FIFA World Cup 2022, Wales vs Iran Live Updates: A must-win game for both the teams
FIFA World Cup 2022: Learnings from the first round of matches
The high press
Perhaps one of the most striking aspects of the World Cup has been the willingness of the so-called weaker teams to advance further up the pitch to win the ball in opposition territory. Arsene Wenger, FIFA’s chief of global football development, had said pressing has become “absolutely universal” across the world before the start of the World Cup. And it has been a technique that has proven useful for teams that have changed their approach to force the issue off the ball when they do not have the individual talent to compete on the ball.
The emphasis is on winning the ball back in areas of the pitch where teams can threaten offensively, and make use of the little possession they get, as opposed to winning the ball back in defensive areas, only to face constant attacks later.
A defining part of Saudi Arabia’s shock 2-1 win over Argentina was the remarkably high defensive line, which not only rattled the opposition but also caught them offside a total of 10 times – leading to three disallowed goals. Japan’s second-half turnaround against Germany was built around a similar high press. In one of the more under-the-radar results, Tunisia’s well-earned draw against Denmark came from the same risky approach.
Teams that chose to sit back and wait for counter-attacking opportunities alone – like Iran, Costa Rica, and Serbia – all faced big defeats. (Read More)
