Category: World Football

Joelinton – Player Analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Central Midfield, Coach Education, Masterclasses, Player Analysis, Premier League, World Football

Often seen as the emblem of an overpriced transfer that failed to deliver, Joelinton has seen a complete transformation in position, role, and status under new Newcastle boss Eddie Howe. The former Bournemouth coach has harnessed the Brazilian’s tireless work rate by moving him from forward to central midfield, where he's performed brilliantly as a box to box midfielder. So with that, we decided to take a look at how Joelinton has transformed into one of Newcastle's most important players in the blink of an eye. Here is our latest Player Analysis.

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 to play with a False 9 like Guardiola and Klopp

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Formations, Masterclasses, Most Recent, Premier League, World Football

Following its popular use for Vicente del Bosque's Spain at Euro 2012, the role of the false nine has continued to evolve in the modern era of the Premier League, accompanied by a shift in mannerisms, behaviors, and positional patterns of strikers on a football pitch. Pep Guardiola's Manchester City and Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool have been two of the dominating forces in world football since the mid-2010s, and both have operated throughout that time without a recognized out-and-out goal-scoring striker. For any possession-based team attempting to emulate Klopp and Guardiola, deploying a false nine presents a unique and innovative way of breaking the opposition down, and reaching new levels of performance. Some tactical experts have suggested that in the future we may see a formation without a striker at all, but truthfully, we may already be there.

Finding Jude Bellingham’s next club

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Attacking Midfield, Central Midfield, German Bundesliga, Premier League, Recruitment & Scouting, UEFA Champions League, World Football

18-year-old Jude Bellingham has lit the Bundesliga on fire since arriving at the start of the 2020-21 season, catching the attention of clubs, fans and managers across the globe. Evidently with still so much to learn, the Dortmund man plays with a class and confidence beyond his years, and already has a manager wanting to build a team around his undeniable quality. In this tactical analysis, we take a look at why Bellingham has excelled at Dortmund, and attempt to identify his next big club.

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.

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.

Finding the next Sadio Mane – Tactical Analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Data Analysis, Most Recent, Player Analysis, Premier League, Recruitment & Scouting, Striker, Winger, World Football

Sadio Mane may not have as much versatility in skillset as Firmino and Salah, but his talent levels are supreme. Out of all the candidates, Emmanuel Dennis might be the closest clone. The Nigerian forward is just sheer speed and scoring power, which, without underselling all of this, is Mane to a tee. Then you have Rafael Leao, who is so much more skillful than the Senegalese, but lacks the exact trait we would most want to find in a future Mane replacement (better scoring and shooting accuracy). So with that, we have to go with...

Finding the next Mohamed Salah – Tactical Analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Data Analysis, Most Recent, Player Analysis, Premier League, Recruitment & Scouting, Striker, Winger, World Football

As we found out, finding Mohamed Salah's replacement at Liverpool is a tough task. He's a strangely unique player, who does just about everything in the game to great effect. Nobody will ever replace his goal-scoring presence for the Reds, and that much always needs to be taken into consideration. So with that, we've done something a bit crazy.