Zach Main

UEFA C Coach. Football Nerd. CFC 'til I die. KTBFFH.

[Zach Main @zachmain]

@CFCPys @FabrizioRomano 🐍🐍🐍🐍🐍

[Zach Main @zachmain]

Yes.

[Zach Main @zachmain]

@PaulSpacey Let's rename the Makélélé role the Kante role. He won everything! LEGEND!

[Zach Main @zachmain]

@scribeteach @kestrelpsych Not long if we focused on defense first. Somehow this the only American sport not to realize that "Defense wins championships."

[Zach Main @zachmain]

@kestrelpsych Also really helps African teams. they are on the cusp, but not quite good enough.

[Zach Main @zachmain]

@MeiaArmador__ Now let's highlight who is still in.

[Zach Main @zachmain]

THIS! 1,00,000 times this!

[Meia Armador @MeiaArmador__]

If you watched our recent analysis on the TGC platform, you’d know that the USA and Pochettino were being overappreciated for their performances. We also talked about how their opponents until now suited the context of Pochettino’s approach perfectly, and how Ream is a liability.

High-tempo coaches don’t scale consistently across different styles of opposition. They are perfect for physically overwhelming lesser opponents and making one-off games against better teams chaotic.

[Zach Main @zachmain]

More brilliant writing about Paraguay.

Hopefully my American friends will notice it makes no mention of physical play or "anti-football." Just an incredibly well-devised and well organized defensive structure.

[The Game Changer English @TGC_english]

Paraguay were set up exceptionally well in the settled defending phase. They actually avoided the biggest mistake I feel coaches make in modern football. It is looking to jump constantly from zonal to man-to-man when the opposition is superior, which usually leads to communication errors and large spaces opening up inside the block. Paraguay set up very zonally and only looked to block space, with the midfielders being aggressive only within their zones.

Although I think the most effective way for an underdog to play is to be able to do a bit of everything in each phase, like Cabo Verde. You need to be able to build up short, defend space zonally in a compact structure, press from restarts, and be effective in transition. That’s why Cabo Verde made the game so uncomfortable.

Not building up at all is a much bigger risk than trying to build up. It’s not “safer” to go long, despite what popular belief suggests. We see it every year with coaches like Allegri. They completely abandon short buildup in certain game states, allowing the opposition to pin them comfortably for long periods, and end up conceding anyway. Maintaining competence in all phases is essential to overachieving with any underdog.

Written by @MeiaArmador__

[Zach Main @zachmain]

Mostly parking this here for myself, but it's worth noting that Paraguay help France to <.4 (non-penalty) xG... 🤷‍♂️

[Fahd @fahdahmed987]

A detail that I pointed out when covering Germany - Paraguay article for @BetweenThePosts was the intent from Paraguay to continuously break the opposition's possession rhythm. They achieve this by committing fouls and doing the 'dark arts' side of the game. Think this is particularly relevant considering that the match is in quarters now with the hydration breaks. So, there's already a major opportunity to break the opponent's rhythm. By adding these minor situations where Paraguay can chop off a few a minutes from the game, it'll just keep frustrating France. So far, it has worked. France have just created 0.15 xG and 1 shot in the box in the first half. Below is their shot map from @Sofascore.

🔗https://t.co/sRRbs89wP3

[Zach Main @zachmain]

Columbia (and her fans) know how to win.

[Zach Main @zachmain]

😂😂😂

[Michael Mathes @MichaelMathes]

“England historically has struggled here in Massachusetts”
— #WorldCup announcer on Fox
👀

[Zach Main @zachmain]

Yes. This. More please!

[Connor Allen @ConnorAllenNFL]

The dynamic between Henry, Zlatan, and Alexi Lalas is a WILD watch.

Lalas spews awful analysis (always has) but delivers it with the confidence of a great, without the acumen

Zlatan is in a world of his own confidence-wise and Henry clearly has no respect for either of the other’s opinions.

No chemistry, tons of ego, 10/10

[Zach Main @zachmain]

@kestrelpsych @PaulSpacey @coach_kevin_m Tom -- I've found that the Gaga Pits that have become really popular at elementary schools around here are PERFECT for this.

[Zach Main @zachmain]

Incredible thread. Whether you are new-ish to soccer or a seasoned practitioner, this explains so much how the game is played at a high level. Must read!

[Meia Armador @MeiaArmador__]

I have not seen enough analysis of PSG's in-possession tactics, especially structural. People struggle to analyze a more dynamic positional game and end up calling it not positional.

I will be breaking down their approach in the final, focusing on 2 aspects: the structural principles and the triggers/references provided to each individual player on when and where to make the movement for positional rotations.

[Zach Main @zachmain]

@Blue_Footy

[𝐍𝐚𝐮𝐭 @nautfcb]

Simeone: "Barcelona's offside trap won't work against us."

Reporter: "How?"

Simeone: "We will not attack."

[Zach Main @zachmain]

@nasthe3rd This is America, Nick. The bigger and faster kid will make the team.... 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️😂

[Vince™ @Blue_Footy]

🗣️ Liam Rosenior: "You can talk about systems, tactics, but you have to win the battles. You have to win duels, you have to win headers, you have to run. And that's the message I've given to the players over the last two days."

[Zach Main @zachmain]

@RealKidPoker Marx, Marx, Lenin, Mamdani?

[Zach Main @zachmain]

@PaulSpacey I think part of the issue here is that everyone (at least here in the Midwest) is switching to turf fields. The rug burns are terrible, and really makes the kids think twice before sliding.