FIFA World Cup 2018: Knockout Round Day Four

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Sweden 1-0 Switzerland

The Swedes came into this game looking to shut down the middle and get forward on the wings in a 4-2-2-2 formation, looking for Emil Forsberg to create things floating in from the left, Victor Claesson crossing the ball on the right, and Ola Toivonen the target man in the box getting the ball onto Marcus Berg. Switzerland limped into this game with a few players out through injury, employing a flexible 4-2-3-1 that played like a 4-5-1 in attack, playing the ball through sideline-to-sideline midfielder Granit Xhaka, with his primary attacking help coming from Xherdan Shaqiri on the right, Steven Zuber new to the starting XI trying to make runs forward on the left, and Josip Drmic the fourth starting target man in the box this tournament.

The Swiss were committed to play out of the back, find good starting positions and combinations, working the ball around, then finding a playing running into the box to cross it to. The Swiss are usually good at playing out of pressure, but they got careless in the back a few times and gave up good chances to the Swedes. Sweden were a little more direct, but not really finding an offensive rhythm. Sweden played a very deep back-line, which is why Switzerland was able to find space to pass the ball into. No surprise that the Swiss dominated the possession. The Swedes did a lot of work closing down space in the center, and their wingers were pressing the Swiss flankers. Both teams got shots off in the box, just not on goal, with some badly missed finishes that should have gone in.

Forsberg finally got on the end of a ball in front of the box in the 66th minute. The Swiss were getting really frustrated with the officiating, so they were putting bodies on a lot of Swedish players. Drmic was practically useless up front, not getting the ball in the box and not really a part of the Swiss offensive buildup. Sweden was very disciplined in the back after scoring, closing down the box to the Swiss and not giving them good looks at goal. It’s not always pretty, but there is a cohesion and a single-mindedness to Sweden that squeezes every ounce of performance out of those canary-yellow jerseys.

Colombia 1-1 England (3-4 pk)

Without their talisman James Rodriguez, Colombia employed a Christmas tree 4-3-2-1 formation, with Carlos Sanchez providing cover for the backline, Jefferson Lerma and Wilmar Barrios bringing the ball forward on the flanks, Radamel Falcao responsible for the chances in the box, and Juan Cuadrado and Juan Quintero trailing into the box to help. England took a chance with an adventuresome yet center-intensive 3-1-4-2, with Jordan Henderson protecting the backline, sideline-to-sideline technical midfielders Dele Alli and Jesse Lingard varying their runs all over the pitch, speedy Raheem Sterling breaking into the box to link up with Harry Kane waiting on the ball to take his chances on goal. A three-man backline meant that Ashley Young and Kieran Trippier were going to be busy both attacking and defending on the flanks.

Both these teams live and die on set pieces. A lot of youth and speed for the Three Lions, with Colombia trying to close down space through the center to discourage runs by Sterling, Alli and Lingard. Early on, Kane wasn’t finding space in the box to operate, so he was coming back deep to get the ball. England was doing a good job of closing down the forward thrust of Colombia on the flanks, pressing Cuadrado and Quintero up high and limiting their ability to get the ball forward. Falcao was not getting a lot of options in the box, as England’s three-man backline was good at cutting off his help.

For whatever reason, Colombia decided to get physical and chippy, challenging England everywhere on the pitch, grabbing and bullying (you would have thought the English would be prone to this). It cost them in the 57th minute when Carlos Sanchez dragged Kane down in the box and Kane converted the penalty. Of course, England’s score meant that Colombia started to get players into the attack, which predictably meant that there was now space for Alli, Lingard and especially Sterling to use their speed to exploit. England replaces Alli with Eric Dyer to provide more cover centrally in the back.

Colombia tried to get the ball into the box, but the Three Lions did a good job of closing down the final third, closing down channels to both run and pass into. Three minutes into extra time, England were uncharacteristically 6’s and 7’s on a Colombian corner and center back Yerry Mina scored his third goal of the tournament on the header. That took the wind out of England’s sails and gave Columbia extra energy in their game, especially on the left side. It was as if England just couldn’t get over having victory taken from the jaws of defeat in extra time. England were the better team throughout. It would have been disappointing had they not made it through on penalties.

