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Subject: [NT] Friendlies
I saw that tactic as a possibility from them, but given the extensive use of Ribeiro (and to a lesser extent Lorenzo) in wide positions in U21 matches, it didn't give it a high probability. It meant our central attack went right at the heart of their defense. Fortunately, Ribeiro generally found the space out wide. Sheperd and Nesta did a good job jumping into the play too.
The first half was pretty dull. Ribeiro was the thrust of our offense, and his service in the first half was very poor. He also preferentially sought out Houston. In the second half it was better - passing was sharper, and Biron saw a little more of the ball.
Defense played very well. Few errors. Sheperd did a pretty good job screening their winger. Verville was sound. Touchette looked very calm and collected in his time in the DM position.
Midfield did a nice job moving the ball around - particularly in the second half. That general formation has a lot of support built into it, and they did a decent job using it. The right OM saw more of the ball then the left OM - Lemieux and Foster didn't have the same impact on the match. Fluet looked sharp in his brief appearance.
Houston did just fine in his debut. Broke a few tackles, got some shots. Was a beautiful (and not entirely unexpected) cross from him for the second goal. Biron was a handful in the second half when he got a little more service.
Castillo Lara didn't have much to do facing just 2 shots, but was forced to make a save.
Tactically I tried a few new things on throw-ins, but they didn't work very well. Their counter-attack strategy had trouble breaking through our dense midfield. Might have been good to have the strikers out one square wider in a few positions - so they could have run past rather then through defenders. Bit tricky - if they get out too wide they have trouble cutting to the net.
The first half was pretty dull. Ribeiro was the thrust of our offense, and his service in the first half was very poor. He also preferentially sought out Houston. In the second half it was better - passing was sharper, and Biron saw a little more of the ball.
Defense played very well. Few errors. Sheperd did a pretty good job screening their winger. Verville was sound. Touchette looked very calm and collected in his time in the DM position.
Midfield did a nice job moving the ball around - particularly in the second half. That general formation has a lot of support built into it, and they did a decent job using it. The right OM saw more of the ball then the left OM - Lemieux and Foster didn't have the same impact on the match. Fluet looked sharp in his brief appearance.
Houston did just fine in his debut. Broke a few tackles, got some shots. Was a beautiful (and not entirely unexpected) cross from him for the second goal. Biron was a handful in the second half when he got a little more service.
Castillo Lara didn't have much to do facing just 2 shots, but was forced to make a save.
Tactically I tried a few new things on throw-ins, but they didn't work very well. Their counter-attack strategy had trouble breaking through our dense midfield. Might have been good to have the strikers out one square wider in a few positions - so they could have run past rather then through defenders. Bit tricky - if they get out too wide they have trouble cutting to the net.
Norway Stats
A few errors. Fluet didn't take a shot. Also, the totals from "shots" onward are incorrect.
A few things. Lemieux and Foster both put up nice stats - they may have influenced the match more then I initially thought.
Sheperd's numbers look poor - but he had the toughest job on the pitch. I was quite happy with how he played.
Great day passing from the defense. Zanardi the only one who struggled. They often made use of the midfielders close by instead of hoofing the ball upfield, which was good.
Weird that Cochran's defense % was 0, as he clearly (at least to me :D) made 2 tackles. The % represents how much time he was engaged as the active defender (rather then overall defense contribution) so it could be small with 2 tackles, but 0?
Biron did a nice job getting 5 of 7 shots on target. Houston could have had more then his 4 ... a few times he passed up clear shooting opportunities. Partly due to form maybe?
A few errors. Fluet didn't take a shot. Also, the totals from "shots" onward are incorrect.
A few things. Lemieux and Foster both put up nice stats - they may have influenced the match more then I initially thought.
Sheperd's numbers look poor - but he had the toughest job on the pitch. I was quite happy with how he played.
Great day passing from the defense. Zanardi the only one who struggled. They often made use of the midfielders close by instead of hoofing the ball upfield, which was good.
