FROM ANALYSIS TO THE PITCH

On this article we decide do analyse Danish national team, the first opponent that Finland will face in Euro 2020. After analysing a couple of games during Denmark road to Euro 2020, we select a couple of key moments that could be explored by Finland and, for each moment selected, we also propose drills to develop the idea behind each content.

DENMARK DEFENSIVE ORGANIZATION

             ·         Unsuccess pressing teams building up with 3 players

Danish national team organized itself in a structure of 4-4-2 in mid-low block with defensive line and middle line closer to each other. Analysing this defensive organization, we realized that is very hard to build up and link with players inside, so in our opinion one of the keys to “beat” at least the 1^st and 2^nd line of pressure, is build-up and link from outside zones. Another reason that make our thoughts going to this direction is because we identify also a bad coordination between the winger and the side back. But we identify also that, when the teams use to build up with 3 players (like Finnish national team use to do), we realize that one of the wingers go out of middle line and try to press from the blind side of one of the 3 elements. But this action is not so well done and actually gives to the opponents even more chances of success surpassing the lines of pressing. As we can see on the next video.

             ·         Inside and outside game alternation

In our opinion, teams that attack mainly from the side corridors or almost exclusively from middle one, will have more difficulties because they are too predictable, in a way that there is a natural adaptation of the opponent, on individual and collective way, to the attacking form of the other team. On the other hand, if Finnish national team alternate the way of attacking successively varying the options from inside (central corridor) and outside game (lateral corridors) become much more unpredictable and, thus, create more instability in the opponent's defensive organization. And we believe that alternating “in” and “out” of the game can be also one of the keys to beat Denmark defensive organization.

·             ·         Crosses – win the 2^nd  ball to reorganize/ win the 2^nd ball to finish

During our analysis we believe that to surpass the 1^st and 2^nd Danish line of pressure, Finnish national team will mostly play from outside areas and, because of that, there will be a lot of crossing situations. However, most of crossing situations do not end in the goal. When teams are in an offensive organization, they will have to anticipate the second balls being able to predict when, where and how they will happen. We also believe that the winning of these balls goes through two key questions: 1 mental question of the players, stimulating the players to a need for a strong reaction in everything that means ball bounce; 2 good positioning and field, a team capable of working in a block, where its adopted elements position keys that allow anticipating a possible 2nd ball.

In our view, we can divide this moment into two sub-moments: 1 react to 2nd ball to finish; 2 react to 2nd balls to reorganize.

          ·          Attack from deep

When Danish football team decide to press higher, they do it with a lot of players and many times there are situations of numeral equality on defence as well as space behind defensive line. In this case, we think Finnish national team could explore this situation by attack from deep by long ball.

OFFENSIVE ORGANIZATION

1-4-2-3-1

          ·          Guide the game to the left side

We believe that one of the things to be explored when Denmark has the ball, may be to guide their game to the left side, once that left-back is right-handed, makes his actions very predictable. Therefore, we believe that we should be sensitive to the pressure orientation in 2 moments: 1 conditioning the goal kick towards to the left side; 2 when the ball is on the left-back, guide his game in a way to direct his actions towards outside areas and not towards inside areas where Denmark is stronger.

·            ·          Patterns between lines and middle line

As we previous said, when Denmark has the ball, organize themselves in a 1-4-2-3-1 formation and places many players between the opponent’s middle line and defensive line.

In this moment, the Finnish national team must have a system of coverage between midfielders (diagonal between players) and closes the space between the elements themselves (intra-line) in order to make Denmark play towards to outside.

·            ·          Long ball from GK, try to win the 1^st but mainly 2^nd ball

When cannot play short in first phase of build-up, a Danish team use to decide to play long ball, preferentially to lateral areas on the field. The Danish goalkeeper opts mostly for the right side, for players Henrik Dalsgaard or Yussuf Poulsen. They are very successful on their actions disputing the first ball in the air,  due to their physical resources, both 192 cm. Finnish national team have to be prepared to play the first ball, but, in our opinion, they should mainly anticipate a second possible ball, organizing themselves in order to remove all chances of success for the Danish team. 1 hinder the actions of the player playing the first ball; 2 to have numerical superiority on the side of the ball 3 control effectively all possible opponents who may play the second ball.

Example of success passes (blue)  from Danish goal keeper.

 

                                                       Diogo Pinto                        Rui Gomes