HOW THE MATCH WAS WON by Keith Scarlett
Premier League
Sunday, 16 March, 9:30 AM
Old Trafford
Man United 0 v 3 Liverpool
Usually when we discuss how a match was won, we tend to talk about what the winning side did to break down the opposition and secure the win. However, in some cases, the opposite occurs and the match is won more from the losing side’s defensive breakdowns and miscues than from the winning side’s offensive brilliance.
That is what we had on display in Liverpool’s 3-nil win over Manchester United on 16 March, 2014 at Old Trafford.
Goal #1: Manchester United is tactically out-of-position which Liverpool exploits to put a United defender into a technically deficient defensive position.
At the beginning of the scoring sequence we see Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge with the ball at width attacking Manchester United down the right flank.
On first glance, you should be able to identify the tremendous gap of space between Manchester United’s recovering midfielders and their back-line. This latitudinal (East-West) gap affords more than enough space (at least 10 metres) for Sturridge to pick-up his head and decide his next move.
The second thing that you should notice is Manchester United’s defensive shape (or lack thereof) combined with the apparent lack of individual defensive responsibility.
The amount of space that Manchester United allows Sturridge to play with is what allows him the time to look up and find Luis Suarez who is making a back-post run behind the United defense on the opposite side of the park (out of the above picture).
I point out the two Liverpool attackers moving unmarked in the centre of the park only to serve as an example of what the above visual does not show; that Manchester United takes no individual responsibility for picking-up Liverpool attackers as they enter the final third. In the following image this is displayed by the depth to which Luis Suarez is open on the back-side and how Rafael has to recover facing his own goal in order to compensate.
It is because of how Manchester United chose to defend as a unit (or maybe chose ‘not to’) combined with poor technique from Rafael when closing down Suarez that puts him (Rafael) in a position where he has no option but to stab and reach for the ball; which in-turn causes him to play the ball with his hand and concede the penalty of which was finished by Steven Gerrard.
In the below close-up image we can see how wide-open Suarez actually was left by Manchester United; apparent by his non-verbal communication calling for the ball via his out-stretched arms. Notice how Rafael has his back turned away from Suarez, is watching the ball and is actually facing his own goal. Rafael is a good 6 metres from him in this image as well.
Here, as we look at an even closer image, we notice that Suarez exploits Rafael’s deficiency in closing him down and simply opens up his body toward the field of play where he can take a first-touch with his right-foot across both his body AND Rafael’s towards the end-line knowing that Rafael will be in no position to successfully defend and should make for an easy 1v1 break. He is rewarded with a penalty instead.
Here’s yet another detailed look that really magnifies how out of position Rafael was initially and then how much out of position he found himself when he was forced to recover and close down Suarez. Rafael is committing three individual defensive technical mistakes here: 1.) he’s looking over his shoulder for the ball…2.) he has his back turned to his mark…3.) he’s facing his own goal.
As we take a look a few frames further, we really see the trouble Rafael has gotten himself into…and to compound his issues, he finds himself facing a balanced, squared-up and open Luis Suarez with vision, time and space.
From this angle we can really see how out of position Rafael was; facing his own goal, ball-watching with his back to his mark and leaving Suarez with at least 6 metres of space to work with.
Luis Suarez punishes Rafael and the entire Manchester United unit for these defensive frailties with a first-touch that is not just technically brilliant, but tactically so, as well.
This first touch with his right foot forces an already scrambling Rafael into “reaction” mode where his only choice is to ‘reach’ for the ball with his right-foot ultimately resulting in him handling it in the penalty area.
Goal #2: As is the case with the first goal, Manchester United’s defensive shape deep in their own area puts them under such duress that they are forced to recover, react and defend inside their own box. Once again, they commit a foul inside the box and give up a penalty to Liverpool which is again converted by Steven Gerrard.
At the beginning of this scoring sequence we see Liverpool’s Luis Suarez preparing to receive a ball played in and back slightly from width again while attacking Manchester United down the right flank.
On first glance, the tremendous gap between Manchester United’s recovering midfielders and their back-line should again be noted.
