Category: Match Analysis

How I watch football matches for tactical analyses

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Masterclasses, Match Analysis

As a football analyst, I often get asked a very broad question - 'How do you watch football matches?'. What people really want to know is what I look for, the process of watching to disseminating that information to an audience, and how they can learn more about the game to see football like a true tactical analyst themselves. A little over a year ago, I wrote an article titled 'How to watch football like a tactical analyst', following a 'how do you watch football?' type of question from one of our long-time readers. Since that article, the way I watch football has evolved, with new processes and techniques to study the game and prepare myself for the subsequent analyses that follow. So with that, today I share how I watch football matches, and gain the necessary insights that guide my articles.

Forge FC 0-1 Cruz Azul – Match Analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Canadian Premier League, Coach Education, Masterclasses, Match Analysis, World Football

While they won't be overly pleased with the result, Forge FC continue to showcase just how far soccer has come in Canada, going toe to toe with Cruz Azul in their first appearance in the CONCACAF Champions League. Cruz may have dominated the match, but Forge put up a valiant fight to the end, and could have easily gotten a result on a different day. Here is our tactical analysis of Forge's 1-0 defeat at the hands of Mexican giants Cruz Azul.

How Southampton used positional automatisms to gain advantages v. Man United

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Formations, Masterclasses, Match Analysis, Premier League

Ralph Hasenhuttl's Southampton used intelligent positional patterns (or automatisms) to gain crucial advantages against United, and come out with a massive away draw. Particularly vital on the day to finding space and gaining tactical victories were Oriol Romeu and Mohamed Elyounoussi, who took on various roles over the course of the match away from their 'normal' position.

Analyzing Barcelona’s attacking brilliance vs. Atletico

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Managers, Masterclasses, Match Analysis, Most Recent, Team Analysis, World Football

past weekend, securing an easy 4-2 win against arch-rivals Atletico Madrid. With the likes of Dani Alves, yes Dani Alves, and a younger version of Xavi himself in the form of 17-year-old Gavi, Barca have a mix of incredible experience and youthful verve to propel them into the top four moving forward. Here is our match analysis of Barca's 4-2 win over Atletico, and Barcelona's attacking variety and balance throughout the match.

Why Dortmund are so bad in defensive transitions

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, German Bundesliga, Managers, Masterclasses, Match Analysis, Most Recent, Team Analysis

Any time Borussia Dortmund look like they might be in with a shot of challenging Bayern for the Bundesliga title, they go and mess it up with an abysmal performance. Marco Rose's time in charge of the Black & Yellows has been characterized by a series of questionable tactical decisions (to say the least), and an utter lack of desire to fix the team's most pressing defensive concern - their disastrously poor positioning, speed and aptitude in transitions. After the club's shocking 5-2 loss to third place Bayer Leverkusen, we take an in-depth look at why Rose's Dortmund are so poor in defensive transitions, and what they can do to fix this.

Canada 2-0 USA – Match Analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Managers, Match Analysis, World Cup 2022, World Football

Unbeaten in ten matches in the final round of World Cup Qualifying. If you had said that to me a year ago - that Canada were going to reach these impeccable heights, I would not have believed you. Our men's team hasn't qualified for a World Cup since 1986, and has only beaten the States one other time in the past 37 years. The miracles under John Herdman keep coming true, and we are now one step closer to qualifying for our first World Cup in over thirty years. Here is my tactical analysis of Canada's 2-0 win over the US.

Manchester City 1-0 Chelsea – Match Analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Masterclasses, Match Analysis, Premier League

Manchester City are running away with the 2021-22 Premier League title. Thomas Tuchel looked resigned to the same belief in his post-match interview, with the Blues having one of their worst games since the German took over. Manchester City were utterly dominant from start to finish, allowing the Blues just 7 touches in the Sky Blue penalty area - Chelsea's lowest in seven years. So with that, here is our tactical analysis of how Guardiola's City claimed such a dominant victory over Thomas Tuchel's team.

Goalkeepers in the build-up – a new meaning to the ‘Sweeper Keeper’

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Coaching, Goalkeeper, Masterclasses, Match Analysis, Player Analysis, Player Education, Premier League

The role of the goalkeeper continues to evolve in the modern game, with keepers becoming better with their feet by the year. Not only are goalkeepers now a crucial part of their team's build-up structures, but they're coming higher and higher out of their penalty areas to contribute. We recently discussed how Robert Sanchez often joins the Brighton defense as an auxiliary centre-back when the Seagulls play out from the back. But Sanchez is not alone in the art. The likes of Alisson, Ederson and Manuel Neuer all perform a similar function for their teams, adding another number by which their team can shift the ball around and make the opposition sweat. But why exactly is this happening and what are the advantages? Let's explore.