Day 5 was the highlight of the first round of group stage games. The day started with an intense game and was followed by two heavyweights showcasing their strengths and making a statement win against debutants. It was about establishing dominance.
The old guard popped off and young guns flaired their way on the biggest stage and it was rainbows and sunshines (it actually rained but you get the point).
Let’s get into day 5 of the FIFA WWC 2023!
Match 13: Italy 1-0 Argentina
Argentina were responsible for one of the most unbelievable games of last edition’s World Cup and they were starting their campaign this time against Italy. On paper, this felt like a match that will be fiercely contested.
And it absolutely lived up to the billing.
It wasn’t the most end-to-end heavy football, it wasn’t a goal fest, in fact it had the second lowest shot tally in a game at the World Cup so far.
It was a well matched, intense tussle between two teams. It got feisty but not reckless.
Milena Bertolini lined up her Italian side in a 4-2-3-1 formation with a couple of curveballs. 16-year-old youngster, Giulia Dragoni, who only received her debut earlier this month and has just one senior cap, was handed the start as the number 10 in a sort of free role. Dragoni is the second youngest player at the tournament and became the youngest Italian to take part in a World Cup game. Veteran striker, Cristiana Girelli, was named on the bench as well.
This seemed like conscious effort to leave the old guard behind. In a weird turn of events, the old guard won them the game.
Argentina, who are in hunt for their first ever World Cup win, were in a 4-2-3-1 themselves with star Estefania Banini, starting on the left wing. This transformed in a 4-4-2 without the ball which allowed Argentina to force the ball wide during build-up or force duels in the midfield.
The tussle in duels showed up in numbers as well. The game had a tournament high of 36 fouls and six cards. The referee ran the game well, not disrupting the flow of the game but also not letting it get out of hand.
Argentina lacked verticality in their possession scheme, as it all seemed a little flat when they had the ball. This didn’t allow them to penetrate Italy’s defensive third and they registered 85 attacking third touches compared to Italy’s 141. We can see this in effect in the pass networks for the teams.
Italy needed three attempts to put one on the scoresheet. They had two of their goals ruled out for offside before Girelli scored a legal goal in the 87th minute, just 4 minutes after coming on. The country’s third all time top goalscorer slotted in a header from a delicious delivery from club teammate Lisa Boattin.
Estefania Banini is magic. We know that. She can decide games with flashes of brilliance (ask any Real Madrid fan about it) but the problem is a bit of that as well, Banini, in her current stage of the career, phases in and out of the games a lot.
While she ran the show in the first half, she was a bit anonymous in the second part. Argentina’s relutance to make a change until the 81st minute even though Italy seemed to be in ascendancy was odd as well.
Boattin was arguably the standout performer of the game. The leftback was heavily influential in possession for her side, which is the routine in her performances. She picked out a peach of a delivery for the assist and showcased her technical excellence under pressure as well. Defensively she helped Italy press well and recovered a lot of loose balls as well. One of the most underrated LBs in WoSo.
You can read more about her and multiple other defenders!
A new star was born for Italy today. Dragoni stepped up to the ocassion and delivered really well. The 16-year-old was unfazed by the the stage and showcased her trickery on the ball in plenty as she made her markers look silly at times. She was drifting into positions to provide support in possession, linking play with others while showing a relentlessness about her when pressing without the ball.
Italy won an important game in their bid to progress into the next stage and the gamble to bet on young stars paid off here but still feel youngsters do come with growing pains and sooner or later Le Azzure will have to bear them in this iron handed transition.
Match 14: Germany 6-0 Morocco
Germany were quick to shake their pre-tournament blues, in some emphatic fashion, against tournament debutants Morocco.
The 3-2 loss to Zambia looks light years away from their performance today.
Germany’s opener after 11 minutes was the earliest goal of the tournament so far and they breached the Moroccan defence five more times after it with some help from Morocco as well.
Alexandra Popp scored a brace with her headers, the second of which was mind boggling because it looked intentional on replays. The veteran German striker is known for her aerial prowess and it was in limelight again.
Beyond the goals however there was a tactical bit that stood out with Martina Voss-Tecklenburg’s side. Germany were in a 4-2-3-1 but with right winger Svenja Huth as the right back. This experiment costed Germany the game against Zambia in the lead up to the tournament but it was healthy excercise this time out.
A quick glance at the passing network from the game, it immediately becomes clear that Huth was not operating as a traditional right back and Germany were not building with a back four structure. Huth was stationed high and wide on the right flank with Jule Brand (right winger) coming inside and taking up narrow positions.
