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Post by Caz on Dec 9, 2010 10:00:37 GMT 8
Haha! To have such a well-respected coach spill such sour-grapes our way, yeah it's not just entertaining, it's absolutely delicious. It's not pretty football, yeah, but it's football. It's working. And I really really like it when we're on the offense. Ian and Phil try to do things on their own but by the time they realize they can't do it, the midfielders have moved up to give support and try to set a play up. It was clear we were dangerous in that situation against Myanmar and it's comforting to know the back four can quickly move back if things go wrong. And then there's Big Neil Etheridge too. We definitely got a good thing going, just need to tighten up the screws. Our players are capable of running up and down the field, changing formations when in offense or defense, it's a delight to watch.
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Post by locotes on Dec 9, 2010 13:09:24 GMT 8
We have a very intimidating keeper, If Im a striker I would want to 1-1 against him, or try to win a header while he is around. This keeper elevated the azkals game a lot, plus of course the hardwork of the whole team.
We play defensive 4-4-2 coz thats the easiest formation to play. it will take time to teach players to play 4-2-3-1.
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Post by prettyreckless on Dec 9, 2010 13:49:05 GMT 8
4-4-2 is actually offensive play.
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Post by buddha on Dec 10, 2010 12:35:03 GMT 8
FO' FO' TU
Somewhere deep in the recesses of my hard-drive is a copy of a thesis done on the versatility of the modern 4-4-2 system (if I remember correctly, this was funded by some Middles Eastern football association). Anyway, the researcher tried to prove, via studies of player movements in relation to space on the pitch, that the modern 4-4-2 (which means playing with wide wingers) is the most complete footballing system because it covers more ground area than any other system.
Of course we know that there are variants of the 4-4-2 (take the wingless midfield diamond for example or the Brazilian box midfield). We also know that the X's and O's on the whiteboard are simply approximations of playing positions and that once the game starts players tend to play to their strengths and thus drift in and out of their positions.
The most difficult part of a coach's job is convincing his players to trust in his tactical choices. Coach Macca has achieved that. How?
By having his team go back to the basics in a fairly basic 4-4-2. (It's not as simple as it sounds as we'll find out later.) His decision to do so stems from the fact that his players had very little time to work together and that more sophisticated playing styles take time to develop. This decision is further strengthened by the fact that his players were perfect for a 4-4-2. You have the solid, flat-back four. The traditional midfield pairing of a tenacious ball-winner (de Jong) and a box-to-box midfielder (Greatwich). Then you have the wingers; live-wire Caligdong and master-crosser J. Younghusband. And again, a more traditional forward paring of a tall, strong striker (P. Younghusband) and a tricky finisher (Araneta).
Now that the system was in place, all that was needed for the Azkals was a positive result to further remove all doubt about the effectiveness of Macca's plan. And then Singapore happened followed by the Miracle in Hanoi. You can be sure that by now the players have absolute faith in their coach and in the playing system that had brought them success.
In other words, The Azkals and the 4-4-2 are a marriage made in football heaven.
------- TIKI-TAKA, WHAT?
The Vietnamese coach, Henrique Calisto, has blasted the way The Azkals play calling Coach Macca an "unfair play coach." And from all signs he still can't shake it out of his system and has continued his tirade against The Azkals' ultra-defensive approach. Unfair? Illegal? *Sigh*
The Azkals indeed play a very defensive game but we aren't the first to have done so. We not only parked the team bus in front of the goal we parked an airplane! Everybody knows about the catenaccio popularized by Italian teams in the 70's and 80's but the most recent team to have 'parked a bus' in front of their goal was Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League Finals. Defensive football, love it or hate it, accomplishes the goal of every team and that is to win games.
For the Azkals, developing an attractive playing style is not a priority. It is winning games. Winning games raises the profile of football in our country... and that's exactly what is happening right now.
