Tag: Match Analysis

Game of Numbers #30 – Defending the world’s best striker – Gabriel Magalhães

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Centre Backs, Coach Education, Game of Numbers, Masterclasses, Player Analysis, Player Education, Premier League, Striker

We all know just how good Erling Haaland is at football. He only needs one chance, and more often than not, he'll score. But what makes him such a powerhouse is the combination of traits (pace, power, strength, hold-up, playmaking, etc.) that intertwine to make him the most frightening striker in the world. In order to defend against the world's best in Erling Haaland, you have to fully believe and embody the role of someone who can go toe-to-toe with the City man. Perhaps most importantly, you have to throw Haaland off his game, without stepping over a certain line of aggression. It might have gone under the radar as Arsenal claimed their first win over the Citizens in the Arteta era, but that is exactly what Gabriel accomplished on Sunday. Here is Game of Numbers #30.

Game of Numbers #27 – Heung Min-Son as the ‘9’ & Evan Ferguson’s hat-trick

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Game of Numbers, Masterclasses, Match Analysis, Player Analysis, Premier League, Striker

In spite of Tottenham's formidable, unbeaten start to the season, something felt missing without the presence of a goal-scoring '#9' up front. It may have been the obvious move with Richarlison not exactly hitting the ground running, but Ange Postecoglou might just have found the perfect solution in Heung-Min Son. Here is Game of Numbers #27, featuring Son as a '#9', and Evan Ferguson's stellar hat-trick.

Game of Numbers #26 – James Ward-Prowse & West Ham on the break

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Central Midfield, Game of Numbers, Masterclasses, Match Analysis, Player Analysis, Premier League

Despite Brighton's high-flying start to the season, I worried about what would happen when faced with a truly great counter-attacking side, given the space out wide in their shape. Well, in came West Ham United, one of the best counter-attacking teams in the world. Here is Game of Numbers #26, starting with how West Ham perfectly exploited Brighton's greatest weakness.

Game of Numbers #25 – Barca’s midfield diamond & Frenkie de Jong in defense

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Central Midfield, Centre Backs, Game of Numbers, Masterclasses, Match Analysis, Player Analysis

Barcelona have started the season off unbeaten, but it hasn't been the two most convincing performances from Xavi Hernandez's team, as they continue to adjust to the array of midfield talent they have at their disposal. Here is Game of Numbers #25, starting with Barcelona's use of Frenkie de Jong as a centre-back.

UEFA Super Cup Final – Manchester City *1-1 Sevilla – Match Analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Masterclasses, Match Analysis, UEFA Champions League

Manchester City might have won the UEFA Super Cup, but it was not the most convincing of victories from the Citizens. The match against Sevilla served as one of the first examples I've seen of Guardiola going against his typical brilliance in adapting to the moment and his players available, and sticking to a system instead. Here's an analysis of why Manchester City set up in a way that was less than optimal against Sevilla.

Game of Numbers #24 – Bellingham at the top of the diamond

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Central Midfield, Game of Numbers, Masterclasses, Match Analysis, Player Analysis, Team Analysis

Much has been made this summer about Real Madrid's lack of a natural Karim Benzema replacement up front, and the downgrade of Joselu entering that position for Los Blancos instead. But sometimes, you don't need to replace a player in the transfer market with a like-for-like switch. Sometimes, all you need to do is tweak the shape of the team. This is what Real Madrid have done in finding a solution for their Benzema dilemma. In the process, they've also presented a solution to the conundrum regarding how to fit all their fantastic pieces in midfield together.

Canada 2-1 Ireland – Women’s World Cup – Match Analysis

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Coach Education, Match Analysis, Women's Football

After a 0-0 draw against Nigeria where they showed some promise but ultimately failed to get the job done, Canada came out of the gates shell-shocked against Ireland. Leading into the match, I broke down three key areas where Ireland would hurt Canada. Unfortunately for Canada, all three of these items came to life against Ireland, and they looked a team lacking identity. But then everything changed in the second half, and finally they got going, with the help of some experienced heads. Here is our analysis of the match between Canada and Ireland, and how the Canadians turned things around.

Game of Numbers #23 – How USA unravelled Vietnam’s marking at the World Cup

by Rhys Desmond, posted in Game of Numbers, Masterclasses, Match Analysis, Women's Football

The United States were always set to have one of the most impressive performances of the opening round. But they impressed with their tactical nuances as much as their individual star power. Here is our first edition of Game of Numbers across the 2023 Women's World Cup, with how the States used positional rotations to unravel Vietnam's defense.