tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56732871134820422622024-03-05T20:13:57.934+00:00Combination PlayFootball in its truest form.Vasco Mota Pereirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03721669176775665674noreply@blogger.comBlogger154125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5673287113482042262.post-90973535337698948292015-11-27T20:26:00.000+00:002015-11-27T20:26:42.642+00:00Goal's Anatomy: GegenpressingEver since Jürgen Klopp arrived at Borussia Dortmund the word "<b>Gegenpressing</b>" started to make its way around the media and specifically tactical websites (such as this one). Klopp's arrival at Liverpool, in particular, fanned the flames even further, but it's sometimes hard to define just what the term comprises.<br />
<br />
Gegenpressing can be translated literally as counterpressing and it is basically a method that some coaches think to be a very efficient approach to hurt your opponents. Usually, a team either relied on numbers at the back when they gave the ball away and immediately retreated into their own half or they would press high when they didn't have the ball. The gegenpressing's innovation is that one's opponents are most likely to get hurt when they have just won the ball back and are therefore still looking for the right way to turn it into attack - which can sometimes lead to confusion and the unexpected opening of spaces.<br />
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A few weeks ago <b>Barcelona </b>and <b>Villareal</b> met at Camp Nou and showed just how useful and effective this weapon can be. This edition of Goal's Anatomy will focus on it in some more detail.<br />
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<ul>
<li><u><b>1. Normal defensive organisation.</b></u></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggfwiSqT2cMBH6aoaI6zGx8ja6a20oIS6fLoAfHg9_1nieO-axg546Ie5hnAnlnmY45IHtYafoYsysNrwFXFwbR9O1lcX6EtVyn71Hp0Z-0Pi83Bfly7b_4tUJAL0LrD5APUlUuBgak70/s1600/FCB-VIL+Gegenpressing+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggfwiSqT2cMBH6aoaI6zGx8ja6a20oIS6fLoAfHg9_1nieO-axg546Ie5hnAnlnmY45IHtYafoYsysNrwFXFwbR9O1lcX6EtVyn71Hp0Z-0Pi83Bfly7b_4tUJAL0LrD5APUlUuBgak70/s640/FCB-VIL+Gegenpressing+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is in no way a surprising picture. Barcelona have the ball (<b><u>Andrés Iniesta</u></b> does, to be more accurate) and Villareal defend in numbers with everyone behind the ball apart from <b><u>Roberto Soldado</u></b>, in a not that atypical 4x4x1x1. There is quite some distance between Villareal's right back Mário Gaspar and the centre-backs and also a lack of coverage in between the lines, but that will be covered elsewhere.<br />
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<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>2. Dynamic shifts</u></b></li>
</ul>
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Numbers and layouts are, of course, nothing in football, because it's how dynamics work that make or break the lovely ideas one might have drawn on the board. In this case, Iniesta tries to connect with <b><u>Luís Suárez</u></b> via a long ball while <b>Munir El Haddadi</b> tries to make an inside run, as so often is the case. Notice the shaded circle where <b><u>Sergi Roberto</u></b> is almost by himself in one of the most important areas of the pitch.<br />
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<ul>
<li><b><u>3. Villareal win the ball back</u></b></li>
</ul>
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Iniesta's hopeful long ball doesn't yield much as <b><u>Víctor Ruiz</u></b> heads it clear and the Yellow Submarine win the ball back. Villareal midfielders do a poor job of patrolling their midfield, as indicated by the shaded circle. Now would be the time where Villareal should start deciding how to turn this ball recovery into an attack of their own. Also, notice that there aren't that many Barcelona players around where the ball is lost at the moment.<br />
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<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>4. Barcelona pounce while Villareal dillydally</u></b></li>
</ul>
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While the Villareal players try to keep the ball down from Ruíz's header, Barcelona react extremely fast and immediately swarm around their opponents in the area of the ball, robbing Villlareal of the necessary time to decide on their next move. Roberto and <b>Sergio Busquets</b> get closer to Iniesta and, together with Dani Alves, force Villareal's mistakes.<br />
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Because Villareal were already thinking about transitioning into attack, most of their players abandoned their defensive (body) positioning and most of them even took a step or two forward. Compare, for instance, how almost every Villareal player had his feet facing their own goal in the previous picture and how, on this one, their midfielders are almost in line with the ball, rather than behind it.<br />
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Because most players were considering opening up the pitch (namely the right-back), spaces opened up all of a sudden where, in Barcelona's normal attacking phase, there weren't many.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>Conclusion</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
Therein lies the beauty of the gegenpressing: By surrendering control of the ball for a few seconds, one can actually befuddle their opponents (sometimes) more easily than when having supreme control of the ball. By allowing the opposing team to win the ball back, one also allows them to lose their balance as they turn their inner chip into attacking mode, ergo making them less prepared to defend in case they give the ball away.<br />
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If used wisely, the gegenpressing can have devastating effects and provide a very useful way to tear more defensively solid teams apart in just a few seconds. You can see the whole play just below.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/olnBIfqpYbk" width="560"></iframe>Vasco Mota Pereirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03721669176775665674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5673287113482042262.post-42550451834003465962015-11-27T19:35:00.000+00:002015-11-27T19:40:40.891+00:00José Mourinho: Involution After Success?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: express.co.uk</td></tr>
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As so often was the case when he graced the football pitches in Spain and the rest of Europe, leave it to former Barcelona midfield maestro <b>Xavi Hernández</b> to <a href="http://www.espnfc.com/manchester-united/story/2713718/xavi-hernandez-backs-louis-van-gaal-acclaims-jose-mourinho">hit the nail on the head about <b>José Mourinho</b></a>: "He was the assistant coach, someone who understood the philosophy of Barça and who shared many of the same characteristics of Van Gaal. He was very respected by the players. He trained us sometimes alone at Barça B and he was excellent. I'm surprised that he became known for another type of football, more defensive, because he wasn't like that with us."<br />
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And therein lies probably one of the most fascinating aspects of The Special One's trajectory thus far.<br />
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Much has been said and written about Chelsea's misfortunes this season. But the truth is that, in fact, this downward spiral was not that hard to envision - that is, if you pay some attention to more than just the immediate results. What was once a coach with a great eye for detail and tactical innovation (albeit a more subtle one) has become a shadow of his former self, relying exclusively on his dressing room management skills - à la <b>Luiz Felipe Scolari</b>.<br />
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<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>1. The Beginning</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
Mourinho was given his first chance at a marauding Benfica and he immediately transformed the team, at every single level. However, the fact that he didn't stay there for more than a couple of months didn't help us understand just what he was capable of.<br />
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He needed to get to União de Leiria, by then an average mid-table club in the Portuguese top tier, to really make his mark. By December 2001, his team were already flying as high as third, two spots ahead of his eventual employers FC Porto, who rushed to sign him before anyone else would. But what impressed a few (including this column, admittedly) the most was not necessarily the table standings, but rather how he had got there, with proactive football, unafraid of anyone and eschewing altogether the tenets of the typically reactive football played in Portugal in the early seasons of the century. He was a breath of fresh air. The players loved to play for him. Some of them shone like they had never done before (and some of them never would again).<br />
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Despite some revisionism laid out by a few football writers as of late, both União de Leiria and FC Porto played much more than just controlled, run-of-the-mill football under a very inspirational coach, like some would have you believe. Mourinho paid excruciating attention to detail (as the <a href="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01927/art18-1_1927022a.pdf">famous leaked report</a> by then-opposition scout André Villas-Boas) in an attempt to always get the upper hand on his opponents.<br />
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He was indeed inspirational for other coaches, as he seemed to bring a fresh new approach to football and its coaching. Even though he didn't preach anything revolutionary, he seemed to be one of the few who represented the entire package - not only was he able to preach possession-based football and training sessions where the ball was ever present, he also had a penchant for press conferences and soundbites, a supreme confidence in his skills and the air of someone who was going places, all rolled into one.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFRC1MyxdckBQkJujtHYqmTvrjv1Sb_D8DcEXfZHVOOx_uBy2FSqTUAn_IYDMNXsKe7FCypo91StJtEV8dk4D4DZnbuulqZ4LulCEq_SMZY0QYBVQ9MuenLeSCqUWmIczp6JeEdAkajLs/s1600/mourinho4reu_1626056b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFRC1MyxdckBQkJujtHYqmTvrjv1Sb_D8DcEXfZHVOOx_uBy2FSqTUAn_IYDMNXsKe7FCypo91StJtEV8dk4D4DZnbuulqZ4LulCEq_SMZY0QYBVQ9MuenLeSCqUWmIczp6JeEdAkajLs/s320/mourinho4reu_1626056b.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: telegraph.co.uk</td></tr>
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What impressed this column the most was however the fact that his approach seemed to be based on a philosophical approach. Interviewed and queried for books and PhD thesis, he was able to show the reasoning behind his decisions on the pitch and in the dressing room. Despite winning the Portuguese league, the Portuguese Cup and the then UEFA Cup in his first full season at FC Porto, Mourinho knew he couldn't just rest on his laurels and went in search of something to motivate his players and keep them in check - hence the intense work on the 4x4x2 diamond that was a relative rarity back then and that proved so successful in Europe, yielding the Champions League in 2004.<br />
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Mourinho always had the collective, the group in the back of his mind. In <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jose-Mourinho-Leadership-Creating-Successful/dp/9896551979/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1448649905&sr=1-1">one of the best books written about his career and approach</a>, the Portuguese coach explained how zonal marking was the only option to defend set pieces, since it held the whole team responsible for the play's outcome - once again the group before the individuals. He went on to talk about the principle of complexity (how the relations between the different individuals in a team changed the team dramatically and how any coach should pay attention to it).<br />
<br />
On <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jose-Mourinho-Authorised-Biography/dp/B0155M8XYM/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1448649905&sr=1-7">another book</a>, he talked about the Guided Discovery, i.e. how the coach had the responsibility to lay clues for the players to find out the best answer to a specific problem was, Mourinho himself knowing all along what he wanted the answer to be. He bragged about how he wanted to dominate matches or at least control them, if domination was not an option. He talked about how he wanted his teams to press high and then rest with the ball. Players were delighted with his innovative sessions. In short, he sounded much more like the coach Xavi had got to know at Barça.<br />
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<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>2. Top of the World</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
Everyone knows how the story goes by now. After winning the Champions League, Chelsea's new owner wanted Mourinho to lead his team and wouldn't take no for an answer. The Portuguese was an instant success, from his very first press conference. He won his players over in a heartbeat and indeed, in the first matches of the off-season, it was already possible to see many of the movements that Mourinho had implemented at FC Porto.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9vhhyrT8NcKClIDCTEWAcMXoFBybhD6GaYuTDJ80CfZPGR679bFhmFKwLzqN42ZmYrvwf1p1kGUk5toPvrB4mFqMW1uM6VhpCycokMAEzx7lqf8xnWwkYSISuGaYGHgTGKL12t3p3KEA/s1600/hi-res-d00d2357155241bd39caec7fdde2113c_crop_north.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9vhhyrT8NcKClIDCTEWAcMXoFBybhD6GaYuTDJ80CfZPGR679bFhmFKwLzqN42ZmYrvwf1p1kGUk5toPvrB4mFqMW1uM6VhpCycokMAEzx7lqf8xnWwkYSISuGaYGHgTGKL12t3p3KEA/s320/hi-res-d00d2357155241bd39caec7fdde2113c_crop_north.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo credit: bleacherreport.net</span></td></tr>
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According to this column, that Chelsea side was probably vintage Mourinho, the place and time where he sublimated all his skills and honed his qualities even further. He was clearly enjoying himself and everyone (opponents included, sometimes) was basking in his presence. That was the time where his side steamrollered the opposition, sometimes shutting up shop at 1-0, sometimes running rampant. Players like Damien Duff, Arjen Robben, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Eidur Gudjohnsen, Paulo Ferreira and so many others enjoyed some of the best moments of their playing careers in what seemed to be an almost unstoppable Chelsea. All of the main tenets were there and it seemed Mourinho was the alchemist that had come across the definitive winning formula.<br />
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<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>3. Always Brightest Before The Night</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
Mourinho decided to go to Inter Milan as the luminary that would set the oft-floundering <b>Massimo Moratti</b>'s club on their way back to glory. And that Mourinho did. But that was also where you could sense things starting to fall apart a little bit, a very hard proposition to sustenance when everyone knows Inter ended up winning the Italian League and the Champions League in the two seasons that the Portuguese coach spent in Italy.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo credit: telegraph.co.uk</span></td></tr>
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However, there seemed to be more than just the adaptation to a new country, culture and club (all the best coaches do it, just look at what <b>Pep Guardiola</b> has done at Bayern Munich since joining in 2013). The focus on keeping the ball was much less present. The single holding midfielder started giving way to a more solid <i>doble pivote</i>, man-marking started to be interspersed with zonal marking at set pieces, the team were more dependent on individual players. Some of the football was admittedly poor, while some was clearly <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6BNr1OxM7Y">scintillating</a>. Inter might have deservedly won the Champions League, but, to some followers of his career, Mourinho seemed to be missing a step or two. The fact that he won the Champions League based on a more reactive brand of football might have been a strong reason for what has been happening since.<br />
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<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>4. The Tipping Point </u></b></li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6zYFCXQrda5GLUi3HSmXVhofrfeKPPYYakkppXGE2ArAHnbhsCLov6XWEYmAWpU9dbogjKRvOur1jGLZJRzF_WG1l4q9Cb1MVEvKEZq0W7CWsmOp2POuaMMCmXFCrH3txPtZXI0ZtwG4/s1600/048540-jose-mourinho-real-madrid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6zYFCXQrda5GLUi3HSmXVhofrfeKPPYYakkppXGE2ArAHnbhsCLov6XWEYmAWpU9dbogjKRvOur1jGLZJRzF_WG1l4q9Cb1MVEvKEZq0W7CWsmOp2POuaMMCmXFCrH3txPtZXI0ZtwG4/s320/048540-jose-mourinho-real-madrid.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo credit: dailytelegraph.com.au</span></td></tr>
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It is hard to qualify José Mourinho's time at Real Madrid. Some will call it a success, while others would have a harder time doing it. Even Mourinho himself labelled the 2012/13 season the worst of his career, at the end of a very tough, politically-ridden 3-year cycle at Real Madrid. In this case, the most important aspect is not the loads of silverware he piled up or that should have grabbed for his club, but rather how things unravelled from a tactical point of view. While the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLXlvhV8cK8">5-0 defeat against Barça</a> five years ago almost to the day was clearly one of the toughest days in his professional life, things should not be based solely on that particular result, especially because he managed to do so much more while he was at the helm.<br />
<br />
On the contrary, this is about how he got to those results - often times with a much more reactive brand of football, resorting to have his team play exclusively to the strengths of Cristiano Ronaldo, even when it had costly implications on the rest of the squad and their playing style. It seemed Mourinho was involving, going back on all the principles that had brought him such a high level of success.<br />
<br />
Man-marking at set pieces became the norm everywhere. Transitions became the team's livelihood. Ceding initiative to opponents soon became the traditional way for Mourinho's side to have the upper hand. Sérgio Ramos or Pepe (neither of whom excel in the build-up phase of play) as the team's holding midfielder was not an unusual sight and denounced the team's focus. Controlling matches with frustrating underhand tactics was not uncommon either. A man so steeped in his principles of positive football and collective thinking seemed to have sold his soul in exchange for more and more trophies.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>5. The Return to England</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
It is hard to fathom matches that are more made in heaven than Mourinho and the United Kingdom. Each party delivers what the other one wants, craves, loves and hates - in equal parts. And because Mourinho came back with a vengeance amidst claims of being The Happy One, it was even harder to get the point across that this was a different Mourinho, more interested in managing things from his tower and less willing to impose his football on his adversaries.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsFjokzLD2qf1h0uWp-fxyL_-xkNmyDUIFdsaoCYEEw_WQIDotS48HKQOFdbnDJ-75T44u68hBgAvFj1jv2-3isQkTfDLzxdanB4dYtEdSI_BSX7A_6OtRG98PgISta7-80dz4hH6WW3I/s1600/011715-Soccer-Chelsea-Jose-Mourinho-pi-ssm.vresize.1200.675.high_.41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsFjokzLD2qf1h0uWp-fxyL_-xkNmyDUIFdsaoCYEEw_WQIDotS48HKQOFdbnDJ-75T44u68hBgAvFj1jv2-3isQkTfDLzxdanB4dYtEdSI_BSX7A_6OtRG98PgISta7-80dz4hH6WW3I/s320/011715-Soccer-Chelsea-Jose-Mourinho-pi-ssm.vresize.1200.675.high_.41.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: backpost.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While the spirit in which he surrounds his team might have been enough to get past a befuddled Manchester City, a David Moyes-led United and the typical Arsène Wenger's Arsenal, all the signs were there: Chelsea were not playing top-class football, either offensively or defensively. Man-marking was now spread to open play, which left the team (and particularly John Terry) much more exposed to anyone who was able to envision the blind spots. The ball was now clearly something to give away (the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oXITaKwexU">elimination at the hands of 10-man Paris Saint-Germain</a> at Stamford Bridge being the ultimate example) and ideas to attack opponents' goals seemed to be limited to "give the ball quickly to <b><u>Hazard</u></b>" and "Let's see if <b><u>Fàbregas</u></b> is capable of pulling a through-ball".<br />
<br />
Clearly Chelsea will bounce back from this stupor and will probably progress from the group stage at the hands of FC Porto themselves. The 7 defeats were clearly a statistical blip. But blaming all of that on a thin squad or the typical 10-year cycles of successful managers seems to be a lazy exercise of reasoning, of a certain blindness to what had been taking shape beforehand. It remains to be seen just how far José Mourinho can take this squad and how he will be able to mend some of the fractures that already started to appear in the dressing room.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>Conclusion</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
