Portugal 1-0 Sweden: Tactical notes

Halfway through the play-off, Portugal seem to have the upper hand to get to next year's World Cup in Brazil, which is a far cry from claiming that the place in the finals is as good as booked. Let's delve a bit more into the tactical side of the match.

• 1. 4x3x3: An innovative formation?

Both teams played their expected XI and formations, but there were certain nuances to the tactical clash. On the Portuguese side, both Ronaldo and Nani seemed to have clear instructions to drift toward the centre, which meant that Portugal did not display the usual combination of one striker and two wingers, but rather one striker accompanied by two forwards. With both men inside and Sweden trying to remain as narrow as possible, the wings were paved in gold for both full-backs and/or midfielders João Moutinho and Raúl Meireles.

However, the players that managed to get close to the goal line were hardly in good crossing or passing positions, which often forced them to a backward pass only for the man behind to hoof it into the box, a threat with which the Swedish defence managed to cope with no major scares for the better of the first half. That was indeed one of the reasons why Portugal benefitted from 14 corners (8 of them in the first half). On the other hand, it was clear that Portugal coach Paulo Bento was trying to get Cristiano Ronaldo into scoring positions by having the team attack predominantly down the right, with the Real Madrid star effectively acting as a second striker. That alternative, while hinging on Ronaldo's impressive physical attributes hardly paid off, since no one else on the team thrives on that brand of football.

• 2. Defending in numbers does not equal good defending

In a rigid 4x4x1x1, with Elmander slightly off Ibrahimovic, Sweden's intention was to keep the Portuguese midfielders from getting the ball while facing their goal and then sit back a few yards ahead of the penalty box. With two compact, narrow banks of four, both Elmander and Ibrahimovic were allowed to remain ahead of the ball, which meant that Portugal often had numbers-up situations. Nevertheless, Sweden looked incapable of countering the simple triangle-shaped passing combinations so typical of a 4x3x3, with dreadful spatial awareness and their players frequently looking more interested in following the man than adjusting their positioning according to the ball.

• 3. Virtue lies in the centre

Even though Portugal did struggle to get into promising positions to shoot and provide killer passes, every time Moutinho (most frequently) or Meireles invaded enemy lines, Sweden's defensive approach immediately looked dodgy. Given the rigidity with which the Swedish team tend to play, a more aggressive approach in midfield might just do the trick in four days' time, but for that to materialise, Meireles (in a lower and lower cadence over the past couple of seasons) and Moutinho (a yard off his usual pace) must bring a greater sense of urgency to their attacking forays, even if it means a more conservative positioning from both full-backs, so as not to unbalance the team.

Furthermore, given their positioning high up the pitch, neither Ronaldo nor Nani put any effort in tracking back throughout the first half (the second period was a non-event as far as the Swedish attacking threat is concerned), thus exposing João Pereira - usually as good going forward as he is poor at the back - and Fábio Coentrão on the flanks. In short, greater investment down the middle may prove beneficial both at the front and at the back.

• 4. The perfect pair to stop Ibrahimovic

As so often happens with the talented, yet mercurial striker, Ibrahimovic went largely anonymous over the 90 minutes. Usually a player that thrives on open spaces - such as those Portugal were leaving behind, especially during the first half, in Bruno Alves and Pepe the PSG star seems to have met his match. On one hand, he is forced to get into high-powered, intense aerial duels with Ronaldo; on the other hand, should he manage to get free from Alves, Pepe is probably the best partner to cover up for his team-mate, largely due to his speed and ability to sweep up behind. If Erik Hamren insists on such predictable attacking manoeuvres next Tuesday, Paulo Bento may well thank him for not putting Alves and Pepe to the test on the floor, where they struggle the most.

Even though a 1-0 result offers a great advantage in such a cagey contest, Portugal can ill afford to sit back and let the clock run. However, a greater offensive balance from Sweden might be ideal for Postiga, Ronaldo and Nani, with Moutinho or Veloso spreading passes for the break. For that Portugal will have to convey a more assured sense of defending than they did last night, in the few times Sweden managed to attack.

