Assorted highlights from FIFA’s 2010 World Cup Technical Study Report.
The United States put themselves in a category with Spain, the Netherlands, and others.
It was this flexibility, together with the teams’ healthy aggression and the players’ excellent technique, that paved the way to success. Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Uruguay, Brazil, Ghana, Argentina, Chile and the USA all provided the best examples of this.
But whoa, they needed a playmaker.
Teams now need outstanding individual players who can make their mark in one-on-one situations down the centre of the pitch but particularly down the wings, where they can drive as far as the opponent’s goal line to create space that often does not exist down the centre of the pitch.
The Americans need to get more from their youth system.
This World Cup showed that the outstanding youth development work of many associations is beginning to bear fruit at the highest level. If the four semi-finalists from 2010 are compared with those from 2006, the average age of the players was nearly two years lower in 2010 than in 2006. It should also be noted that three of the four semi-finalists in 2010 are also regularly among the leading teams in youth competitions at confederation level and at youth World Cups.
And stop giving up early goals.
In 46 of the 64 games, the team that opened the scoring also went on to win the match. As there were also six goalless draws and another eight matches in which the team that conceded first came back to equalise, this meant that there were only four matches in which a team came back to win after conceding the first goal.
Now for the Trends:
1) A “new” generation of players – Altogether, there were 123 players under the age of 23 (born on or after 1 January 1987) at this World Cup, and 99 of these players were actually fielded. (The US had three of these 99.)
2) Creativity
3) Intelligent defending around the team’s own penalty area
4) Early pressing and quick transitions
5) Active defending and flexibility between the various defensive lines
6) Positive passing/possession
7) Quick transitions are a key factor in modern football.
Successful teams operate as a “unit” all over the pitch.
9) An increasing number of teams are now able to adapt their tactics according to the state of play and the scoreline.