Watch this game:
https://youtu.be/TdkwjkAfLq4
On one of the great Champions League nights ever, Jurgen Klopp and his Liverpool team produced a performance of pace, passion and no little skill to score the four goals they needed to eliminate Barcelona and a devastated Lionel Messi. But how did Klopp set his team up to overturn a three-goal deficit from the first leg of this classic semi final, and how were Barca unable to stop them reaching a second consecutive final?
Watch the game and analyze what happens. Look at players that play the position you play. See how they attack, defend, recover from mistakes. Observe how a magnificent team like Barcelona can look average. Even the top players struggle sometimes. Liverpool were relentless in their efforts to win the game.
What to look for:
There are four phases a team can be involved in during a game: attacking phase, defensive phase, transition from attack to defense, transition from defense to attack. Almost everything that happens during open play can be categorized into one of these four phases. Being able to categorize an event quickly and accurately provides much-needed context for what is happening. For instance, a central midfielder might look wildly out of position seconds after their team has lost the ball. At this moment, the team must recognize this and exploit it. Watch how Liverpool do this. Both Liverpool full-backs are positive and ready to transition from defense to attack quickly.
Where possession is won or lost:
One of the most decisive factors in the outcome of any given match are the areas of the pitch in which possession is won and lost. In other words, where are the two teams beginning and ending their attacking and defensive phases? There is no right and wrong answer to this, of course. Sitting deep and only seriously attempting to win possession back when within 30 yards of your own goal is just as acceptable as pressing high past the halfway line and trying to win the ball back earlier. It all comes down to how you want to defend and what you want to do with the ball when you get it back.
Keep a mental note of where Liverpool is attempting to win the ball. There are any number of reasons why a team might position their defensive line closer to their own goal, but in general terms it's a safe bet to assume that their plan is to play a counter-attacking system like Barcelona tried. Liverpool were playing a pressing game and put fear into one of the best teams in the world.
Passing the ball or going long?
It’s a never-ending debate. Which is the best way to play: direct play or a slow build-up? FC Portland prefers our teams to pass the ball with purpose by using smart decisions. Basic though it may be, the most sensible way to broadly categorize the two approaches comes down to whether forward passes are being played into a player's feet or into the space in front of and around them. If passes are coming to feet then you're looking at a team opting for a slower, more deliberate approach to building attacks. If passes are consistently being played in front of a player so that they can run onto the ball in space, then you're typically watching a direct approach to building attacks. The one soccer style that I do not want to watch or coach is when a ball is hit long with a 50/50 chance of either team winning the ball.
You do not get a full view of the game by watching it on TV. But, you must take time to watch games. It is so important for your development.
Enjoy the game!
