japan 4 mexico 0
i am impressed by the japanese's interpretation of 4-4-2. their two forwards upfront yuki nagasato and kozue ando are not your typical out-out-out strikers usually employed in a 4-4-2. yuki nagasato is fast and her natural position is the side attacker in a 4-3-3. kozue ando is a skilful, intelligent attacker who is not particularly strong or fast, but has a wonderful touch. the right winger ohno loves to switch with ando. the two full-backs also push very high up in support
the japanese are also very mobile and have a lot of off-the-ball movement, which is the key to their passing game. pass, move, pass, move, pass. it is a very simple concept but requires intelligence and discipline.
aya miyami is a genius crosser and passer of the ball.
japan were 3-0 up at half-time, captain homare sawa heading in a miyama corner, then a miyama freekick. that a 1.6m tall player could beat taller opponents twice proves my point that crossing is not about tall players. of course it takes two hands to clap: a quality ball delivered, and a quality run to meet the ball. homare sawa made intelligent runs to find the space to meet the ball miyama delivered.
miyama's crosses are high to beat the defence, then dropping at the right time to sawa's height.
a normal cross requires the attacker to still beat the marker. a great cross does that work for the attacker. of course the attacker must still be intelligent enough to read the cross. otherwise the crosser will look like a fool. thankfully for miyama, she has intelligent fellow attackers in ando, nagasato and sawa.
japan were dominant from start to end, running out 4-0 winners with homare sawa getting a hattrick.
i was a bit surprised by how overrun mexico were. but their play was too simple, too overreliant on captain and star striker domingues. they had no answer to japan's high-tempo robust intricate passing game. but don't take any credit away from the japanese: they did what every team is obliged to do in an easy game. win big.
player of the match: homare sawa
when a midfielder gets a hattrick, or any player for that matter, it is very difficult to deny him or her the honour, unless it is some 10-0 thrashings with two players getting hattricks. but sawa was outstanding in midfield, spreading the ball wonderfully, making superb runs into the box.
if sawa hadnt gotten that third goal, which was wonderfully set up by rightback kinga, miyama would have been my player of the match. reverse passes, crosses, she seems to be able to pick out teammates at will, sometimes without looking.
the japanese are also very mobile and have a lot of off-the-ball movement, which is the key to their passing game. pass, move, pass, move, pass. it is a very simple concept but requires intelligence and discipline.
aya miyami is a genius crosser and passer of the ball.
japan were 3-0 up at half-time, captain homare sawa heading in a miyama corner, then a miyama freekick. that a 1.6m tall player could beat taller opponents twice proves my point that crossing is not about tall players. of course it takes two hands to clap: a quality ball delivered, and a quality run to meet the ball. homare sawa made intelligent runs to find the space to meet the ball miyama delivered.
miyama's crosses are high to beat the defence, then dropping at the right time to sawa's height.
a normal cross requires the attacker to still beat the marker. a great cross does that work for the attacker. of course the attacker must still be intelligent enough to read the cross. otherwise the crosser will look like a fool. thankfully for miyama, she has intelligent fellow attackers in ando, nagasato and sawa.
japan were dominant from start to end, running out 4-0 winners with homare sawa getting a hattrick.
i was a bit surprised by how overrun mexico were. but their play was too simple, too overreliant on captain and star striker domingues. they had no answer to japan's high-tempo robust intricate passing game. but don't take any credit away from the japanese: they did what every team is obliged to do in an easy game. win big.
player of the match: homare sawa
when a midfielder gets a hattrick, or any player for that matter, it is very difficult to deny him or her the honour, unless it is some 10-0 thrashings with two players getting hattricks. but sawa was outstanding in midfield, spreading the ball wonderfully, making superb runs into the box.
if sawa hadnt gotten that third goal, which was wonderfully set up by rightback kinga, miyama would have been my player of the match. reverse passes, crosses, she seems to be able to pick out teammates at will, sometimes without looking.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home