Weird that Cochran's defense % was 0, as he clearly (at least to me :D) made 2 tackles. The % represents how much time he was engaged as the active defender (rather then overall defense contribution) so it could be small with 2 tackles, but 0?
Biron did a nice job getting 5 of 7 shots on target. Houston could have had more then his 4 ... a few times he passed up clear shooting opportunities. Partly due to form maybe?
Very well done, nice tactical approach. We outplayed them in every aspect of the game. Our youngsters looked very sharp hopefully seniors watched this game.
Heehee. I guess we could sit the seniors down in the video room and make them watch the tape. :) You are right tho - statistically this match was no different then Austria or BiH.
We were a little fortunate. The "screening" of the Norway winger didn't seem as good when I watched the game a second time. We were a little lucky their winger made some poor passes and decisions.
We were a little fortunate. The "screening" of the Norway winger didn't seem as good when I watched the game a second time. We were a little lucky their winger made some poor passes and decisions.
The match against Slovensko is booked for this weekend. I've had no communication with the opposing manager, so it looks like a senior squad game.
They are a very solid team - defeated Lithuania this past week in a senior squad match. It will be a pretty tough test. I'm planning to go with an U25 line-up - plus Iginla and Parker.
First step will be getting Slavko to name 1 of the starting 11 for winning the Pool Contest this past season. :D
They are a very solid team - defeated Lithuania this past week in a senior squad match. It will be a pretty tough test. I'm planning to go with an U25 line-up - plus Iginla and Parker.
First step will be getting Slavko to name 1 of the starting 11 for winning the Pool Contest this past season. :D
Little addition - I have an idea of how I'd like to play this match, but if anyone has suggestions (or just wants to know my plan), please send me an SK mail.
This is something I always try to do - I got away from it this past season after the Austria - BiH results threw qualification into jeopardy. But I'm not gripping the stick quite as tight ATM. :)
This is something I always try to do - I got away from it this past season after the Austria - BiH results threw qualification into jeopardy. But I'm not gripping the stick quite as tight ATM. :)
I just don't know who is gonna suit you best for this game so if you think of someone who might be a good choise I wont mind. Even if you think I don't have anyone good for this match it is OK.
I'm not concerned about the result this weekend. Don't worry about who the opponent is. :)
I'd love to use Manohar - I sometimes think I don't give him the credit he deserves. Playing against a very good opponent would give him an opportunity to show me (and everyone) what he can do.
But it's up to you - it defeats the purpose of the contest if I choose the player. :P
I'd love to use Manohar - I sometimes think I don't give him the credit he deserves. Playing against a very good opponent would give him an opportunity to show me (and everyone) what he can do.
But it's up to you - it defeats the purpose of the contest if I choose the player. :P
The line-up is set for this weekend. Managers of participating players have been notified.
We are not going all out for a result. I don't want to give anything away heading into the World Cup (Slovensko could well be in our group ... even if they aren't, I don't want to give clues about how we'd approach superior opposition). So we're using a fairly standard tactic.
The focus will be on evaluating how players fare in certain roles. Aside from Parker, the line-up is composed of players heading into their "prime" (23-25, a couple 26 year olds). This will be good chance for them to show what they can do against strong opposition.
We are not going all out for a result. I don't want to give anything away heading into the World Cup (Slovensko could well be in our group ... even if they aren't, I don't want to give clues about how we'd approach superior opposition). So we're using a fairly standard tactic.
The focus will be on evaluating how players fare in certain roles. Aside from Parker, the line-up is composed of players heading into their "prime" (23-25, a couple 26 year olds). This will be good chance for them to show what they can do against strong opposition.
Underway against Slovensko.
When I coached IRL in a match like this, I usually told the players to concentrate on making plays, and forget about the scoreboard. That’s the approach I’m taking today. I’m curious to see who can make plays against a tough opponent.