England - pragmatic or ordinary?

This piece was originally intended as a tactical report on tonight's (postponed) match between Poland and England. However, since this contest was as tactically irrelevant as they come, I chose to go down another path and analyse specific details about the English squad.

With both teams arranged in a 4x4x1x1 and virtually mirroring each other in every aspect, there was good cause to believe this would turn out to be a match right up Sir Bobby Robson's alley - "if everyone wins the battle against their direct opponent, we will win the game". Unfortunately, due to both teams' fear and ineptitude, neither didn't. The outcome? A fitting draw, with both goals coming from set pieces - Rooney scoring with his shoulder, Glik putting the ball in the net after an ill-timed approach from Joe Hart.

• The new life of Wayne Rooney. As his speed dwindled down over the years, Wayne Rooney has been clever in making the most of his footballing and match reading abilities. Never one willing to stay up front waiting for service to come, his work rate has been beneficial for both his club and country. The former Everton forward has now become an almost full-time midfielder, and an all-around one at that. He was often seen deputising for Cleverley when the Manchester United youngster pushed forward and covering for Ashley Cole, as well. By dropping back a few yards (a bit like Paul Scholes did), Rooney's influence may grow exponentially and he may become one of the most dangerous attacking midfielders in the world.
• Carrick and Gerrard in midfield. Are you sure? Steven Gerrard has been one of England's mainstays and trustworthy lieutenant for the last decade or so. While it is impossible to overstate his historic importance - despite the apparent physical impossibility for him and Lampard to play on the same side -, it's an indisputable fact that his speed, stamina and work rate have been on the wane over the last couple of years. To entrust him with the task of shielding his back four alongside Michael Carrick borders on wishful thinking. As for the Red Devil, he is indeed a masterful passer of the ball and excellent at dictating his team's tempo, but he needs both a ball-winning partner by his side and his team-mates to provide darting runs in front of him. Otherwise, his lack of pace and almost non-existent physicality will become far too exposed and constitute a liability for this team.
• Hart, the foundation. Joe Hart is undoubtedly one of the best goalkeepers in Europe. He has often stepped up to save his team's ambitions and his evolution has been undeniable. However (like Iker Casillas, for instance), he really has to master the art of dealing with crosses, at the risk of jeopardising his reputation and the faith his team-mates are willing to put in him. Every good team must have a faithful, solid, reliable goalie at the back. Hart only needs to improve that bit to become one of England's all-time greats.
• The young guns. From everything I watch and read, I have been under the impression for several years now that England's future was bleak - there was an apparently ever smaller talent pool, foreigners (some with limited ability) were stifling the evolution of youngsters and kids these days were less and less interested in playing football (or doing any sort of physical activity, for that matter). Watching tonight's match, I couldn't help thinking that England's future was alive and well. In fact, Welbeck, Milner (he's still only 26, mind you), Walcott, Carroll, Lennon, Cleverley and Oxlade-Chamberlain all provide a strong bedrock upon which to build. Cleverley has the makings of an intelligent midfielder, Walcott and Lennon have the speed to offer the necessary width, and Oxlade-Chamberlain can provide the intensity and versatility so often lacking in English national teams.
• Pragmatism or excessive fear? As an outsider looking in, I have always felt that English teams (both at club and international level) were too often isolated from the rest of the world. While it has numerous upsides - the atmosphere in an English stadium is still miles away from anything else, to name but one example -, it also has its disadvantages. Although the 4x4x2 (or 4x4x1x1) many teams resort to is not necessarily a thing of the past, the way most squads play it is absolutely outdated. In fact, it's not that hard to remember that the English teams that thrived the most in European competitions have seldom been arranged in such fashion. For instance, since Sir Alex Ferguson decided to step away from 4x3x3, Manchester United have dropping further and further away from Barcelona (admittedly one of Sir Alex's yardsticks) and even Manchester City, their numerous stars notwithstanding, found life in the Champions League hard and were eliminated by Sporting Lisbon in the Europa League. If England are serious about reclaiming their place in European football, they must analyse their performance, but they mustn't be wary of learning from others.

