TANZANIA 0 – 3 UGANDA: Tanzania's weakness exposed once again.
Uganda put out an impressive and dominant performance against Kilimanjaro stars, winning the game by three goals to nil. It was an insipid performance by the Kilimanjaro stars who were nothing of their former selves, lethargic, and simply devoid of any attacking threat.
Formations:
Uganda went with their 4-2-3-1 formation with Okwi playing behind Sentongo. Poulsen sprung a surprise, opting to start with a 4-4-2 flat midfield. Ngassa partnered Bocco upfront. In fact, there were no less than two reshufflings during the first 30 minutes of the game.
1) To start with, Salum Abubakar started on the right and Kazimoto on the left in a 4-4-2 formation.
2) On 20[SUP]th[/SUP] minute Kiemba moved to the right and Abubakar took his position in central midfield.
3) On 26[SUP]th[/SUP] minute Poulsen changed to a 4-2-3-1; Ngassa and Kiemba out wide, Abubakar and Domayo the double pivot and Kazimoto playing behind Bocco.
Uganda started the brighter of the two teams, comfortable on possession and quickly spreading the play out wide. They made good use of the flanks with their fullbacks not afraid to overlap and get crosses into the penalty area. With Kaseja opting to go long, Uganda won most of the 50/50 balls and quickly put pressure on Kilimanjaro midfielders, dispossessing them on several occasions. Okwi's positioning between the two banks of four was crucial. His movement into this area managed to set up Ssentongo for two attempts on goal, the second drawing out both centre backs, Kapombe and Yondan towards him before releasing the ball for Ssentongo. It can be argued that, had Poulsen setup his team in a 4-3-3 formation, then the pivot of the midfield 3 would have been able to pickup Okwi's runs, if not deny entry into this area.
For the first half an hour Kilimanjaro stars were second best in almost every department. Their problem had to do both with the system and the long balls. Abubakar started out on right in the 4-4-2. However, when Stars had possession he drifted into midfield, presumably trying to add up the numbers there. This movement denied Stars width down their right flank and so most of their play gravitated towards their left flank. Kaseja and Yondani in particular, who it's fair to say had a poor game, were too keen on kicking long, often gifting possession back to the Ugandans.
The switch to a 4-2-3-1 formation helped Stars dominate the remainder of the half. This was largely down to the fact that they could now play higher up than before, had a third man permanently in central midfield (Kazimoto) but also had width down the right flank where Ngassa was positioned. The only chances that Stars created were form set pieces, both coming from a corner.
Second half:
In the second half, Kilimanjaro stars failed to dominate as they had in last fifteen minutes of the first half. They simply couldn't play out from the back, coming under heavy pressure when they tried to do so. Left with no option they started going long again.
Uganda continued to use full width of the pitch. Their fullbacks continued to maraud forward and Kiiza drifted more towards Uganda's right flank. It was his movement out wide, this time on their left flank, that led to Uganda's second goal. This wing had already shown signs of weakness. Prior to the goal, Walusimbi managed to get down the flank and cross. Ngassa had problems tracking him down and later switch flanks with Kiemba. Down their right flank they won two free kicks, one bringing out a save from Kaseja. After the second goal, Uganda were home and dry, controlling the tempo of the game and with the game out of reach, Kilimanjaro players resorted to reckless fouling. Surprising that none got sent off. Yondani's reckless challenge, summing up his poor performance, led to a free kick that Uganda scored after Kaseja parried the ball into the path of Ugandan players.
Writing on the wall:
It will be harsh to blame today's defeat squarely on Poulsen. Some of the decisions with regards to this game may be questionable. Why did he start with a 4-4-2 instead of the 4-2-3-1? On closer inspection, Kilimanjaro stars performance through the tournament has been rather average. Apart from the game against Somalia, they have failed in all of the other games to dominate the game from start to finish. It is however the game against Burundi that really showed their weakness; their inability to compete in the centre of the midfield under numerical parity.
In today's game, apart from the fifteen minute spell where they bossed possession, they were outplayed. The central midfield was overrun; midfielders coming under intense pressure got dispossessed and long balls ended up gifting possession to the opponents. For the majority of the game it was a 4-2-3-1 against a 4-2-3-1. What Uganda did well was to ensure pressure on the ball and when in possession, played the ball out wide to their fullbacks.
Many of the local coaches still adhere to the 4-4-2 or a slight variation of it, the 4-1-3-2. The Fifa technical report for world cup 2010 noted that of the 4 teams that made it to the semis, only one team used the 4-4-2. Also the teams that did use the 4-4-2 performed poorly, indicating the demise of the 4-4-2 in international football. With this in mind, most teams field three men in central midfield, using either a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formation. The lack of practice playing 3v3 as evident in the two games against Burundi and Uganda, may be attributed to the defeats(Against Burundi Poulsen had to add Kiemba as the fourth midfielder as a solution to losing the midfield battle). Of the four midfielders Poulsen has fielded in the competition, only three have played in situations of 3v3 at the centre of the pitch and this came only in the Yanga vs Simba game.
It is high time that teams in the Vodacom Premier League start to use a three man midfield as this is the direction modern football is heading. Only then can Taifa stars start dreaming about progressing further in international competitions.