Our tactic is a pretty plain-Jane 442. Only change from the normal is the tandem striker set. Manohar and Wang are intended to work as a close partnership. They are the two peskiest strikers currently on the roster, so I’m hoping they will compliment each other. The won’t beat the Slovensko defense with pace, unlikely with tech. Maybe with numbers. :)
In the Slovensko matches I’ve watch in preparation for this game, I’ve been struck by the pace of their team. Very quick. I had a bit of a chat with their manager. Quite friendly with a decent sense of humour. Sounds like they will be trying out something new. Hard to know what that is, so I’ve based our placement on their past couple of matches.
Iginla takes freebies. Wang spot kicks until he’s subbed off. Dehere is the only back-line defender without red card coverage - was one slot short.
Line-Up
Parker
Dehere, Fichaud, Malhotra, Bradshaw
Iginla, Barrera, Sebrango, Renda
Wang, Manohar
Bench
Madden
Villanueva
Verville (80 - Sebrango)
Caron (60 - Barrera, shift with Iginla)
Biron (70 - Wang)
When I coached IRL in a match like this, I usually told the players to concentrate on making plays, and forget about the scoreboard. That’s the approach I’m taking today. I’m curious to see who can make plays against a tough opponent.
Our tactic is a pretty plain-Jane 442. Only change from the normal is the tandem striker set. Manohar and Wang are intended to work as a close partnership. They are the two peskiest strikers currently on the roster, so I’m hoping they will compliment each other. The won’t beat the Slovensko defense with pace, unlikely with tech. Maybe with numbers. :)
In the Slovensko matches I’ve watch in preparation for this game, I’ve been struck by the pace of their team. Very quick. I had a bit of a chat with their manager. Quite friendly with a decent sense of humour. Sounds like they will be trying out something new. Hard to know what that is, so I’ve based our placement on their past couple of matches.
Iginla takes freebies. Wang spot kicks until he’s subbed off. Dehere is the only back-line defender without red card coverage - was one slot short.
Line-Up
Parker
Dehere, Fichaud, Malhotra, Bradshaw
Iginla, Barrera, Sebrango, Renda
Wang, Manohar
Bench
Madden
Villanueva
Verville (80 - Sebrango)
Caron (60 - Barrera, shift with Iginla)
Biron (70 - Wang)
In the end, a disappointing result. Thought we had more chances, just didn't finish very well. I think our 1 goal was actually a pass rather then a shot.
Slovensko took a similar approach with their line-up, testing some younger players. Made for an entertaining game.
Thought our aggressive defensive line was, for the most part, effective. Compacted their offensive midfield at times, and forced a number of turn-overs. The winger was also in a pretty good spot. Both Iginla and Caron were able to break lose with some consistency. The tandem strike crew didn't provide much advantage - the Slovensko defense moved the ball quickly, so the strikers didn't get much chance to use their scrapiness. Also thought they may be able to head the ball on to each other, but not much of that happened either.
Defense played fairly well. Tackling seemed good, tho some of the passing was ragged. Bradshaw looked a little lost in the first half, kicking the ball out or into the vacuum on the left side of the field. He got better in the second half. I don't think Sebrango touched the ball until the 30th minute, and he didn't see it much after that.
I was very pleased with Barrera. His outlet passing to the wing was sharp, and his tackling was better then expected. Iginla looked a little sluggish off the start, but then looked good both on the wing and back more central. Renda dribbled the ball a little more then I would have liked - that is probably as much tactical as anything, as he had the least passing options of anyone. Caron did well getting free, but his crossing wasn't all that precise.
Wang, Manohar and Biron all had some pretty nice chances. Didn't get a lot on net. When they did, the Slovensko keeper looked sharp.
Parker played pretty well. 2 goals allowed on 5 shots isn't great, but the shots were all high quality scoring chances.
There were 2-3 headers in this match I thought were odd. Some tweaking maybe?
Slovensko took a similar approach with their line-up, testing some younger players. Made for an entertaining game.