This piece is no way destined to draw attention on all of José Mourinho's falls, but rather how his path has been a slippery slope and how there has been some evidence that such a blip might not be too far off. The siege mentality that the Portuguese usually implements on the clubs he manages tend to work, but it's a scorched earth approach that often leaves many of its members burnt - particularly at a time where player power is at its height and it's increasingly difficult to confine footballers in a "one for all and all for one" mentality for too long.<br />
<br />
It is this column's opinion, however, that unless Mourinho reverts his recent trajectory in terms of pure footballing approach, the titles that seemed to be coming his way so thick and fast will tend to spread out eventually, maybe sooner rather than later, as he fails to innovate and make his football as dominating as the approach Mourinho himself adopts at press conferences, where he is still "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElDZxmYJuv8">el puto amo</a>". If he does not step up his game, players will soon catch up with it and start losing faith in his skills and it will be increasingly hard to see his players <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmiqUQFgOxE">weep over his departure</a>.Vasco Mota Pereirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03721669176775665674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5673287113482042262.post-63222978410541930222015-04-22T12:17:00.001+01:002015-04-22T15:44:53.821+01:005 conclusions from Bayern Munich 6-1 FC PortoBayern Munich and FC Porto met once again last Tuesday, six days after their previous contest - the six days that Pep Guardiola kept claiming would be enough to correct some mistakes and make the difference. And that they did, as shown in the final scoreline. Similarly to <a href="http://combinationplay.blogspot.pt/2015/04/5-conclusions-from-fc-porto-3-1-bayern.html">last time around</a>, here are five things we should take from Tuesday's drubbing of FC Porto.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>1. Football is about much more than just footwork</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVvbjkl3nW-VtequQuj_miMHDahFpXIUo-xOQnfXZEJGO0aGZqsPaD4nLS0ou4dtH-a91clB7Kw5zi-JR3qJ1xoGxWsg9NcUvoD5IZvGvdQ9d4BmQkDOIMbutSq-h8iqEmrdKvgtOzDlQ/s1600/soccer-head.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVvbjkl3nW-VtequQuj_miMHDahFpXIUo-xOQnfXZEJGO0aGZqsPaD4nLS0ou4dtH-a91clB7Kw5zi-JR3qJ1xoGxWsg9NcUvoD5IZvGvdQ9d4BmQkDOIMbutSq-h8iqEmrdKvgtOzDlQ/s1600/soccer-head.jpg" height="224" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: travelswithme.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There is one aspect that should be highlighted before any other: While the return leg will be a sad reminder for all FC Porto supporters of the gulf that now exists between their team (and any other Portuguese side for that matter, something that will tend to worsen as UEFA cracks down on third-party ownership) and Europe's big dogs, this was a match that offered one of the best pieces of evidence of how football will probably be played in the future.<br />
<br />
Both sides kept adjusting their positioning and tactical formations throughout most of the match and both sets of players were able to interpret the changes and different tasks and movement that different positions required. Apart from the goalkeepers, centre-backs and the centre forwards (and even so...), virtually every other player had to keep reinterpreting the diverse challenges the match insisted on posing as both managers fine-tuned their teams in search of the advantage point. In comparison to, for instance, last weekend's Chelsea 1-0 Manchester United, it becomes clearer and clearer why <a href="http://combinationplay.blogspot.pt/2015/01/is-premier-league-falling-victim-to-its.html">the Premier League is falling behind</a> the European wagon.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>2. Tactical (in)flexibility</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTLchjVCS6q72aIn9pgsP6kr884EFkVfeLbIXGpQM0Ego_2mmtUuIMLhRHk3S5DGbpFEavLk-t3VV5jVG0gwJ-1xTOGTaBQVqEmTfjKrVV85zFBbEGr1psXHsMgFphyzbYBc6f8oO1u4o/s1600/tactics-board1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTLchjVCS6q72aIn9pgsP6kr884EFkVfeLbIXGpQM0Ego_2mmtUuIMLhRHk3S5DGbpFEavLk-t3VV5jVG0gwJ-1xTOGTaBQVqEmTfjKrVV85zFBbEGr1psXHsMgFphyzbYBc6f8oO1u4o/s1600/tactics-board1.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: www.betangel.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There is probably a reason why Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola is hailed as one of the best coaches in the world and is always in such high demand. At the press conference in Porto a week earlier, the Spanish coach made no mention of the weekend Bundesliga fixture, repeatedly focusing instead on the six days until the return leg and how those six days would be important to correct a lot of the things he had perceived as wrong.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, FC Porto coach Julen Lopetegui made the odd-sounding claim that his team held no surprises and that everyone knew how the Dragons played. Sure enough, the first half was the perfect mirror for both coaches' stances.<br />
<br />
While Guardiola kept almost the same starting XI (Holger Badstuber taking Dante's place), the side had little to do with the eleven men that took to the pitch at the Dragão. The Spaniard even went as far as saying that Bayern were not ready for Jackson getting so tight to maestro Xabi Alonso on the first leg, but that they were ready for it when the second leg came around.<br />
<br />
Indeed, Xabi Alonso hardly ever got himself in between the centre-backs and for most of the first half his role resembled a simple game of shadows, making sure his movement dragged Jackson Martínez out of the way so that Jérôme Boateng and Badstuber had the necessary space and time to progress with the ball or pass it with some purpose. FC Porto went through the whole first half without being able to adjust to that simple manoeuvre.<br />
<br />
Furthermore, the Spanish coach played his full-backs Rafinha and Juan Bernat in a narrower position, rather than hugging the touchline - with Phillipp Lahm and Mario Götze providing width. This allowed Bayern to have significantly more passing options and bamboozled FC Porto's men, who were unable to understand whether to mark their supposed direct opponent or the one that kept popping near them.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>3. The coach's hand</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_2pr_8uLJtGZqSCbZpdRwx7tE3sDKwDQylxh6FvtG9UsuKQNs7X8IX-JOJT7uIB6QGsxRtbURoSep9yUxfeKBUOMJuSkbkwxEZ9gupRLdX0T6jwnqUAUx9mC0JGUMt2Mi9l10VcYQhGw/s1600/julen-lopetegui-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_2pr_8uLJtGZqSCbZpdRwx7tE3sDKwDQylxh6FvtG9UsuKQNs7X8IX-JOJT7uIB6QGsxRtbURoSep9yUxfeKBUOMJuSkbkwxEZ9gupRLdX0T6jwnqUAUx9mC0JGUMt2Mi9l10VcYQhGw/s1600/julen-lopetegui-2.jpg" height="234" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Julen Lopetegui will have been doing <br />
a lot of this last Tuesday.<br />
Photo credit: obitri.wordpress.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In <a href="http://combinationplay.blogspot.pt/2015/04/fc-porto-3-1-bayern-munich-dragons-work.html">last week's match report</a> from the Dragão, a reference had been made to just how important coaches are and how their work is sometimes plain for everyone to see. At the Allianz Arena, Lopetegui did himself no favours by stationing Mexican centre-back Diego Reyes on the right side of FC Porto's back four, which meant that a man with hardly any playing minutes during this season was deployed out of position, at one of the toughest stadiums in Europe, facing one Mario Götze.<br />
<br />
Given the Portuguese side's need for technically skilled players at the back so that the team had time on the ball when they got it back and the fact that facing Bayern hardly ever calls for a less mobile player stationed out wide, it was hardly surprising to see the Mexican player being replaced with Ricardo half an hour into the match.<br />
<br />
On another note, it is equally hard to ignore the fact that FC Porto came out like a deer in headlights, afraid to use the third way between pressing or parking the bus that had worked so well last week. While it's true Bayern were much more accomplished with their pressing when transitioning into defence and effectively stifling the Portuguese side, it is undeniable that the Dragons were a bit further back than at the Dragão, which yielded a huge distance to Bayern's goal whenever they had the chance to win the ball back.<br />
<br />
Whether by design or the inability to put his players at ease before such an important match, Lopetegui's European reputation took a serious dent here, as anyone curious enough about the first leg's result to tune in for the return leg won't have been impressed with FC Porto's first half.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>4. The vulnerabilities of 4x3x3</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMSCnOQyNOthiefvEXg2Lqj7yAgxsm8X0ut0ESlv_ef5fSNmw88KGEhRGeSHT9dWiE0gdql9YQQTEPBkB478NEITYQ2lHthC6az8VF6mh3rVBccfRxsxOyePMBQxJoCFING-SjoKT-5b0/s1600/4-3-3_crop_north.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMSCnOQyNOthiefvEXg2Lqj7yAgxsm8X0ut0ESlv_ef5fSNmw88KGEhRGeSHT9dWiE0gdql9YQQTEPBkB478NEITYQ2lHthC6az8VF6mh3rVBccfRxsxOyePMBQxJoCFING-SjoKT-5b0/s1600/4-3-3_crop_north.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: www.bleacherreport.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
One of Pep Guardiola's main trumps is his rejection of one definitive tactical formation. While he has perhaps been most successful with the 4x3x3 during his Barcelona stint, he has proven more than adept at chopping and changing his tactical formations in order to keep opponents - and sometimes his own players - guessing.<br />
<br />
Even though Bayern seemed positively outmanoeuvred at the Dragão, the Spanish coach clearly learnt his lessons and went with a very different approach this time around, drilling holes in what seemed a very static strategy from FC Porto.<br />
<br />
In fact, Guardiola stretched FC Porto out wide with Götze and Lahm, but made sure there were plenty of passing options in the middle. As mentioned on the <a href="http://combinationplay.blogspot.pt/2015/04/fc-porto-x-bayern-munich-preview.html">first leg's preview</a>, Óliver Torres and Herrera can sometimes take too long to occupy the necessary positions in front of their defence and Guardiola surely noticed it. With Robert Lewandowski often dropping back with his back to goal, there was also Thiago Alcântara and Thomas Müller lurking around, which meant FC Porto's holding midfielder Casemiro was much less sure of whether to press or cover the space.<br />
<br />
Last night's match was surely a definitive reminder of just how vulnerable the 4x3x3 formation can be if the opposition knows how to pick the pockets of space that invariably form around the holding midfielder and behind the <i>interiores </i>- or shuttlers. The time FC Porto took to take notice of those changes was crucial to Bayern's incessant pounding.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>5. What does it all mean?</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4WkrRkgv462rFBnrQZwZATrc4sS08m_cLUf8cdONNDF6JvkKR7kAh1L6VlFTF7ShF2CxMUHrjhqFWEfnlLpgSIz1u-YalpsmCt3I3fklB2HTvh5HM9fKpRFDqTVJ1iQ1YqRq0MFajGY/s1600/question_marks1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4WkrRkgv462rFBnrQZwZATrc4sS08m_cLUf8cdONNDF6JvkKR7kAh1L6VlFTF7ShF2CxMUHrjhqFWEfnlLpgSIz1u-YalpsmCt3I3fklB2HTvh5HM9fKpRFDqTVJ1iQ1YqRq0MFajGY/s1600/question_marks1.jpg" height="195" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photocredit: airdriesoccer.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The problem with analysing results rather than processes in football is the instant bipolarity this option presents. Last week Guardiola's head was to be served up on a silver platter and his Bayern project was going nowhere. Today he's being heralded as one of the big names in coaching history. Conversely, Lopetegui was last week being touted for the Real Madrid coaching position (the rumour mill at its best) and this week he's under an enormous amount of pressure as he is forced to defeat Benfica at the Estádio da Luz if he harbours any hope of winning the title and therefore keeping his job with his current employer.<br />
<br />
For Guardiola this emphatic win was most definitely a sigh of relief. With last season's debacle against Real Madrid in mind, crashing out against Europe's minor opposition, for all their history, would have deepened the sense of perceived crisis in Bavaria and truncate the Spaniard's wiggle room. While they seem under control, success in domestic competitions would no doubt be insufficient for the club's (almost impossibly) high demands and might bring Guardiola's project into question.<br />
<br />
Therefore last night's win - and the way it was accomplished - will serve as the perfect panacea for Bayern's ailments and provide Guardiola with the much-needed time to bring some of the key players back, rather than being forced to watch the rest of the Champions League on the telly. On another note, the demolition of FC Porto will serve as notice for anyone that might think - at their own peril - that Bayern were already with one foot out Europe's door.Vasco Mota Pereirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03721669176775665674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5673287113482042262.post-69194297414696062632015-04-16T14:41:00.003+01:002015-04-16T14:41:52.472+01:005 conclusions from FC Porto 3-1 Bayern MunichFollowing <a href="http://memorable/">yesterday's night match</a> (memorable for FC Porto, inescapable for Bayern Munich), it's now time to dwell for a bit longer on what lessons can be learnt from the result and the display from both sides. Here are five bullet points.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>1. Xabi Alonso marked out of the match</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQTR5jIyKJfe-ItGCiehVbV-23pUpjz2x-Q60f8pyt5_GhswUt1XXfDXAjZEhDiVbRLT-0mddMuvPtJL_4Vmdg2BWvxJSezRKZIGKJDHSdPb3fYH7mTpV-ncr4dvpAP0178JfOx3HLpKk/s1600/XABI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQTR5jIyKJfe-ItGCiehVbV-23pUpjz2x-Q60f8pyt5_GhswUt1XXfDXAjZEhDiVbRLT-0mddMuvPtJL_4Vmdg2BWvxJSezRKZIGKJDHSdPb3fYH7mTpV-ncr4dvpAP0178JfOx3HLpKk/s1600/XABI.jpg" height="217" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Xabi Alonso's frustration <br />was on display throughout the match.<br />Photo credit: www.todayonline.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A coach can sometimes drill his players to exhaustion and ask them to do a specific thing or set of things on the pitch and never actually see it come to fruition. Therefore, it's not often that a coach gets to see it materialise on the second minute of a very important match.<br />
<br />
As it later became evident, Jackson Martínez had clear instructions to sit close to Bayern's maestro Xabi Alonso and thus frustrate the team's passing rhythm (the Spaniard came in behind the likes of Thiago Alcântara, Mario Götze, Juan Bernat, Sebastian Rode and even Jérôme Boateng as far as passes in the attacking third are concerned). FC Porto coach Julen Lopetegui couldn't have dreamed that that very strategy would yield the match's initial goal as Xabi Alonso was caught out in possession by the same man that would come to deny his extraordinary passing skills. If Bayern could never get into their passing groove, much credit should go the month-long absentee Jackson Martínez.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>2. Moments and areas for pressing: the key</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKsPEfR5sUxeiboPcHvk3-TFDGy7SsqH5brcy9zQVN9PtxZJwZC2R6BUdCqY2d-5HzAJ13X4ZL1ezUWAEiXQaJ0Hc5JILEz0wNHzf2wKVbV7qsglJMYaPXdm1pLV-o325gumf0CvxaaCc/s1600/Press.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKsPEfR5sUxeiboPcHvk3-TFDGy7SsqH5brcy9zQVN9PtxZJwZC2R6BUdCqY2d-5HzAJ13X4ZL1ezUWAEiXQaJ0Hc5JILEz0wNHzf2wKVbV7qsglJMYaPXdm1pLV-o325gumf0CvxaaCc/s1600/Press.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FC Porto players gave it their all<br />in the attempt to close down Bayern's passing options.<br />Photo credit: www.bavarianfootballworks.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Contrary to Thomas Müller's words, FC Porto did not win last Wednesday by parking the bus. In truth, they did the exact opposite at first by playing a relatively high line and then pressing Bayern's centre-backs and/or Xabi Alonso, in order to disrupt the Bavarians' rhythm. Even though they have been used to being the ball hogs themselves throughout the season, Lopetegui's charges adapted well to the fact that they would see less of the ball and were willing to take a step back and press only when it was deemed necessary.<br />
<br />Rather than pressing their opponents all over the place, FC Porto accepted Bayern's superiority in terms of ball possession, but rather than sitting deep, forced the Germans to play under the Portuguese's own terms. And that is perhaps the biggest lesson of them all for players, coaches and supporters alike - perhaps more than whether to press or not to press, the most important thing is to know what to do when it's time to do it. That way, FC Porto were able (most of the time) to condition Bayern's play towards the areas they felt most comfortable in.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>3. Holding the ball up: crucial to breathe</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDGx8ctweA4gKNpEmRlYQ3mn55g3oSDDUBItIl8KARV-np7TAepcq7cxjLefs3gHTDS4Yyxwfuk_QiIsJ0-m6-LrGLX2Td0c4JpWLN7EwJFrnqDLafcSq_sZ_9kNbNKXXw-hgDhqfcf0s/s1600/Quaresma.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDGx8ctweA4gKNpEmRlYQ3mn55g3oSDDUBItIl8KARV-np7TAepcq7cxjLefs3gHTDS4Yyxwfuk_QiIsJ0-m6-LrGLX2Td0c4JpWLN7EwJFrnqDLafcSq_sZ_9kNbNKXXw-hgDhqfcf0s/s1600/Quaresma.jpeg" height="200" width="140" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quaresma might have <br />provided his trademark finish,<br />but his work rate impressed the most.<br />Photo credit: www.theguardian.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Despite the final scoreline and the Bayern obituaries that have been written following their capitulation at the Dragão, FC Porto struggled quite a bit after the first 20 minutes up until the half-time whistle. During that period Bayern successfully stifled the Dragons and forced them to retreat to their penalty box and misplace several passes when they won the ball back.<br />
<br />
If things didn't pan out as badly as they could have, it was in large part due to the ability displayed by Jackson, Yacine Brahimi and Ricardo Quaresma to hold the ball up and either wait for the foul to come or solve the situation by themselves - thus giving the team some much-needed time to breathe. Without that skill set, FC Porto would probably have succumbed to Bayern's pressing, even if the Germans never looked quite their best at the Dragão.<br />
<br />
Quaresma and Jackson's goals will stay in the club supporters' mental highlight reel for a long time, but it was their work rate, willingness to track back and numerous good, yet less visible decisions that allowed FC Porto to thrive.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><u><b>4. Ball possession: blessing or curse?</b></u></li>
</ul>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN7LbDgI6m3d4FkKFasilYYRrXhlKryQoIsrMH_Cc1gk42BM8XdMAkfjkXyMo17ioXFg4N2M2uf9v-08uKh5qv7Pn49IzY3oVhCv1gBPYd_WVUXnwldAEpN0xm8_27eDLF1LOBDnMdL5w/s1600/Bayern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN7LbDgI6m3d4FkKFasilYYRrXhlKryQoIsrMH_Cc1gk42BM8XdMAkfjkXyMo17ioXFg4N2M2uf9v-08uKh5qv7Pn49IzY3oVhCv1gBPYd_WVUXnwldAEpN0xm8_27eDLF1LOBDnMdL5w/s1600/Bayern.jpg" height="216" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bayern had to wait <br />until the 28th minute to unleash their celebrations.<br />Photo credit: www.101greatgoals.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Any time a team that bases their football around ball possession loses, the knives come out to criticise the approach and the judges use the latest defeat or poor display as ultimate evidence that holding on to the ball in and by itself is an ill-advised approach. This is not intended to be one such case.<br />
<br />
The main theory sustained by those who prefer a thriftier approach when it comes to sharing the ball around claims that when one's team has the ball, the other team cannot score. The main hole in that theory is that no team in the world - not even Pep Guardiola's Barcelona or World Champions Spain in their prime - was ever able to keep their opponents from having the ball for several minutes, however few they were. The other pressing countenance is that a quick break or getting caught in possession only takes a few seconds to yield at least a scoring chance.<br />
<br />
