A Load Of Hot Air?

The key to South American success is down to tactics, not the weather - and France and the Netherlands are proof

During the 1994 World Cup, before their first group match versus Morocco, the Belgian national team decided to try something to counteract the stifling Floridian heat. The plan was admittedly unorthodox; hair gel. Temperatures in Orlando were forecast to reach ninety degrees that day anyway, and so the Belgians slathered their hair in the desperate hope it would help keep them cool.

 

Belgium won 1-0, one Moroccan collapsed from dehydration, and sixty fans were hospitalised. But in the end, the better team won.

 

At this World Cup, the picture's much the same. Most pundits have put their money on a South American side flourishing, and the results, so far, bear them out. Spain, Italy and England are already out, whilst Belgium and Portugal have struggled to break teams down. Six out of the first eight group qualifiers - Costa Rica, Mexico, Chile, Uruguay, Colombia and hosts Brazil - are from Latin America.  

 

But it would be lazy to suggest it's all about the weather. It's a contributory factor for sure, but the main reason this tournament's seen one hundred goals already concerns the stuff football is all about - space, tactics and formations, particularly the return of wing backs and five man midfields.

 

Take Chile. Their exploitation of the wider spaces through their overlapping wing backs has seen some breathtaking moves, and their interlocking front players  - Eduardo Vargas (right), Alexis Sanchez and Jorge Valdivia, has been one of the best things about the tournament so far. Sanchez is particularly strong at running from out to in, as per his role with Barcelona, and that has made the three very difficult to track by opposing centre halves. Their performance versus Spain, coupled with their usual pressing excellence, made for exhilarating, high-risk football, and the holders simply could not hold the middle whilst being asked to track the marauding Isla and Mena.

 

But exactly the same argument could be made of the Netherlands, who utilised a defensive 5-3-2 and offensive 3-4-1-2 versus Spain and reaped rewards. Robben and Van Persie grabbed all the headlines but it was Ajax defender Daley Blind, son of legend Danny, who made the key difference, with his runs down the Spanish right tilting the play over to that side and also providing some very useful long balls to the forwards. Van Gaal correctly calculated that Spain didn't possess the men to make runs in behind his three man defence, and was able to utilise his players further up the field as a result.

 

The other major surprise has undoubtedly been Costa Rica who will play Greece in a second round match no one anticipated. Qualifying top, their secret - again - has been utilising a strong press with a wing-back formation that allowed them to break at speed against opponents who played with four defensive players, handing the Costa Ricans a man advantage in midfield that they utilised throughout.

 

The downside to all these full-backs pressing up the pitch? France 5 Switzerland 2. France destroyed Switzerland down the flanks through very quick counterattacks, with Valbuena and Benzema (left) both enjoying acres of space in the final third. Coupled with a very efficient goals-to-chances ratio, they are undoubtedly one of the teams to beat.

 

Whilst it's definitely true that the heat has made possession even more important to teams, quick transfers from defence to attacking formations have been integral to fast, clinical play that saves energy for the team in possession. To reap the benefits, you don't need to be born in a hot country - you need to be able to play whatever the situation demands.

 

Pictures courtesy of Eurosport Asia and IBNLive.com