England face a tactical battle in Brazil
How a team sets up to play has become ever increasingly important in the modern game and this summer’s World Cup will amplify that.
Tactics have grown in an enormous way since the early days of football, when teams played with almost five attackers and very few defenders.
Modern coaches have revolutionised the game including defensive tactics and formations designed to help the team prove difficult to beat, rather than the old-fashioned view of “outscoring” the opponent.
In Brazil the host nation will be expected to play the attacking “Samba football” that has gained them praise for decades.
Players such as Neymar, Kaka and the footballing defenders such as David Luiz and Thiago Silva are well suited to this style, making Brazil one of the sides to watch this summer.
Similarly Spain also play bright attacking football, known as “tiki-taka”.
Andres Iniesta, Xavi, Sergio Busquets and Cesc Fabregas are well acclimatised to the football Spain play, as it is almost identical to their club model at Barcelona.
Other players such as Juan Mata and David Silva can easily adapt to this and with attacking options such as Fernando Torres, Diego Costa and David Villa it is easy to see why the Spanish are such a feared outfit in world football.
Along with Brazil and Spain in the “favourites” bracket are Germany and Argentina; teams with as many similarities as differences.
Tactics-wise, both teams rely on hard work and tough defence but Argentina have an attacking weapon no nation can match – Lionel Messi.
The Barcelona talisman will no doubt expect to perform well at this World Cup as it is on home South American soil, and Argentina for all their defensive toughness and work-rate, will be hoping Messi can dazzle defences in Brazil.
Meanwhile England, at 28-1 with Coral to win the World Cup, can expect a difficult time if they are to meet any of these top four sides this summer but manager Roy Hodgson will have his tactics planned for such events.
As well as odds, all the information and news on the England world cup squad 2014 can be found at Coral.
In Joe Hart England have a solid goalkeeper who has very rarely let his team down; his ability to play it both short to defenders and long towards the attack has a huge bearing on how England play.
Defensively England will consider themselves solid and the almost “flat-back-four” that Hodgson employs is often difficult for attacking teams to break down.
With a midfield full of both energy – Andros Townsend, Aaron Lennon, Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, Raheem Sterling – and the slow-burning but quality passing assets of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard England can turn the tempo up and down on teams.
This is vital in Brazil where tactics will come into play as a factor alongside the heat and humidity, which will value ball retention and the ability to be difficult to break down.
In an attacking sense Roy Hodgson can call on an arsenal that includes Wayne Rooney, Jermain Defoe, Daniel Sturridge and Danny Welbeck among others.
This fast-paced and threatening attack will help implement England’s tactics in what will be a huge summer of football, where it will certainly pay to outthink the opponent tactically.