This is in no way a hark back to more cynical times where Serie A teams excelled, but more of a starting point for a discussion about how it's much more important to know what to do when a team effectively has the ball, rather than whether they have it for a short or long time. Ball possession in and by itself offers nothing as an end product, but may well be the best way to keep your opponents from hurting you. The only problem with that is that you need huge amounts of confidence to make it work - and definitely better centre-backs on the ball.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>5. Knowing one's strengths and weakness</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-PJqQQS1lqUxlm8lbwbiuh-DXb_vc936RXq5s4g4tXruWnWdufsjNm58LTSpR6i_sZXg2u_7q0OYcs-47AY0Mf23NWfw9oaUeu6hQzXuNnPuQTg-4LFWfWtdMpXdCB_BJ5UhLHod_4zw/s1600/Jackson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-PJqQQS1lqUxlm8lbwbiuh-DXb_vc936RXq5s4g4tXruWnWdufsjNm58LTSpR6i_sZXg2u_7q0OYcs-47AY0Mf23NWfw9oaUeu6hQzXuNnPuQTg-4LFWfWtdMpXdCB_BJ5UhLHod_4zw/s1600/Jackson.jpg" height="223" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dante and Boateng were hardly ever given a moment's peace.<br />Photo credit: www.zimbio.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The position of centre-back could actually be one of the best starting points for any analysis of yesterday's proceedings. On one hand, Lopetegui was humble enough to realise Robert Lewandowski presented a clear threat, particularly given Bayern's recent, more direct way of playing as a result of so many dribblers missing. Therefore, he made sure that the Pole was almost always doubled up on whenever the ball was contested in the air, but also that the areas around him were duly occupied with FC Porto players.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, the Basque coach admitted that his centre-backs could not run the risk of being dispossessed near their own penalty box and that was why both Maicon and Bruno Martins Indi had no qualms hoofing it up towards Jackson Martínez (whenever possible), rather than exposing themselves to being caught in possession against the likes of Götze or Müller.<br />
<br />
Guardiola, in turn, saw Boateng and Dante (and even Manuel Neuer) put in some gasp-inducing passes and moves, and not only ended up chasing the score but was never sure enough anything similar wouldn't happen again either. For a team that is so dedicated to ball possession, it seems baffling that, with so much money spent all over the pitch, Boateng and Dante are still the go-to centre-back pairing.<br />
<br />
In purely defensive terms, both centre-backs showed once again that they are from comfortable when dealing with physically imposing strikers (or forwards, for that matter) and high balls, which was why Jackson managed to give FC Porto some wiggle room up the pitch and how the third goal came about.Vasco Mota Pereirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03721669176775665674noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5673287113482042262.post-85161793595763789482015-04-16T00:39:00.002+01:002015-04-16T12:19:48.397+01:00FC Porto 3-1 Bayern Munich: Dragons Work Their Magic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8769ll4ayX41-LKNtZdDYJKvlAnGaIn0hl6yYfrIOvxV28O2g_Y3J-ECxbYxUqwPPYjLN5Orq8LrZmYhmXtf1MijVlMlvpnqiH65jLrgLSw0lMM1q2J5g75-NaT_iR2mPx2OROOMRwpE/s1600/Champions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8769ll4ayX41-LKNtZdDYJKvlAnGaIn0hl6yYfrIOvxV28O2g_Y3J-ECxbYxUqwPPYjLN5Orq8LrZmYhmXtf1MijVlMlvpnqiH65jLrgLSw0lMM1q2J5g75-NaT_iR2mPx2OROOMRwpE/s1600/Champions.jpg" /></a></div>
Previews had been written. Podcasts had been recorded. Stats had been analysed. And yet nothing quite seemed to lead anyone to believe FC Porto were about to add another incredible chapter to their already success-laden book of European nights.<br />
<br />
Not even the most optimistic FC Porto supporter would have hazard such an adventurous guess: A 3-1 win, resulting from such an incredibly valiant display. With the second leg coming up at the Allianz Arena in less than a week's time and without both Alex Sandro and Danilo, though, the story will be far from over and FC Porto players, supporters and coaches will have to brace themselves for a bumpy ride.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>To Be or Not to Be: A Third Way?</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
But how did this all come to pass? That is probably the question going around the head of most journalists, if not every FC Porto supporter on their way home. There had been <a href="http://combinationplay.blogspot.pt/2015/04/fc-porto-x-bayern-munich-preview.html">some discussion</a> about what exactly Julen Lopetegui's approach would be and whether it would be better to hold back and afford Bayern Munich the initiative or, on the contrary, pounce on the Germans' perceived vulnerabilities.<br />
<br />
It turns out FC Porto's Spanish coach had something else on his mind and went with an alternative option. Rather than pressing heavily - and indiscriminately - from the front, his charges had clear instructions to keep their lines compact (the Dragons did not start out with the proverbial bus parked), allow the ball to reach the centre-backs and pounce on them when they looked most exposed - a mishit pass, getting the ball with their backs to goal, etc.<br />
<br />
The approach worked wonders and by the tenth minute FC Porto were already leading 2-0 via similar passages of play. On the first instance, Jackson Martínez caught Xabi Alonso out in possession and charged towards goal and got around Manuel Neuer, only for the German goalkeeper to bring the Colombian down. Ricardo Quaresma coolly scored the ensuing penalty and, five minutes later, repeated Jackson's actions by intercepting Dante's underhit pass and provided an even cooler finish to put FC Porto in the driver's seat.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>Physical and mental yo-yoing</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
The German champions effectively looked shaken by the worst start they could have imagined, but they gradually grew into something that looked closer to their best. In fact, as the match wore on Bayern forced FC Porto backwards more and more and increasingly put the Portuguese under pressure. (By the end of the first half, Bayern had accumulated 70% of ball possession, a statistic that Lopetegui is used to seeing under his own team's column and that reflects how little of the ball FC Porto had seen.)<br />
<br />
By the time Bayern scored through Thiago Alcântara's first goal in more than 450 days, things were starting to look shaky for FC Porto, as their players seemed to grow physically tired as a result of their incessant pressing, especially through the centre in an attempt to close down Bayern's passing options. Coverage started to arrive a bit later than usual as the first half drew to a close and the out-balls were not getting to their destination. This column wondered during half-time just what Lopetegui would fine-tune in the dressing room to avoid what seemed to be the impending German attacking barrage.<br />
<br />
As it were, the exact opposite happened. Bayern took to the pitch and almost immediately looked ill positioned, particularly in central midfield, oddly awarding FC Porto acres of space into which to break, rather than attempting to stifle the Dragons. When Jackson Martínez delicately received Alex Sandro's long diagonal pass and once again got around Neuer for the third goal, Herrera had already forced the German 'keeper to make a wonderful save and the feeling at the stadium was that FC Porto's third goal was somehow more likely than Bayern's second.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>The coach's hand</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
It is sometimes hard to perceive - or to explain - just what a coach does in the background to help increase his team's performances and results. Here it was rather easy to assess just how well Julen Lopetegui had drilled his team as his players kept pressing under the same circumstances and adapted almost miraculously to what the match asked of them - something very different from what they are used to on most matches.<br />
<br />
There was Casemiro's excellent positioning throughout the game whenever Bayern got to the goal line and tried to cut a pass backward, the incessant coverage provided by the wingers to their full-backs and the awareness of where the out-ball had to get out through. A team that plays with such confidence and panache even when facing one of Europe's fiercest sides necessarily means his coach has to be awarded some credit.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>Thiago, Götze and the diamond</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
Guardiola made some subtle changes to his team's tactical layout, chiefly the forwards' positioning. Most of the time, Bayern seemed to be playing in a diamond 4x4x2, with Mario Götze often behind Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Müller. While it was one of the reasons why the Bavarians managed to put FC Porto on the back foot throughout the latter half of the initial 45 minutes, it also backfired spectacularly throughout the first half of the second period, as Götze became more unaware of his defensive duties and Lahm and Thiago were not enough to protect Xabi Alonso.<br />
<br />
When Sebastian Rode came on for Götze, Thiago was allowed to move higher up the pitch. And while Rode actually did very well for himself, Thiago stopped being the threat he had been posing for the first hour of the match as his new positioning now meant he was much closer to Casemiro and the Portista defence, forcing him to often receive the ball with his back to goal.<br />
<br />
Despite Rode and Lahm's best intentions, it was clear FC Porto were being allowed too much space to break into. Even though Pep Guardiola would later come to say that in his opinion the match was never out of their control, the fact of the matter was that it remains rare to see any Guardiola side offering so many chances to their opponents with so little control down the middle.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>Football: A Game Played with One's Head?</u></b> </li>
</ul>
<br />
Perhaps more than any tactical tweak, however, it may have been the mental approach that Guardiola mentioned at his press conference that did the trick for both teams. As far as Bayern were concerned, the Germans looked more and more baffled and dispirited as the match wore on, particularly after FC Porto's third goal, and never resembled the assured team they were during the first half of this season (and no, this match does not constitute enough reason to celebrate the end of tiki-taka).<br />
<br />
As for the Dragons, the same team that was starting to look a bit lost as the half-time whistle blew suddenly found themselves awash with fresh confidence 20 minutes later as they realised beating Bayern (if not on the aggregate of the two legs, at least in front of their own crowd) was eminently doable. Danilo might have laid on the ground with cramps while Casemiro couldn't bring himself to get his hands off his knees after the final whistle was blown, but they had been zipping around just seconds earlier - a case of mind over matter if there ever was one.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>Quaresma: A Wizard Coming into His Own?</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
Anyone familiar with this column(ist) will have come across some of the doubts surrounding Ricardo Quaresma's contributions to the team. As it were, today was definitely one of the best matches from the Portuguese winger, not (only) because of the goals he scored - and the two cool finishes would be enough to stand on their own - but also because of the stupendous amount of work (defensive and otherwise) that would have seemed impossible not so long ago.<br />
<br />
Quaresma held the ball when he had to, dribbled when he should and kept showing himself available to team-mates in need of an out-ball. And that - in the middle of such a memorable night from most players - should be highlighted above anything else.<br />
<br />
FC Porto may be in for a tough match at the Allianz Arena, but they have at least made Europe sit up and pay attention to the only undefeated team in the competition so far - even after playing the dreaded Bayern Munich.Vasco Mota Pereirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03721669176775665674noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5673287113482042262.post-78150671010409154992015-04-14T10:42:00.003+01:002015-04-14T10:42:46.321+01:00FC Porto x Bayern Munich: The Preview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipZDqWDkFk-fZZcvfMCoJ06Cwjn9nyTIP20A3yTk1czRwMDEJgO_89ErAa25EHfJEsTzvPjUcnzYcJvhSWQJQDb-ZuEXf6SdFqrClEzuJ00MMRB_7Ka-TbbcbDUw9H3zq3VKWP5chtOsQ/s1600/PortuGOAL.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipZDqWDkFk-fZZcvfMCoJ06Cwjn9nyTIP20A3yTk1czRwMDEJgO_89ErAa25EHfJEsTzvPjUcnzYcJvhSWQJQDb-ZuEXf6SdFqrClEzuJ00MMRB_7Ka-TbbcbDUw9H3zq3VKWP5chtOsQ/s1600/PortuGOAL.png" height="160" width="320" /></a></div>
With such a monumental match coming up as far as FC Porto are concerned, PortuGOAL had to step up and provide a thorough preview of what can only be described as a David-vs-Goliath sort of clash. This time there's room for an in-depth analysis and also a short podcast for anyone that feels more inclined to listening rather than reading. You can find both pieces <a href="http://www.portugoal.net/club-news/180-fc-porto-v-bayern-munich-preview">here</a>.Vasco Mota Pereirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03721669176775665674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5673287113482042262.post-45657345738270789202015-03-12T00:16:00.000+00:002015-03-12T00:16:02.578+00:00FC Porto 4-0 FC Basel: The picturesLast Tuesday night FC Basel were comprehensively beaten by FC Porto, a match that <a href="http://combinationplay.blogspot.pt/2015/03/fc-porto-4-0-fc-basel-dragons-destroy.html">was analysed soon after the end of the match.</a> But sometimes words fail to paint a proper picture that helps explain where exactly the difference lay between the two legs. An attempt to put it into context follows below.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>Jackson who?</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
There's always a risk while praising a player for one isolated performance but here Vincent Aboubakar was certainly a linchpin for FC Porto's attacks throughout the match. Whether acting as a wall off of which his team-mates could bounce their passes or getting himself into scoring (or at least finishing) positions, the Cameronian's ability - and willingness - to make himself available to open passing lanes meant that Jackson Martínez was not as sorely missed as one might think. Whether this was a one-off evening or just a taste of just what Aboubakar is capable of remains to be seen. If Jackson Martínez leaves, as expected, the former Lorient man will certainly have lots more opportunities.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOyGtov8inyipcZslTM6tXia1EWXQcGt06BKBq4ZIbx_satQiJ_er0RhlV2UTQMAY94g1o7p4hHv2lVGiP2cCtzQM2zhspFRfaMnMb6FOIkPhqtRK1C65uP-HyVYtI-9-x35DCT-D70g4/s1600/FCP-FCB+Aboubakar.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOyGtov8inyipcZslTM6tXia1EWXQcGt06BKBq4ZIbx_satQiJ_er0RhlV2UTQMAY94g1o7p4hHv2lVGiP2cCtzQM2zhspFRfaMnMb6FOIkPhqtRK1C65uP-HyVYtI-9-x35DCT-D70g4/s1600/FCP-FCB+Aboubakar.png" height="526" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>A different attacking approach</u></b></li>
</ul>
<div>
At the press conference, Julen Lopetegui claimed that the team adjusted their strategy according to their opponents - something that is not exactly groundbreaking, but that has sometimes been hard to notice when FC Porto are concerned. Last Tuesday there was clearly a change of tack and the centre was a much more fertile ground for scoring chances. The wings were still the starting point for attacks, but more as a decoy - usually through the seemingly unshakable Brahimi - so that FC Basel's centre could become vacant.</div>
<div>
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGw4kxeBfbJKoXVoxbH91MKBXF-6Dhyphenhypheng3MfUqSv6yGiThXCPgCAlQu9gxfZOgWPrJgFiKWyOkAGfHtzv_3L2bBpVB2N0IFpoKOtwA0OYKxZ4ysRx_NWsC53HsYOwesyj20OpZFv-RXSnY/s1600/FCP-FCB+FCP+Attacking+3rd.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGw4kxeBfbJKoXVoxbH91MKBXF-6Dhyphenhypheng3MfUqSv6yGiThXCPgCAlQu9gxfZOgWPrJgFiKWyOkAGfHtzv_3L2bBpVB2N0IFpoKOtwA0OYKxZ4ysRx_NWsC53HsYOwesyj20OpZFv-RXSnY/s1600/FCP-FCB+FCP+Attacking+3rd.png" height="640" width="457" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Contrary to what has been the norm so far, decent chances came from the middle, rather than the wings. The Dragons kept wreaking havoc with an approach that worked wonders throughout the whole 90 minutes.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt5p8oj0W7hbzLbgukUwIasmJQmEUUBb8-gdYpsUDd3f0VvNidBvH-HGYmenYj8dlU0WoxOlE2dD3p0nDRRRD3gjZraz5Csq2LLdxhWNzQUvrCckDzZ9PPfD-LhSu9BFPtgnkdnfXy2XA/s1600/FCP-FCB+FCP+Chances.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt5p8oj0W7hbzLbgukUwIasmJQmEUUBb8-gdYpsUDd3f0VvNidBvH-HGYmenYj8dlU0WoxOlE2dD3p0nDRRRD3gjZraz5Csq2LLdxhWNzQUvrCckDzZ9PPfD-LhSu9BFPtgnkdnfXy2XA/s1600/FCP-FCB+FCP+Chances.png" height="640" width="456" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Just in case there remained any doubts, the chalkboard below compares the number (and origin) of crosses over the the two legs and certainly helps explain FC Porto's different approach against Paulo Sousa's FC Basel.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0WpfmRdYBvQ8RGjJE1GCbdB6ICBefbsBlNol5-zy2PYYyQZPWanDW0zvcFn_-zJlhixVukh2HY-GbKarH-uiJVhDm72t7fOFL3mpuY1aFkfg9EHXn2FMF5ghyphenhyphenTfa41eZhZktknM1O7YI/s1600/FCP-FCB+FCP+Crosses.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0WpfmRdYBvQ8RGjJE1GCbdB6ICBefbsBlNol5-zy2PYYyQZPWanDW0zvcFn_-zJlhixVukh2HY-GbKarH-uiJVhDm72t7fOFL3mpuY1aFkfg9EHXn2FMF5ghyphenhyphenTfa41eZhZktknM1O7YI/s1600/FCP-FCB+FCP+Crosses.png" height="436" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Another noticeable aspect was how less involved Cristian Tello was when compared to his counterpart down the left, Brahimi. Without space to run into, the Spaniard winger is sometimes frustrated all too easily (even though the run that drew the foul for the first goal was his). Even his team-mates seem to be aware of that and, consciously or not, tend to seek Brahimi for the out-ball. On the other hand, it is quite easy to see how many dribbles (stars) the Algerian attempted and how he invariably sought his team-mates with passes inside.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZ9qW-4pPw5vBF1O_6W6jtWZ4hXwv1KtgRaDwASTu2QSqm3t2Xsy8vJeilAHORp6Kf6LjcE1lSTLnszaqi5MoxJoEGuQ_ZlIfffcSL9QHLbju5gWLjXuV826uel-MuMJaBGn_PBOzLjU/s1600/FCP-FCB+FCP+Brahimi-Tello.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZ9qW-4pPw5vBF1O_6W6jtWZ4hXwv1KtgRaDwASTu2QSqm3t2Xsy8vJeilAHORp6Kf6LjcE1lSTLnszaqi5MoxJoEGuQ_ZlIfffcSL9QHLbju5gWLjXuV826uel-MuMJaBGn_PBOzLjU/s1600/FCP-FCB+FCP+Brahimi-Tello.png" height="436" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>Evandro comes into his own</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
It hasn't been the easiest of seasons for former Estoril man Evandro. With Óliver Torres and Herrera in front of him in the pecking order, he's been usually limited to come on for the last 10-15 minutes of matches. Here, however, he was able to make the most of a few consecutive starts following Óliver Torres' injury in the first leg against Basel and his silky touch and intelligent positioning enabled him to find pockets of space to receive the ball in, as well as distributing it calmly and wisely. Playing mainly left of centre, he combined well with Martins Indi and Brahimi, and was able to keep FC Basel's midfielders guessing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQbPAjM-c2hyphenhyphenAQkql1dLnksX6YU-ecZBFWkZnjLgO9Ozt4v8Xk_MIhC7WfR11PGdEbMJgOnrk7E-agyF91bXyPjfG9IgAHRx5PFzwd7x6pWrozcrmPX9qLoMNBnDinFkybTXJndyHlDiE/s1600/FCP-FCB+Evandro.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQbPAjM-c2hyphenhyphenAQkql1dLnksX6YU-ecZBFWkZnjLgO9Ozt4v8Xk_MIhC7WfR11PGdEbMJgOnrk7E-agyF91bXyPjfG9IgAHRx5PFzwd7x6pWrozcrmPX9qLoMNBnDinFkybTXJndyHlDiE/s1600/FCP-FCB+Evandro.png" height="438" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>Compactness in midfield means greater solidity at the back</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
One of the knock-on effects of the proximity between FC Porto players while attacking was that they were able to immediately get close to the ball when it was lost and stop FC Basel from getting their counterattacking groove on. Therefore, the defence consequently looked more solid, even though it was comprised of (almost) the same players doing the very things they've been doing so far. The difference was in the much tighter shielding.<br />
<br />
Casemiro was one of the key players for that effective shielding, patrolling the area in front of his defence when necessary, but - more crucially - playing closer to his midfield team-mates, which allowed him to exert counterpressing and winning the ball back on numerous occasions (green diamonds stand for ball recoveries and green crosses stand for tackles won).<br />
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<br />
FC Porto were on one hand much quicker to react to giving the ball away. But, on the other hand, they were also able to time their pressing much better than in times past, successfully pinning FC Basel at the back and robbing them of the necessary time to breathe and impose their own passing, high-pressing game.<br />
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When compared to the first leg, it's not exactly hard to see the different approach in defence as well, with the centre much less exposed and the number of ball recoveries (green diamonds) and tackles in the centre increasing dramatically. By winning the ball back in such advanced, central positions, FC Porto were able to create danger simply through better positioning - thus proving once again that the game's fluidity makes it hard to tell attack and defence apart.<br />
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<br />Vasco Mota Pereirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03721669176775665674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5673287113482042262.post-67978374449082171212015-03-10T22:22:00.000+00:002015-03-10T22:22:52.077+00:00FC Porto 4-0 FC Basel: Dragons destroy Swiss team to bits in magical night<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As Portugal's sole representative in the Champions League, FC Porto were trying to successfully negotiate their way into the competition's quarter-finals stage for the fifth time, thus cementing their place as the country's leading force in Europe (second-best Benfica only managing to achieve it twice since the inception of the Champions League).<br />