The second thing that you should notice is how deep Manchester United is in their own area before they actually engage Liverpool.
Third, you should recognize that once again; Manchester United has no organized defensive shape. This will become very pertinent to how the second goal is scored.
Manchester United’s lack of individual defensive responsibility also shows again here as Liverpool’s Sturridge begins a run into the seam to the inside of Rafael towards the back-side as Suarez takes his first-touch away from trailing pressure and back the way it came.
As the trailing pressure closes in on Suarez to his left and goal-side, he begins to turn to his right away from it. While this is occurring, Sturridge’s run is beginning to pull a Manchester United defender away from ball and towards the back-side of the immediate play area.
Both of these actions, combined with Manchester United’s unwillingness to collect Liverpool players as they enter the fray leaves a large amount of space at the top of the penalty area just waiting to be exploited. Note: the extra Liverpool attacker that is sliding in at the top of the box from the left-side.
Suarez is able to maintain possession of the ball after the challenge and successfully turns back inside where he has been given an open channel of vision to select his next move. His turn has shed the initial pressuring defender and has activated a secondary defender whom is now stepping forward to pressure Suarez.
While this is occurring, Sturridge is stretching the Manchester United defense apart even further with his run to the back-post.
Suarez is easily able to find his next option and plays the ball to a wide-open teammate 28 metres out. This forces the secondary defender whom was stepping-up to pressure Suarez to change his angle of approach and now step-out to pressure this negative pass. This leaves a tremendous gap in the Manchester United back-line from the near-post out.
Remember that open space we just discussed that was created by a combination of Sturridge’s run towards the back-post and Suarez choosing to play the ball negative into the center of the park?
What about that additional Liverpool attacker that was pushing forward from the left-side uncollected?
Well, Manchester United is finally punished dearly for both of these defensive deficiencies when the additional attacker entering play from the left begins to make a run into the open space created by Suarez’s negative pass.
As was the case with Suarez a few moments earlier, Manchester United does very little to minimize the time, space and vision of the player on the ball.
Having the vision to see the run being made and the time and space to be able to play the proper ball, Manchester United is once again forced to scramble and react to Liverpool, closing down the runner, pas and the space they had left open from the front and back.
The resulting challenge ends up being whistled for a penalty against Manchester United, inside the area and Steven Gerrard goes on to finish the ensuing shot from the charity spot for Liverpool’s second goal.
Goal #3: Liverpool’s third and final goal of the match was also made simple by weak defending on the part of Manchester United.
At the beginning of this scoring sequence we see Liverpool with the ball 36 metres out with the closest pressure being 6 metres away.
On first glance, you should again notice an absolutely huge gap between Manchester United’s defensive line and any recovering help. Along the same topic, Manchester United does have 8 players behind the ball defending, however they don’t engage until Liverpool is within 30 metres of their goal.
The second thing that you should notice are the two Liverpool players (A) and (B) that are un marked and within the line-of-sight of the player on the ball.
Now that we’ve identified all of the key components, we can become more specific, especially on the Liverpool side. Player A is actually Daniel Sturridge and Player B is actually Luis Suarez. The player on the ball is Steven Gerrard.
Because Gerrard has all day to decide his next move and Sturridge is unmarked and parked in an open passing lane, Gerrard plays him the ball. Make a note of the pocket of open space that Liverpool has created at the top of the box and in the heart of the pitch by overloading their right-side.
Sturridge receives the insertion pass from Gerrard and immediately decides to take the ball into that open pocket of space located slightly off the front of his right shoulder, but easily within his range of vision. A simple opening-up of his hips, receiving the ball across his body and a positive first-touch with the inside of his right foot is all that’s needed to begin to shred the Manchester United defense.
As Sturridge begins to penetrate into this space, Suarez recognizes this and begins to peel-off away from him towards goal.
Sturridge quickly recognizes that he is not receiving any quick, tight or heavy pressure from Manchester United and that Suarez is slipping through uncollected and so he slips the ball through to Suarez who finishes it easily.
HOW THE MATCH WAS WON by Keith Scarlett, Assistant Women’s Football Coach – Perth Glory FC, Australia, U.S. Soccer National Staff
