Confederations Cup

Update on TVNZ site for Confederations Cup
tvnz.co.nz/commentary-sport/2009-fifa-confederations-cup-preview-2772057

article re All Whites in SA for Confederations Cup



http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=1012888

How important is Confed Cup to South Africa?

www.suedafrika.org/index.php?id=58&id=58&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=649&cHash=5d31374122&L=1

Azerbaijan 0 - 6 Spain
Match Details

We're walking into the lions den with that squad. Check out their benched players...

holy hell!!!!!!!!!!! if that squad isnt good enough to win the World Cup then nothing is!!! their subs and reserves could just about win it. Cheers to TheKop for that link: here it is again http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/match?id=266771&league=FIFA.FRIENDLY&cc=5739   just check out the names on that subs bench!!!!

Terry Maddaford's summary of AW's Confed campaign, as heard on Radio Sport last night:

www.radiosport.co.nz/ThisWeek/12015.wma
 
Starts at 11mins 12 seconds and goes to the end of the link, then finishes on this link:

www.radiosport.co.nz/ThisWeek/12030.wma

USA up 2-0 over Brazil in the final at half time. Ridiculous... Brazil dominating possession, but not creating chances. USA have been amazingly clinical finishers in this tourney.

Quality second half by Brazil takes the match. 3-2.

...USA Usa usa... 

And have been probably the hardest working team at the cup. Howard also made 33 saves compared to next best of 17. Check out these stats on distance covered:


GP Min Distance  Distance/Min Distance/90min USA Michael BRADLEY 4 357 47445 132.9 11960.9 ESP Cesc FABREGAS 3 248 32054 129.3 11632.5 USA Landon DONOVAN 5 450 57819 128.5 11563.8 USA Clint DEMPSEY 5 448 57496 128.3 11550.5 ITA Andrea PIRLO 3 270 33962 125.8 11320.7 BRA RAMIRES 5 361 45389 125.7 11315.8 NZL Tim BROWN 3 235 29200 124.3 11183.0 ITA Daniele DE ROSSI 3 270 33506 124.1 11168.7 USA Ricardo CLARK 4 301 37228 123.7 11131.3 RSA Steven PIENAAR 5 338 41736 123.5 11113.1
Full set of data can be found here:
http://www.fifa.com/confederationscup/statistics/players/distanceandspeed.html

The only reason those players have to run so far is because they all take a rubbish first touch.

The Americans didnt really play the ball around.

Bradley only attempted 144 passes in his 357min at a success rate of ~64% compare that to Xavi who attempted 374 passes in his 316min at a success rate of ~85%. Even Landon Donovan didnt fare much better, 213 passes attempted (most by an American) at ~64% success rate less than Pirlo who played less than half the amount of minutes of Donovan, his stats 222 passes attempted at a success rate of ~71%.

In fact 8 All Whites had a higher success rate than the highest American, including subs who could have come on and gotten away 1 pass all tournament and been successful. Even Mulligan is better the best American (in terms of success rate):


GP Min Attempted Success rate NZL Dave MULLIGAN 3 185 70 71.43% USA Sacha KLJESTAN 3 76 36 69.44% USA Clint DEMPSEY 5 448 183 68.31%

Can't believe the USA didn't have a man on the post for the corner that led to Brazil's winner.  Schoolboy stuff.

Well that was quite a fair summary by Terry Maddaford, to be honest. Wish he was a bit more supportive in some of his pre-match stories.

BRASSSSSSSSSSSSIIIIIILLLLL

It's been a trend among top sides for a while now - remember Barca being knocked out of Champions League by Chelsea in 2005 for the same reason.

I think part of the thinking now is that if you crowd the box with your defensive plyers you restrict the space that the attacking side can use to put shots/headers on goal, and it's easier to break on the counter with numbers and speed.

Personally I'm not convinced, but seems to be in vogue at the moment, although I've also noticed that it's usually the far post that's left completely unguarded, the near post sometimes is (perhaps to do with the thinking that the near-post flick-ons and headers are the trickiest to defend that's been espoused by some coaches).

Keeper has longer to adjust to a ball to the far post.

Yet a goal still occurred.

I am not convinced about these tactics as the team which has the the dead ball set play also has the initiative of the accurate delivery.

A goalkeeper has no time to react and even if he does react or proact with some predictability (very few keepers can do regularly), gravity and time for the moment to stretch will be against a solid accurate header. Even if the keeper reach it, it would be doubtful if he is able to defect the ball well enough. But with a player on the post, he wouldn't have to do much but just to block the shot.

As for the counterattacks, well it is usually your backs or the small but reasonable player on the post. And with decent counterattack patterns it is not a problem to generate.

TBH, the only time you would consider crowding out the space without men on post, is when you are clearly up by at least two goals and looking to counterattack by numbers to grab another goal. Otherwise, why take the risk??AllWhitebelievr2009-06-30 12:14:28