AS WE HEAD INTO THE FINAL ROUND OF GROUP MATCHES, HERE IS A SMALL PIECE ON WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED SO FAR.THE FIRST ROUND PRODUCED PLENTY OF GOALS, 34 IN TOTAL AND MAJORITY COMING FROM STRIKES JUST OUTSIDE THE PENALTY AREA ( ZONE 14), PLAYERS DEMONSTRATING THEIR IMMACULATE TECHNICAL PROFICIENCY OF STRIKING THE BALL.
SECOND ROUND THE GOALS HAVE SLIGHTY DRIED UP WITH A TOTAL 27 GOALS SCORED.
ACCORDING TO OTHER PREVIOUS INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT STATS, THE AVERAGE GOAL RATIO STANDS AT 2.66 PER GAME.
SO IT WAS ONLY NATURAL THAT AFTER THE FIRST ROUND OF MATCHES HAVING PRODUCED AN AVERAGE OF 2.83 GOALS, GOALS WILL BECOME A PREMIUM. ROUND 2 AVERAGE STANDS AT 2.25 GOALS PER GAME
| KEY ACTIONS LEADING UP TO GOALS. | ROUND 1 | ROUND 2 |
| | |
| CROSS + HEADER | 3 | 3 |
| CENTRAL COMBINATION PLAY | 0 | 1 |
| RECEIVE BETWEEN THE LINES +OUT WIDE + CUTBACK | 4 | 3 |
| OVER/UNDERLAP + CUTBACK | 4 | 4 |
| COUNTER ATTACK FROM OWN HALF | 2 | 2 |
| INDIVIDUAL MISTAKES/ LOSS OF POSSESSION IN DEFENSIVE 3RD | 6 | 6 |
| CORNER DIRECTLY | 1 | 2 |
| BALL OVER THE TOP | 0 | 3 |
| REBOUNDS IN/OUT OF THE PENALTY AREA | 4 | 1 |
| PASS INTO ZONE 14 + SHOT | 5 | 1 |
| THROUGH BALL | 1 | 1 |
| SHORT CORNER ROUTINE | 3 | 0 |
| DIRECT FREE KICK | 0 | 0 |
| DIRECT FREE KICK SECOND PHASE | 1 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 34 | 27 |
ABOVE IS A TABLE MAPPING OUT THE KEY ACTIONS LEADING UP TO A GOAL BEING SCORED. IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT THE MOST OBVIOUS THING IN THIS TOURNAMENT HAS BEEN THE NUMBER OF OWN GOALS BUT ALSO THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUAL ERRORS THAT HAVE LED TO GOALS, THE MOST NOTABLE ONE BEING THE OWN GOAL IN THE MATCH BETWEEN TURKEY AND PORTUGAL.
THE FOLLOWING TACTICALPOINTS CAN BE DEDUCED FROM THE ABOVE TABLE.
- COACHES HAVE BEEN QUICK TO RESPOND TO THE NUMBER OF GOALS SCORED FROM SHOTS IN ZONE 14 WHICH TOOK CENTRE STAGE IN THE FIRST ROUND OF MATCHES. HIGHLITGHETED IN YELLOW, YOU SEE THAT THE SECOND ROUND PRODUCED ONLY ONE GOAL FROM THIS ZONE. “PROTECT ZONE 14” THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE INSTRUCTIONS GIVE TO PLAYERS ON THE TRAINING FIELD.
- INDIVIDUAL ERRORS HAVE SHOWN NO SIGN OF ABATING. 6 IN BOTH ROUNDS AND CONCESSION OF POSSESSION, LACK OF CONCENTRATION OR POOR TECHNIQUES ARE AT THE CENTRE OF THIS ALL. SO IT IS VITAL THAT WITH AN EMPHASIS ON BUILDUP PLAY, SOUND JUDGEMENT AND NEAR PERFECT TECHNICAL SKILLS ARE PARAMONT TO ENSURE THAT BALL POSSESSION IS NOT LOST. FURTHER MORE, STRIKERS AND ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS SHOULD BE ALERT ALL THE TIMES TO POUNCE ON SUCH MISTAKES AND PUNISH THEIR OPPONENTS. OF COURSE A COACH CAN NOT DO MUCH ABOUT THIS AREA, AFTERALL, FOOTBALL IS A GAME OF MISTAKES.
- SHORT CORNERS. ROUND 1 PRODUCED 3 GOALS FROM SHORT CORNERS AND NONE IN THE SECOND ROUND. SO NATURAL REACTION IS THAT COACHES HAVE ASKED THEIR PLAYERS TO BE AWARE OF THESE TYPES OF CORNERS. THERE ARE HOWEVER TWO OTHER FEAUTURES WITH REGARDS TO CORNERS.
- NO MAN ON THE GOAL LINE….THE MESSAGE HERE SEEMS SIMPLE, DEFEND THE BALL NOT THE NET.
- TEAMS HAVE OPTED FOR ZONAL MARKING OR MIXED MARKING WITH THE MAJORITY OF TEAMS GOING ZONAL POSITIONING 5 PLAYERS TO GARD THE GOAL AREA WITH 4 ALONG THE THE 6 YARD LINE.
- USE OF CUTBACKS AS A MEANS OF ASSISTING GOALS. OVERLAPS AND UNDERLASP HAVE EVENTUALLY RESUTED IN CUTBACKS THAT HAVE LED TO GOALS. PROPER DEFENDING OF FLANKS AND TRACKING OF OPPONENTS SHOULD BE THE FOCUS FOR DEFENDING TEAMS WHEN DEFENDGIN ON THE FLANKS. FOR THE ATTACKNG TEAM, LOW DRIVEN BALLS IN INTO THE BOX FROM JUST OUTSIDE THE PENALTY AREA ALSO FORCES DEFENDERS TO DEFLECT BALLS INTO THEIR OWN GOALS.
AS THE FINAL ROUND OF MATCHES COMMENCE TONITE, IT WILL BE INTERESTEDNG TO SEE HOW COACHES HAVE FURTHER ADAPTED TO THE NEW INFORMATION AND GATHERED FROM ROUND 2. KNOWING THE EUROPEANS, MATCH ANALYST, COACHES AND STATISTICIANS WILL BE POURING OVER THE DATA TRYING TO DECIPHER WHAT IS AMISS AND THEN APPLYING ORIGINAL THINKING TO TACTICAL CHALLENGES AS THEY UNFOLD.