We can see this in action in the two snapshots from the game as well. Even after the subs were made, the initial idea remained the same.
These sort of synchronized movements between the winger and the fullback allowed Germany to create chances and overload the last line with five-six players at times. It made it difficult for the backline to make a decision whether to a) follow the dropping winger or b) track the run of the advancing fullback.
You can see this in action in the sequence above as Brand has come deep centrally and Huth (at the bottom of your screen) is moving up and providing the width on the right. Germany do a great job to isolate her and allow her to go at the marker trying to create an opportunity.
Another key aspect here is how they use the other flank. In each of the examples above (including the passing network) you can notice Klara Buhl (#19), the left winger, is stationed high and wide on the left. This adds width to Germany’s attacking scheme and allows Germany to switch the point of attack quickly, which is essential when trying to break down compact 4-4-2 blocks.
This switch of attack creates isolation for the wide players with their respective fullbacks and exert their technical superiority to gain advantage over the opposition. Buhl found herself in a 1v1 at times and had a free reign to run at the fullback.
While this seems like a sound plan, the execution of the synchronized movements and plugging those gaps is essential by a midfielder. A turnover here can give the opposition a free reign to attack the space behind the fullback. Morocco did manage to capitalize once and one would expect better sides to punish Germany.
This is where Lena Oberdorf becomes essential as the midfielder is a tank at providing the screening presence and plugging gaps in defence.
Brand’s awareness was key in making the scheme work. The Golden Girl winner showcased her excellence on the ball, attempting the most take-ons (10) and adding the dynamism and fluidity necessary to make things work. She was everywhere and took up central spaces more often than not. It’s not just her ball carrying and dribbling, which were both excellent (look at those successful take-ons inside the box), but it’s her tactical awareness that makes her such a big asset.
Germany have made a statement that the talks of their downfall were shortlived. They are here to play and win.
Match 15: Brazil 4-0 Panama
Every Brazil game comes with a sour realization that we are one step closer to Marta’s retirement. That was compensated in part by the exhilirating brand of football played by Pia Sundhage’s side today.
Brazil went rampant against Panama and the scoreline doesn’t even begin to explain the domination over their opponents. Brazil scored four from an xG of 3.73, highlighting the chances being of good quality on average. We got to experience the first hattrick of the tournament and not less from a player making her World Cup debut, Ary Borges.
There was a similar underlying pattern for all the goals Brazil scored today, let’s dive into it.
Sundhage set her side up in a 4-4-2 formation which looked like it had a spring in it. Brazil were swift in moving the ball from one side to the other, which was essential in breaking down Panama’s 5-4-1 block. This allowed Brazil to create isolation on the flanks and let their players generate space for the crosses.
The back four transformed into a back three during buildup at times with the right back being slightly less aggressive, allowing the on-ball qualities of the left back (Tamires) to shine. They were able to harness the excellent box movements from Ary Borges and the excellent crossing ability in the squad to their merit.
The pass network was a thing of beauty and showcased their territorial dominance as Brazil looked to suffocate the opponents in their own half. Panama had no answers to the questions posed by Brazil and were unable to deal with the pressure. They looked straight up disjointed whenever they managed to get a sight at the ball.
If we look at the deep completions and threat creation heatmap (highlighting the area where the team performed most of its high value creation). The preference for the left flank becomes very clear. Let’s look at the goals individually to understand the movements and the pattern of play involved.
If we look at every goal Brazil scored, we find the same underlying behaviour
GOAL 1: A sharp switch of play to the left sided fullback → a ball for Debinha who has drifted on the left → a cross at the far post → a brilliant unmarked header thanks to the movement of the forward (Ary Borges).
GOAL 2: Ball switched to the left → an overlapping run by the left back → a cross at the far post → Striker attacking the delivery
GOAL 3: Once again Brazil quickly move the ball from the right to the left (notice the back three by Brazil during the build up) → pass to the winger → a little one two before the cross at the far post → instinctive and incredible move to finish
GOAL 4: Ball on the left with the winger → cross at the far post → good movements from the player in the box at the far post and goal.
It was a move that worked and you should never break something that’s working.
All the limelight was picked up by Borges and rightly so but Debinha was key in the chance creation mechanism for Brazil. The star forward consistently drifted out wide to receive the passes on the left flank (as higlighted in blue on the right most viz). She was then able to create chances consistently with her crossing. Her tactical intelligene to toy with the opponents block was exemplary.
The vibes are cool and the side is on a mission to send Marta, their queen, with a farewell to remember.
Highlight of the day
It was 200% this third goal from Brazil. It was talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique in the words of Lady-inho Gaga.