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FIFA World Cup 2018: Knockout Round Day Three

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Brazil 2-0 Mexico

This game featured two identical attacks, both employing a wide 4-3-3 formation. Brazil’s attack runs through Neymar on the left, although he will have to do it without the help of his linkup partner on that side, Marcelo, Willian bringing the ball down the right, Casamiro cleaning up things in front of the backline, Philippe Coutino and Paulinho getting through the center forward, and cultured striker Gabriel Jesus up top. El Tri will start 39-year-old hard man Rafael Marquez to cover the back-line, sideline to sideline midfielders Andrés Guardado and Héctor Herrera moving forward in attack to support the service of flankers Hirving Lozano and Carlos Vela, and cultured striker Javier Hernández up top.

Mexico needed quick transitions to defend Brazil’s quickness, but they also needed to transition quickly into their attack. From the jump, Lozano switched sides, bringing Vela back to fill the space created by Lozano’s runs forward. Mexico pressed Brazil early and often, especially on the wings, where they didn’t let Brazil build up their attack on the flanks, and contested a lot of the Brazilian attack in the middle third. Despite being outhustled by El Tri, there was no panic in Brazil, and they calmly and patiently played their game at their tempo, and they took the better chances in the box; if Mexico was going to press high, Brazil found spaces through the center to exploit. Marquez was not doing a very good job of closing down the space around him (he was showing his age).

After the half, Brazil began to dominate possession, having figured out how to attack them through the middle, the patient buildup in the 51st minute resulting in a Neymar goal was proof of that. Brazil showed a lot of faith in the center of their defense (Miranda and Thiago Silva). Sending so many numbers forward in response, Brazil caught Mexico in transition and hit them on the counter in the 88th minute on a Roberto Firmino goal. It took a while, but Brazil eventually forced their will on the game and Mexico just couldn’t keep up.

Belgium 3-2 Japan

Belgium wanted to sustain pressure in a center-intensive 3-4-2-1 formation that played liked a 3-4-3 when they wanted to spread things out and flood the attacking third, Vincent Kompany finally gets the start at sweeper, sideline-to-sideline midfielder Kevin De Bruyne making forward forays into the attacking end with center attacker Dries Martens, Eden Hazard creating opportunities in the box, and complete target man Romelu Lukaku poaching goals up top. Japan went with a quick and rhythmic 4-2-3-1, with Makoto Hasebe covering the back four, Gaku Shibasaki linking up through the center with the attack, Takashi Inui making runs from the left into the final third, Shinji Kagawa that creator through the center, and Yuya Osaka the target man up front expected to get his back to goal and finish.

Japan pressed and won the ball early, looking to interrupt the Belgian attack in the middle third before it had a chance to build, playing with a confidence we aren’t used to seeing them have against European competition. Belgium did a good job of getting the ball quickly to Lukaku, who did a good job of holding up play for help to trail into the box. It goes without saying that Belgium were at their best offensively when Hazard had the ball on his feet. When Lukaku got the ball in the box with his back to goal, there were at least two Japanese defenders not allowing him to turn on goal. At about the 20th minute, Belgium began to find space through the center in the final third to exploit. No panic in Japan, though; they still looked to try to interrupt the Belgian attack in midfield then buildup through the center.

Coming out of the half, Belgium looked to build their offense quicker, beating Japan in midfield. It bit them in the ass though, in the 48th minute when Japan beat them on the break on a through ball by Shibasaki and a score by Genki Haraguchi. Japan continued to find space on the wings, drawing Belgium to them so they could exploit the center, as evidenced by Inui’s long goal in the 52nd minute. Belgium started using their size advantage in the air on 50/50 balls and set pieces, getting on the end of several good chances, bringing on Marouane Fellaini to press Mertens further up into attack. It worked; both goals by Belgium – in the 69th minute by Jan Vertonghen and in the 74th minute by Fellaini – were a direct result of their size advantage.

To their credit, Japan did not take their foot off the gas. Too many players forward by Japan in the 4th minute of stoppage time gave Belgium the opening they needed to finish off Japan (on a breakaway goal by sub Nacer Chadli). A great game and a game effort by Japan, they gave them all they could handle. MADD RESPECT!! Belgium were tested but showed a lot of resolve in coming back. They used their, “Get Out Of Jail Free” card.