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Without captain Jackson Martínez, recently injured against Braga, and Óliver Torres only fit for the bench, there were some questions marks about the Dragons' ability to beat a side that both Real Madrid and Liverpool had found to be tricky. As it turns out, Julen Lopetegui's charges put in the performance of the season so far and will have certainly put some of their names on the radar of bigger European teams.<br />
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<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>The unstoppable force from the Cameroon</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
Vincent Aboubakar was brought in at the beginning of the season both to provide cover for Jackson Martínez and give him the opportunity to slowly learn the ropes in order to take the Colombian striker's place when he eventually moved away to greener pastures. Even though his goals per minute ratio was certainly impressive, the Cameronian hadn't played that much this season and there were some question marks here about whether he would be able to find his stride in such lofty environments.<br />
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Aboubakar was indeed fundamental to the night's outcome, and he proved as much right from the start. With FC Basel seemingly willing to press from the front - their 4x2x3x1 fitted perfectly into FC Porto's 4x3x3 - FC Porto's centre-backs were forced to resort several times to long balls and the striker did not disappoint, effectively linking up play with his team-mates. The 47 passes he received throughout the match painted the perfect picture.<br />
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As has often been the case, for all the ball possession FC Porto actually looked more dangerous on the counterpressing - i.e. when they won the ball immediately after giving it away. The first goal, on 14 minutes, was the perfect example as Casemiro made a well-timed tackle and then played a probing pass into Cristian Tello, who ended up being fouled. Brahimi's expertly taken free kick was the first of four delightful goals.<br />
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<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>Solid improvements across the board</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
FC Porto had been looking better over the past few weeks and the wins against Sporting and Braga certainly didn't hurt matters, but there remained a few doubts about the team's ability whenever the going got tougher. Given how the team had struggled to create many chance against Basel and that a 1-1 scoreline was a tricky scoreline, both teams's approach was something of a mystery. Basel's initial attempt at pressing high up quickly fizzled out, but FC Porto consolidated all the marginal gains from the past weeks.<br />
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There were two things in particular that made a significant difference. On one hand, both Evandro and Herrera were much more willing to penetrate enemy lines and drag their direct markers out of position, thus creating confusion about which Basel player should be marking whom. This had the knock-on effect of putting more FC Porto players near the ball when it was given away and consequently allowing the Dragons to exert greater control over the match, which has not always been the case so far.<br />
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On the other hand, both Tello and Brahimi - for all their attacking forays - were willing to track back, unlike what has often happened this season, stopping Basel to hit the wings, particularly on the break. All of this compounded Basel's misery and stopped them in their tracks as the Swiss side were never able to find their groove and, as time went on, started subsiding.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>Dragons discover central virtue</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
A 1-0 scoreline was good, but it was not exactly an insurance policy, since a goal from Basel would level things. As it were, Brahimi made another one of his darting runs down the left (which had already brought him a few bruises during the first half) and slid the ball to Herrera, who had no trouble dispatching the ball into Vaclík's far corner. Whatever doubts remained were quickly and surely disappearing.<br />
<br />However, perhaps the most important point to take from this match is FC Porto's change of tack as far as the attacking approach is concerned. Unlike what happened against Braga and Sporting, for instance, today there were virtually no aimless crosses thrown into the box, despite Aboubakar's physical presence.<br />
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In fact, the chances created from open play throughout the match spoke for themselves and showed the patter to exhaustion: Initiate attacks down the wings to attract the opponents there and then find the pockets of space in the middle. This time around, there were even midfielders supporting those runs, with the rest of players close by just in case.<br />
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In the end, Casemiro and Aboubakar would score another two gems, the Brazilian midfielder with a piledriver from 30 yards out and the Cameronian striker with a fine solo run that made for possibly the goal of the evening. However, the most impressive tonight was certainly FC Porto's ability to leave their indelible mark on what will certainly be remembered as one of the club's magical nights in the Champions League. A fifth presence in the competition's quarter-finals was guaranteed and the display that led to it will certainly have supporters gagging for what's to come against Europe's stronger sides.Vasco Mota Pereirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03721669176775665674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5673287113482042262.post-11239227933445466202015-03-10T10:59:00.000+00:002015-03-10T10:59:46.549+00:00PortuGOAL and Just-Football.com<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7B6I-YTVYSa9uTg4HPEtNHlbmNLyuEw4Up7KzzSzvqQ3B-4i5MQEgla02gYDLAk8rfZc5uwikGbo2y4WaaBzjdmXPP-0pF4XmDnWMBUZuBub1bE2taie06W6XQyn0MaIi8bT76RXKdY/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC7B6I-YTVYSa9uTg4HPEtNHlbmNLyuEw4Up7KzzSzvqQ3B-4i5MQEgla02gYDLAk8rfZc5uwikGbo2y4WaaBzjdmXPP-0pF4XmDnWMBUZuBub1bE2taie06W6XQyn0MaIi8bT76RXKdY/s1600/download.jpg" height="100" width="200" /></a></div>
Ahead of tonight's match between FC Porto and Basel, PortuGOAL's latest podcast analyses the Portuguese team's situation (and whether or not results are a true reflection of proceedings) on one hand and, on the other, takes a look at Portuguese players in Spain and Spanish players at FC Porto thanks to the participation of the reputable David Cartlidge, in what is probably one of the website's best podcasts so far. You can check it <a href="http://www.portugoal.net/podcasts/154-portugoal-podcast-92-porto-and-portuguese-players-in-spain#section-kmt">here</a>.<br />
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Leading up to the match, there is still time to take a look at a piece on Just-Football.com about the 10 most exciting prospects playing in the Portuguese league. Some may surprise you, some you may fundamentally disagree with. Either way is fine. You can check it <a href="http://www.just-football.com/2015/03/10-best-young-players-to-watch-in-portugal-2015/">here</a>.Vasco Mota Pereirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03721669176775665674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5673287113482042262.post-22368242755610870632015-03-06T22:35:00.001+00:002015-03-06T22:35:26.382+00:00SCB 0–1 FC Porto: Dragons keep up the pace up frontAfter Sunday’s comprehensive defeat of Sporting, FC Porto had another tough obstacle to overcome – this time it was Braga, who had arrived at this match on the back of a very interestingly winning streak. If Julen Lopetegui’s had any hopes of breathing down Benfica’s neck, victory was mandatory.<br />
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However, the team led by the Dragons’ former glory Sérgio Conceição had other ideas and wasn’t willing to roll over, particularly because Sporting’s defeat last Sunday at the Dragão meant that Braga were in touching distance of a much sought-after Champions League berth.<br />
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<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>Guerreiros stifle Dragons from first whistle</u></b></li>
</ul>
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As the only team that had beaten Benfica twice this season, Braga certainly did not need any more letters of recommendation and, with their own agenda in mind, came out strong from the get-go. Ruben Micael and Zé Luís allowed both Maicon and Marcano time on the ball, but effectively closed the easy, obvious passing lanes to Casemiro, thus forcing several long balls out of FC Porto’s centre-backs. With the excellent Pedro Tiba and Danilo sticking close to their direct opponents, Lopetegui’s men had no choice but to play outside Braga’s block, forcing crosses upon crosses.<br />
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In fact, that was perhaps the most interesting aspect of the match, as Danilo and Tiba were virtually marking Herrera and Evandro out of the match (Evandro would later improve his performance), the same happening practically everywhere on the pitch, almost resembling a series of individual battles - with little movement from FC Porto to burst past the man-marking approach.<br />
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FC Porto were once again showing their vulnerabilities, since the team kept lacking collective answers to bypass teams who are adept at patrolling the area in front of their penalty box and that, unlike Sporting, don’t allow acres of space to exploit behind the back four. All of that meant that it was up to the most skilled players to make the difference, i.e. Jackson Martínez and Brahimi. Indeed, the Dragons only showed some of their potential either when Jackson dropped back to link up play (but with no one taking in his place in the penalty box for the eventual crossing that is the side’s most frequent solution) or Brahimi got past his man, particularly after moving to his more natural left wing 15 minutes into the match.<br />
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<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>FC Porto gradually improve</u></b></li>
</ul>
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Despite their cohesive defending and the dangerous-looking transitions, Braga actually struggled to create clear-cut chances, with the exception of the 5th minute set-piece that had Fabiano once again fumbling for the ball. As the match wore on, though, FC Porto became more proactive when they lost the ball and the energy of Braga’s front four slowly subsided.<br />
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Ironically, FC Porto always looked more dangerous when Braga committed men forward on their breakaways, with the ball often travelling down the wings - Lopetegui’s insistence on ignoring the centre means that their charges never invade the most dangerous areas of the pitch, thus needing numerous attacking situations to create a clear chance, usually after yet another cross.<br />
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The end of the first half brought a bit more danger as Tello started finding more space to run into and, on the other hand, Evandro started making himself more available to receive bisecting passes from the centre-backs (but was eventually replaced not long into the second half).<br />
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<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>FC Porto repeat winning formula</u></b></li>
</ul>
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<br />
Similarly to what had happened against Sporting, FC Porto looked willing to be more intense when they came back from the dressing room. With Braga gradually tiring out, the Dragons started finding more space to exploit, even though (half) chances kept coming far and between. Despite Evandro’s improvement, the midfielder was replaced with Ricardo Quaresma, meaning the Dragons were now playing a 4x2x3x1 of sorts, with Brahimi off Aboubakar (who had taken the injured Jackson Martínez’s place).<br />
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In what turned out to be a slow-burning second half (and match overall), it became clearer and clearer how FC Porto had an Óliver Torres-shaped hole in the middle, without anyone able to pick apart opposing defences with passes, movements or dummies and this forcing opponents out of their comfort zone. With Braga fading more and more out of the contest as the match wore on, the Dragons got tighter to Sérgio Conceição’s men and, in one of those situations, Aboubakar left Tello one on one against Matheus and the Spaniard replicated what he had done so well against Sporting.<br />
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All in all, it was a very cagey match from two of the best teams in the Portuguese league that promised a bit more, but the fact that both teams needed the three points might help explain both sides’ fearfulness. On the other hand, it was hard not to feel disappointed by how both teams looked most comfortable when the other side lost the ball and thus paved away for quick breaks, rather than showing good skills as far as attacking organisation is concerned.<br />
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FC Porto may have won the match – and in hindsight may have in fact been the team more willing to chase the goal – but the end result seems to be less of a collective effort than a consequence of a much stronger squad individually. Victories will always offer some shade, but FC Porto’s process has yet to persuade.Vasco Mota Pereirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03721669176775665674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5673287113482042262.post-74354585163209816522015-03-01T21:38:00.000+00:002015-03-02T09:40:38.463+00:00FC Porto 3-0 Sporting: Dragons nullify Sporting on Tello's nightFC Porto and Sporting entered this match with five points separating them and with both teams needing a win. On one hand, Benfica had effectively destroyed Estoril the day before and put a seven-point distance between themselves and the Dragons. On the other hand, Sporting were just one point ahead of Braga in the fight for the next season's last Champions League place. The promise of an entertaining match was made.<br />
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But the game played out somewhat differently from what might be expected. Having yet to lose against either FC Porto or Benfica this season, the Lions' coach Marco Silva chose not to replicate the successful strategy that had granted the <i>Verde e Brancos</i> an impressive 3-1 win at the Dragão for the Portuguese Cup last October.<br />
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<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>Sporting's compact back four</u></b></li>
</ul>
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<br />
Sporting's more expectant approach was somewhat counterbalanced by the high positioning of their back line, playing 10-15 yards in front of their own penalty box, an approach complemented by the fact that all four elements in the Lions' defence were deployed very narrow - apparently in an attempt to stifle FC Porto's centre.<br />
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Sporting's plan seemed to be completed by a more expectant approach and a seeming over-reliance on FC Porto's tendency to make mistakes in possession, particularly through their centre-backs. The first two half-opportunities came from Sporting - and exactly through the expected fashion. After that, Sporting seemed to evaporate offensively as FC Porto started piling on the pressure.<br />
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<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>FC Porto's issues down the centre and ironic goal</u></b></li>
</ul>
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Without Óliver Torres, the Dragons' coach Julen Lopetegui went with Evandro to take the Spanish wunderkid's place, meaning Herrera played closer to Casemiro than usual. The midfield match-up was almost man-to-man marking, with Herrera on William Carvalho, Evandro on Adrien and Casemiro on João Mário - and vice-versa, naturally.<br />
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The Dragons had some initial issues with the build-up play, as Brahimi looked like the team's only out-ball, with both Herrera and Evandro unwilling to get the ball from their centre-backs. On the defensive side of things, Herrera and Evandro were not looking too secure either, playing too far apart and thus forcing Casemiro to move out wide - which made it look like Sporting could create some danger down that route, particularly with Montero, João Mário and Nani all thriving in that space.<br />
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As Sporting progressively faded, FC Porto ended up scoring 31 minutes into the match with can only be described as the antithesis of their tactical blueprint: Maicon hit it long in the direction of Jackson Martínez, who, with a little flick, played Cristian Tello in for the Spanish's first goal of the evening. On English shores, this would be designated as typical route-one football.<br />
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<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>Sporting go missing, FC Porto at full throttle</u></b></li>
</ul>
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<br />
Marco Silva's team seemed ill-prepared for the possibility of conceding a goal and apparently without a plan B. Things surely didn't look rosy as the Dragons kept attacking in waves and looked more purposeful on the ball. That much was further stressed as FC Porto came out stronger out of the gates for the second half and Tello benefited from another lovely assist from Jackson Martínez, with Sporting left-back punished for his terrible positioning and reading of the game.<br />
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Silva reacted immediately with Slimani and Capel coming on for Montero and Carrillo (meaning Nani acted as no. 10 and João Mário alongside William Carvalho), but nothing came of it. In fact, it was FC Porto that kept coming at the vulnerable lions, with Jackson now finding pockets of space between the opposing centre-backs but also between the centre-halves and the full-backs. With Sporting a tad more proactive and more balanced up front, the Dragons' midfield found the space they had been craving for some probing passes behind the Lions' back four.<br />
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Tello would round up his evening with a hat-trick after Herrera followed in Jackson Martínez's footsteps and provided a direct through-ball that completed Jonathan's torment of a match. Iván Marcano would hit the woodwork with a powerful header in an attempt to increase the final scoreline, but it ended up unchanged up until the final whistle.<br />
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<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>Conclusion</u></b></li>
</ul>
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An anaemic display from Sporting that cannot certainly be blamed exclusively on Thursday's Europa League match against Wolfsburg. Despite the difference as far as players are individually concerned, the team did not seem prepared to what FC Porto had to offer, the huge space behind the Lions' defence proving deadly for the team led by Marco Silva - and given the team played the whole time with such a high defence, it had be to under the coach's instructions.<br />
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FC Porto, on the other hand, ended up achieving a very good result and a decent cushion in order to guarantee direct access to next season's Champions League - and still be within touching distance of Benfica. Still, there remain some issues that look hard to get rid of, namely the defence's shakiness when things are more tightly contested and the little protection provided by the midfield. Also, the fact that the team rely heavily on Brahimi to provide the out-ball should not be overlooked either, especially as the season enters its defining stages.Vasco Mota Pereirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03721669176775665674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5673287113482042262.post-5304330707714675782015-01-31T18:17:00.001+00:002015-01-31T18:17:47.251+00:00Wolfsburg 4-1 Bayern Munich: Wake-up call for Guardiola?In what proved to be one of the season's shockers, Wolfsburg trounced current (and most likely 2015's eventual) German champions Bayen Munich 4-1 in the Bundesliga's return to action after the winter break. Given that, more than the unbalanced result, Wolfsburg put in such an impressive display against one of Europe's toughest sides and that the Champions League will soon be upon us, there are some notes to take from this contest.<br />
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<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>Bayern unashamed to go long</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
One of the most interesting aspects of last night's match was how much Pep Guardiola's centre-backs (in this case, Dante and Jerome Boateng) were willing to hit long diagonal balls up front from the same part of the pitch. This looked like a very deliberate strategy, with Robert Lewandowski coming short to drag opponents out and one of the midfielders (Bastian Schweinsteiger or David Alaba, in the first half) trying to exploit the space behind the Polish striker.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQH8nLg21ftDNgHDXZiaF12dswT6GcZvnVlA9xtKziBnLadF2eHVgPamwdVNJaO3uuIxaUK15ajH3QnnUiJlBCZSBd2jCiUgntAhrfXJLRQhdrAnZg4t4KK4CCjqFmXRorAFk0z6DhHs/s1600/WOL-BAY+Boateng+Dante.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQH8nLg21ftDNgHDXZiaF12dswT6GcZvnVlA9xtKziBnLadF2eHVgPamwdVNJaO3uuIxaUK15ajH3QnnUiJlBCZSBd2jCiUgntAhrfXJLRQhdrAnZg4t4KK4CCjqFmXRorAFk0z6DhHs/s1600/WOL-BAY+Boateng+Dante.png" /></a></div>