If playing defensive football brings positive results, then go ahead let's park the team bus, the team plane, and throw in a couple of Philippine jeepneys if possible.
------ COUNTER-STRIKE
Calisto's claim that the Azkals didn't have any attacking intent or any attacking plan at all is wrong.
The Azkals had every intent of attacking their opponents... but only when conditions were right. Here is how those conditions for attack are met: When The Azkals defend they defend very deep and in numbers forcing the opponents to commit players forward. Notice how, in the Myanmar game (final score: 0-0), the Burmese players were controlling the game in our own half with very neat passing. The Azkal back four were content to sit deep while the two central midfield players (de Jong and Greatwich) patrolled and closed down movement in "the hole" (the "hole" is the area between the midfield and the defense and it is where the defending team becomes vulnerable).
The problem when you commit players forward in attack is that you open up a lot of space in your own area and this is what The Azkals wait for.
Caz posted above and I quote, "Ian and Phil try to do things on their own but by the time they realize they can't do it, the midfielders have moved up to give support and try to set a play up." But I disagree, Caz.
What Phil and Ian do is that they bring the ball as far into the enemy territory as they can, then they hold the ball and wait for their teammates in order to get a numbers up situation (meaning you outnumber the opponents).
What really impressed me was the transition from defense to attack. The way the Azkals combine passes and got numbers up quickly was very impressive. This is undoubtedly the result of doing transition drills and this is something Coach Macca has had a very strong influence in.
(I must confess I had to dig up my old CD on transition drills and studied it with renewed interest. I think I'll do one or two transition drills in my next training session. hehehe!)
------- LATE RUNS INTO THE BOX
There is a rhyme and reason why Chris Greatwich has scored two crucial goals for the Azkals. Note how he always breaks forward during the counter attack. This is why the midfield partnership of Jason de Jong and Chris Greatwich is so crucial. Chris forages up while Jason stays down to cover for him.
What Chris does is that he makes late runs into the penalty area. This is what Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard do for their respective clubs. This is why these two midfielders score a lot.
In the typical Azkal counter-attack you'll find Ian and Phil in advanced positions with wingers (James, Chieffy, or Roel Gener) and then you'll have the fullbacks breaking forward (usually Anton).
THEN you'll find Chris belatedly rushing into the box which means that even if the opponents have marked our attackers they now have an extra unmarked man inside the box!
If there is a single tactic of the Azkals that guarantees us goals it is the late runs of Chris Greatwich. How then should Indonesia (or who ever we face) defend against our late runs? They should have a man in midfield track the runs of Chris during counter attacks. That will negate the effect that a late run. Oops...
-------- IS PRAYER A TACTIC?
During the Azkals' matches many posters on the Azkals' Facebook page offered their prayers. Even the Azkals expressed their thanks for the prayers of the fans.
I wonder what exactly did the fans pray for? A win? A draw? A good result?
I've always been very sceptical about praying in sports. Don't get me wrong I'm a Christian, active in my church, and I pray. In fact, I insist on my team praying after training sessions, before matches, during halftime, and after matches. That's how much my team prays!
But I only pray for two things: protection for my team from serious accidents and for us to be Christ's examples before, during, and after the match... regardless of the result.
I've never, never asked for a win. Or a draw. Look at it this way, if the result of a match hinges on the whims of the Almighty then ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS OUT-PRAY THE OPPOSITION! "Let's out-pray the Singaporeans." "Let's out-pray the Vietnamese." "And the Burmese." "And the Indonesians."
So did the Almighty say, "Hmmm... those 2,000+ Facebooks fans are praying for the Azkals. I think it's time I reward their dedication, effort, and love. I'm going to give the Filipinos the success they deserve." Now what if in the next match He says, "I'm sorry guys but the Indonesians are out-praying you. You've used up all your credits. This time I'll give them the victory. Maybe next time, Azkals. Sorry."
