Incredible roar echoed in the Yekaterinburg Arena after Sweden's 3-0 win over Mexico on Wednesday (27/6/18). The cheerfulness was shown by defeated Mexican supporters. They pump their fists into the sky and hug each other tightly.
This euphoria has nothing to do with what is happening there. Instead, the fans reacted to events that lasted 600 miles away, in Kazan, as South Korea beat Germany 2-0. Korea's victory to make Mexico still qualify for the round of 16 large.
The greatest happiness in Mexico City, precisely in the square of Zócalo, where thousands of people are watching together in the central square. After the game, some Mexicans rushed to the South Korean embassy to thank and celebrate with South Korean Ambassador Han Byoung-jin, who was carried and thrown into the air.
"Coreano! Hermano! Yes eres mexicano! "The remark was heard over and over, as the New York Times described it. It means something like: "Brother Korea! Now you are a Mexican! "
A day later, a goal dilesakkan Swiss midfielder, Blerrim Dzemali to goalkeeper Costa Rica on 31 minutes greeted the joy of Mexican fans. At the same time in different places, Brazil still drew 0-0 against Serbia. These interim results make Switzerland at the top of Group E, while Brazil is runner-up.
Unfortunately, five minutes after Dzemali goal, at Spartak Stadium, Paulinho makes Brazil 1-0 up. The standings were changed. Until the game ends, the standings are still the same: Brazil became the top group, Switzerland in second.
The results in Group E were greeted with gloom in Mexico City. In the last 16 of the inevitable Los Tricolores will meet Brazil - the worried giant will extend the curse in the World Cup.
In the last seven World Cup awards since 1994 Mexico has always successively escaped from the group phase. No other country besides Mexico and Brazil can match this fine record. But apesnya, unlike Brazil, Mexico
Mexico seemed destined to never again diving quinto partido (fifth match, equivalent to a place in the quarterfinals). The last time Mexico qualified for the quarterfinals took place at the 1986 World Cup. The main cause of this failure is because Mexico always meet strong teams in the last 16, ranging from Germany (1998), Argentina (2006 and 2010), to the Netherlands (2014). That's why, when their schedules bring them together with Brazil in the last 16, the fear of repeating the bad luck is again looming.
In head to head from the last three meetings, Brazil is on top of the wind: winning twice and drawing once and never conceding.
Even so, if you refer linimasa longer, since 2000 for example, Mexico is superior. Of the 14 games against Selecao, six of them ended with a win for Mexico, three draws and five defeats. One of the big matches took place as they bend Brazil in the 2012 London Olympic final and hold a 0-0 draw in the group stage of the 2014 World Cup.
Compared to other teams that qualify in the last 16, five victories in head to head against Brazil this makes Mexico is dominant.
But the statistics of the past are merely numbers, not certain certainty in the future as Andreas Guardado said recently. "We will do everything possible because in the end we know it (head to head is good against Brazil) is just statistics and when the game starts, the statistics are not counted," he said.
"Statistically we never beat Germany before in the World Cup, but we did get it," he said again. "That's what we believe in. We came here to make history and it's in our hands."
"Why can not we be like Greece in the Euro?" Said Javier Hernandez, referring to Greece's shock victory at the 2004 European Cup. "Why can not we be like Leicester (City) in the Premier League? We do not want to limit ourselves, "he said optimistically.
Mexico That Will Play Back Forbearance
Coach Juan Carlos Osorio idolized two great managers: Marcelo Bielsa and Pep Guardiola, two managers linked by a number of similarities: counter-pressing, high defense lines, opponents pressing as early as possible. Of the two, Osoria learned inversely: not how to master the ball as much as possible, but how to deal with aggressive teams.
Mexico knows how to beat an all-out attacking team and focus on ball possession with solid collectivities. That's why El Tri can beat Germany 1-0 and hold Belgium's draw 3-3 in a friendly match.
But on the contrary, when conditions are reversed and they face opponents who ignore the matter, Mexico was confused. Seen when Mexico against Honduras, Jamaica, Denmark in test matches and Sweden recently. The same thing happened again when faced with a team like Sweden, who did not focus on controlling the ball, and playing with the advantage of physical advantage to defeat the opponent, Osorio confused.
Against Sweden, Mexico is so dominant: mastering the ball almost 65 percent, doing 502 bait which 83 percent or 421 times is a short pass, giving 22 shots and 22 cross into the penalty box. This kind of domination they did not come up against in the face of Germany and Korea.
After the defeat against Sweden, Osorio was asked by reporters whether he preferred to play beautiful but lost or played ugly and won. He did not answer immediately. "Let me think," he said.
"I am trying to be someone who is innocent and thinks we should play football according to the character of the game itself, but given the excellent game before, I decided to play with the same structure," he said later.
But in fact, Sweden did not play open. "[From the outcome of the game against Sweden] I learned that we have to find a solution and another way. [Against Sweden] It's difficult ... Usually we do not do this," Osorio said, calling Sweden very strong in the air and good in defense.