<br />
Given that Bayern lacked quick runs from behind from either Arjen Robben or Thomas Müller, for instance, Guardiola seems to have taken the competition-free weeks to work on a more varied approach, perhaps divining the succession of compact, deep-lying teams that side is about to face. In fact, it was impossible not to notice how hard Bayern found to penetrate through their opponents' centre.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiPnaM82Z3OoXo53X8yK01dsCrwFWKQb7I7F8XxBwg77IvSsD6TsErFHe1xsgGBLFqS6BDOh__80WVfaEwS5UE47-hPVYmplvkCRAmMsgs-72pJ3THbFncIowUKaqnWZh0bYK5L51xLHA/s1600/WOL-BAY+BAY+Attacking+3rd.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiPnaM82Z3OoXo53X8yK01dsCrwFWKQb7I7F8XxBwg77IvSsD6TsErFHe1xsgGBLFqS6BDOh__80WVfaEwS5UE47-hPVYmplvkCRAmMsgs-72pJ3THbFncIowUKaqnWZh0bYK5L51xLHA/s1600/WOL-BAY+BAY+Attacking+3rd.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b><u>A spanner in the works</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjByOhTWQv5dyCVVwUrFH1qAVs5njpADinidhw0HAc2CdebnFbilxQNWg-YPCeMRfnj6qBSAIsnkeKfzQkrEbBhTwffD8dYFbu-1gQXunvKVEx6-KqGLk0nSbJTuNKZrHxbGWlp0if7GhE/s1600/WOL-BAY+Xabi+Chalkboard.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjByOhTWQv5dyCVVwUrFH1qAVs5njpADinidhw0HAc2CdebnFbilxQNWg-YPCeMRfnj6qBSAIsnkeKfzQkrEbBhTwffD8dYFbu-1gQXunvKVEx6-KqGLk0nSbJTuNKZrHxbGWlp0if7GhE/s1600/WOL-BAY+Xabi+Chalkboard.png" /></a></div>
<br />
Another interesting aspect of Wolfsburg's display was how they managed to rattle the usually metronomic Xabi Alonso, a key cog in the Bavarians' typically well oiled gear. Coach Dieter Hecking was smart in instruction one of Bas Dost or former Chelsea man Kevin De Bruyne to sit on Xabi Alonso to stop him from collecting and distributing passes easily. His chalkboard shows how the Spaniard struggled at finding his team-mates with positive passes, but the fact that he was caught in possession several times is even more revealing.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Bayern's defence in need of a tune-up</u></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<br />
There is one feature of Guardiola's teams that gets often overlooked, which is the transition into defence. The former Barcelona great tends to instill great urgency for the moment the ball is given away, frequently leading to the ball being won back very few seconds after it was lost. Here Bayern were not as proactive and their players were indeed often far from each other to assemble the usual net that stifles the opposition. That, coupled with the midfielders' reluctance (or unwillingness) to return, meant that Bayern defenders were often late and/or isolated in 1v1 situations, resulting in a small number of interceptions and a appalling tackle ratio.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihvyPQYNSACsp2TLh-k_iQLz-3prOZQ8ALy_e7JCS2mGGKxejdRP17qgTn4ZULqK7qqQzap0VTu4zEFT11zCm8FjLvDUK2JUL_sfEkmcyoAqRFdfB2ybcN721SRSX78mkCxa0oOvz7OnU/s1600/WOL-BAY+Boateng+Dante+Defence.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihvyPQYNSACsp2TLh-k_iQLz-3prOZQ8ALy_e7JCS2mGGKxejdRP17qgTn4ZULqK7qqQzap0VTu4zEFT11zCm8FjLvDUK2JUL_sfEkmcyoAqRFdfB2ybcN721SRSX78mkCxa0oOvz7OnU/s1600/WOL-BAY+Boateng+Dante+Defence.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Dante and Boateng, in particular, had a torrid time last night and did not offer much in terms of stemming Wolsfburg's threat, which must be a worrying sign for Guardiola as the Champions League looms large on the horizon.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>A clear blueprint</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
Dieter Hecking showed that he was well aware of Bayern's vulnerabilities (even if last night's result should be taken with a pinch of salt). Wolfsburg were happy to cede possession to the German champions and hold tight at the back, but they seemed to know exactly how and where to hurt Bayern.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrQCQ0twUHsUg6ZJKzl8W8O-XEDgBAgpyZtmpVBMieMPEqwrdmsYkXpTnWLxvBiQNbrasgNQuGfQa3mHszPez1p17fagjUNyT8-vmDMUVxiGNiyRPjdJjMj2Hzq96Wn3nZg7hMgO0_sbM/s1600/WOL-BAY+WOL+passes.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrQCQ0twUHsUg6ZJKzl8W8O-XEDgBAgpyZtmpVBMieMPEqwrdmsYkXpTnWLxvBiQNbrasgNQuGfQa3mHszPez1p17fagjUNyT8-vmDMUVxiGNiyRPjdJjMj2Hzq96Wn3nZg7hMgO0_sbM/s1600/WOL-BAY+WOL+passes.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
On one hand, Hecking's men were smart enough not to try to break Bayern down through the centre when they got the ball back, rather immediately attempting to stretch their opponents out wide and searching for the pockets of space either side of Xabi Alonso (and, most importantly, behind Schweinsteiger and Alaba). Only then, after receiving the ball out wide and progressing towards Bayern's centre-backs, did De Bruyne & co. try to penetrate down the middle, much to Dante and Boateng's chagrin.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRiox3sPZAy79yFHnQEx_LGB14au7_z1kfPPYFwVKz3rEYQgra2Y5_Lrf9pdJOy9OMCI0BZiaQKIBnsdKaLaA0iZKWXBldl8HpKbhiKBNogQ1s6frvGRaUJHD-D6PBljN9cLLLH1-u_j4/s1600/WOL-BAY+De+Bruyne.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRiox3sPZAy79yFHnQEx_LGB14au7_z1kfPPYFwVKz3rEYQgra2Y5_Lrf9pdJOy9OMCI0BZiaQKIBnsdKaLaA0iZKWXBldl8HpKbhiKBNogQ1s6frvGRaUJHD-D6PBljN9cLLLH1-u_j4/s1600/WOL-BAY+De+Bruyne.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
De Bruyne, in particular, was tremendous by making himself available to constantly be the man on the run, whether it was in the centre or down the wings. his two goals perhaps showing just what an asset he could have been in José Mourinho's side. Catching Boateng and Dante high up the pitch, the Belgian made the most of his breaks and proved just how vulnerable tiki-taka-playing Bayern could be.Vasco Mota Pereirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03721669176775665674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5673287113482042262.post-6780981956069231842015-01-31T17:20:00.000+00:002015-01-31T17:20:10.962+00:00The Unsung Hero(es): The Holding MidfielderFootball is a game of light and shadow - a team attracting their opponents to one side of the pitch so they can then attack their blind side, the body swerve to get past your marker without even touching the ball, a side conceding the lion's share of possession so they can then pounce on their rivals' disorganised lines.<br />
<br />
The human mind is much better equipped to notice and understand what happens, rather than what does not happen. Sir Alex Ferguson, for instance, chose to sell Jaap Stam because the statistics that he had at his disposal told him that the Dutch mainstay was not tackling as much. Only much later did it dawn on the Scot that Stam's positioning was improving in such a way that he didn't need to tackle as much.<br />
<br />
In the world of the blinding lights provided by the stratospheric numbers of Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, or the showstopping saves and long passes of Manuel Neuer, it is sometimes hard to discern what goes on behind the curtain. In other words, apart from club or personal preferences, what makes a full-back or a midfielder better or worse than their team-mates or competitors?<br />
<br />
Case in point, Liverpool's fortunes changed for the better over the past few weeks, coinciding with holding midfielder Lucas Leiva's return to the fold. Was it a mere correlation or, on the contrary, cause and effect? The Brazilian, always so discreet and effective, can often fly by under most spectators' radar, but his two displays against Chelsea for the Capital One Cup are indeed on of the best records of just what the mission of a player in his position is.<br />
<br />
In the video below, Lucas hardly ever seems to do anything of significance - but instead of searching for the light, try to imagine what would happen if he hadn't been around to stifle one threat here, to distribute the ball nicely there, or just taking up the space that would have allowed the opposing forward to thrive. By doing that, one might realise that some things will not remain unseen ever again.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/whIBaGhOpIU" width="560"></iframe>Vasco Mota Pereirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03721669176775665674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5673287113482042262.post-90828581295617519782015-01-27T18:19:00.001+00:002015-01-27T18:21:55.390+00:00Is the Premier League Falling Victim to Its Virtues?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEM4VUL19FJIMLDRsD0OGyuJfPVcZqA0V1ImnrXTJc1A_nAFAe9SnUXZw_4QOk0sDipnrLEw5FaJMYIJGl8SQDILew7JkA0Z0lBwrAyWRx5sIK2z3IeYx2ZFeEjSAbOxX3pkUtlhg4S4Y/s1600/dailymail.co.uk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEM4VUL19FJIMLDRsD0OGyuJfPVcZqA0V1ImnrXTJc1A_nAFAe9SnUXZw_4QOk0sDipnrLEw5FaJMYIJGl8SQDILew7JkA0Z0lBwrAyWRx5sIK2z3IeYx2ZFeEjSAbOxX3pkUtlhg4S4Y/s1600/dailymail.co.uk.jpg" height="220" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credits: dailymail.co.uk.<br />
Crystal Palace's Ian Wright in the 1990 FA Cup final.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
20 years ago English football was surrounded in a cloud of mystery as far as most people in Europe were concerned. Without today's uninterrupted flow of live streamed matches, football had to be witnessed live on most occasions - and following the Heysel Stadium disaster in 1985, English teams became even more alien to continental football lovers.<br />
<br />
However, English football managed to retain its appeal. The tales of teams going at it no matter what the score was, packed up stadiums, matches played in broad daylight, fervent supporters that would never turn their backs on their team and brave supporting of managers through thick and thin kept paving the imaginary of the remaining Europeans, particularly the Southern for whom many of those concepts seemed to belong to a whole different universe, let alone sport.<br />
<br />
The Premier League was finally introduced in 1992, coinciding almost to perfection with the return of English teams to European competition. The first (not always live) broadcasts of the FA Cup final, for instance, started to surface on continental TV sets and the enchantment would rapidly pick up steam. When England's top tier became a regular fixture in the schedules of most enthusiasts of the sport, it seemed too good to be true. No tale had been exaggerated. Everyone wanted to bear witness to those appealing matches.<br />
<br />
Since then, the Premier League managed to grab the spotlight of European football and to bring the best players and managers to English shores, effectively ensuring English clubs remain some of the wealthiest in the world (suffice to say, for instance, that Roma's revenue is below West Ham's, as a term of comparison) However, that glitter has been fading away in recent years.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>The culture</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
In fact, over the past few years the marketeers in charge of branding the Premier League have been - ever so subtly - changing the competition's catchphrase from "The best league in the world" to "The most exciting league in the world", capturing a very delicate yet crucial nuance.<br />
<br />
Not long after leaving Chelsea, André Villas-Boas (not exactly the most revered presence in English football) made an interesting point by admitting he had not entirely apprehended the nation's reality when he tried to change Chelsea's style from a reactive approach into a more proactive one. Ball retention and patient build-up were not only concepts hard to grasp by supporters, but by players as well.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrDwFXt51nky45t4_V4qdZSmz8vqVN00NTdKl55CFtokabm8xE4Ktsth0Rjx0nFEn2muWHv_tpWmQIM0cPbyodWzDbAl1BAiQefc6UJ7MC3zZW7EwbRHc1zArRHHpCb_D2OYKYyfR6dtk/s1600/indepedent.co.uk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrDwFXt51nky45t4_V4qdZSmz8vqVN00NTdKl55CFtokabm8xE4Ktsth0Rjx0nFEn2muWHv_tpWmQIM0cPbyodWzDbAl1BAiQefc6UJ7MC3zZW7EwbRHc1zArRHHpCb_D2OYKYyfR6dtk/s1600/indepedent.co.uk.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credits: independent.co.uk.<br />
Roberto Martínez has made the headlines<br />
with Swansea, West Brom and Everton.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The fact is that English football appears to be deeply rooted in broken up matches with extremely high levels of intensity - which for some reason does not lend itself to significant change. It is probably not entirely coincidental that most of the tectonic tactical shifts that have taken place over the past two decades have not hailed from Blighty, despite clubs like Swansea or coaches like Brendan Rogers and Roberto Martínez, both of whom managed the Welsh club.<br />
<br />
The gutting duels between José Mourinho's Chelsea and Rafa Benítez's Liverpool from a decade ago were certainly fiercely contested, but they revealed a betrayal of sorts to English football's main tenets. Football is meant to be playing passionately and with your heart on your sleeve, not on tactical boards and in 0-0 matches. After Manchester United's defeat against Barcelona in Rome in 2009 (following which Sir Alex Ferguson admitted himself that he didn't feel like keeping on playing wary football), English football may have taken a step back.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>The insularity</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
Great Britain's isolation has simultaneously been one of the country's main trumps and flaws. In football, it has meant that, despite significant breakthroughs, the island's football still finds some common ground with the way it was played several decades ago (Sam Allardyce or Tony Pulis, for instance, keep on making excellent lemonades with <b><u>some</u></b> of those methods). England, in particular, has remained something of an oasis (poor pun intended) to the unsuspecting bystander who craves for scoreline uncertainty and intense matches.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH9oGTVTaLHlwW0TNJ5W0gnMv6cY1XtMZLUoXBrFaYJ7oKpfUAJFoqf6w53ZdHIu3Q5NhZEMadbEFBjbxAk5fpGDPKRi0Lc9WRDHmxizWUKpwc3pWnv8DtYLReJxFUMgBN32BhWkkRXlk/s1600/telegraph.co.uk+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH9oGTVTaLHlwW0TNJ5W0gnMv6cY1XtMZLUoXBrFaYJ7oKpfUAJFoqf6w53ZdHIu3Q5NhZEMadbEFBjbxAk5fpGDPKRi0Lc9WRDHmxizWUKpwc3pWnv8DtYLReJxFUMgBN32BhWkkRXlk/s1600/telegraph.co.uk+(2).jpg" height="199" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credits: telegraph.co.uk.<br />
How long will it take to repeat Chelsea's <br />
2012 Champions League success?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
However, that very feature may very well be damaging English teams' prospects in Europe. Leaving the Europa League aside for a moment - since English teams usually consider it nothing but a Thursday night nuisance -, Chelsea's triumph in 2012 was something of an anomaly (not unlike Inter Milan's the year before), in a season that didn't end with the same manager that had started it. Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich have taken over Europe by storm and it appears hard to fathom them letting go in the near future.<br />
<br />
The same insularity that allows Arsène Wenger to remain on his job has the effect of allowing to repeat the same mistakes season after season as Arsenal are usually eliminated in the first round after the group stage. Defensive organisation and transition seems to be an afterthought in so many managers of English teams, as if the successive attacking waves would somehow make up for the conceded goals.<br />
<br />
Liverpool didn't even manage to pip Basel to qualification from their group and Manchester City's struggles in Europe's main competition have been well documented, regardless of the man in charge. Manchester United still very much look like a work in progress and nowhere near European domination.<br />
<br />
If England are to enjoy European success anytime soon, Chelsea seem to be the safer bet - and even the Blues have troubles of their own as an aging John Terry and his sidekick Gary Cahill can sometimes suffer at the hands and feet of swift, mobile forwards. Still, Chelsea look far more composed when they give the ball away, for instance, and immediately proceed to adjust in order to protect the fastest way to their goal.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><u><b>Conclusion</b></u></li>
</ul>
<br />
But perhaps the most worrying signs are not the ones that can be perceived in the Champions League, but rather on English pitches week in, week out. In a time where coaches the world over are more and more concerned about how to populate the centre of the pitch correctly and create chances in that particular part of the pitch given its primordial importance, it is baffling to see Manchester City, Arsenal or Liverpool being ripped apart by any team that attacks them through the centre on quick attacking transitions - something that stronger European sides seldom forgive.<br />
<br />
In short, the reason why the Premier League remains such an interesting, attractive proposition may well be the very reason why England must rely on José Mourinho and Chelsea if they want to brag about being top dogs again.Vasco Mota Pereirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03721669176775665674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5673287113482042262.post-64393396640608879752015-01-27T10:55:00.001+00:002015-01-27T10:55:11.316+00:00PortuGOAL's latest podcast<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipZDqWDkFk-fZZcvfMCoJ06Cwjn9nyTIP20A3yTk1czRwMDEJgO_89ErAa25EHfJEsTzvPjUcnzYcJvhSWQJQDb-ZuEXf6SdFqrClEzuJ00MMRB_7Ka-TbbcbDUw9H3zq3VKWP5chtOsQ/s1600/PortuGOAL.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipZDqWDkFk-fZZcvfMCoJ06Cwjn9nyTIP20A3yTk1czRwMDEJgO_89ErAa25EHfJEsTzvPjUcnzYcJvhSWQJQDb-ZuEXf6SdFqrClEzuJ00MMRB_7Ka-TbbcbDUw9H3zq3VKWP5chtOsQ/s1600/PortuGOAL.png" height="100" width="200" /></a></div>
The latest installment of PortuGOAL's series of podcasts has been released and can be found <a href="http://www.portugoal.net/podcasts/132-portuguese-podcast-91-how-come-benfica-are-top">here</a>. In it Tom and I discuss what conclusions can be taken from the first half of the Portuguese league and we also have a quick-fire round of questions about José Mourinho, Cristiano Ronaldo, Nuno Espírito Santo and Bernardo Silva.<br />
<br />
Spoiler alert: the show was recorded before the recent turn of events that saw both FC Porto and Benfica throw away their respective three points.Vasco Mota Pereirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03721669176775665674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5673287113482042262.post-45047479575749381782015-01-21T17:40:00.000+00:002015-01-21T17:40:05.787+00:00Football's Laws of AttractionDespite being bandied about all over, it is sometimes hard to grasp the notion of what exactly is the "decision-making" that everyone keeps talking about. One would be hard pressed to find a clearer example than Stefano Mauri's goal in the last Rome derby.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/x2ehp5w" width="480"></iframe><br /><a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2ehp5w_as-roma-vs-lazio-2-2-full-highlights-11-01-2015-serie-a-hd_sport" target="_blank">AS Roma vs Lazio (2-2) Full Highlights 11/01...</a> <i>by <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/rubin7190" target="_blank">rubin7190</a></i><br />
<br />
As one of the last few one-club men in his time, Daniele De Rossi is one of the most respected players in Italy and a symbol for his club. With his nation, De Rossi has won the World Cup and has a bronze medal from the 2004 Olympics and a silver medal from the 2012 Euros. Back in 2012, he was even close to a move to Manchester City following his stellar displays in midfield (and sometimes in a three-men defence).<br />
<br />
Nevertheless, not even a player like De Rossi is free from the pull that a round piece of leather exerts over players ever since they (and we) were kids. One of the most curious sights in football is to watch a spontaneous match between young toddlers, where all one can see is a bunch of infants gathered around what must surely be a black hole, such is the gravitational pull.<br />
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In this case, De Rossi ended up doing exactly that, as it is possible to attest over the following pictures.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju9m3KmFWPMrr6KH2fajd3U9eFirrPZBw9_ClTIMAqpVn8zgyYrBGsanVl6m5QfRyP68KcpANVUkbQDXLTVmPaiHEtrIgVJ0DlCx8tO0j10-vkyEgxdUtwssSv7UPHjdSmI4zlsBkjiPU/s1600/Roma-L%C3%A1zio+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju9m3KmFWPMrr6KH2fajd3U9eFirrPZBw9_ClTIMAqpVn8zgyYrBGsanVl6m5QfRyP68KcpANVUkbQDXLTVmPaiHEtrIgVJ0DlCx8tO0j10-vkyEgxdUtwssSv7UPHjdSmI4zlsBkjiPU/s1600/Roma-L%C3%A1zio+1.png" height="278" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>1. Roma give the ball away</b> down their right wing and a 3x3 situation immediately arises.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ5ND1xHRSL5-VfCiXnckdvEmALpSHHk5kow0QVOHcGu932FkxzQkczn3qETcBNrbEJF6IGi-K3_U3-gUiMVEGh9BiWdpwKEoUPQUZKckcCskWKQGu3UarLB7TlmPZnD5Oni-j1VWniQM/s1600/Roma-L%C3%A1zio+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ5ND1xHRSL5-VfCiXnckdvEmALpSHHk5kow0QVOHcGu932FkxzQkczn3qETcBNrbEJF6IGi-K3_U3-gUiMVEGh9BiWdpwKEoUPQUZKckcCskWKQGu3UarLB7TlmPZnD5Oni-j1VWniQM/s1600/Roma-L%C3%A1zio+2.png" /></a></div>
