Sudáfrica 2010 - FIFA.com

50 Technical and tactical analysis
The 4-2-3-1 formation is always based around two defensive
central midfi elders who provide stability for the defence and
are also able to support their own team’s attacks.
Germany fi elded Schweinsteiger (7) and Khedira (6) in these
positions, the Netherlands chose Van Bommel (6) and De
Jong (8), Spain played Xabi Alonso (14) and Busquets (16),
whereas Uruguay’s chosen men were Pérez (15) and
Arévalo (17). All of these duos complemented each other
perfectly in both attack and defence.
To sum up, it is fair to say that the most successful teams
at this World Cup all stayed true to their basic tactical
formations. Although they did make minor adjustments
whenever necessary, such as when Uruguay brought on a
third striker, Abreu (13), in their quarter-fi nal, as a general
rule they did not stray too far from their beliefs.
It should also be mentioned that during the group stage,
some teams changed their formation not only depending on
the situation, but also from one match to another, which did
not help to create a sense of stability in their play.
The importance of the fi rst group match
The opening group matches were characterised by cautious
play. No team wanted to lose and put themselves in a
dangerous position in the group, and as a result, goals were
few and far between. Only Argentina, the Netherlands and
Germany started the tournament with the necessary selfconfi
dence, which led to comfortable opening victories.
This caution prevailed throughout the rest of the group
stage, and it was one of the reasons why only 101 goals
were scored by the end of the group stage (by way of
comparison, there had been 117 by the end of the same
stage in Germany in 2006).
Tournament factors and elements
The following factors can shape or have a major effect,
whether positive or negative, on a team’s performance in a
tournament:
Mental and physical fi tness
- How “fresh” were the players at this World Cup? Did
those players who had been playing in domestic league
championships and continental competitions have
enough time to recover and prepare for the World Cup?
In contrast, players who are usually substitutes at their
clubs were able to show their ability and shine at this
tournament.
Weight of expectation
- How did teams cope with the weight of expectation,
especially when there were high or over-optimistic levels
of expectation? There was a great deal of pressure on the
South African hosts, and quite understandably they found
it diffi cult to live up to these expectations. Other African
teams had a similar problem. Even more “established”