Spain won the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 edition, and Aitana Bonmatí was named the best player of the tournament. The Catalan advanced midfielder shows excellent ball control, concentration, perception to detect the spaces and adapt her position, as well as aggressivity to attack the opponent's defensive line. All of this, makes her one of the most outstanding midfielders of her era.
Sophia Smith, the remarkable American footballer who is currently making waves as a forward for the Portland Thorns FC and the United States national team. Despite her young age, Sophia has already established herself as a revelation in women’s football, and her exceptional skills have proved to be the rising star of american soccer in her very first World Cup appearance.
In football, wingers are vital for the team's attacking strategy. One of the fundamental blocks of successful winger play is the ability to generate an advantage over the opposition. And adapting the first touch based on the opponent's positioning is crucial. Understanding nuances lets wingers exploit weaknesses and create opportunities.
At the 2023 UWCL final, Giráldez tactical adjustments for Barcelona at half time - adjusting Mariona and Aitana's positions - helped the team overcome Wolfsburg aggressive mid-block and find advantages to create chances and come back to end up winning their second UEFA Women's Champions League
Ewa Pajor is known for her skill, vision of the game, and specially for her goal-scoring ability. This talented Polish forward has left an indelible mark on Wolfsburg and football in general. In this article, we will explore how Pajor plays and why she is considered one of the best players in her position.
The idea of high pressing has gained a significant weight in modern football. It is a key factor for teams who want to be proactive in the game and dominate their opponent with the ball. But, is there only one way to press high? The answer is obviously 'no'. At Ekkono, we have been analyzing these approaches and categorized them into two styles: Pressing in Block and Pressing in Duels. In this article, we will explain the main characteristics of each style, their pros and cons, and show some examples of teams who press using each style.
Arsenal has been playing great for most of this season. Mikel Arteta has managed to build a team that plays beautiful and bright football in a combinative style, dominating most of its opponents. In this article, we will analyze how Arsenal plays at both the offensive and defensive phases and highlight the characteristic principles of the team.
Typically, coaches do not pay attention to the individual fundamentals of the goalkeepers as carefully as they usually do when it comes to the other players. Most of the time, they concentrate on the objectives of the players in the defense and attack and do not clarify the expected objectives to the goalkeepers. However, the goalkeeper role cannot be underestimated in both offensive and defensive phases, so we decided to propose some solutions that would help improve the performance of the team.
When it comes to the Brazilian footballer Vinicius Jr., the slogan 'power is nothing without control' couldn't be more fitting. As a player, Vinicius possesses a rare combination of explosive speed and incredible ball control, making him a constant threat to opponents on the field. His dribbling skills and ability to beat defenders one-on-one are particularly impressive, showcasing his exceptional control over the ball. It's no wonder that he has quickly become a key player for Real Madrid and a rising star in the world of football.
Offensive transitions are one of the unfairly underrated topics in nowadays approach to football analysis. Compared to the attack and defense, transitions stay in the shadow. In this article, we explain the different subphases inside offensive transitions and which tactical intentions teams should have for each of them.
