and were bringing the ball from back to front very quickly and were in a hurry to score and i think it was correct since germany were getting players behind the ball very quickly . now this where i think the chile coach should had improvised . first off germany had three in the middle rudy,groetzka and draxler . first off he should had studied as to which centre back was the weakest in the german back three and if he had seen the games then he would had fined that rudiger was the weakest link in the back three compared to the other two . rudiger had no joy against chicharito in the mexico game and had hernandez been smart he would had exploited it  . secondly lowe must had instructed his back three not to come out of their positions and stay compact and maintain there position .  so first thing that the chile coach should had noticed was that there was space between the lines where all the players sanchez,vidal and vargas were getting the time and space on the ball . although they were getting closed down very quickly but they were getting the time where on they were getting the first touch easily and could pass had they had a well orchestrated move . chile should had exploited this space but sadly they dont .
another fault over the course of two games had been with sanchez . first off whoever plays football ( good players ,important ones ) they know that the opposition tries to keep them in leash and make life difficult for them . but at the same time it help to create space for the others . just look at messi when he was on the right it created space for neymar and he had his best season and barcelona won it all . sanchez should had just taken a leaf out of that book and the coach should had instructed to play him that way  . he should had just kept the game flowing instead of trying to create things himself . he should had been just a simple piece in the puzzle and produce the special thing when he would had been given the time and space on the ball .
the goal by germany was like a bullet for chile and it was just an uphill task which they found very difficult . they should had just kept th cool and just played the normal game but the coach went too early in the changes and germany just sat back and soaked up the pressure and just countered when they had the chance and some chances should had been converted . the one thing that chile coach needs to ask is whethere they  can continue playing with this same one tempo football or can they play better and make the necessary changes in the game .

Saturday 1 July 2017

MY TAKE ON THE CONFEDERATION'S CUP SEMIFINAL'S

the semifinals of the con fed cups were completed yesterday with chile and germany reaching the finals . while germany's performance was dominating  . the tactics that were employed in the game between chile vs portugal were totally enigmatic for me . i hope just as the game between chile vs germany was entertaining in the prelims the same way the final will be .
chile vs portugal was the chance for the both teams to show who plays the best football . it was a match which would give bragging rights to the team which won the game . i thought that it would be an interesting with both managers taking into consideration there strong suits and building their team according to it . messi is the best player in the world when he has the ball  at his feet . but the best finisher at this point of time or in the last 5 years had been christiano ronaldo . this man had been the best header of the ball and is a deadly finisher with both the feet and is the most potent striker around the 18 yard box . you can deploy any tactics when you have a deadly finisher like him in an around the box . the real reason why real madrid both this season was ronaldo and his finishing powress .
portugal started the game with 4-4-2 formation with ronaldo and silva starting up front . while chile started the game with 4-3-3 formation with vidal given the free role to drop deep and link up and given the lisence to go into the box . the game was better in the first 15 min with both sides having the chances . ronaldo was playing in the front two but he was shifted on the left side a position where on he starts the game against real madrid while andre silva was the main front man . the best chances came when a direct ball was fed to ronaldo front the back and medel failed to judge the flight of the ball . ronaldo has lost quite a pace or either he was unfit for the game but he fed andre silva who failed to finish. while on the other hand sanchez found the space between the lines and released vargas behind the back four . this was the last time that sanchez had any time and space on the ball because cedric just followed sanchez and clearly kept him in the pocket and this must had been one of the worst performance or we can say that cedric did a very good job . but the trouble is that for the whole 90 min sanchez's position was the same . he should had realized that cedric was following him and he should just altered his game  . for me both the teams were too slow . the fullbacks were having time and space on the ball and were trying to stretch the offense but there was no success for both the teams . first off chile cannot beat portugal's centre backs in header .secondly portugal just werent giving chile time on the ball and pressed them hard when the ball came in their half . while portugal just couldnt find ronaldo in and around the box and there service to the forwards andre silva was poor who was the main man .  the game started to get bored after this . both teams were just cautious but i was greatly by the lack of ingenuity by both the coaches and the lack of plan A .
the real enigma for me was why was ronaldo shifted on the left . he should be just around the 18 yard box or inside it and that invites attention which creates space for the others . his starting position is not a problem but his final position should be in the box just like he does for his team. there is no other lethal finisher in world ( with messi ) like him . portugal's decision to play deep and play on the counter is very correct . they dont have the players who can do the dogged running and chase ball but then on offense just like chile players honding on the ball a bit longer and getting themselves closed down and losing possession or missing the chance to release the pass .
this might be the worst game sanchez had played and his pass completion might be worst in the team . the most surprising thing for me was that sanchez position was the same for the whole match . why didnt the coach wanted to change his position ask him to be smart and change his ways i dont know . chile trouble was that they didnt had the target man around who they could base their offense . most important there were two glaring things that were evident in the match first off there was lack of crisp passing from the chileans around the 18 yard box and portugal's good defending  . but all and all both the teams were just too bad when they had the ball . 
in the second semis mexico played germany who are one of the best organised team under lowe . germany started the game with 3-5-2 but would switch to 5-4-1 when  they loose the ball . even the score does suggest the hammering but i would applaud mexico and had the coach changed some of his personal the game would had been more interesting . both the south andnorth  americans are very comfortable on the ball and are definitely athletic than the europeans . mexico started the game with 4-2-1-3 formation . the trouble with mexico that they could press germany but they should had studied there opponent who could surpass chile's press and score the goal . germans had become very good with the ball at their feet and can play good crisp football . most importantly they make very good decisions on the ball and just dont hurry the moves instead they are patient and are able to bring the ball inside from wide areas and create good chances . mexico's decision to play high line cost them and the other reason was that the marking . they just couldnt sort out the marking as to who was marking whom . the first two goals were scored on counter and the main reason for that was that mexico had two players in the middle but out of which jonathan dos santos was getting high up the pitch and that was leaving only herrera to guard a large space in front of the back four for herrera to guard . the first goal was resultant of that . the second goal was because the back got into confusion as to whether they should step up for hold up their line and shape and let the opposition come onto them . in that confusion they let werner have time and space in the hole and he just could release groetzka behind the back four to score .
the personal that i wanted to change for mexico was chicharito . in that mexico team he is most less technical player in the team . van gal was criticized for his time at utd but i think he was correct to release to chicharito because he wants more from his forwards and after watching chicharito he was right to sell him . had mexico moved jiminez in chicharito's position and let aquino on the pitch with lazano in jimenez's position then we would had a game . the mexican's were good on the ball but the trouble was that they were making mistakes at the crucial moment and most importantly there organisation wasnt good one .
last but not the least chile and germany played in the prelims and they had a very good game ( i was going to write that one but couldnt ) . if germany can just hold off that initial chile's pressure for the first 20 min then i think we have a very good game on out hands and if germany can stop making that initial mistakes when they play out from the back . the trouble with germany is that when they move the ball from back to front they are getting one dimensional and the opposition can read the game and close them down and start the counter very fast . instead when they move the ball they need to keep the opposition guessing and be smart on the ball .