While I believe God shows His concern and care for the minute details of our lives... and yes, sometimes, He intervenes... but I think sports is one area where God never takes sides.
God plays no favorites.
I know I'll be praying for the Azkals. For their protection. For their health. For their families. For the fans who support them. And most of all for courage. Courage to show the spirit of the Filipino people in the face of adversity and courage to accept with good grace and humility the consequences of their actions whether it be a win (please, please, please Azkals!) or a loss.
ASKAAAAAAAALS ASSSSSSSSSTIG!
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Post by alundril on Dec 16, 2010 15:59:06 GMT 8
with a minimal support, i think they have achieved a lot. would've been nice if you could have had one home game in our country, but i guess politics outweighs patriotism all the time in this country.
actually a 442 formation is not specifically an attacking formation. its a basic formation that you can tinker depending on the players you can use. counter-442, 442 defmid are some of the variations one can create with 442.
the team have good wingers who loves to play cross into the box, and poach-strikers and a very good goalkeeper from fulham, i believe in due time they will create a formation that would maximize each individual's skill set while creating a good team blend.
this is why i love football, its never about one person when you play on the pitch, it will always be about the team.
i hope they beat indonesia lopsidedly.. one can hope you know.
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Post by Caz on Dec 16, 2010 16:12:25 GMT 8
FO' FO' TU Caz posted above and I quote, "Ian and Phil try to do things on their own but by the time they realize they can't do it, the midfielders have moved up to give support and try to set a play up." But I disagree, Caz. What Phil and Ian do is that they bring the ball as far into the enemy territory as they can, then they hold the ball and wait for their teammates in order to get a numbers up situation (meaning you outnumber the opponents). What really impressed me was the transition from defense to attack. The way the Azkals combine passes and got numbers up quickly was very impressive. This is undoubtedly the result of doing transition drills and this is something Coach Macca has had a very strong influence in. ASKAAAAAAAALS ASSSSSSSSSTIG! "Dammit Jim, I'm a doctor not a football expert!" <- That's a Star Trek reference, yeah I'm a nerd. Hehe, well you clearly know your football better than I do. Though both our statements depict what happens on the field during an attack, I only called it like I saw it. Nevertheless, I admit your insight into their plays up front is probably more accurate. ;D I too noticed the impressive transition from defense to attack. It played out quite well against Myanmar, just too bad the ball wouldn't fly our way during strikes. And I doubt anyone here will disagree with your final line! Go Azkals!
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Post by buddha on Dec 16, 2010 16:51:13 GMT 8
Hi Caz! Don't worry... if I spent more time reading medical books rather than football books I'd probably be a doctor like you. Cheers, mate! --------------- MIND GAMES Tonight's match will largely be psychological; the result of the match will be decided in the dressing room and in the tunnel rather than on the pitch. It'll be interesting to see how the Manager, the Head Coach, and the rest of the coaching staff approach the mental aspect of the game. I'm sure that Coach Macca will be hammering home the point that we are the UNDERDOGS and that there is absolutely no pressure on us. He will tell his players that reaching this stage of the tournament is enough of an accomplishment (implying that a loss would not matter). He will remind his players of how far they've come and how much they've achieved as a team. He will ask his team to place the burden of the win on the Indonesians... it is THEY who need to win as they are playing in front of a packed house with non less than their President present. Coach Macca will point out the massive psychological pressure on the Indonesian players and that they, The Azkals, should feel as if the load is lifted off their shoulders. ------------------- WALL OF SOUND The hostilities will begin as they step out to warm out and continue to build up. When they finally walk out of the tunnel before kick-off they will be met by a wall of sound unlike anything they will have experienced... even for our professional players. The wall of sound will be a very physical feeling. Have you felt your penis invert? It will be akin to that. Adrenaline will oozing out of their skin and their hearts will be pounding, their mouths dry. As the game goes on the massive noise will slowly move into the background and the next abuses they will have to face will be from the players themselves. You can be sure the Indonesian players will be bad-mouthing our lads in order to throw them off their game... or to provoke them into a red card foul. I pray our lads will stand up to this test with courage and dignity. Will our lads continue to keep up the intensity even if we're trailing behind 1-0? 2-0? 3-0? Will they still play with the same determination? That's when the character of our Azkals will need to shine out. I DON'T CARE ABOUT WINNING... we need to show them what Filipino courage is all about.
