Athens 2004 - FIFA.com

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Overall Analysis
Technical and Tactical Analysis
This tournament once again underlined the
major progress that is being made in women’s
football. Less than twelve months after the FIFA
Women’s World Cup USA 2003, the teams impressed
with very strong technical and tactical
qualities as well as high levels of fitness.
Playing systems and tactical flexibility
Various systems were employed and
the teams clearly had a good understanding
of the tactics needed for each formation.
Almost all the teams switched
between two systems depending on their
opponents and the state of play. Germany
(4-4-2) and Brazil (3-4-3) were the only
sides not to vary their system and starting
formation significantly during the tournament.
Thanks to technical expertise and solid
organisation (Germany) and individual skills
(Brazil), both teams regularly incorporated
variations into their game without having to
change their overall system.
China PR and Germany lined up with wellorganised,
traditional 4-4-2 formations. De-
pending on their opponents and the match
situation, the Swedes and Americans sometimes
changed their starting formation into a
more attacking 4-3-3. Australia used a variation
on 4-4-2, more specifically 4-1-4-1, with
a sweeper between the midfield and the back
four. Meanwhile, the Greeks chose a relatively
defensive 4-5-1. By contrast, Brazil employed
an attacking 3-4-3 system with tight marking
at the back. Nigeria used the same formation,
but with less focus on attack. Despite starting
with a 4-3-3 formation with three strikers
constantly inter-changing positions, the
Japanese switched to a classic 4-4-2 when
necessary. The Mexicans employed a similar
strategy, using both 4-3-3 and 4-4-2.
Tempo and fitness
The biggest difference between the teams
was in their playing tempo. A high-speed
game combined with well-honed technical
skills and accurate passing during build-up
play proved to be the decisive difference
between the semi-finalists and the rest of
the field. Mexico and Greece, for example,
were stretched in these areas in each of their
Photos: Sideline Sports Photography
matches and their performances deteriorated
as the tournament went on. Meanwhile,
the Americans impressed with their physical
conditioning. The final was the USA’s sixth
match in 16 days and the second in succession
to go to extra time. Nevertheless, the
players were up to the task and showed
no weaknesses. The Americans’ physical
fitness and freshness were undoubtedly
among their greatest strengths. Following
the FIFA Women’s World Cup USA 2003,
which ended in mid-October 2003, the US
team concentrated on warm-up matches,
the Olympic qualifying competition in Costa
Rica in February/March 2004 and preparations
for the final tournament in Athens.
Although they did not have to contest any
qualifying matches, the Brazilians also met
regularly for extended training in order to
prepare properly for the Olympics. After
contesting the final of the FIFA Women’s
World Cup USA 2003, European sides Germany
and Sweden immediately returned
to domestic league action and, since the
winter break, many of their players have
been involved in four different competitions
– domestic leagues, domestic cups, UEFA
Women’s Cup and the European Olympic
qualifying competition. In view of these
pressures, fundamental discussions need to
take place regarding the number of matches
women footballers play each season and a
coordinated international match calendar
must be drawn up for the future.
La compétition a de nouveau prouvé que le
football féminin est en pleine progression. A
peine un an après la Coupe du Monde de
Football Féminin de la FIFA 2003, les équipes
ont réalisé de très bonnes performances à
la fois sur les plans technique, tactique et
physique.
Systèmes de jeu et flexibilité tactique
De manière générale, différents systèmes
de jeu ont été appliqués et les équipes ont
fait preuve d’un grand sens tactique. Presque
toutes utilisaient deux systèmes différents en
fonction de l’adversaire et du déroulement du
match. Seuls l’Allemagne (4-4-2) et le Brésil
(3-4-3) ont à peine modifié leur système au
long du tournoi. Ces deux équipes ont varié le
jeu grâce à leur technique complète et à leur
organisation (Allemagne) ou encore grâce à
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