In conclusion, while England's performance in Warsaw was far from impressive, there are still a lot of positives to take from it. A draw is a good result and hopefully Roy Hodgson will realise he has enough weapons in his squad to strike fear in his opponents' hearts. There is one thing the manager of the English team (and their fans) must realise, though: England are neither the powerhouse that must win every single match against every single opponent - as many seemed to believe not so long ago -, nor are they some minor team that should quake in their boots every time they go out on the field.

Portugal fail to capitalise

Starting elevens

Portugal and Russia met in Moscow for a potential decider about which team gets top spot in the group (thus avoiding the dreaded play-off). Ruben Micael played in what is usually Raúl Meireles' position, while Russia named an expected side, with Dzagoev's absence the only surprise.

On a synthetic turf, Portugal faced some initial difficulties trying to knit together a string of passes. Russia's original plan was very clear: allow the centre-backs time on the ball and pounce whenever the ball got to the midfielders or the full-backs, biting them at the ankles. When the ball was sent back to the Portuguese centre-backs or goalkeeper, the Russian players would exert intense pressure. That was the backdrop against which the first and only goal of the match came about.

Micael has just been caught out in possession.
Pepe (red) realises it and sprints to close the gap.

Bruno Alves (green) misreads the whole situation and is late to react.
He does not follow Pepe's move and is nowhere near the ideal positioning.

Portugal actually reacted quite well to Russia's goal and managed to find their footing. Pressuring high up the field, Paulo Bento's charges managed to win numerous balls back, stifling Russia's initiative. Nevertheless, the Eastern team proved very dangerous whenever they bypassed the Portuguese initial pressure. Micael remained too high up for the most part of the time he was involved in the match and Moutinho was lost as to whether join forces with Micael or help out Miguel Veloso, who was often left stranded.

Miguel Veloso was often left to fend off Russian attacks by himself.

Russia seemed both happy with the result and confident that their quick transitions would end up punishing Portugal eventually - and therefore dropped back. Nevertheless, their defending was sloppy at best, and Portugal actually managed to create a string of chances through virtually the same play via their 4x3x3 - much like FC Porto versus Paris Saint-Germain - on the right flank (Fábio Coentrão's injury was not exactly a blessing in disguise).

Nani (blue) passes the ball to Postiga, who in turns gives it to Pereira.
The presence of Micael (orange) keeps the centre-back
from providing the necessary coverage.

Nani takes full advantage of Postiga's movement
and Micael's presence to run into space.

This was relatively easy for Portugal to achieve because both Fayzulin and Shirokov would remain too high up (somewhat similarly to Micael), which meant Bento's men had no trouble finding either Postiga or Ronaldo unchecked in the middle. Despite several opportunities, Portugal's decision-making in the final third was seldom as good as it should have been.

To make matters worse for the Portuguese, their effective pressure high up was not combined with effective defending at the back, either derived from individual distractions or from the excessive space allowed after the initial pressure area.

Resorting to a familiar strategy, Paulo Bento replaced Ruben Micael with Varela and Portugal were rearranaged in a 4x2x3x1. Moutinho sat closer to Veloso, and Nani shifted to the centre off Postiga. This B plan has yielded its results in the past - against Denmark, for instance -, but this time it was Portugal's final straw. Despite Bento's laudable intent, the midfield became unbalanced and the Selecção were never again able to exert the same pressure or create another scoring chance.

Even though this was not Portugal's finest hour, the result may seem a bit harsh, considering the displays from both teams. By half-time, Portugal had had lots more shots, a higher number of passes and a higher percentage of accurate passes - even if their second half was not quite as bright and it was hard to see how Portugal would end up scoring.