Biggest mistake started with giving Tesillo the responsibility to handle the ball in the box. Neither Davidson nor Tesillo are good with the ball on feet so why start now? Just have Ospina clear and give our defense some breathing space. There had already been SEVERAL warnings that at times clearing the ball DEEP was our best tool when Brazil was placing so much pressure up top. Tesillo's clearances (To no one ever!) were barely passing our DFM line and that's exactly how their goal was won as Tesillo left a huge hole right in the middle of DF. Poor strategy by Rueda.
Yeah Tesillo and Davinson are just terrible at playing out and Brazil was pressing more and more and we didn't adjust at all and we had 35% possession for the game. We really missed Cuesta and Mina.
1st half we played VERY WELL. Rueda's subs and formation broke it all apart. Didn't help that Cuellar had his worst game. So many complain about Uribe but he was missed last night.
Overall the match / result went pretty much the way I thought it would. For weeks I knew that we would be fortunate to get a 0-0 and probably lose by a goal. The way it played out though was a bit different. We actually did not look too badly in the first half. Second half though Tite made the right tactical adijustments and Rueda did not.
Brazil adjusted and got more assertive, we got tired. We had no midfield to control much of the game, we did well for a while and we won the ball higher up the pitch to generate chances but we were pushed further and further back and didn't counteract it. Lerma actually had a really good first half, drew fouls, won the ball and combined fine, I actually think he was better for that game then Uribe since he's a bit better defensively and Uribe doesn't offer enough in possession anyways. I don't think he should have taken off Diaz but Tite made a mistake starting with Casemiro and Fred and when he switched Fred for Vincinius at half time Brazil dominated us much more and pushed us further and further back and the CB's came higher to cut off our long balls out, Rueda didn't tactically adjust at all and it was wave after wave.
I wonder what Rueda doesn’t see in Cantillo to not play him at all. 1. Midfielder who knows how to pass - check 2. Plays in this pitch pretty much every week - check 3. Rueda doesn’t use any tactics, except for “blast the ball forward to Cuadrado or Lucho and hope something happens” so it’s not like our “system” is complicated 4. Playing in Barranquilla will be more of an away game than Arena Corinthians LOL
Even if Rueda didn't want to use James early based on the CB's and the way the game changed he should have absolutely used Cantillo. Cantillo and James are the only guys who fit the profile of what we needed, rather then 2 striker for 2 strikers he probably should have brought in Cantillo and James and played more of a 4-2-3-1 but the guy is so completely stubborn in his formation and dead set on emptying the midfield that he wouldn't do it. Even if we tied or won that game it was a mistake not to adjust to what Tite did and how the game was going, this is happening almost every game and its a big disadvantage for us.
We have a tendency to give opposing players space and breathing room and I always say that better/smarter teams will capitalize on that. Paqueta made a good run and all he needed was just enough breathing room for a first touch / shot on goal and boom. Colombia on the other hand - we give opposing teams time to set up their defense and re group bc of our inability to make a run and because we play with our backs to the goal and require 2-3 touches before we try our usual desperate shot on goal or desperate cross across the pitch to no one LOL Our two best sequences were in the first half when Mojica passed into space to Lucho and I think he made a cross to the other side which led to a shot by Barrios. And then we did a corner kick that was a give and go I think which led to a cross that also resulted in a nice shot.
Really hard to play when a team just doesn’t stop fouling you and ref doesn’t call fouls or give yellows…. their goal was a foul on one of our players this shit happens all the time. Our guys need to stop dropping and hoping for a foul. Or not waiting for the ref to stop the game. Brazil and Argentina have scored so many on us in the past because we think the refs will call things they don’t have the balls to against these teams again how the hell did Neymar not get a yellow or red for what he did to the ref fking twice!!!
I recall Yairo stopping mid play hoping for a call - you gotta play until you hear a whistle buddy. Given Neymar’s flopping reputation, I don’t know how he got away with bumping the ref. That was absurd. In any sport, you’re gone.
The change of diaz by roger ...actyually was horrible....diaz was keeping the brasilian defense always busy....
IF we played with that same formation and intensity vs the rest of Conmebol, I think we would be 2-3 goals by 1st Half. But Our halves are terribly inconsistent for many matches. Either a great 1st half and horrid 2nd or vise versa. I'd prefer to see this trend at least get corrected vs Paraguya.
To add to this: 1. Play with urgency 2. Less long balls 3. More help from defensive midfielders to support the LB/RB when they get the ball from Ospina 4. Help from attacking mids when DM’s get the ball 5. Pass into space 6. Make runs into space 7. Attackers should stop playing with backs to the goal 8. Stop giving opposing defense time to reset and organize 9. Less reliance on big plays - use your teammates - if Cuadrado/Lucho draw a double team, then that means someone is open… 10. Don’t sub out the players who are actually playing well (Mojica/Lucho)
Cuellar killed the game. Not his fault but we went to keep the tie and taking out Diaz + Zapata made their defense work less then go on all out attack
Hoping for a draw in that one or Chile barely winning. And of course hope we score a bunch of goals against Paraguay.
I was thinking about this. Wouldn't it be better for Ecuador to win? This would make sure Chile's goal differential worsens, which would help us, assuming we win the games we need to win. It doesn't matter if we finish 3rd or 4th at this point. Heck even 5th. I do agree though, a tie in that game wouldn't be a bad result for us.