Thought our aggressive defensive line was, for the most part, effective. Compacted their offensive midfield at times, and forced a number of turn-overs. The winger was also in a pretty good spot. Both Iginla and Caron were able to break lose with some consistency. The tandem strike crew didn't provide much advantage - the Slovensko defense moved the ball quickly, so the strikers didn't get much chance to use their scrapiness. Also thought they may be able to head the ball on to each other, but not much of that happened either.
Defense played fairly well. Tackling seemed good, tho some of the passing was ragged. Bradshaw looked a little lost in the first half, kicking the ball out or into the vacuum on the left side of the field. He got better in the second half. I don't think Sebrango touched the ball until the 30th minute, and he didn't see it much after that.
I was very pleased with Barrera. His outlet passing to the wing was sharp, and his tackling was better then expected. Iginla looked a little sluggish off the start, but then looked good both on the wing and back more central. Renda dribbled the ball a little more then I would have liked - that is probably as much tactical as anything, as he had the least passing options of anyone. Caron did well getting free, but his crossing wasn't all that precise.
Wang, Manohar and Biron all had some pretty nice chances. Didn't get a lot on net. When they did, the Slovensko keeper looked sharp.
Parker played pretty well. 2 goals allowed on 5 shots isn't great, but the shots were all high quality scoring chances.
There were 2-3 headers in this match I thought were odd. Some tweaking maybe?
Slovensko Stats
Tackling by the defense was pretty good, but passing by the defense was horrible. Right side of the pitch was far busier, perhaps because of our winger. Fichaud with a sub-par day by his standards.
Wang & Manohar did try to head to each other more then I thought, but didn't pull it off quite the way I'd hoped. Neither is a real sod burner, which might have been part of the reason.
Barrera and Iginla did a fantastic job getting the ball to the winger. The first hurdle when playing a winger is making that pass near the sideline without kicking the ball out. They both did great. Dehere also tried a few times - wasn't quite as successful.
We had 4 or 5 freekicks that were booted directly out of bounds. Some were so poor I wasn't even sure who the intended target was, and wondered if they were panic kick-outs (from dead ball situations :D). Very frustrating. How often do you see a freekick hoofed out of bounds IRL?
The odd looking headers were in minutes 17, 27, 56, 69 and 76. Some big height and big distance on them. Curious.
Not sure why Verville got saddled with a mark of 37. He only had one play - and in it he made a fantastic from behind tackle followed by a beautiful long pass to Caron.
Nothing arranged for next week - awaiting the results of the election.
Edit: Wang's goal was a pass attempt. In the stats I've credited him with an additional shot compared to the official score sheet.
(edited)
Tackling by the defense was pretty good, but passing by the defense was horrible. Right side of the pitch was far busier, perhaps because of our winger. Fichaud with a sub-par day by his standards.
Wang & Manohar did try to head to each other more then I thought, but didn't pull it off quite the way I'd hoped. Neither is a real sod burner, which might have been part of the reason.
Barrera and Iginla did a fantastic job getting the ball to the winger. The first hurdle when playing a winger is making that pass near the sideline without kicking the ball out. They both did great. Dehere also tried a few times - wasn't quite as successful.
We had 4 or 5 freekicks that were booted directly out of bounds. Some were so poor I wasn't even sure who the intended target was, and wondered if they were panic kick-outs (from dead ball situations :D). Very frustrating. How often do you see a freekick hoofed out of bounds IRL?
The odd looking headers were in minutes 17, 27, 56, 69 and 76. Some big height and big distance on them. Curious.
Not sure why Verville got saddled with a mark of 37. He only had one play - and in it he made a fantastic from behind tackle followed by a beautiful long pass to Caron.
Nothing arranged for next week - awaiting the results of the election.
Edit: Wang's goal was a pass attempt. In the stats I've credited him with an additional shot compared to the official score sheet.
