FU: Question:

Many times I have noticed that the "lesser" team skill wise has spent 60-70% of the game defending their own goal, e.g., Paraguay yesterday.

Is that strategy, difference in skill level, something else, a combination?

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Pack it in, hit the US on the counter. Adams as a defensive midfielder will be key to busting up those counterattacks early.

It is how Bosnia beat the Italians and made the tournament. Luckily, the US should attack much differently than the Italians do (or don't), and Dest and Robinson as wingbacks will be key along with Pulisic running right at them and Balogun's movement as a 9.

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Conventional wisdom is that, when you are playing a more skilled team, the best strategy is to sit deep, concede possession (which the other team is likely to dominate anyway), and hit back on the counterattack. A more open game almost always favors the more talented side, but a defensive approach can level the playing field.

Of course, there are some very talented sides that actually prefer to play that way, and others, like the Dutch last night, play that way for reasons passing understanding.

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And much more fun (for me anyway) to watch.

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as being most useful when your team has received a red card and you are short a man on the field.

There’s definitely no way the Dutch should have been playing that strategy. It goes completely against the fundamental concepts/ identity of their team. I really wonder how long before bad coaching like that gets a public axe.

For a full 11 squad, I really dont think it bodes well for any team. There’s needs to be some sense of a midfield that drops balls in behind the defense for the counterattacks to attack with … Just absolutely bizarro to see how the Dutch played yesterday.

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Obviously, defensive, counter-attacking football has nuances aplenty and variants galore, and not all versions are created equal. Koeman's approach, as noted elsewhere, was both misapplied and mind-bendingly stupid, but defensive sides earn results against vastly more talented teams all the time. For those of us who follow the "big" clubs, it's a regular occurrence: you watch your team rack up gaudy possession and shot stats against some mid-to-low table side, only to drop points on a well-timed counter or well-executed set-piece. So it goes.

I can't imagine Koeman will survive this, though the KNVB will probably take their time and cut ties more gently than most in the Netherlands would like.

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https://www.goal.com/en/lists/ronald-koeman-resigns-netherlands-knvb-racist-abuse-world...

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I assume it is not sustainable.

Brazil came out in the second half yesterday and basically said fuck that nonsense. They must have have 7-8 solid crosses.

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the Polo Grounds

Bosnia seems likely to play that way tomorrow evening.

All of the above

Current game, CIV v. Nor, is evenly divided.

Its weird, but I think of that strategy

I mean, as a basic philosophy, it often works

Koemam resigned as Dutch National coach yesterday.

Thanks HCE. "Prevent" lol. Worked for Paraguay but