How Canada used the 4-4-2 to success in World Cup Qualifying

After thirteen long, hard-fought games, Canada's Men's National Team has officially qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1986. With 8 wins, 4 draws and just 1 loss in the final stage of qualifying, John Herdman's men sealed their spot with a game to spare, after thumping Jamaica by a smashing score-line of 4-0. In the final stages of the competition, Canada smartly stuck by a 4-4-2 formation, maintaining consistency and chemistry en route to an impressive run to the finish line. Here is our analysis of how Canada used the 4-4-2 to success, and stood strong to stand on guard for thee.

Costa Rica 1-0 Canada – Match Analysis

hursday night could have been the night that Canada clinched glory in World Cup Qualification, for the first time since 1986. But with a disastrous red card early on in the match and a few missing figureheads, it wasn't meant to be for the Maple Leafs, succumbing to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of a defensively robust Costa Rica. Here is our match analysis of the Canadian team against Costa Rica.

Ralf Rangnick – Manchester United – Tactical Analysis

Since the start of Ralf Rangnick's temporary tenure at Manchester United, rumours have persisted about who the next permanent boss to hold down a legitimate tenure may be. Erik Ten Hag and Mauricio Pochettino have been heavily linked, only continuing to take attention away from Manchester United's burning castle...and their desire to finish inside this season's top four. As the season nears Easter, the likelihood of Rangnick achieving that feat seems all the more unlikely, with Arsenal suddenly looking like the team to beat instead.

Tactical Thinker: How to stop the long-ball specialist…

In all the discussion about tiki taka, possession-based, beautiful football, long passes often get a bad reputation. However, long passes can be extremely effective, and the best teams in the world know how to intermix both short and long passes into their build-up, in order to effectively break down the opposition. The likes of Ederson at Man City, Joshua Kimmich at Bayern Munich and Mats Hummels at Borussia Dortmund frequently utilize long passes to unlock the opposition's defense, giving their team a different edge from all the possession-based football. While these players may not be your traditional 'number 10' playmakers, they play a vital role in creating chances for their team and kickstarting attacks. So with that, today we ask the next question in our Tactical Thinker series. How do you stop the long-ball specialist?

Why I love to watch football

Two weeks ago, we posed a question in our first ever Tactical Thinker - "Why do you love to watch football?" We accumulated several responses that we can't wait to divulge to you, but first, I wanted to express why I love the beautiful game, and why I've harnessed my love for the game to create one of the top tactics and analysis sites around.

Game Model Example: 4-2-3-1

This game model example showcases what Rhyspect FC looks to do in each third of the pitch in all three defensive phases, and all three attacking phases in a 4-2-3-1 formation. The game model also provides a look into style of play and important ideologies, set-pieces, transitions, ideal player types, and desired player traits. To see a preview of the game model, click the download preview button below. To purchase the game model, click the 'Purchase' button below.

6 Premier League stars who unfairly lost their place this season

We're now two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, and the transfer landscape is starting to return to some sense of normality. Despite that, no one expected the 2022 January window to be busy for any club not nicknamed after a highly intelligent black and white bird. But by the time February rolled around, the 2022 January window turned out to be one of the most exhilarating affairs since COVID hit the football market. Unfortunately for many top quality stars, that only resulted in places lost, broken promises and newfound roles on the bench. Without warning, some of the Premier League's most in-form stars suddenly dropped out of the team, only increasing the intrigue of all that happened earlier this year. So with that, today, we take a look at 6 Premier League stars who lost their place this season to little fault of their own.

Oliver Glasner – Eintracht Frankfurt – Tactical Analysis

Like many of the managers to take place in last season's managerial merry go round ahead of the 2021-22 campaign, Oliver Glasner had a slow start to life at Eintracht Frankfurt. It took the team eight games to claim their first victory, and even that was a stale 1-0 win over Royal Antwerp in the … Continue reading Oliver Glasner – Eintracht Frankfurt – Tactical Analysis