(edited)
Barrera a man of the mach IMO along with Renda, Dehere very strong at the back. Very nice passind sequence from a Slovensko mid resulting the first Slovensko goal. Wang missed an empty net and poor performance from Manohar at the front. Parker strong in the first half. Biron looked solid for the short time in the second.
Here's the program for Viet Nam this weekend. They are a very new nation - I probably should have held out for another opponent. This match will likely be an exercise in stat padding.
Wyn Lavrynenko and Luc O'Hara are both playing. Both have 2 yellow cards and are being fed a diet of raw meat, hoping to incite them to great levels of aggression. It would be nice if they would clean their card slate before the WC cup.
Don't want anyone picking up their second yellow, so the rest of the line-up is composed of youth or back-ups whom I think will make the best use of the little NT training bonus.
Roster for Viet Nam
Myles Boissieres, 20 yrs, 2 caps, Partizan 74
Harman Farahani, 20 yrs, 0 caps, New West Stampedos
Maxime Fluet, 21 yrs, 3 caps, HL Football
Patrice Kasim , 21 yrs, 0 cap, Real Hawkes
Wyn Lavrynenko, 23 yrs, 13 caps, Rapid Slobozia (Romania), Mission Soccer Club youth
Vince Lemieux, 20 yrs, 4 caps, Real Hawkes
Boris Madden, 23 yrs, 5 caps, Magnificent Bastards
Abdeen Metra, 21 yrs, 0 caps, HL Football
Kip Nesta, 22 yrs, 8 caps, DB Rovers
Luc O'Hara, 27 yrs, 30 caps, Black&Oil
Pierre-Charles Ribeiro, 21 yrs, 8 caps, Jalea of Scarberia
Luke Singh, 20 yrs, 0 cap, Fianna FC
Satinder Touchette, 22 yrs, 11 caps, Partizan 74
Gonzalo Verville, 21 yrs, 8 caps, Snowhares
Paul-Arnaud Zanardi, 22 yrs, 5 caps Furia Kolberg (Poland), Black&Oil youth
Eduardo Vafir, 21 yrs, 0 caps, Partizan 74
Line-up amended. Vafir in for Foster. It pains me to sit Foster, but he is a little off-form.
(edited)
Wyn Lavrynenko and Luc O'Hara are both playing. Both have 2 yellow cards and are being fed a diet of raw meat, hoping to incite them to great levels of aggression. It would be nice if they would clean their card slate before the WC cup.
Don't want anyone picking up their second yellow, so the rest of the line-up is composed of youth or back-ups whom I think will make the best use of the little NT training bonus.
Roster for Viet Nam
Myles Boissieres, 20 yrs, 2 caps, Partizan 74
Harman Farahani, 20 yrs, 0 caps, New West Stampedos
Maxime Fluet, 21 yrs, 3 caps, HL Football
Patrice Kasim , 21 yrs, 0 cap, Real Hawkes
Wyn Lavrynenko, 23 yrs, 13 caps, Rapid Slobozia (Romania), Mission Soccer Club youth
Vince Lemieux, 20 yrs, 4 caps, Real Hawkes
Boris Madden, 23 yrs, 5 caps, Magnificent Bastards
Abdeen Metra, 21 yrs, 0 caps, HL Football
Kip Nesta, 22 yrs, 8 caps, DB Rovers
Luc O'Hara, 27 yrs, 30 caps, Black&Oil
Pierre-Charles Ribeiro, 21 yrs, 8 caps, Jalea of Scarberia
Luke Singh, 20 yrs, 0 cap, Fianna FC
Satinder Touchette, 22 yrs, 11 caps, Partizan 74
Gonzalo Verville, 21 yrs, 8 caps, Snowhares
Paul-Arnaud Zanardi, 22 yrs, 5 caps Furia Kolberg (Poland), Black&Oil youth
Eduardo Vafir, 21 yrs, 0 caps, Partizan 74
Line-up amended. Vafir in for Foster. It pains me to sit Foster, but he is a little off-form.
(edited)