Subject: [MWC] Ireland - Zhōngguó

I try it with a new thread for every match.
If it works then it's fine, if not, we can go back to the Ireland Vs... thread ... ;-)

It's the first match of the Mini World Cup, I'm very much looking forward to it!

Opponent: Zhōngguó
Ranking: 73 (33)
Users: 88 (54)
Season: 4 (10)
Coach: Jiler
(Irish numbers in green)

Last season China was in the same qualifying group as we were, we managed to win 4:0 and 5:0.
We're the favourite, no doubt about this, and hopefully we'll see some goals ... ;-)

I'll post the line up a few minutes before the match starts! ;-)
(edited)

Line up

1 Derek Reidy
2 Derek Docherty
3 William Brunton
4 Richard Hanrahan
5 Gerard Crossley
6 Derek Sanabria
7 Steven Dean
8 Christian Colbert
9 Johnny Keenan
10 Christian Coyne
11 Terry Matthews

12 Philip Cryan
13 Matthew Kukureka
14 Dave Donegan
15 Kieran MacKeamish
16 Brendan Cully


We'll play with two wingers, Crossley and Sanabria. Lizzraga would have been an option too, but his form isn't that good and that's why I chose two others.
I'd like to see the difference between Crossley and Sanabria. Crossley is the much better passer, Sanabria has more technique, which could be important against stronger opponents. I guess that Crossley plays better today, but his technique skill doesn't allow him to play against better opponents on this position.

Colbert has a very important role as defensive midfielder. In the second half MacKeamish will play on his position.

Reidy is in better form than Cryan, that's why he's playing.

In the defense we don't have many possibilities, these three are in my eyes clearly the best, I guess I'll use them everytime, no matter how the tactics looks like ...

ok, so i'm going to stadium:) where is VIP sector?!

So, good luck... But showing squad before match shows, that you don't respect your opponent, my friend.

And what I can say about the match, the huge difference of players skills, and very good midfielders cause this result. 0-5 for China isn't bad result, first half was quite lucky for us, yopu should score more goals, but one our action should finished in the net too. Second half was worse than first, and you score more goals. I hope you will kick asses of another opponents, and China will play better in next matches, Xiaojie will return :-)

And one more thing...

Hail Matthews, hail... :-P

Nope, I don't think so!
I showed it only a few minutes before kick-off, so you don't have the chance to react!
And a manager who's interested in the NT also would like to know what my thoughts behind a tactic are!
And then during the match you can look at the things I described!

It's much easier to analyze then, you don't have to watch the match two times if you know in advance what the main points of the tactics were supposed to be!

There's nothing about lack of respect!
(edited)

Agree, hallenser in Germany does the same thing and I never thought this would be a lack of respect. I think it makes people being more intrested in the NT.

good game, congrats. I thought Sanabria was a better wing today.

Also Colbert was great.

All in all similar outcome as last matches, many shots, not as many goal. Still a great victory int he first match. well done.

Whatever, congratulation of course, and good luck in next matches, expect next two :-)

Hmm ... I didn't like the match and the tactic that much, I was expecting more ... :-(

I failed in placing the wingers correctly, they should have been on the same line as the opponents defense, I clearely made a mistake there!
Another big mistake was that Dean and Coyne had to tackle their opponents from behind a few times! This shouldn't happen!

But the wingers ... this mistake is very annoying! :-(
They were neither wingers nor mids, they were something between, and that was definitely not good ...


Well, Colbert was fine but as a lonely def-mid he probably doesn't have enough pace.

It seems like the passing is a problem too. Many passes were inaccurate ...
Sanabria seems to have not enough passing for a winger, Crossley is definitely better on another position, but that I knew.

The efficiency ... I guess that will stay the problem through the whole season ... :-(

That's why I tried to play with wingers, I tried to give the strikers the possibilities to do headers inside the 16 meters ... goal 2 and 4 were the way I wanted to play!
Unfortunately I didn't work that well ... :-(


Anyway, I saw there's still much to do! I'm not satisfied, I'll analyze the match and I'll work on a better tactic! ;-)

Well done on the win mate- I think you suffered a bit from that balancing thing the engine does to stop cricket scores but you didn't over complicate which was good. Your analysis is a technically right but I think you're being a bit too hard on yourself :) I do have one or two suggestions tho - but these are only my opinion ;)

I'm not a fan personally of the throw in setup you used, usually it was wingers throwing to mids. I might do it the other way round but not a biggy ;)

I thought both wingers were worth their place today, when the ball got to them we looked dangerous. Personally I'd pick Crossley for the big games. (I know he's my player but so was Lizragga for example :) ) In the big games we'll have very few chances and his passing will give us a higher crossing success rate. I don't think a higher technique winger will get past fullbacks many more times than him; mainly our crosses will come from a winger being left in space. I think Lizragga works better behind a striker (like vs Belgie last season) where his low passing isn't as big a handicap.

Thanks! Good points you have! ;-)

I'm not a fan personally of the throw in setup you used, usually it was wingers throwing to mids. I might do it the other way round but not a biggy ;)
Yep, I noticed it too! Next mistake from my side! ;-)
I'll change that!

On the passing thing- I think if you do push Dean and Coyne back with this formation it gives them a better angle of pass to the wingers. Usually the more sideways the pass the more chance it will go out of play.

I've now seen the match too and I must say that I liked it.

The tactic was good, the defenders could even have played a bid more offensiv as the chinese strikers ar sooo bad and will never win a dribbling.

The wingers played good and who I liked best:

DEAN!

Imho he played a great match!
He tackled very good and he played excellent passes, a super MID!


If the result was 8:0, we would all analyse different from now...


Terry Matthews... incredible what he missed!
Just to compare:
Enzo Derroo who played against Switerland today got the same strikerskill and scored veeery often, even though the Swiss keeper is better than the chinese one.

I would say he was just unlucky today, but I anyway prefer him to Keenen as he had much more chances and was very agile, what Keenen definitely wasn't.


I'd say a good start for Ireland and I hope that some more (mainly Irish) managers will post there opinion about the match and the NT in this thread.

I think Dean did very well too- it's nice to see a good all-rounder like him coming through.

I think Matthews misses were more down to the game engine reducing our goals so we didn't win 20-0 (No disrespect meant to the opposition- we're just more developed as a NT than them). I was (for the first time) impressed with Keenan though :) Our tactics did suit him of course but with the new engine he's a bit more useful as an option than before.
(edited)

Sack Geg! :)

Good to see a chat about the game.

This competition's wins and losses count towards are ranking for the next qualie do they?