FOLLOW THE LINK BELOW TO READ ABOUT THE GAME AGAINST BURUNDI AND OTHER MATCH ANALYSIS
trequatista | Wix.com
Uganda put out an impressive and dominant performance against Kilimanjaro stars, winning the game by three goals to nil. It was an insipid performance by the Kilimanjaro stars who were nothing of their former selves, lethargic, and simply devoid of any attacking threat.
Formations:
Uganda went with their 4-2-3-1 formation with Okwi playing behind Sentongo. Poulsen sprung a surprise, opting to start with a 4-4-2 flat midfield. Ngassa partnered Bocco upfront. In fact, there were no less than two reshufflings during the first 30 minutes of the game.
1) To start with, Salum Abubakar started on the right and Kazimoto on the left in a 4-4-2 formation.
2) On 20[SUP]th[/SUP] minute Kiemba moved to the right and Abubakar took his position in central midfield.
3) On 26[SUP]th[/SUP] minute Poulsen changed to a 4-2-3-1; Ngassa and Kiemba out wide, Abubakar and Domayo the double pivot and Kazimoto playing behind Bocco.
Uganda started the brighter of the two teams, comfortable on possession and quickly spreading the play out wide. They made good use of the flanks with their fullbacks not afraid to overlap and get crosses into the penalty area. With Kaseja opting to go long, Uganda won most of the 50/50 balls and quickly put pressure on Kilimanjaro midfielders, dispossessing them on several occasions. Okwi's positioning between the two banks of four was crucial. His movement into this area managed to set up Ssentongo for two attempts on goal, the second drawing out both centre backs, Kapombe and Yondan towards him before releasing the ball for Ssentongo. It can be argued that, had Poulsen setup his team in a 4-3-3 formation, then the pivot of the midfield 3 would have been able to pickup Okwi's runs, if not deny entry into this area.
For the first half an hour Kilimanjaro stars were second best in almost every department. Their problem had to do both with the system and the long balls. Abubakar started out on right in the 4-4-2. However, when Stars had possession he drifted into midfield, presumably trying to add up the numbers there. This movement denied Stars width down their right flank and so most of their play gravitated towards their left flank. Kaseja and Yondani in particular, who it's fair to say had a poor game, were too keen on kicking long, often gifting possession back to the Ugandans.
The switch to a 4-2-3-1 formation helped Stars dominate the remainder of the half. This was largely down to the fact that they could now play higher up than before, had a third man permanently in central midfield (Kazimoto) but also had width down the right flank where Ngassa was positioned. The only chances that Stars created were form set pieces, both coming from a corner.
Second half:
In the second half, Kilimanjaro stars failed to dominate as they had in last fifteen minutes of the first half. They simply couldn't play out from the back, coming under heavy pressure when they tried to do so. Left with no option they started going long again.
Uganda continued to use full width of the pitch. Their fullbacks continued to maraud forward and Kiiza drifted more towards Uganda's right flank. It was his movement out wide, this time on their left flank, that led to Uganda's second goal. This wing had already shown signs of weakness. Prior to the goal, Walusimbi managed to get down the flank and cross. Ngassa had problems tracking him down and later switch flanks with Kiemba. Down their right flank they won two free kicks, one bringing out a save from Kaseja. After the second goal, Uganda were home and dry, controlling the tempo of the game and with the game out of reach, Kilimanjaro players resorted to reckless fouling. Surprising that none got sent off. Yondani's reckless challenge, summing up his poor performance, led to a free kick that Uganda scored after Kaseja parried the ball into the path of Ugandan players.
Writing on the wall:
It will be harsh to blame today's defeat squarely on Poulsen. Some of the decisions with regards to this game may be questionable. Why did he start with a 4-4-2 instead of the 4-2-3-1? On closer inspection, Kilimanjaro stars performance through the tournament has been rather average. Apart from the game against Somalia, they have failed in all of the other games to dominate the game from start to finish. It is however the game against Burundi that really showed their weakness; their inability to compete in the centre of the midfield under numerical parity.
In today's game, apart from the fifteen minute spell where they bossed possession, they were outplayed. The central midfield was overrun; midfielders coming under intense pressure got dispossessed and long balls ended up gifting possession to the opponents. For the majority of the game it was a 4-2-3-1 against a 4-2-3-1. What Uganda did well was to ensure pressure on the ball and when in possession, played the ball out wide to their fullbacks.
Many of the local coaches still adhere to the 4-4-2 or a slight variation of it, the 4-1-3-2. The Fifa technical report for world cup 2010 noted that of the 4 teams that made it to the semis, only one team used the 4-4-2. Also the teams that did use the 4-4-2 performed poorly, indicating the demise of the 4-4-2 in international football. With this in mind, most teams field three men in central midfield, using either a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formation. The lack of practice playing 3v3 as evident in the two games against Burundi and Uganda, may be attributed to the defeats(Against Burundi Poulsen had to add Kiemba as the fourth midfielder as a solution to losing the midfield battle). Of the four midfielders Poulsen has fielded in the competition, only three have played in situations of 3v3 at the centre of the pitch and this came only in the Yanga vs Simba game.
It is high time that teams in the Vodacom Premier League start to use a three man midfield as this is the direction modern football is heading. Only then can Taifa stars start dreaming about progressing further in international competitions.
FOLLOW THE LINK BELOW TO READ ABOUT THE GAME AGAINST BURUNDI AND OTHER MATCH ANALYSIS
trequatista | Wix.com
