I downloaded this and burned it to a DVD and watched it on my 50" flat screen. Observations: a.) Somewhat interesting - easily missable if you don't have 1.5 hrs. to burn. b.) Liverpool played very even by Georgia ODP. Both sides nice technical skills. c.) BORING. A lot of possession for sake of possession. There were a lot of times the Liverpool player receiving the pass could have turned and faced up to attack, yet, just dumped the ball back. d.) Confirms everything Paul Kennedy has been saying about English Football. If this is how the U17s are playing, which well translates into the adult professional leagues in England, you can fall asleep watching it pretty well. e.) Finally, zip, zero, nada, flair. No one attacking 1 v 1, everything is played safe, no matter where they are on the field. Lots of hopeful balls swung into the box to no one.
I don't have 90 minutes to burn so I'll take your word. Especially since my kid said the same things I bolded almost verbatim about a team of National pool players he watched. The one difference is that he didn't quite say the crosses were "hopeful" but thought the tactic was pretty dumb since they were playing a taller team. I also watched one of the US teams play and everything was also short-short-short and safe-safe-safe without even any hopeful crosses into the box.
Yet there is the common complaint that ODP prefers the head-down dribbler who does 6 stepovers, and ignores the players who move the ball. It is hard for me to believe that so many people are dead wrong in making that statement, particularly as the player mix for the one Regional age group that I know very well, perfectly fits the stereotype. Comically so, one might say. Strange.
Well... head down doesn't get a player anywhere. However, the player who actually attacks the 18 box creates danger, with a head up, creates goals. Not only does he give, but he gets too. Teams need to go through the defense as well as around it. Play a 4-3-3 and let those outside forwards cut into the box from the touch line, that's danger. Play a 4-4-2 and let those forwards take ground balls through, that's danger and if the kids are mature enough letting the outside mids overlap then cut into the box will create danger as well. Lobbing long high crosses in from the sides, is generally hopeful, unless combined with the danger, then it's a good set-up strategy, and sometimes even works. Create enough danger in the box and those touch line crosses low or on the ground will result in plenty of goals.