No wonder he is the best world player. He really played well and all his moves were extremely dangerous.
No wonder he is the best world player. He really played well and all his moves were extremely dangerous.
Whatever 11 years ago
This is a match Ghana must win so nothing should be spared in our appetite to score, score and score. To start with, the Portuguese team with the exception of one or two players are generally smallish in size but they prefer ... read full comment
This is a match Ghana must win so nothing should be spared in our appetite to score, score and score. To start with, the Portuguese team with the exception of one or two players are generally smallish in size but they prefer to be quicker and could in a beat, outsmart you with a counter if you don’t step in to disrupt their passing. They attack you faster than the speed with which you used in attacking them. There’s a great deal of mobility in their play, some show cheeky skills with 2 or 3 players having killer shots. (Our goal keeper and defenders must be alert, taking no chances from threats from their danger men. We must be highly technical in dealing with threats and frustrate them with high level of defensive skills when need be) The Portuguese mindset is to project themselves as geniuses over you but in reality, it is attempt to shield their fatal physical flaws and woeful strength weakness from being exploited.
On the ground, the Portuguese play football with finesse and normally would seek to be first to the ball. They make their passing and movement firm, quicker, purposeful when applying combo moves in attack. With somewhat evasive mobile runs, they can leave you for dead if you don’t concentrate and follow their runs for the 90minutes or take your eyes off dangerous spaces they want to run into. They play long shots with frequent individualism coming from 2 or 3 of their attackers. They tend to want to play a free flowing game if you open up the game, thus when you play expansive football. They have ambitious players who would like to go on adventure, searching relentlessly for a goal…
The Portuguese nonetheless, will come into this prime encounter with four strategies. First Strategy… is to start a barren match with intent to deliver the first deadly strike. They always want to be the first and if they can’t find a way through, they would go into adventure in certain unexpected areas and seek to exploit (Ghana must shut down the shops quickly in those areas). The second strategy… they would absorb all your attacks and as they are doing that, they are preparing a swift, surgical counter to plant the ball at the back your net. (Ghana should set out to be disruptive anytime the ball falls to the Portuguese in those situations.) The deadly potential of this Portuguese team is their ability to close their defensive page by opening an attacking page in a split-second that lands them inside your penalty box and what follows would be your end. (Ghana must not allow them time and space on the ball. We must press hard again and again and again, cut out passes or misdirect their passes with a toe poke aim to their danger man on the move, overcrowd their ball-holders etc). Their Third Strategy… is to deliver fine arching crosses that is aimed at finding their man at a heading or shooting spot inside your penalty box. (Our retreating defenders must be able to jump-head away balls whilst in flight) The fourth strategy which is even a tactic is their lofting of balls over your head into spaces and attacking lanes for their attackers to pounces, thus if you are pushing high up the park or their ground attack does not appear to working.
Now going into proceedings… from the BLAST of the whistle, Portugal will attack but with caution given What Ghana showed against Germany. They will be mostly surgical until they find a week spot in your defence where they would hammer there. Their top players will try to be incisive in trying to score (Ghana must defend intelligently and powerfully, disrupting their moves and keeping an eye on dead balls). Ghana MUST NOT unleash fire and brimstone on the Portuguese in first 5 minutes as that would sharpen the Portuguese defensive senses and unless you intend to dominate them from the beginning to the end, such strategy is NOT good. Nonetheless in those 5 minutes, Ghana must press harder with CAUTION, seek to recover the ball and punish the Portuguese with sheer power, explosive pace, dribbling and killer instinct. We must mean business, deny them space in our half. With our strikers initiating explosive runs, the stage could be set for further sustained killer onslaught on the Portuguese defence with wingers playing an active role. Mind you, here the Portuguese will resort to counter attacks but our midfielders and defenders should timeously move quickly move to snuff it out with power and intelligence. If Portugal is losing, we must be ready to counter attack fiercely and hard because they will open things up.
Ghana’s objective before the match is to go all out and win by a wider margin as much as possible. This task is achievable given that we beat Egypt 6:1 but we must have our key player WARIS on the pitch. It’s is crucial. Ghana’s Strategy is for players to stop any Portuguese player bringing the ball, hunt them down, fight them to regain the ball, close out the play, intercept passes and show them that with our strength, they would not be allowed to have their way of the grass and then from there our killers can be released with a pass for them to strike…lethal and irredeemable. Note that if you deny the Portuguese space and match them for speed, they are dead, they will not be to attack you anymore. If you power up you game, they become scared and easily confused so they all try to rush in numbers to defend for their lives anytime they come under powerful attack. The gap between their physical deficiencies and their skills is too wide so anytime is jarred powerfully, they lose their minds. That is why they always lose in key games. Their team cannot be discipline under the force of powerful attack and Ghana must let them taste more of that. This predicament the Portuguese has is the reason why one moment they can play so well if they’re allowed, and the next moment they can play so badly if they are not allowed. Their inability to win tournaments trophy is due to this innate problem they have.
Lastly, I cannot end without given keys to nullify Ronaldo. First of all, that thing about World Best Player of the year doesn’t concern us. It’s a fifa thing. The reality coming is what should concern us, thus the physical challenge… the running legs, the bodies, the head clashes, the evasive runs and firing shots… the general match-action and the dynamism in it.
Nonetheless for everybody’s sake we will analyze Ronaldo. Ronaldo will stretch you in a race, he is solid, runs faster on the ball if you play an EXPANSIVE OPEN GAME. In such a game, he will feel joy and run around to torment you. He can change the direction of his acceleration or while in full flight, shoot with both legs and even the head with a tall jump. However, he cannot play well when you’re highly technical OR you deny him breathing space on the ball OR Crowd him out OR Let him taste your physicality dominance. I must however warn that anytime he’s losing the battle free kicks and corners become is weapon of choice. Ghana must make sure that before any Portuguese set play, they keep their eye on their man. Immediately the set piece is taking, players must leave their man and GO FOR THE BALL - make sure your head or any part of their legal body is first to the ball to clear it away.
Beating Portugal must be done in whichever way possible so we need to let them feel our force, heat and killer blows
you 11 years ago
Dont worry. bad performnace. Go home with ghana
Dont worry. bad performnace. Go home with ghana
Katango go zambia 11 years ago
Where is Jose Mourihno who bragged about Portugal and crucified Ghana. We all know by now that Ghana is the best and finest team in the group. Shame onto JM shame... good your idol Essien is not playing
Where is Jose Mourihno who bragged about Portugal and crucified Ghana. We all know by now that Ghana is the best and finest team in the group. Shame onto JM shame... good your idol Essien is not playing
Gagool 11 years ago
Ghana has only 1 point and always have the least possession of football, so how can we be the best?.
Ghana has only 1 point and always have the least possession of football, so how can we be the best?.
Coach 11 years ago
Are you for real? The possession percentage in the Ghana/USA favoured Ghana by 60-40
Are you for real? The possession percentage in the Ghana/USA favoured Ghana by 60-40
No wonder he is the best world player. He really played well and all his moves were extremely dangerous.
This is a match Ghana must win so nothing should be spared in our appetite to score, score and score. To start with, the Portuguese team with the exception of one or two players are generally smallish in size but they prefer ...
read full comment
Dont worry. bad performnace. Go home with ghana
Where is Jose Mourihno who bragged about Portugal and crucified Ghana. We all know by now that Ghana is the best and finest team in the group. Shame onto JM shame... good your idol Essien is not playing
Ghana has only 1 point and always have the least possession of football, so how can we be the best?.
Are you for real? The possession percentage in the Ghana/USA favoured Ghana by 60-40