He diplomatically answered the journalist's question about the pragmatic football. He was reluctant to choose the two options offered. According to him, the end result is more important, but losing to play the character yourself is not a disgrace.
Because he said, football is a game that always gives you a chance to win. "It's not basketball or rugby or baseball because with statistics you can guess who the winner is. In football, you only need to score one and then survive and with that goal you can win. Football gives this kind of surprise to people who do not understand it, "Osorio said.
Mexico can at least be a little comfortable addressing the fact that Brazil will perform all-out beat the defense. Moreover this is the autumn phase, there is no draw, the match is determined who loses and wins.
Against Brazil, Mexico lost defender Hector Moreno due to yellow card accumulation. His successor may be Hugo Ayala, who is affiliated with Calos Salcedo. Rear line, Mexico will depend on two pivot Hector Hererra and Andreas Guardado. Herrera is the second most players who make tekel at this World Cup, averaging 4.7 tekel per game.
If Hererra is assigned to survive, then Guardado who plays in the left area has a role as a transitional center from defending to attack. Nearly 55 percent of Mexican attacks are not on the right or center wing, but are on the left side, utilizing a combination of Guardado triangles, left wing Hirving Lozano and full left back Jesus Gallardo.
Interesting look at the statistics of Mexico's left full back. Gallardo is the second player most interception and turn over, the average intercept that he did reached 3.3 per game. Though interception is usually attached to defensive midfielders, for example Kante (France) and Jose Gimenez (uruguay), who for the time occupied the largest interceptors in this World Cup. Gallardo's statistics on interception show that he is actively ascending not only to attack but also to survive.
But the strength on this side of the wing would not be effective if the line of Mexican attack, such as Miguel Layun, Chicharito and Carlos Vela, did not have the positions to open space. When attacking back, Brazil must be wary of the movements of other Mexican players because if judging from statistics the number of goals, assist, shots towards goal, these three players (plus Lozano) almost evenly. That marks the Mexican attack does not rely on one or two players only.
Brazil's Difficulty Facing a Defensive Opponent
Brazil was lucky enough to throw Serbia 2-0 in the decisive game. Serbia at that time was playing open and all-out attack because it requires three points to qualify. And how to play Serbia is to facilitate the performance of Brazil.
Brazil will tend to be difficult when facing teams that survive. Besides Switzerland, Costa Rica also made it difficult for them. Brazil did win over Costa Rica, but it should be remembered two goals scored Brazil occurred in injury time. That means for 90 minutes, they stuck facing Costa Rica's defensive defense in the 5-4-1 scheme. How to survive Costa Rica successfully shut down any kind of space that Brazil needs to strike from the wings and play wide.
Against Costa Rica, the Brazilian coach, Tite even pushed two full-back Marcelo and Fagner up as high as possible until the final third of the field. This is done so that wing strikers like Neymar and Willian can still stretch the wings of Costa Rica in a 5-4-1 setting.
This estrangement opens room for Philippe Coutinho and Paulinho up helps Gabriel Jesus, tricking Costa Rica defender to sometimes make situation 3vs4 (Coutinho, Paulinho, Jesus against three defenders plus one Costa Rica midfielder).
The problem is, in this game against Mexico, Tite may not be able to lose Marcelo. The Real Madrid defender is limping off the pitch as Brazil beat Serbia. He replaced Filipe Luis in the 10th minute with a back injury.
Marcelo is a focal point of Brazil, almost 44 percent of Brazil's attack comes from the left sector in Marcelo's position. Marcelo factors make Neymar and Coutinho can move more freely. When Marcelo overlaps, there is at least one opposing player, whether it's a full-back or a midfielder, will be hooked on him.
The division of labor in the left sector is something like this: Neymar will exploit the right fullback and center-back opponents, then Coutinho appears in second line, while controlling Brazil's short passes from the center forward, while Marcelo is present to lure opponents to survive wide.
But against Switzerland, this tactic is clogged. Marcelo step forward to be limited, because Swiss coach, Vladimir Petkovic, put Xerdan Shaqiri in a high position. Neymar's reluctance to go down, plus Coutinho's complex role, which should also help the middle sector and shift to the right, make Marcelo's position dilemmatic in the face of counterattacks. Tite was wise enough as he began to incorporate Roberto Firmino and Renato Augusto which made Brazil's appearance look more balanced.
It would be dangerous if Mexico applied the same pattern as Switzerland when Marcelo was absent. Fortunately, the weight of Mexico's strength is on the left wing, not the right. Mexico's right side, Miguel Layun, is not as dangerous as Lozano on the left who has speed. Age factor is the cause. Layun now has entered the head of three. In addition, the instinct survives Layun higher than attacking at his club, FC Porto. Layun usually play as a full-back right, not a wing attacker.
Tite revealed he already had a detailed analysis to conquer Mexico. "We will start studying on the plane (back to our headquarters)," said Tite's assistant, Cleber Xavier, quoted by Reuters. "They are strong rivals who beat Germany and Korea and qualified at the expense of Germany. The problem is to know Mexico from the outside so we can explain our expectations. "
always stuck up to the round of 16 large.