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<b>2. Felipe Anderson progresses up the pitch</b> while Roma try to contain the threat while waiting for back-up. Vasileios Torosidis can be seen sprinting back to try to improve his team's odds. De Rossi seems to be analysing the situation correctly as he glances over the space behind Davide Astori. Stefano Mauri, the eventual goalscorer, is still a few yards behind both Astori and De Rossi.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOAbCFIIl8tEuX2avKzAjEbdjUjKp4m0Y0PPZXb8J-w-SrKcTjDMT0-uT9Mw9ljSShPeuFsaTss2nG8MiIGrTb3AsGlJoAUA6OY6kUhMKf48_GSk1VUF5n3-T2dCRSJrtJLs5yMkD7UBo/s1600/Roma-L%C3%A1zio+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOAbCFIIl8tEuX2avKzAjEbdjUjKp4m0Y0PPZXb8J-w-SrKcTjDMT0-uT9Mw9ljSShPeuFsaTss2nG8MiIGrTb3AsGlJoAUA6OY6kUhMKf48_GSk1VUF5n3-T2dCRSJrtJLs5yMkD7UBo/s1600/Roma-L%C3%A1zio+3.png" /></a></div>
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<b>3.</b> A simple, outside overlapping run <b>leads De Rossi to make the inadvertent decision</b> to approach the ball instead of providing coverage for his team-mate, effectively succumbing to football's laws of attraction and opening up a gaping hole in the heart of his very defence (shaded circle).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBVbsf9dwhr1J1tOYXtSqnLv2UzDxvjp5yB1JeWL_NNQHnUA9Kio2s9Rf9vAMVDYH8oEiVA48YDMXQvfUgG_dPMldg1qCd_soSjw3jRDiOnEKEQGgqsznMmbohmjIUwM411G9bNJJkAgw/s1600/Roma-L%C3%A1zio+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBVbsf9dwhr1J1tOYXtSqnLv2UzDxvjp5yB1JeWL_NNQHnUA9Kio2s9Rf9vAMVDYH8oEiVA48YDMXQvfUgG_dPMldg1qCd_soSjw3jRDiOnEKEQGgqsznMmbohmjIUwM411G9bNJJkAgw/s1600/Roma-L%C3%A1zio+4.png" height="285" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>4.</b> Even though De Rossi realises his mistake, <b>it is already too late</b> and Felipe Anderson is wise to pick his pass at the right moment as Mauri makes his run into the penalty box.<br />
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<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>Conclusion</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
While watching the video, one is able to realise just how quickly this whole process takes place, which might help explaining just why improving the players' decision-making skills and ability to read and understand the game (and what is asked of them at any given moment) is one of today's top priorities for most coaches.Vasco Mota Pereirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03721669176775665674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5673287113482042262.post-62406175760066268972014-12-12T22:33:00.001+00:002014-12-12T22:33:49.926+00:00FC Porto X Benfica: Dragons' comeback or Benfica's opportunity?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_SwotWfGOrum749-ctleXEkO93VDTKDBFKW8RTU4Tu7gcVnJjXPYZqer0uVowtaksdQzaRqgGy3jdK8uNk4xx_z25xUkUbzvKfsrDyGX7HYyGDa4dXj10kBJPFRwrc8CdW_OQEgFG8hM/s1600/img_caderno_122.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_SwotWfGOrum749-ctleXEkO93VDTKDBFKW8RTU4Tu7gcVnJjXPYZqer0uVowtaksdQzaRqgGy3jdK8uNk4xx_z25xUkUbzvKfsrDyGX7HYyGDa4dXj10kBJPFRwrc8CdW_OQEgFG8hM/s1600/img_caderno_122.png" height="184" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture credit: zerozero.pt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In a league where the two major clubs have been running away with the title with increasingly greater ease, FC Porto and Benfica now must make the most of these showdowns between the two archenemies. The old saying used to act as a cautionary tale against the importance of these matches, drawing attention to the fact that smaller teams were usually the runners-up's undoing. Not anymore.<br />
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With that in mind, Sunday evening's match will treat us once again with two very different approaches - and even though the match won't probably reach the same levels of managerial proficiency of the now memorable duels between Vítor Pereira and Jorge Jesus as coaches and personalities, there will in fact be some common traits.<br />
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<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>FCP's defence vs SLB's attack</u></b></li>
</ul>
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Jorge Jesus might welcome Alex Sandro and Danilo, who has probably been enjoying his best season at FC Porto, with open arms, but truth be told the Dragon's defence has looked anything but impenetrable. While Bruno Martins Indi looks more and more like a shrewd (albeit not cheap) piece of business, his partner - whether it's Marcano or Maicon - leaves something more to be desired. On the other hand, FC Porto's ever marauding full-backs often leave space at the back that can be exploited by Benfica's Nico Gaitán and Salvio, and they're sometimes left exposed by Casemiro and Herrera.<br />
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In fact, the clash of styles may well begin on this part of the pitch. Julen Lopetegui's favoured possession-based approach relies heavily on the centre-backs seeing a lot of the ball. However, none of them look particularly adept and they are frequently found wanting while executing the strategy, which has offered more than a handful of opportunities to their opponents throughout the season. Jorge Jesus's Benfica, in turn, are more fond of transition-based matches, where they can make the most of spaces vacated by adversaries - something that might just play into the hands of Gaitán, Talisca and Jonas, with the latter being particularly keen on discovering pockets of space.<br />
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<b>Advantage</b>: Benfica<br />
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<ul>
<li><b><u>The midfield battle</u></b></li>
</ul>
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While nominally playing with two central midfielders, Benfica might not be at a disadvantage. Jorge Jesus usually has his teams very well drilled as far as defensive duties are concerned, even when it comes to his forwards and wingers. Moreover, the team's movement and compensations improve dramatically as the season goes on and the players get to know the coach's methods. If Óliver Torres and Hector Herrera are to play ahead of Casemiro, as expected, it will probably open up spaces for the excellent Enzo Pérez, whose understanding of the game and ability to penetrate enemy lines stands head and shoulders above Herrera's huffing and puffing.<br />
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Andreas Samaris, conversely, may well be another matter, since he still does not seem too familiar with Jesus's ideas and may find it hard to patrol his assigned spaces, with all of Óliver, Herrera and Yacine Brahimi tending to converge to his area. The other side of the coin? Look for Enzo Pérez to immediately pounce the moment FC Porto give the ball away and open up acres of space with just Casemiro shielding the side's back four (or sometimes less). As Sporting showed when they played at the Dragão for the Portuguese Cup, it may be easier to take this FC Porto down by allowing them to shoot themselves in the foot.<br />
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<b>Advantage</b>: Benfica<br />
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<ul>
<li><b><u>FCP's attack vs SLB's defence</u></b></li>
</ul>
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This is clearly where things get complicated for Benfica. While Luisão still commands a huge deal of respect by remaining able to stay ahead of the inevitable curve, Jardel is no Garay and Máxi Pereira has been showing signs of a gradual but constant decline. With Lopetegui's main attacking plan relying on 1v1 situations down the wings and Jesus's willingness to often allow his team to face even-numbers situations, the individual difference between Benfica's defenders and FC Porto's attackers might just be too much for goalkeeper Júlio César & Co. to handle.<br />
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If Gaitán is effectively deployed down the left, he will have to stay on his toes during the defensive phase, since the partnership of Danilo and (most likely) Cristián Tello will certainly prove too much for make-do left-back André Almeida, with Jardel - who will surely have his hands full with Jackson Martínez's skills and sheer strength - also wary of stepping out too far from his zone against such quick opponents.<br />
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If Benfica manage to stay compact, FC Porto will have a hard time breaking them down. If, on the contrary, the Eagles take the bait and start coming out in numbers, the Dragons' forwards will enjoy a field day.<br />
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<b>Advantage</b>: FC PortoVasco Mota Pereirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03721669176775665674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5673287113482042262.post-64198150254230308102014-12-05T23:14:00.001+00:002014-12-05T23:14:45.618+00:00Benfica's Jorge Jesus: The fine line between perseverance and stubbornness<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxToH6b6nuK21JNtTX7Dch6SjYkdDjKovHswDQsKwpG4jH65efD6c_vZikR6vgO5w0NWDRxeb5g_YWRxgV05b1X0WwcqKGjpVa_4nLYCy7vewVYhdixjAopsVF3VysVL1tLdvbmsmtkwA/s1600/futebolportugal.clix.pt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxToH6b6nuK21JNtTX7Dch6SjYkdDjKovHswDQsKwpG4jH65efD6c_vZikR6vgO5w0NWDRxeb5g_YWRxgV05b1X0WwcqKGjpVa_4nLYCy7vewVYhdixjAopsVF3VysVL1tLdvbmsmtkwA/s1600/futebolportugal.clix.pt.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Benfica's Jorge Jesus.<br />Photo credit: futebolportugal.clix.pt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Life is usually pretty simple for a football supporter - not easy, mind you, but simple. You love your team. You hate (or at least profoundly dislike) your city rivals and/or archenemies. When your team win, it's one of the best feelings in the world. When they lose, getting to work the next morning seems just a tad harder.<br />
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This is one of the reasons why the phenomenon that surrounds Benfica's coach Jorge Jesus is so interesting. Every club - at least in Southern Europe - is subject to these virtually bipolar fans (straying away from the loyal supporters), but the Eagles are a club that seems to be constantly riding a wave of euphoria or experiencing the hardest of crashes with reality. There is hardly ever any in-between. During the same week, it is possible to hear supporters swearing on their mother's grave that Jesus has been the best thing that has happened to Benfica over the past two decades and others who assure their conversational partner that he's only lucky he's had access to such gifted players.<br />
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<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>Team identity: a blessing or a trap?</u></b></li>
</ul>
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Every (future) manager taking their badges will have heard countless times that designing your "<i>modelo de jogo</i>" - your tactical blueprint, if you will - is crucial. If you have no idea where you're going, you'll never get to your destination - or so the saying seems to go. You're told that that blueprint has to take numerous things into consideration, from the players at your disposal to the club's ambitions or the supporters' traditional reactions to results and displays. Your identity seems to be the cornerstone around which everything revolves.<br />
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The issue comes when you take that identity to the pitch, to face reality - and what you do when results do not come your way. What do you do with that identity when your players are clearly not good enough to execute what you had in mind? What do you do when the president insists that you play two strikers? What do you do when you hit a slump of form or face much harder competition on another environment?<br />
<br />
The average supporter could not care less about all these questions and thus it is much easier to just sing their coach's praises when their team win and blast him to hell when they lose. In this specific case, Benfica's supporters are quite happy to watch their team destroy other sides in the Portuguese league, but find it much harder to stomach when Jesus implements the same tactics in Europe and crashes out of the Champions League.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>When to stick to the plan and when to give in?</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
The issue always ends up at the same stop: over their last five seasons in the Champions League, Benfica have only progressed once to the last sixteen. And that seems to be the point where black and white do not suffice to address the Jesus conundrum: his know-how when it comes to materialising his ideas is undoubtedly impressive. The new players that are invariably signed during the off-season to replace the ones he molded over the past seasons and went on to greener pastures always seem extremely raw and totally uncomfortable with the coach's ideas. Some months later, some of them are touted for higher flights and mentioned on the foreign press.<br />
<br />But what baffles most - including this columnist - is the apparent (or perhaps evident) unwillingness to adapt his approach and options the slightest bit to what his team find in front of them. The cavalier attitude that is on display week in, week out in Portugal seems to do more harm than good, conveying the impression that system will be able to meet most needs. Used to dictate most matches domestically, Benfica often struggle in the Champions League, because their blueprint relies heavily on transitions - both defensive and attacking. In Europe's top tier, however, other teams are much more adept at punishing them for committing so many men forward with caution apparently thrown to the wind.<br />
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<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>The grey area</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
It would be much easier to judge coaches simply on results. In truth, that's what always happens in the end. With Jesus, however, there is one lingering question: should he be criticised for never being willing to change or should he be praised for the courage to stick to his ideals no matter what? After all, at some point all geniuses were dubbed crazy and stubborn for believing in their work. Sometimes, good or bad are not enough to describe a (wo)man's work.Vasco Mota Pereirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03721669176775665674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5673287113482042262.post-63917212869005317252014-12-05T22:36:00.000+00:002014-12-05T22:36:31.367+00:00A year in the life of Arsenal<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhraGbwpe1HyU9a4hG6XRIN0DK9QR_B5UL6nhPt12ae5hSsWuG7N2TTUclL5Cl3U4nOHS21P1AiRHHK8akShMghmnVA9MCY3EjoqMRKhN95azSv1BvFswkVsZvnvV_N0_7EuXXlO156d70/s1600/Ars-ne-Wenger-Arsenal-Bla-007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhraGbwpe1HyU9a4hG6XRIN0DK9QR_B5UL6nhPt12ae5hSsWuG7N2TTUclL5Cl3U4nOHS21P1AiRHHK8akShMghmnVA9MCY3EjoqMRKhN95azSv1BvFswkVsZvnvV_N0_7EuXXlO156d70/s1600/Ars-ne-Wenger-Arsenal-Bla-007.jpg" height="192" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arsène Wenger might just be wondering where things <br />keep going wrong. Photo credit: theguardian.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anyone who follows football up close - be it supporters, journalists or pundits - experiences a feeling of déjà vu every once while throughout a season: The feeling of almost being able to guess a final scoreline, the unshakable feeling that that passage of play, that goal, that dummy was already witnessed the year before. Whether it's the top clubs finally gelling and trouncing opponents in cold week nights or a weekend of flooded pitches, there is sometimes the impression that everything has indeed already been invented when it comes to football.<br />
<br />
But perhaps nothing leaves us with the feeling of being smack in the middle of "Groundhog Day" like good old Arsenal. Following the Gunners' fortunes is nothing short of watching sequels of bad franchises, where despite the odd change of personnel here and there, we all seem to have a very well informed guess about how things will turn out eventually.<br />
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<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>Summer</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
The previous season has just ended. After a tottery mid-season, Arsenal managed to finish in the ever precious fourth spot and clinch their place in the crucial Champions League. Wenger, true to form, assures supporters and journos alike that lessons have been learned and that the off-season will be spent plugging the glaring holes in his squad - namely virtually any position from central midfield backward.<br />
<br />
However, by August there have usually been few pieces of business apart from the already traditional signings of potential game-changing youths that will be supposed to evolve into powerhouses within a few years under Wenger's tutelage. By then supporters start to get restless and Wenger duly abides; over the past few years he has ended up splashing some cash on an attacking player (in previous years not even that) promising to revolutionise the team's game. Any of the previous season's troubling positions end up being ignored.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>Autumn </u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
By September and early October, Arsenal seem to get firing on all cylinders. The latest acquisition - Olivier Giroud, Lukas Podolski, Mezut Özil, Santi Cazorla, Alexis Sánchez, what have you - seems to be keeping the manager's promise and rumours start flying about the possibility of this being Arsenal's year at long last, the time where all the planning from previous seasons come to fruition. This is the time when Arsenal top the league (or hover nearby) and where changes in backroom personnel are put under the microscope to explain the latest change in the team's fortunes.<br />
<br />
By late October, early November, some worrying signs start to surface. An important player gets injured, then another, then another. Late September's initial drubbings in the Champions League gradually give way to pale performances that usually end up costing the Gunners the group's top spot in the end. The inevitable elimination from one of the cups tends to follow, as well as the first points dropped in places where title candidates cannot afford.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>Winter</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
With the Premier League's busy schedule over Christmas and New Year, this tends to be the moment where Arsenal wave a definite goodbye at any illusion they may have harboured of fighting for the contest. The home draw against a midtable team, the barely comprehensible defeat away to bottom-dwellers - all of it paints the picture of a distraught team with holes throughout that are too big to ignore.<br />
<br />
By late February, Wenger sings the tune of being involved in several fronts, only to see the league's big dogs get farther and farther away. In the Champions League, the "bad luck" draws one of Europe's powerhouses and Arsenal crash out of the competition either in the last sixteen or in the quarter-finals at the very latest. The conclusion is always identical: positive brand of football but ultimately an approach that is absolutely unsuitable to Europe's top echelon.<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b><u>Spring</u></b></li>
</ul>
<br />
The quicker players slowly start coming back from injury. With a less congested schedule, the team seem to get back to its best. A spirited comeback is needed to ensure the crucial fourth spot, even though it seems too far off this time around.<br />
<br />
By March and April, some are left wondering where this Arsenal were all this time - the courage, the resilience, the excellent football, the joint effort of all the artists and hard workers on the same page. What once looked like a mirage - qualifying for the Champions League - now seems possible. Just.<br />
<br />
By May, the Gunners end up achieving their (what one can only assume should be a) secondary goal. Whatever chances of putting their hands around some silverware dissipated in some unlucky clash with a Championship team or a side that ended up being relegated from the Premier League.<br />
<br />
Wenger, true to form, assures supporters and journos alike that lessons have been learned and that the off-season will be spent plugging the glaring holes in his squad.Vasco Mota Pereirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03721669176775665674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5673287113482042262.post-25168449963659839942014-08-26T21:52:00.000+01:002014-08-26T21:52:11.675+01:00FC Porto 2-0 Lille: Dragons claim their place in the Champions League<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBKNwV9itLHnN-3HFCHYGlrnekt99L7f7BL_FFXMIUd8wbBAIYU_gomTNlQaWUcLeMvlzxZoRIg6c1xf6JFd09nXSzoLbKhEBQ3BZ7dYgM1QfwG33S-Xtb9S0892vo8SCJ19txDatwQOQ/s1600/FCP-LIL+Line-ups.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBKNwV9itLHnN-3HFCHYGlrnekt99L7f7BL_FFXMIUd8wbBAIYU_gomTNlQaWUcLeMvlzxZoRIg6c1xf6JFd09nXSzoLbKhEBQ3BZ7dYgM1QfwG33S-Xtb9S0892vo8SCJ19txDatwQOQ/s1600/FCP-LIL+Line-ups.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starting line-ups</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
FC Porto have progressed to the group phase of the Champions League, successfully raising the number of Portuguese participants to three, after eliminating LOSC Lille over two legs.<br />
<br />
The match at the Dragão between Portugal and France's third-best teams from last season was a touch more one-dimensional than expected, with Lille favouring a more reactive approach, despite trailing by a one-goal margin from the first leg.<br />
<br />
There was some curiosity as to whether coach René Girard would remain faithful to the 4x3x3 formation he tends to deploy in the tougher matches or whether he would instruct his players to be more proactive with and without the ball. FC Porto coach, in turn, fielded the exact same starting XI he had presented last Wednesday in France.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<ul>