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Post by buddha on Dec 17, 2010 7:20:24 GMT 8
1-0 AND ITS NOT THE END OF THE WORLD
Fantastic match. The lads really stepped up and played with heart. In a loss the only thing you can do is to take the POSITIVES.
Here are a few and please feel free to add:
1. The defensive mix-up was because the noise inside the stadium interfered with communication. (This is according to Coach Macca.) This means that come Sunday our players will no longer have any apprehensions on crowd reaction and the noise level. They'll be past the jittery stage and will be looking forward to the atmosphere on the stadium.
2. Indonesia looks beatable! This is the team that's beaten Malaysia and Thailand after all... and we held them at 1-0!
3. If we looked tired out there, so did Indonesia. Those bad passes on our side is down to fatigue. Our players need rest, not more stamina training.
4. The Azkal coaches will by now have more insight into the Indonesian game play and will have time to work out a tactical plan.
5. Our lads are tough! They didn't give any quarter. I loved how Anton got into Gonzales face. They can't push us around anymore.
WE ARE NO LONGER THE WHIPPING BOYS OF ASIA!
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Post by vimjonk on Dec 17, 2010 9:19:38 GMT 8
I can say that we can really BEAT those Indon players!!! At the start of the match, I am thinking of scrappy defending and defending by the numbers... But what a surprise, we are doing positional plays and in fact looks and plays better than Indonesia. We've given them a few scares on the first 30 minutes and always look dangerous on the attack. On the other hand, I am really nervous when the Azkals are on the attack since the Indon attacks are only dangerous when we lost the ball on the midfield during our attacks and our defense is not fully set-up. But when our defenders got their heels dug in, i am very comfortable not much problems whatsoever. Even on the corners, the Indonesians doesn't really make much dangers. Also, i wonder if the we could adapt those Norwegian plays of constant long balls. The Indon keeper looks very vulnerable every time balls float inside the box. I say we should let those balls rain down on the Indonesian box and take advantage of Etheridge' strong kicking ability.
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Post by Caz on Dec 17, 2010 15:23:20 GMT 8
I wish we could have had more opportunities on set pieces which seem to be our real offensive strength. Even Anton's long throw ins are essentially corner kicks/crosses. Still, Indonesian defense is pretty respectable, tighter than Vietnam's.
Some comments from Indonesia's coach, Alfred Riedl (from AFFSuzukiCup.com):
"I think our opponents played very well. They have tall players, are good at defending the ball, and they made it very difficult for us to win challenges and create chances. Therefore I am very happy with the result, especially as we have won what for us was our 'away' game.
"There were few chances for both teams to score. The Philippines had two good chances in the first half when we didn't attack enough. However the misunderstanding between their goalkeeper and defender 15 minutes before half-time allowed us to get the crucial goal."
Riedl felt that the heroic performance of the Philippines in front of a hostile crowd of 70,000 proved that they were well deserving of their place in the last four.
"Today, we saw why the Philippines are in semi-finals. They are a very strong team but I think that we deserved the win because we were the more active team.
"We put our players behind and tried to attack them with the long passing. I think that we deserved the 1-0 win but it will be difficult for us on Sunday."
Such was his respect for his Filipino opponents that Riedl opted to abandon his team's usual short passing game for a more direct approach.
"Today we weren't able to play a short passing game. When we attacked, we tried to play the ball behind their defence. Sometimes that worked and sometimes it didn't.
