Damn, so close. I didn't deserve it...
4-2-3-1, that could go into 4-5-1. I used normal tackling this time instead of hard. Chelsea playing in a 4-1-4-1, I think...well, i did a lot...I MEAN A LOT of experiences during this game. The first half was mine. End of 1st half I had 7 shots, they had...3. I could be winning it in the first half. Then Mourinho brings Joe Cole...if holding Robben was being quite hard (MOM), with Joe Cole on the other side. And he also brings M'Besuma, playing 4-4-2. From here, things got much harder. I was trying to counter, but my team couldn't do it...they were trying to score, but all they could do was to shoot from long range. They scored in a very lucky way, a rebound. Ricardo defends a hard shot from Mbesuma, and Essien comes close, got blocked, but still managed to shoot. At the end, Liedson got a great chance, wasting it...
Performance of my players:
GK - Ricardo did a great job, was secure on crosses, and didn't have too much job...but it got 1-0...no fault in the goal.
LD - Chiquinho did a great job as well, defending better than attacking. He was pressuring more than the RD, as he was more fast and with more stamina.
RD - Andre Nogueira, youngster, had to play because Abel was injured. He did a pretty good match for a youngster, but he had Robben in his way. All defending for him, 3/4 crossing, he did great for a 19 year-old player and with average potential.
CD - Tonel and Ze Castro were GREAT. Nothing seemed to pass around them, Drogba didn't do a sh*t. Those instructions with no creative freedom, super defensive and low pressure really work! In the second half, even with all the pressure Chelsea made, they were the most secure...(NOTE: These instructions work!)
defensive DMC - Another great exhibiton, Luis Loureiro, mixed pressure, no forward runs and forward moves, mixed crosses (?), through balls and long shots. Maybe next time I will put long shots to often, he has 15 long shots and had oppurtunities to shoot but didn't...instead he passed.
pressure DMC - Custodio with hard tackling (only one) pressured well, but did lots of fouls, getting a yellow card. Later Joao Alves came for his place, and did as good, and getting a yellow card too.
MC (going into AMC) - Joao Moutinho in the first half was almost absent. In the second half he was always the first to get the ball, and he recover the ball a lot. Still, even with short passing maxed, he would try long passes...weird...
LM (ALM) - Edson was doing ok, crossing well, and did a very dangerous shot to the keeping...got injured and Quavas Kirk came in from him. Changed his position with Gasbarroni. Since Gasbarroni came here, he started playing really bad...this can be an important note...I should use Gasbarroni to cross more, and use less his long range.
RM (ARM) - Gasbarroni was doing ok, always in the counter, and scored a dangerous FK...but then he changed to the left. Kirk came here. As he is a strong player, every air ball would catch his head.
SC - Liedson ran ran ran ran...but didn't do a sh*t. And he failed 2 great chances...he didn't look too much supported by the other players...
Notes: During the game, I made some experiments and noticed some important stuff. The wasting time thing...well, I noticed when we low it, they players look more like fighters...I had some ticks above normal wasting time at the start, when I lowed it, Moutinho started to ran back, Custodio was pressing all the way...I also noticed that 4-3-3 and derivates (4-5-1) need to have large width for it to be best played. I really didn't know this, as I didn't know what width was...xD.
Questions:
I had tight marking all the game...does it help the defensive method?
MM marking or Zonal marking? I used MM marking...planning to use zonal at home against Chelsea...which I will play right now.
Do you always tick counter-attack option for 4-3-3?
DMC = MM or Zonal?
These questions are to improve the tactic...i'm trying to build up a good one here...:P
( I still think 4-3-3 would be your best bet with LPool so thats why i want to work one out 