<li>Matching formations do not mean matching dynamics</li>
</ul>
</h3>
One of football's greatest truisms is that games are not won on paper, which is usually a fair point when supporters and commentators discuss the virtues and flaws of the tactical arrangement of any given team. Case in point, both FC Porto and Lille took to the pitch organised in a 4x3x3, but the way went about it couldn't have been more different.<br />
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While Les Dogues kept allowing FC Porto time on the ball and (sometimes too) patiently waited for their opponents to get caught in possession - which almost came to fruition when starlet Rúben Neves underhit a pass, forcing Maicon to a desperate last-ditch effort - the Dragons stayed the course they have undertaken under Lopetegui and offered a very fluid display during the first 20 minutes.<br />
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Indeed, FC Porto's long(ish) spells of possession were followed by quick switches of play in an attempt to find vulnerabilities down Lille's weak side (the flank the ball is not on) and making the most of the excellent Brahimi and Óliver Torres. Despite being nominally stationed on the wings, both these players tended to drift inside and allow full-backs Danilo and Alex Sandro to motor forward.<br />
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<h3>
<ul>
<li>Man-marking often equals vulnerabilities</li>
</ul>
</h3>
Hector Herrera did not have the easiest or most successful season last term, but his particular traits allow him to shine on specific circumstances (as shown at the latest World Cup). Here he was able to take advantage of Lille's vulnerabilities in midfield. The gaping holes that kept surfacing all over the centre of the pitch were a direct result of the team's man-marking in midfield.<br />
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All it took was for Óliver or Brahimi to come inside to drag Balmont and Gueye out of position, which allowed Herrera to sprint in behind (usually at Gueye's expense), particularly down Lille's right side. Lille midfielders could be seen swapping man-marking duties on the pitch, instead of approaching the challenges in zonal fashion.<br />
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<h3>
Marked improvement, but still work to do</h3>
When compared to last season, there are significant enhancements as far as FC Porto are concerned. With more men closer to the ball when in possession, the Dragons are often better equipped to react to giving the ball away, usually being fast at keeping their opponents from transitioning into attack. The few times that it didn't happen, Lille were unable to make the most of it because they invariably looked to the wings to provide crosses, allowing FC Porto defenders precious time to retreat into their positions.<br />
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On the other hand, it was already possible to see distinct moving and passing patterns, the concern seeming to be to offer several passing options to the player with the ball (for instance, if the centre-back has the ball at his feet, it's quite likely the full-back will offer width, the winger will come inside to offer a passing option and the midfielder on that side will sprint in behind on the wing).<br />
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Nevertheless, there were some periods during which Lopetegui's charges were not in total control of matters and where, against stronger opposition, slip-ups could have been punished. The team seemed somewhat surprised when the coach asked them to retreat after Brahimi's beauty of a first goal from a direct kick and Lille could have effectively got back into the match.<br />
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<h3>
<ul>
<li>Evandro brings stability, Souaré kills all hopes</li>
</ul>
</h3>
Four wins in four matches with no goals conceded is way too short to offer any kind of perspective, but Lopetegui should at least be praised for giving the team a solid identity (something the side lacked throughout all of last season) and for sticking to 17-year-old Rúben Neves on such demanding matches. The Portuguese midfielder eventually ran out of steam, making way for Evandro, who brought some much-needed stability to a midfield that was clearly coming short by the middle of the second half.<br />
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A couple of good chances for Lille ended up yielding nothing and it would actually be one of Les Dogues to kill the tie: left-back Pape Souaré's poor pass offered Brahimi the possibility to run at Lille's defence and play Jackson Martínez in with a perfectly weighed pass. The tie was definitely over.<br />
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<h3>
<ul>
<li>Conclusion</li>
</ul>
</h3>
A very positive result for both FC Porto and Portuguese football. The Dragons' expensively assembled team needed to make sure they were in the Champions League to justify the huge investment made and the weapons at their disposal make them clear favourites for the Portuguese title (even though one can't help but feel this is the club's swansong as far as high-profile signing are concerned in a desperate attempt to wrestle the title from the hands of Benfica).<br />
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There already seem to be some good routines and patterns in the squad, and the positive results will surely help the players believe their coach's ideas. Still, this possession-based approach has its drawbacks, namely when the centre-backs are called upon to start out attacks or when opponents remain compact and patient.Vasco Mota Pereirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03721669176775665674noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5673287113482042262.post-29321336593959143842014-07-23T17:03:00.002+01:002014-07-23T17:44:38.610+01:00FC Porto and Manchester United: two parallel paths (part 1)<h3>
<ul>
<li>Portugal and England: The Background </li>
</ul>
</h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv0ABRlfBxsSC3sX9DI5oLWvj65bFsKP2de12YoCFC2pzEk0vlqJiVDYc6QQwdiYamGUzjbOxZC3ADe8qiSJehTBUc9PtKqPOJZaqQZa4ksOHd7_ohiQZhV5NTTQmz_CGyOJZthO0evos/s1600/POR-ENG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv0ABRlfBxsSC3sX9DI5oLWvj65bFsKP2de12YoCFC2pzEk0vlqJiVDYc6QQwdiYamGUzjbOxZC3ADe8qiSJehTBUc9PtKqPOJZaqQZa4ksOHd7_ohiQZhV5NTTQmz_CGyOJZthO0evos/s1600/POR-ENG.jpg" height="256" width="320" /></a></div>
The historical relations between Portugal and England (later the United Kingdom) go a long way back. In fact, the alliance between the two countries (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Portuguese_Alliance">the Anglo-Portuguese alliance</a>) is the oldest one in Europe and dates back to 1373. During most of this allegiance, Portugal was something of a protectorate of England, with the English helping Portugal several times - including the Napoleonic Wars in the early 19th century - and Portugal going into (I World) war for England, among many other examples.<br />
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During that period, Portugal and England celebrated numerous other (mainly economical) treaties, including one of the most important ones: the 1703 Treaty of Methuen that stipulated "<a href="http://portuguese-embassy.co.uk/en/bilateral-relations.html">English textiles and Portuguese wines were exempt from custom duties</a>". It was one of the most innovative treaties between nations.<br />
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But a lot more than just economical agreements has endured the test of times and brought both nations a bit closer; while it is generally accepted that the Portuguese Catarina de Bragança introduced tea to the Brits, she was also critical to England's geopolitical ambitions, as her dowry included Tangiers and Bombay. In Portugal, the English presence is felt everywhere: the name of Port Wine companies line the shores of the river Douro, "snack-bar" is just another Portuguese word and the Portuguese tea-time snack (the Portuguese-spelled "lanche") is inspired by the English lunch.<br />
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On the other hand, the UK remains one of Portugal's key investors, focusing primarily on financial services and tourism. In fact, the Algarve (something of a British enclave) still accounts for nearly 70% of all destinations from the UK - so much so that anyone sitting at a restaurant in Portugal's southernmost region will probably be greeted in English and handed a menu in the same language.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<ul>
<li>Porto and Manchester: The Common Thread</li>
</ul>
</h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGtEgne6uybsW-3jsTX-vYOb3ca3KOcP2o49uVk8Z_-b3IWcKOVJWR5iuiVJC8IsU4pSAHIoWoWWdoBJwsl2N0WcNKgVt_hh5aaMS0mdwEKUSAocEqz3GmgJpWZy0ObSu0NDC5kRjFrDo/s1600/Porto.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGtEgne6uybsW-3jsTX-vYOb3ca3KOcP2o49uVk8Z_-b3IWcKOVJWR5iuiVJC8IsU4pSAHIoWoWWdoBJwsl2N0WcNKgVt_hh5aaMS0mdwEKUSAocEqz3GmgJpWZy0ObSu0NDC5kRjFrDo/s1600/Porto.png" height="103" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZncXk4HGoWQHcpqORHyUcIjZPTgyMYMipHuSshtWgydRlt93x-OtTPoch3k0iNfbOaK0v6yUrhDPyUbkjLRdHk_FLDQtIAvZ6_dB33UPVZn-QX05WyFlTStmqdjxm1HI4RUlfo832zAw/s1600/Manchester.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZncXk4HGoWQHcpqORHyUcIjZPTgyMYMipHuSshtWgydRlt93x-OtTPoch3k0iNfbOaK0v6yUrhDPyUbkjLRdHk_FLDQtIAvZ6_dB33UPVZn-QX05WyFlTStmqdjxm1HI4RUlfo832zAw/s1600/Manchester.png" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
Steeped in centuries of history and tradition, the cities of Porto and Manchester have been somewhat accustomed to playing second fiddle to capitals Lisbon and London, respectively. The latter's economic and political power was (and still is) a factor in the former's dwindling influence in some spheres, which has lent itself as a perfect excuse to harbour some less positive feelings towards the South.<br />
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The similarities don't stop there. Even though Porto played an important role in terms of intellectual leadership (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_Revolution_of_1820">such as spearheading the Liberal Revolution of 1820</a>), both Northern cities became even more important with the advent of Industrial Revolution. With it, they suddenly became densely populated areas as the city's factories drew virtually everyone from the surrounding towns and villages.<br />
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To this day, there remain in Porto numerous "<a href="data:image/jpeg;base64,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">ilhas</a>" (Portuguese for islands) - a street door that opens into a group of subpar quarters with a common bathroom and kitchen for factory workers - near ruins of old factories.<br />
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Shorn of their roots and family, these workers often found themselves stranded. As the 20th century made its way, football clubs took the place of religion - still offering a place of weekly worship and a sense of belonging. Identities were forged and allegiances were made among many a football stand. It is absolutely no coincidence that one of the features both Mancunians and "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Porto">Tripeiros</a>" most take proud on is their resilience against all odds.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<ul>
<li>Manchester United and FC Porto: Losing and Finding The Way</li>
</ul>
</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5GmoOgk7f_tJNnNj2sGvNhWqGsdCUuKmUzEQaXMOwon5Z5zHvL8fFNl_4XzBGW3lDJ8gd48KDqLkL7SvRvF91YMXoWGGuEfmcTb_dAMokTAkXYfRYmv0l7pJ4QmvY-88ogRrNvEqSdHQ/s1600/FCP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5GmoOgk7f_tJNnNj2sGvNhWqGsdCUuKmUzEQaXMOwon5Z5zHvL8fFNl_4XzBGW3lDJ8gd48KDqLkL7SvRvF91YMXoWGGuEfmcTb_dAMokTAkXYfRYmv0l7pJ4QmvY-88ogRrNvEqSdHQ/s1600/FCP.jpg" height="200" width="146" /></a></div>
Up until a few years ago, the strongest football teams tended to hail from these sorts of places - industrial cities with clubs that had become so important that there was barely any space for any other teams of similar dimension (FC Porto, Manchester United, Juventus, Bayern Munchen, etc.). The local support was immense and the identities of these clubs and cities often blended together.<br />
<br />
In fact, clubs from capitals often floundered, with the obvious exceptions of Benfica and Real Madrid, sides that clearly benefited of being standard bearers of dictatorial regimes (the difficulties both clubs went through when the Portuguese and Spanish regimes were overthrown should not be overlooked).<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9EPcKe0BmaRRc4-seZkZGJnOp2fjr3U8W7XZp7qOCydmR8ZgiqCtphAq1_a1GnZJ05jJsKIID5eYXuFRRE3osa4tLy4pXyQGWSq-AnSL5nIUj7lVl-NX9AG5Iqiu8OthNiTSCgghcRDo/s1600/ManU.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9EPcKe0BmaRRc4-seZkZGJnOp2fjr3U8W7XZp7qOCydmR8ZgiqCtphAq1_a1GnZJ05jJsKIID5eYXuFRRE3osa4tLy4pXyQGWSq-AnSL5nIUj7lVl-NX9AG5Iqiu8OthNiTSCgghcRDo/s1600/ManU.jpg" height="200" width="197" /></a>The fates of Manchester United and FC Porto have sometimes seemed umbilical tied to each other over the past decades. However, while FC Porto's history mirrors the country's political events (the club's drought took place between 1921 and 1976, an almost perfect parallel to the fascist dictatorship that ruled the country between 1926 and 1974), Manchester United were rather more successful during Sir Matt Busby's years.<br />
<br />
The end of the both clubs' lean years was virtually simultaneous and coincided with the arrival of the two figureheads that have left their mark over the past 30 years: Pinto da Costa on the Portuguese side, Sir Alex Ferguson on the English side.<br />
<br />
Both men were able to steer their clubs in the right direction and transform the clubs they lead into their country's dominant footballing force. During that time, the two clubs have won numerous domestic titles and twice conquered the Champions League (formerly European Cup) and one Intercontinental Cup - effectively imposing a new cycle on the national scene. Manchester United became one of the richest clubs in the world while FC Porto went from regional minnows to a force to be reckoned with on the international scene, albeit to a far lesser extent when compared to the Red Devils.<br />
<br />
(to be continued)Vasco Mota Pereirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03721669176775665674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5673287113482042262.post-7059515370018862452014-07-23T17:02:00.003+01:002014-07-23T17:47:50.351+01:00FC Porto and Manchester United: two parallel paths (part 2)<h3>
<ul>
<li>A season to forget - or the typical Northern stubbornness</li>
</ul>
</h3>
<h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-uy00JaCqf1-G7uTxbZcCx8QpeJYbDLBYqG_vZyGFN1Wfrb7xecCt95ARTOfmf3H1V5TIOgg4Z1kccwondI2XoxCuxN7v0t3he_bq9pr0Yz9cRgkKN_RFEhjmtucnYw5Gpxx-TgcRHY/s1600/mirror.co.uk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-uy00JaCqf1-G7uTxbZcCx8QpeJYbDLBYqG_vZyGFN1Wfrb7xecCt95ARTOfmf3H1V5TIOgg4Z1kccwondI2XoxCuxN7v0t3he_bq9pr0Yz9cRgkKN_RFEhjmtucnYw5Gpxx-TgcRHY/s1600/mirror.co.uk.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Last season's biggest journalistic scoop was clearly Sir Alex Ferguson's departure and the arrival of David Moyes, formerly of Everton. Moyes was handed a six-year contract as a sign that any poor results that might surface as a result of the changing of the guard would not do him any harm. Things were done differently at Manchester United, or so the saying went.<br /> </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">As the season went on, both top management and supporters showed huge constraint by not sacking the manager or booing him - the odd fly-by incident notwithstanding. United were adamant that the Ferguson-backed Scot was there for the long haul and that that wasn't the first hard spell they had </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">endured</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;">.</span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">A squad that had comfortably won the Premier League the year before suddenly looked like a withering set of players not good enough for a better standing that 7th. Adding insult to injury, the team's displays never seemed to improve. The manager's tactical grande scheme seemed to be to replicate what had previously worked at Everton, i.e. defending compactly, attacking down the wings and crossing the ball into the box. For a club of Manchester United's stature, it was clearly not enough and Moyes didn't even make it to the league's final round. So much for the "being different" credo.</span></span><br />
<div style="font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPfhUAOD6hYULAZZzB5qDiXN3x8GW_aOHRokRkO6JdR55tnBkVVW-MjyJmcxyxwhjNSIb43_BHeklQ6QQzTwEgqT6sw4PJY3i7PNQsRcClF445M3VSuN_lxCkWiWBd_1a4GgZ4HRS39tE/s1600/record.xl.pt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPfhUAOD6hYULAZZzB5qDiXN3x8GW_aOHRokRkO6JdR55tnBkVVW-MjyJmcxyxwhjNSIb43_BHeklQ6QQzTwEgqT6sw4PJY3i7PNQsRcClF445M3VSuN_lxCkWiWBd_1a4GgZ4HRS39tE/s1600/record.xl.pt.jpg" height="149" width="200" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Back in Porto, the Dragons were making history of their own by parting ways with the man that had brought them one of the best, hardest, most satisfying titles in the club's history - a victory over Benfica at the Dragão with a 92nd minute-goal on the 29th of 30 rounds when, just two weeks earlier, FC Porto trailed their arch-rivals by 5 points. Vítor Pereira would be replaced by Paulo Fonseca, a young tyro that had excelled at Paços de Ferreira and led them to a Champions League playoff berth.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />As it turns out, the story that was unfolding at United virtually repeated itself in Portugal. Fonseca was never able to dominate the dressing room (contrary to usual proceedings, rumours flew about with the greatest of ease) and the tactics he tried to implement were baffling. More proactive than Moyes, Fonseca insisted that the team attack relentlessly, but apparently without any order or collective ideas. The poor results came pouring in and a 3rd-place finish was all FC Porto could muster.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Like at United, however, the club were doing everything they could to preserve their image of moral leaders, twice declining Fonseca's request to resign. The third time would be the charm, however. The results certainly didn't help, but, like Moyes, it was the evident inability to steer things in the right direction and take centre stage as the emotional leader that was Fonseca's undoing.</span></span><br />
<div style="font-size: medium;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div>
</h3>
<h3>
<ul>
<li>A similar line of reasoning</li>
</ul>
</h3>
For this season, both FC Porto and Manchester United seem once again to go hand in hand. The Red Devils seemingly threw away the notion of everlasting continuity and hired Louis Van Gaal, a tried and tested victor that will, on one hand, certainly bring much-needed order to the dressing room. On the other hand, the Dutch is one of the most revered coaches as far as tactics are concerned and bears the knowledge and ability to create drills that allow players to imbibe his ideas. An European-style coach is considered to be the way forward. <br />
<br />
As far as the Dragons are concerned, the chosen coach was Julen Lopetegui, the former leader of Spain's U21 team. Club president Pinto da Costa wanted someone who had clear ideas on how to move forward, based on a possession-based brand of football. Even though Lopetegui's career includes precious little experience at club level, his results and work methods have clearly impressed those around him. <br />
<br />
As it turns out, both Manchester United and FC Porto will be relying on managers who are willing to bet on young players, who are on the cutting edge of the game (at least in tactical terms) and who are direct heirs to the notions of Total Football/tiki-taka - two concepts that are often blended and blurred. The clubs have also opened their cheque books as if to vindicate their respective managerial bets by any means necessary, as the signings of Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera on United's side and Adrían, Óliver Torres and Bruno Martins Indi on FC Porto's side have confirmed. <br />
<br />
In conclusion, it remains to be seen whether the fates of Manchester United and FC Porto will go on hand in hand and whether the huge investments made are really the thing that lacked from Moyes and Fonseca's time at the helm. On the other hand, the arrival of a Dutch and a Spanish coach brings some curiosity as far as the results of both sides are concerned, at a time at a time where possession-based football looks like a concept from the past. Will it be a case of too much too late?Vasco Mota Pereirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03721669176775665674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5673287113482042262.post-26610040624633107902014-07-16T20:35:00.000+01:002014-07-17T17:16:04.827+01:00The fine line between supporter and writer<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLTRpGe5BN8Kj-D0efdHKmDdO0o4cAIiCaWsIlumzScU6OCWzqUKiXs9px0TgZbFE1vGoXzELVOdZR6Q-HjQorlQ-WgyvhShxmYSOrE5GkixvF_vtGjDQT1CUZBIMHCkABpYtWIP0q6sk/s1600/the-led-light.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLTRpGe5BN8Kj-D0efdHKmDdO0o4cAIiCaWsIlumzScU6OCWzqUKiXs9px0TgZbFE1vGoXzELVOdZR6Q-HjQorlQ-WgyvhShxmYSOrE5GkixvF_vtGjDQT1CUZBIMHCkABpYtWIP0q6sk/s1600/the-led-light.com.jpg" height="236" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image provided by the-led-light.com.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3>
<ul>
<li>The supporter*</li>
</ul>
</h3>
<br />