"It is not our best style to play long passes – I don't like it – but playing short passes would have been dangerous because if they had intercepted they could have counter attacked very quickly.
"A 1-0 lead is still a very dangerous scoreline so we will have to play to win the second match as well. It will be too dangerous to play for a draw in the second leg so we cannot afford to play defensively.
"Hopefully, we can score more goals in the second leg but the Philippines will need to attack as well so hopefully they will give us some space to launch our counter-attacks successfully."
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Post by buddha on Dec 18, 2010 23:47:10 GMT 8
That's true, what Indonesia coach Reidl says about Indonesia abandoning their short passing game.
I know Indonesia are very good in playing short passes through the middle and so I was very surprised to find Indonesia beating the Azkals on the counter-attack! It's like they're playing our style at times.
Whenever they were playing on the defense, Indonesia would get numbers down and become more compact in the middle effectively shutting down our attack. They were beating us at our own game.
It'll be very interesting to see how coach Macca will deal with this tactically.
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Post by flor030 on Dec 19, 2010 12:23:30 GMT 8
Guysss!!!! ipagdasal natin sana manalo ang team Azkals sa 2nd league... and if manalo sila may game 3 paba? at kung mayroon man saan ang venue sa game 3..... i think guysss penalty cguro kung manalo sila sa Game 2....
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Post by Caz on Dec 19, 2010 15:45:59 GMT 8
If they score two goals more than Indonesia tonight then they advance to the final. If they score one more than Indonesia it'll be an aggregate "Draw". If that stays after one period of extra time they'll do penalty shootout (which on paper would be to our advantage because of big Neil Etheridge). If tonight's match is a draw or an Azkal loss, we're done for this tournament.
GO AZKALS!!!
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Post by kikomatsing on Dec 19, 2010 17:13:43 GMT 8
Hi Caz! Don't worry... if I spent more time reading medical books rather than football books I'd probably be a doctor like you. Cheers, mate! --------------- MIND GAMES Tonight's match will largely be psychological; the result of the match will be decided in the dressing room and in the tunnel rather than on the pitch. It'll be interesting to see how the Manager, the Head Coach, and the rest of the coaching staff approach the mental aspect of the game. I'm sure that Coach Macca will be hammering home the point that we are the UNDERDOGS and that there is absolutely no pressure on us. He will tell his players that reaching this stage of the tournament is enough of an accomplishment (implying that a loss would not matter). He will remind his players of how far they've come and how much they've achieved as a team. He will ask his team to place the burden of the win on the Indonesians... it is THEY who need to win as they are playing in front of a packed house with non less than their President present. Coach Macca will point out the massive psychological pressure on the Indonesian players and that they, The Azkals, should feel as if the load is lifted off their shoulders. ------------------- WALL OF SOUND The hostilities will begin as they step out to warm out and continue to build up. When they finally walk out of the tunnel before kick-off they will be met by a wall of sound unlike anything they will have experienced... even for our professional players. The wall of sound will be a very physical feeling. Have you felt your penis invert? It will be akin to that. Adrenaline will oozing out of their skin and their hearts will be pounding, their mouths dry. As the game goes on the massive noise will slowly move into the background and the next abuses they will have to face will be from the players themselves. You can be sure the Indonesian players will be bad-mouthing our lads in order to throw them off their game... or to provoke them into a red card foul. I pray our lads will stand up to this test with courage and dignity. Will our lads continue to keep up the intensity even if we're trailing behind 1-0? 2-0? 3-0? Will they still play with the same determination? That's when the character of our Azkals will need to shine out. I DON'T CARE ABOUT WINNING... we need to show them what Filipino courage is all about. I agree with the mind games...I think the pressure is on the Indo team since they are suppose to win while our boys have already achieved much for our team Go Azkals....
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Post by don on Dec 20, 2010 9:14:51 GMT 8
hey fellas! i think our team should play the asian style of football which is more aggressive.
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