2014fwc_tsg_report_15082014_neutral

Technical and tactical analysis 45
crosses was remarkable and resulted in 37
goals, with slightly more from the left (20)
than from the right side.
Tempo/physical fitness
The players’ physical fitness and high level
of commitment was vital given the high
intensity of play right up until the closing
stages of matches. Teams who prepared well
in this aspect were successful, and tactics
such as pressing and efficient possession play
were closely related. There was a lot of fair,
physical play (speed, challenges, duels) with
good determination from players (example:
Switzerland’s winning goal versus Ecuador).
Transitions
The quality and pace of transitions made this
World Cup a special event. At times transitions
can be the key to success in football as their
execution can be the difference between
victory and defeat. There were three types
of transitions once a team had regained
possession:
- A player running/dribbling with the ball into
the opponent’s defensive area.
- Two to three quick passes forward.
- Long balls to players up front behind the
opponent’s defence.
Teams were extremely keen to get forward
quickly after the ball had been recovered.
Every successful team had at least one player
who could run outstandingly well with the
ball (e.g. Messi, Robben, Neymar, Müller
(Germany, 13), Rodríguez, Sánchez (Chile, 7).
All teams used rapid counter-attacks as part of
their game. Thirty-four of the 171 goals scored
at the World Cup came from quick transition
play or counter-attacks. Counter-attacking
tactics were once a tool in a team’s armoury,
but now some teams base their entire play
around such tactics.
Strikers
A successful team is characterised by the
quality of its strikers with their work rate,
personality and outstanding performances.
We are currently being spoiled by a
generation of good attackers (Neymar,
Messi, Rodríguez, Müller, Sánchez, Benzema
(France, 10), Musa (Nigeria, 7) to name but a
few). Such strikers are priceless assets, as they
reward team play and finish off build-up play
in a moment of individual brilliance.
There are generally two types of strikers:
- Lone forwards who stay deep in the
opponent’s half and drop back into defence
after losing the ball (e.g. Fred (Brazil, 9),
Giroud (France, 9), Klose (Germany, 11) to
link attack with midfield in such situations.
- Mobile and versatile strikers who are
difficult to mark (Neymar, Benzema, Messi,
Rodríguez, Sánchez). They also act as a link
to the midfielders and create the space for
them or the wingers/full backs to get behind
the defensive line.
Over 50% of all goals were scored by strikers,
a number and percentage that was not
reached in the last few World Cups.
Possession and progression
The 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa was
a demonstration that ball possession was vital
for success. In 2014, there were 21 matches in
which teams who had a smaller percentage
of ball possession emerged victorious. This
was the result of outstanding fast transitions
and counter-attacking tactics. Possession play
must be efficient and not sterile. All successful
teams played a possession game but also
used counter-attacks as an important tactical
manoeuvre.
Every loss of possession means an increased
physical effort to regain the ball or to track
back and re-organise the team’s defensive
shape.
The better teams also demonstrated good
progression (e.g. Germany, Colombia,