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FIFA World Cup 2018: Knockout Round Day Two

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Spain 1-1 Russia (3-4 pk)

La Furia Roja were going to live and die with the patient and probing 4-2-3-1, no Andres Iniesta to start the game meant Marco Asensio and David Silva were going to be the flankers who serviced Diego Costa in the box, and Isco was given the important job of being support to Costa trailing in from the center. And when they didn’t have possession, Spain pressed high to get it back. Russia changed things up a bit with a conservative 5-3-2 counterattack, looking to limit Spain’s attacking options in the final third with a five-man backline (which meant no room for leading scorer Denis Cheryshev from the start), get the ball forward quickly to target man Artem Dzyuba holding up things for trailing forward Aleksandr Golovin, both getting service from Yury Zhirkov and Mário Fernandes on the flanks, but the point of attack was going to come through the center as sideline-to-sideline midfielder Aleksandr Golovin pulled the strings.

39-year-old Sergey Ignashevich showed his age early by messing up a defensive set piece on David Silva, putting it in his own goal in the 11th minute. As great as Russia was at set pieces, they were surprisingly horrible at defending them; this was the fourth set piece goal they allowed in the tournament to this point. On the rare occasions when Spain went long into the attacking third, Russia were 6’s and 7’s. If Russia was going to win this game, they needed to press Spain high to get the ball back and limit their possession; they did not. As usual, Spain got comfortable sitting in space, moving the ball from side to side, dictating flow and tempo, waiting for channels to run into, slowly gaining ground, testing their opponent’s resolve. Russia looked good running on Spain the few times they had the ball, but with no real organization or coordination. A rare handball by central defender Gerard Piqué in the box gave Russia a penalty kick in the 41st minute, Dzyuba converted. Russia’s five-man backline was incredibly disciplined and hard to break down; Spain did not have a shot on goal in the first half.

To get more offensive buildup through the center, Spain finally brought in Iniesta for Silva, who had a rather forgettable game. To get more finishing in the box, Russia finally brought in Cheryshev, and Fedor Smolov for help up top, but at the expense of Dzyuba up top, so no target man. There just wasn’t any quality shots on goal for either team through full time. Only Spain actually tried to win this game in extra time, Russia soaked up all the pressure and were clearly just hanging on. An unsatisfying game all around, with an unsatisfying end. For all their talent, Spain has reverted back to their old ways; an immensely talented side with the ability to win it all, coming up with ways to screw it up.

Croatia 1-1 Denmark (3-2 pk)

Croatia is going to play to its strengths in the midfield with a balanced 4-2-3-1 formation, with Ivan Rakitic making runs through the middle linking up with talisman Luka Modric going forward, Ivan Perisic making supporting runs from the left, and cultured Mario Mandzukic up top holding up play in the box. Denmark looked to spread things out in a 4-3-3 that played like a covering 4-1-4-1 if they had to drop back in numbers, with midfield creator Christian Erikson playing more centrally bringing the ball forward for the top three of Yussef Poulsen and Martin Braithwaite supporting the top man Andreas Cornelius in the box. Not a good start for the Croats, who were 6’s and 7’s on the set piece in the first minute that Mathias Jørgensen scored, goal I attribute more to goalkeeper error by Croat Danijel Subasic. But they put it to Denmark with a great offensive buildup on their first possession and equalized by Mandzukic, who was not going to miss from six yards out in the 4th minute.

Things settled in after that; a lot of long balls from Denmark early, while Croatia looked for a more patient buildup through the center. Both teams played to their strengths; Croatia had players who moved around creating space and opportunities in the final third; Denmark got the ball forward quickly on direct passes into the box, then drew set pieces, making things uncomfortable for the Croatian backline. I think Modric was doing too much, frequently going back into this own box to close down the Danish attack. Croatia turned up the heat in the second half, with long diagonal balls into the final third, diagonal runs into the box, makingit uncomfortable for the Danish backline. Both teams with great chances in front of the goal.

Croatia spent the early part of extra time hemmed in by Denmark. A clean, well-played game; neither team got a yellow card; lots of fouls by Denmark but nothing deliberate. I was surprised that a team like Croatia which is good at controlling flow and tempo, ceded that idiosyncrasy to Denmark. I don’t have a problem with the professional foul by Mathias Jørgensen in the box on a Croatian breakaway by Ante Rebic; Rebic had an empty goal and had to be brought down. Kasper Schmeichel with a great penalty save on Modric, he is his father Peter’s son. Another unsatisfying end to an unsatisfying day of futbol.

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