booney52 said:

Yes smaller players with quick feet and ability to change direction can disrupt a low block.However for this tournament a player like Arzani or Nisbet would not have fitted into Poppa's style.
As you said the idea of the press pushing opponents wide was a eye opener for me.
Even though Poppa's game plan limits our attacking options I have much more respect for his coaching nous in the way he has set up the defence .For the Asian Cup hopefully he can work on the disconnect between our midfield and our attack.

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Against teams playing a Deep Defensive Block ( Partial Press with minimal Squeezing intensity) against us in the Asian Cup, the likes of Arzani, Nisbet, Hrustic and Tilio, should be good players to play within the lines and in tight spaces.

Also, Volpato should be, despite the second defender probably being close to the first defender and with strong probability, be able to create a duel with V.

Most of the time recently, teams have played Full Presses against us, and Squeezed intensively, with a high defensive line. Aus has had little time and space on the ball with other teams often having 8-9 players in our defensive half as we try to build up. The Deep Defensive Block or Partial Press, hasn't occurred, possibly apart from Paraguay.

I've been able to get a good look at a lot of teams/players from over the world at the 2026 WC. Thanks SBS apart from your ads we can't avoid!

Put into an Australian context and the Roos - we developed a NC in 2020-14, adopting the coaching methodology of Spain, France, Netherlands, Berger and Baan; and to a lesser extent, Germany, later Belgium, Abrahms; to try and improve Aus footballers.

In the WC I have not seen Germany play for 2 WCs, because they've been knocked out early.

I've had a good look at the other three other teams though.

Spain - their technique in 1 and 2 touch passing is incredible! They assume ideal body shape so quickly when receiving and then passing. They are so proficient that they can often 1 touch a pass, whereas our Aus players would need to 2 touch it. The 1 touch pass means teams can move the ball more quickly, particularly if 2, 3 or 4 players 1 touch pass in succession.

If teams try to Full Press Spain, they so often played out of tight spaces with 3 successive players under pressure, being able to play out of tight spaces, then with 4th and 5th passes find a teammates in more space enabling Spain to keep the ball - and - keep progressing the build up.

How would it differ from Aus?

Whereas a ball played high or lobbed into the Aus defensive third would be at about chest height, Souttar or Circati would often dive forwards and head it out, high in the air, out of danger, but which in turn would create another heading duel, or 1v1 body on body duel. By Aus keeping the ball in Transitional play, neither team has effective possession of the ball.

Conversely, a Spanish player would try and chest the ball, or catch it on the thigh, with the first touch, down to his foot on the 2nd touch and try to pass it on the deck, whilst under time and space pressure, to a Spanish teammate.

The teammate might also be under pressure, but would be more likely than a Roo, to keep the ball circulating for Spain, whilst still maintaining team possession.

The ability to receive and pass the ball on effectively is called handling speed.

Spain has the fastest handling speed in the world, in a book I read called Das Reboot: Ralph Honigsten. Germany tried to develop a machine to enable German players to catch up to Spanish players' handling speed. It worked - so that Germany became the team with second fastest handling speed, but they never quite caught Spain.

To the naked eye, Portugal and France are the other WC teams with similar handling speed to Spain.

The next question is how can Spain improve?

Compared to France, Spain has only had Yamal at RW who is a consistent dribbler and ball carrier. France have had more players where a second touch, or 3rd touch is a dribbling action. France has a greater number of dribblers in their team than Spain.

On the Spanish left flank there have been no dribblers on the left flank like Yamal on the right.

How Spain have been so effective is rapid fire 1 and 2 touch passing and moving sequences. Spanish players get into effective body position so quickly.

Whereas other teams like Aus might take 9 touches for 5 players passing to each other, mostly 2 touch and occasional 1 touch, whilst a greater number of Spanish players might pass it in 6-7 passes, amongst 5 players. They are more able to 1 touch it, which means faster ball circulation with less touches.

When Portugal played Spain it was almost a mirror image.

Like Spain they were also able to convert a bouncing ball, or awkwardly hard hit ball, with the first touch into a second touch with the ball played on the ground for a Spanish or Portuguese teammate receiving an easier to control ball on the deck.

All of this has often been achieved under time and space pressure.

Through the Football Aus coach education I know a bit about Spanish methodology, but not Portugal. I would surmise Portugal is looking at Spain a lot for methodology.

When Football Aus had more money there was talk of setting up a youth academy in Spain/ Portugal, where a Football Aus academy could have underage teams play Spanish and Portuguese underage team all the time.

I’d like to visit Spanish academy set ups to see what they are doing so well.

Netherlands - another football nation where their national coaching paradigm has been adopted by Aus.

Koeman - could not get over how defensive he went when Netherlands were winning and leading?

Netherlands attacked well.

Many Dutch goals came from crosses from left or right flanks, but played on the ground - not the air. Bobbey and Cody Gaipko, read and anticipated the ground crosses better than their opposition defenders from Japan, Sweden and Tunisia. They converted.

Also, Netherlands were able to play though the central attacking third and create chances.

The Dutch weakness was lack of mental strength and will to win. They dropped their heads against Morocco, being outplayed from the second half onwards.

The Dutch often scored early goals, easily, then cruised.

Another weakness is the Dutch played a high line with the defensive line. There wasn't much pace relative to the opposition. A few times teams broke through. Lack of speed on the turn, to turn and chase, was an issue. A few too many Dutch players were too tall. They needed more Somervilles.

The similarity to Aus is Holland played a 5-4-1 in Ball Possession Opposition. They went that way in their defensive Transitions, quickly.

Aus went to a 5-2-3 further up the pitch in the Defensive Transitions.

In the first 3 games, Holland went to a 4-3-3 attacking midfield triangle with the ball. It served them well. In most games at most times, they had very good shape in the 5-4-1 in BPO and the 4-3-3 attacking midfield triangle with the ball.

Against Morocco, instead they went to a 3-4-3 flat midfield line with the ball. The same as the Roos 3-4-3- with the ball. The Dutch differed from Aus, since in their Attacking Transition, the 6-10 second phase where they regain possession, until full Ball Possession phase is resumed, where they went very quickly into the 3-4-3.

The two wing backs flew forwards the moment the Dutch regained the ball. Conversely, Aus was slow to advance the wing backs. Petar Petrov identified this.

Technically, although better than Aus by some margin on the ball, the Dutch weren't as good as Spain, Portugal and France in converting hard hit balls, and bouncy balls, to their feet with a second touch and be able to play on the deck to a teammate. The Dutch handling speed wasn't as fast as Spain, Portugal and France.

The Dutch wasted an opportunity. What they need is some good old Aussie, Kiwi, Japanese, Uruguayan, Paraguayan, Argentinian, Moroccan, or past German and Italian grit.

Norway have improved out of sight!

They were renowned as a hoofball team, who were pretty good at it. It was known as the Telephone Box style.

The 2026 Norway manifestation was a slick passing team. Also, well-organised in defence.

Fair play to them!

To progress to the last 8 after about 7 failed WCQ campaigns is pretty impressive.

LFC said:

highest ranking climber - 12spots.
P19 now.

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Loved what Norway brought to the WC.