As a diminutive, sickly young kid, I was never any good at sports. I went through the regular bouts of running, cycling and hide-and-seek, as well as some tennis, but sports were never a thing in my youth. On the other hand, I come from a family with precious little interest in sports as a whole. Therefore, a lack of interest in football was to be expected. It was just outside my scope.<br />
<br />
It all changed when I was 14 - hence the "late bloomer" label. I attended my first match in a proper stadium (the first one I had been to was so bad that the home supporters mutinied when one person had the audacity of praising one of the best goals I've ever seen - unfortunately, for the away team). It was one of the first Champions League games in Portugal, no less.<br />
<br />
I knew there were 11 players on each side, two goals and some lines, but that was pretty much it. I had no understanding of tactics or even positions. All I could remember was that a goal always seemed to be the centre-backs' fault. I couldn't really understand why nor did I know who or what the centre-backs were.<br />
<br />
I was immediately taken aback by all of it: the roar of the crowd, the floodlights, the life-sized players, the proximity to the pitch, the seemingly endless elation of a goal, the constant singing and standing from supporters, as if by standing they would be closer to their heroes or mimicking at least part of their idols' effort, pushing them onward.<br />
<br />
Things would never be the same. I immersed myself in the game as hard as I could and developed a profound love for the game that lasts to this day.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXMDr1GKk_vNy6etJ8aZTfnSozm9SqFocy0vxT9-p0m8XzgJAE6lYGiCa1TEmzEWMQYJZjCARM6iHhoyIvvWOoXf9U1qpQTZ-UTlZtwe1ImkT4vMpP84-igRedNSX2oRFbWmE-PCVE8ic/s1600/site.xavier.edu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXMDr1GKk_vNy6etJ8aZTfnSozm9SqFocy0vxT9-p0m8XzgJAE6lYGiCa1TEmzEWMQYJZjCARM6iHhoyIvvWOoXf9U1qpQTZ-UTlZtwe1ImkT4vMpP84-igRedNSX2oRFbWmE-PCVE8ic/s1600/site.xavier.edu.jpg" height="310" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image provided by site.xavier.edu.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li>The writer</li>
</ul>
</h3>
The years that have elapsed between then and now have been spent going to all sorts of football matches, supporting, but also playing, studying and learning - so much so that I would often go to bed quite late after analysing the stats of one of my five-a-side team's matches.<br />
<br />
Somewhere along the line, I decided to combine my love for writing with the passion for the game (which included the mandatory coaching badges). After a few years of trial and error, I started getting a few more calls, a few more requests, a few more questions. I developed a more clinical eye for specific details and started breaking the game down.<br />
<br />
I had completed the transition from a football supporter to a football writer.<br />
<br />
Even though I still get the same goosebumps whenever I enter a stadium, the emotion has to do with the sport, rather than any specific team. I don't think I've ever supported a team in blind fashion, but my allegiances have surely waned as I delved deeper into the game's minutiae. Every now and then I find beauty and thrilling emotion in the most dreary of matches; other times I find something of note from a purely tactical point of view and become aware of the difference of opinions between supporters and myself - and that's when I realise I'm no longer a supporter, just a writer.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN0sxuOE0NUmRVEp-WMytlWrL83H8-pRWuEcieO9MDy17eqKnbU2gCuesrG0Rnt-86OWZEU8OaIah8kIbmU8fCLRf4wAz2XMl6TYsGrwhZZc7Qkt8iUa5svRvzTbpfi5dM5C8tGaxaKbE/s1600/FIFA+World+Cup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN0sxuOE0NUmRVEp-WMytlWrL83H8-pRWuEcieO9MDy17eqKnbU2gCuesrG0Rnt-86OWZEU8OaIah8kIbmU8fCLRf4wAz2XMl6TYsGrwhZZc7Qkt8iUa5svRvzTbpfi5dM5C8tGaxaKbE/s1600/FIFA+World+Cup.jpg" height="320" width="256" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>The World Cup</li>
</ul>
</h3>
The first facet allows me to understand the celebration that was the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The sport had come back to its spiritual home, the country that springs to the mind of every single person when they think of football. The scenery was magnificent, the crowds were colourful, the competition was a goal feast (with the possible exception of the latter stages, including the final). There were comebacks, great goals, even better saves and nice little nutmegs. There were fascinating narratives on and off the pitch and Germany's triumph harvested a seldom seen consensus.<br />
<br />
However, as an analyst, I can't help but find some worrying tendencies from a purely footballing perspective.<br />
<br />
<b>1) Three steps back</b>. For the past 10/15 years, the death of specific positions and formations has been heralded as a certainty, whether it was the no. 10 or the 3-man defence. It also seemed football was heading down a socialist path of sorts, where everyone on the team had a specific role to fulfill. It was the times of commentators complaining how tactically shackled the Ginolas of the world were and how much better it was when players had the freedom to sprinkle their fantasy at will (or disappear altogether, in a time where hardly any games were televised). It was the advent of the 4x3x3 virtually everywhere (with the exception of the United Kingdom, where the 4x4x2 was and still is a force of nature).<br />
<br />
As it turns out, football seems to have regressed 30 years. Or so I thought while watching the past few club seasons - teams comprised of players only instructed to defend while others seem to have the exclusive responsibility of attacking, effectively breaking the team in two. The 4x2x3x1 formation seems to strengthen that same notion, the prevalent idea being that the two men in the centre keep the team from losing their balance.<br />
<br />
That same idea came to me once again when watching the first stages of the World Cup. I searched for the goals scored average of previous World Cups and what I found was eerily accurate:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzS0xqok3KgPpggix4DAeqHw5E1htAh7NSJHGPARPzDxqlCGES0WCIlpBKyr4Wxcv3xM2lnrencLxIKMtGpM1PD1y8jEWp8FL7ZKfl5HXjB4b1abjwCZ-Aq6mm6qGoihALgT4EnG0fK2Q/s1600/4bfjw9g2-1404460444.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzS0xqok3KgPpggix4DAeqHw5E1htAh7NSJHGPARPzDxqlCGES0WCIlpBKyr4Wxcv3xM2lnrencLxIKMtGpM1PD1y8jEWp8FL7ZKfl5HXjB4b1abjwCZ-Aq6mm6qGoihALgT4EnG0fK2Q/s1600/4bfjw9g2-1404460444.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
There had never been such a high number of goals scored after the famous World Cup of 1982 - where the likes of Sócrates, Conti and Falcão lit up the pitches. The notion of artistic freedom and of the beautiful game ran rampant. (Not unlike 1982, Brazil's attacking abandonment without much defensive care ended up being their downfall.)<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, I find it impossible to ascribe great merit to that. Given the characteristics that seem to affect most teams, it's only natural that most goals stem from balls given away and/or set pieces. That was one of the main reasons why there were loads of goals in the group stages: worse players tend to give the ball away more often and take up worse positions. As the tournament progressed, better teams were more reluctant to be proactive and there were a lot less goals. There was clearly no collective idea of organisation, no notion of strategy to attack anyone's enemy. The few teams that had those ideas were the surprises: Chile, Algeria and Costa Rica. I can't remember a World Cup when all you had to do to progress was just to be organised.<br />
<br />
While I understand that fans and supporters alike find the tournament all the more alluring, it does not bode well for the sport. All of which segues quite well into the next issue.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>2) The pop-star player</b>. As teams become increasingly unable to collectively cope with the challenges opponents throw their way, they become ever more reliant on their figureheads. It was therefore hardly surprising to see entire nations living and breathing the fate of their stars - whether it was Neymar, Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. Brazil went into nationwide shock when they found out Neymar would not be involved in the rest of the competition. An entire country was discussing Ronaldo's best positioning while his team-mates didn't want to have anything with the ball. Messi is not even considered all that Argentinean in his own country - nothing short of a World Cup would suffice for the Barcelona star. Manchester City's Pablo Zabaleta went as far as claiming Argentina were "playing for Messi".<br />
<br />
While there will always be and there will have been idols that draw crowds (the very notion of football hangs on the inspirational abilities of a team and/or player), such a one-dimensional approach to a sport that moves billions of euros around begs belief. The temptation of pinning every hope on the shoulders of a particular player turns football into an amalgamation of average players toiling so that one particular player can shine and solve matches. However, the flip side is that, by resigning from performing other duties, those very players are diminishing the possibilities of success of their best player (think Messi against four Dutch players) - and ergo their team.<br />
<br />
<br />
* "Supporters" was used throughout the text rather than "fans". I dislike "fans", devices - and people - who blow wherever they're told to, with very little passion or personality. The secret of "supporters", on the other hand, lies in their own name: They support, i.e., they act as the foundation upon which their team is based.Vasco Mota Pereirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03721669176775665674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5673287113482042262.post-36791742796634152662014-07-01T15:54:00.001+01:002014-07-01T15:54:27.375+01:00Portugal's World Cup: The Aftermath<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6BVzV0uLP8QXdpwvVVkDoRmiE6R0NAMb2-dI0PIkCug3iDFT8_HNGgKNeTmmBDAcbjUMrKv1nYk8zflKWWTom8hUWw8iPHpQpMX4yQcrCIakgZP4qielZN_XQtQEWva0Cr4NoD3ywULs/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6BVzV0uLP8QXdpwvVVkDoRmiE6R0NAMb2-dI0PIkCug3iDFT8_HNGgKNeTmmBDAcbjUMrKv1nYk8zflKWWTom8hUWw8iPHpQpMX4yQcrCIakgZP4qielZN_XQtQEWva0Cr4NoD3ywULs/s1600/download.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
Portugal's campaign at the World Cup ended in rather predictable fashion, but is a lack of planning at the heart of it all? You can check it out <a href="http://metro.co.uk/2014/07/01/are-cristiano-ronaldos-portugal-the-team-with-no-plan-4782707/">here</a>.Vasco Mota Pereirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03721669176775665674noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5673287113482042262.post-53111136491341838272014-06-20T16:27:00.000+01:002014-06-21T16:59:15.528+01:00Portugal: What lies behind and ahead<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS0xhnLkugaLun8xJ6iWHYkCcbdqbq6SFwGY0ehW8GcvADSzKE9yKWd9zwfmHp6crBfU6OBXvW1Wf46nwFoyMtlAKckBNzfmgBO2e_7e5WzABi77xRGpllogHAOejL25XwbDXa-Gi5Eq4/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS0xhnLkugaLun8xJ6iWHYkCcbdqbq6SFwGY0ehW8GcvADSzKE9yKWd9zwfmHp6crBfU6OBXvW1Wf46nwFoyMtlAKckBNzfmgBO2e_7e5WzABi77xRGpllogHAOejL25XwbDXa-Gi5Eq4/s1600/download.jpg" height="160" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Despite its high-profiled nature,<br />
Pepe's ill-tempered reaction was not<br />
the root of all evil for Portugal.<br />
Photo by o.canada.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Up until 5pm on June 16, 2014, everything seemed to be tip-top in Portugal. The sun was (finally) shining, summer was in bloom and the TV, press and Internet were littered with motivational jingles and clichés. The national team was just about to kick-off their World Cup in the fraternal soil of their "país irmão" and the side boasted Cristiano Ronaldo, the world's best player and figurehead of recent Champions League victors Real Madrid.<br />
<br />
By 7pm, everything was a mess. The football team that used to unite all Portuguese people (or some thought or wished) had become a joke, its players a cluster of pampered professionals who did not deserve the money they got nor the pride their fellow country men had invested in them. In short: same ol', same ol' back in Portugal. Love and embrace 'em when they win, crush 'em when they lose.<br />
<br />
Rather than discussing the result and what it all means - or may mean - at length, we will be looking at the process, namely where some of the problems lay and how/if they can be sorted out in time.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<ul>
<li>The formation</li>
</ul>
</h3>
The formation of any given team is of little importance in the grand scheme of all things football. As the saying goes, tactics stand for nothing on paper - meaning that it's rather the dynamics that are implemented within said tactical framework that are relevant, not the theoretical representations of a 4x3x3 or 3x5x2.<br />
<br />
In the case of the Portuguese national team, there seems to be little to no collective thinking, not in terms of group cohesion, but rather in terms of what to do in the game's different phases. The centre-backs seem to have the ball or their direct opponent as their sole responsibility, regardless of where it ends up taking them. The midfielders do not provide the necessary coverage for each other, let alone for their defence. The poor attackers are left to their own devices, with a game plan that essentially boils down to "get the ball to Ronaldo now!"<br />
<br />
Therefore, it results utterly pointless to dissect the formation, since none will work if there is no tactical blueprint and if the players' features do not fit into it (when in doubt, please see Spain's case during the current World Cup). Whether in 4x4x2, 4x3x3 or 4x2x3x1, without an underlying collective understanding of the game, few teams will prosper.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<ul>
<li>The Ronaldo conundrum</li>
</ul>
</h3>
Cristiano Ronaldo is by far the team's most gifted player. He is the captain, the man everyone turns to for guidance. That much was clearly on display when Nani (for instance), presented with a clear-cut opportunity, kept looking over his shoulder to give the ball to Ronaldo. However, it's become painfully clear that Ronaldo's numerous shots, sprints and goals come at a defensive cost.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicIPT3jh-0eGYhdsjTbtl_54LzFQ5zQgyZqQxUHjYPfwuanomA9XUseucSPyfrrVGY9phCKngcQ4QcqvznMCDSqndYn-bdtg9cCIcxETy8y6df-JvKxMQtbHf2U1E0gDwtm0WC9z81jlo/s1600/POR-GER+POR+left+side.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicIPT3jh-0eGYhdsjTbtl_54LzFQ5zQgyZqQxUHjYPfwuanomA9XUseucSPyfrrVGY9phCKngcQ4QcqvznMCDSqndYn-bdtg9cCIcxETy8y6df-JvKxMQtbHf2U1E0gDwtm0WC9z81jlo/s1600/POR-GER+POR+left+side.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The chances created by the German team and the absence<br />
of defensive input down Portugal's left paint an explanatory picture.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
It is no surprise then that Real Madrid managed to <a href="http://combinationplay.blogspot.pt/2014/05/real-madrid-4-1-atletico-madrid-aet.html">grab their <i>Décima</i></a> by pairing him with Benzema up front, thus efficiently covering both wings. Most opponents had identified <a href="http://combinationplay.blogspot.pt/2012/06/portugal-get-win-but-face-tactical.html">Portugal</a> and <a href="http://combinationplay.blogspot.pt/search/label/Cristiano%20Ronaldo">Real Madrid's</a> left wing as their main gateway. If Portugal coach Paulo Bento is to insist on this formation based on the same principles, the left wing - now without Fábio Coentrão, no less - will be a primary target for upcoming opponents.<br />
<br />
On the attacking front, Ronaldo actually suffered from being offered little service down his side, despite the scare Portugal gave Germany in the match's initial period, where Hugo Almeida ended up squandering a good opportunity presented by his captain.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9TM5lWwn_XhQZ09lTUsp8VgyluIJON1prCMjvvoJSYOfJKH81OTvNbdDkOPBZgzzhC4wpqCM-oYt95LSwcKjeQsut3leocCBzRTp0Sh05jPgSqR3lIDJFynLDHQ26d5U_1k-HPI4IRFY/s1600/POR-GER+Ronaldo+Nani.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9TM5lWwn_XhQZ09lTUsp8VgyluIJON1prCMjvvoJSYOfJKH81OTvNbdDkOPBZgzzhC4wpqCM-oYt95LSwcKjeQsut3leocCBzRTp0Sh05jPgSqR3lIDJFynLDHQ26d5U_1k-HPI4IRFY/s1600/POR-GER+Ronaldo+Nani.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Despite his limited playing time at Manchester United, Nani was often called upon to carry the ball forward.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
In fact, it was Manchester United's once super-sub Nani that saw the ball more often, while also contributing a little more defensively. All this seems to confirm that Ronaldo might just be better off stationed up front - playing off a proper, designated no. 9 such as Éder - than parading all his abilities down the left.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwBEKx34wuhkuJQa-eYJxN7sxpq8ZE3wYAs2KdxoOiEi9XablfL32kl3q0HGUS8_BiVnCmN9XvdqqVC_aTrfmfkYOjeNG2PLULaWr4WqjGboa0vJwdrGvL8_oMzEz-KyucvEs69Dr93I/s1600/POR-GER+Attacking+third.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwBEKx34wuhkuJQa-eYJxN7sxpq8ZE3wYAs2KdxoOiEi9XablfL32kl3q0HGUS8_BiVnCmN9XvdqqVC_aTrfmfkYOjeNG2PLULaWr4WqjGboa0vJwdrGvL8_oMzEz-KyucvEs69Dr93I/s1600/POR-GER+Attacking+third.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Portugal ended up favouring their right side both offensively and defensively.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<h3>
<ul>
<li>Miguel Veloso</li>
</ul>
</h3>
<div>
When Miguel Veloso first burst onto the scene of Portuguese football, it was a breath of fresh air. It seemed Portugal would have a gifted ball-playing holding midfielder for years to come. Unfortunately for him, it did not pan out that way and Veloso now finds himself plying his trade for Dynamo Kiev after being considered for greater heights. He has become slow and apparently lost even the ability to put himself in the right spots according to his position, often jeopardising the team's defensive solidity.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFHguYo8YTzAogSUPRINiUYGna_5xeteBuZirNkm1XvhUPSM731OcHMtQWu6G8iR57SQSjxxxkOR9ZysbBfp6rVMYFGVVvOwlthBZCev_qqxR01C3445ijDfl6UoHhJOUv8svIYC2YKw8/s1600/POR-GER+Veloso+def+dashboard.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFHguYo8YTzAogSUPRINiUYGna_5xeteBuZirNkm1XvhUPSM731OcHMtQWu6G8iR57SQSjxxxkOR9ZysbBfp6rVMYFGVVvOwlthBZCev_qqxR01C3445ijDfl6UoHhJOUv8svIYC2YKw8/s1600/POR-GER+Veloso+def+dashboard.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miguel Veloso contributed precious little defensively against Germany.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If William Carvalho is to replace him against the United States (<a href="http://metro.co.uk/2014/06/20/why-eder-and-william-carvalho-the-men-to-lead-portugal-out-of-trouble-4769487/">a possibility formulated elsewhere</a>), the defensive dashboard of Portugal's defensive midfielder might be a tad busier than the above one.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
<ul>
<li>Éder</li>
</ul>
</h3>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
During his early years, Hugo Almeida was thought to be the answer to many Portuguese supporters: A tall, strong, robust, left-footed striker. The long-standing issue of "good football but the balls never goes in the net" that harassed the Portuguese national team (and clubs to a lesser extent) seemed to be all but over.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
However, like Veloso, Almeida's evolution stagnated. A good four-year spell at Werder Bremen earned him a move to Turkish side Besiktas, all of which did not grant him an extension of his somewhat limited bag of tricks. Despite his physical presence, Almeida does not offer the link-up play the maligned Hélder Postiga provides and he's not exactly the most mobile of players.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvXlOq1vvQk85SeQbFuaYvAYHPHbYoOfw9rrMsMrdze5y5EkWPo1ACQIzRdv72BQAv5ZCYeLkfSQn9QM0p3yUfCtFn7gCUuEkzpfz0n69mLulSdHONGb8882gplYBhRUGE5kb9PBWiGJs/s1600/POR-GER+Almeida+%C3%89der.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvXlOq1vvQk85SeQbFuaYvAYHPHbYoOfw9rrMsMrdze5y5EkWPo1ACQIzRdv72BQAv5ZCYeLkfSQn9QM0p3yUfCtFn7gCUuEkzpfz0n69mLulSdHONGb8882gplYBhRUGE5kb9PBWiGJs/s1600/POR-GER+Almeida+%C3%89der.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Éder replaced the injured Hugo Almeida and immediately improved Portugal's incisiveness.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<div>
When Almeida was forced to limp off the pitch, on came Braga's Éder, a forward who, despite his long-term injury, seems to combine most features of his two fellow strikers: On one hand, he is able to hold the ball up and allow his team to progress up the pitch. On the other hand, he's fast enough to create problems, as Germany's Mats Hummels can attest.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3>
<ul>
<li>Conclusion</li>
</ul>
</h3>
<div>
All in all, there seems to be a glaring beckoning for greater collective organsiation within the Portuguese team. In a tournament where most teams have fared apparently under no detailed instructions from their managers and relied hugely on their top performers, the only way to improve the side's odds is to offer them a map they can follow, rather than leaving them to their own devices. In a competition that has been so dominated by individual displays, Portugal must make use of a clear plan if they are to stop the progressively decaying talent pool from drying out altogether.</div>
Vasco Mota Pereirahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03721669176775665674noreply@blogger.com1