World Cup

IN the upcoming World Cup, Morocco have been placed in group F with Belgium, Croatia and Canada.Morocco are ranked 22nd in the world, while Belgium are 2nd and Croatia are 12th, making Morocco third-favourite to get out of the group.

Canada sit in 41st, and have been mentioned as dark horses for the tournament – a little optimistically.
Predicted Starting XI
Since the appointment of the new manager, we only have two friendlies to go from for the predicted starting XI.
In the past two games, Morocco have lined up in a 4-1-4-1 formation, with a style based on creating chances through combination plays and attempts to keep possession of the ball in a patient system.
In goal, Yassine Bounou is one of the first names on the team sheet.
The 31-year-old has been a regular for Sevilla and his strong shot-stopping abilities have the potential to help Morocco advance through a few extra rounds.
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Arguably Morocco’s strongest area is their back line.
Achraf Hakimi is one of the best full-backs in the world, with his immense speed, ability to attack the box and ability to cross the ball into dangerous areas.
Hakimi is an important element of the team, and his combinations with Hakim Ziyech will likely be a key difference between failure and success in Qatar.
At left-back, Noussair Mazraoui from Bayern Munich will provide an excellent technical base from which Morocco can build play.
Originally a right back, Mazraoui has the technical ability and ability to play with either foot which allows him to be comfortable on the left-hand side.
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He is vital to how Morocco how have been trying to progress the ball through the thirds, as well as providing a threat in the opposition box as well.
At centre-back, we can expect a pairing of Romain Saiss and Nayef Aguerd.
Romain Saiss has been playing all season, but he recently picked up an injury, which makes it unclear if he will be available for selection or not.
His aerial presence would be missed if he were to be unavailable, but Morocco do have a young defender in Achraf Dari available for selection who was trusted by the coach in the September friendlies.
In midfield, Sofyan Amrabat sits at the base, with an important role in the build-up phase.
Amrabat has been key as he drops deeper to collect the ball from the defence and helps progress it up the pitch.
Amrabat’s ability to stay patient, and always offer a passing option are key ways in how Morocco will attempt to keep possession of the ball when they win it.
Ahead of the pivot, Azzedine Ounahi and Amine Harit are the No8’s for Morocco. Ounahi was pivotal in the qualification phase for the World Cup.
Both he and Harit are creative midfielders, with excellent dribbling qualities that make the pair tricky to press, and difficult to tackle in the final third.
In the front line, Hakim Ziyech makes his return to the squad after coming out of international retirement.
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Ziyech has seen his game time become limited in the past few seasons, after becoming merely a rotation option for Chelsea. 
On the left wing, Sofiane Boufal is expected to retain his place in the starting XI. Youssef En-Nesyri leads the attack for Morocco.
The Sevilla striker has struggled for first-team minutes this season but has scored 14 goals for Morocco in 48 appearances.
The target man will thrive off crosses coming into the box from the likes of Ziyech, or perhaps cutbacks from Hakimi.   
Attacking phase
Morocco rank very highly amongst nations in the World Cup in their attacking metrics — though it must be noted that the standard of competition they’ve faced over the last calendar year differs from the quality they’ll come up against in Qatar. 
When Morocco gain possession of the ball, they look to build play out from the back rather than going long.
The image below shows a great example of how Mazraoui can evade pressure by passing the ball around to get out of a tight situation. 
Morocco’s Mazraoui is skilled at getting out of tight situations
When Morocco face a mid-block, Hakim Ziyech usually drifts into central midfield, from where he can make the most of his brilliant passing range and ball manipulation. 
The image below shows Ziyech in that central space, where he turns on the ball, looks up and plays a diagonal ball to the left-hand side for Mazraoui. 
When Ziyech is central, he looks for the diagonal ball to the left flank to Mazraoui
In the final third, Morocco try to set up in a 2-3-5 formation and make use of wide triangle combinations with the wide central midfielder, wide player and player operating in the half space. 
In this attack pictured below, Ziyech has drifted into the wide space, which has caused the Chilean left-back to follow him, thus leaving a huge gap between the left-back and left-sided centre-back. 
Clever Ziyech drags the left back out of position and creates a huge gap
Morocco have shown several different ways in which they can sustain possession and create threatening situations in the final third.
It will be no surprise to see Morocco have large spells of possession at the World Cup.
Defending phase
Morocco have a very strong backline, which will give confidence to the rest of the squad. 
Morocca high-press aggressively
From dead balls, such as goal kicks and throw-ins, Morocco look to press their opponents aggressively. 
The problem with this system, and arguably the biggest one, is the massive gap between the midfield and backline.
The Morocco defenders are worried about the space behind the defence so naturally drop off while the midfield holds their position to prevent the opponents from getting possession closer to goal.
As a result, opposition players can drift in the spaces between the lines, and the lack of pressure from behind means that they can easily turn with the ball and drive towards goal.
What ends up happening is that Morocco’s midfield is nearly non-existent, and opponents can easily give the ball to the front line and leave the defence unprotected.
Off the ball Morocco’s lack of structure could lead to losses
Morocco’s lack of structure off the ball is largely worrying and will be the biggest reason for any potential failures and losses. 
Transitions
In offensive transitions, Morocco are very difficult to defend against due to the number of skilful ball carriers they have running in the open space. 
The image below shows an example of Boufal excellent dribbling skill. 
With a number of skilful ball carriers running into space, Morocco offer a threat in offensive transition
When Morocco lose possession of the ball, they are inconsistent with their actions off the ball.
Inconsistency with their actions of the ball happens when Morocco lose possession
Defenders
While the depth in defence isn’t the largest, there are plenty of possible players who may look to work their way into a starting spot if their performances improve in the last few weeks before the World Cup.
Jawad El Yamiq has recently regained his spot in the starting line-up for Real Valladolid, who have gone on a slight winning streak in La Liga.
The central defender provides adequate cover should some of the starters not recover from their injuries in time. 
Midfielders
Adel Taarabt was used in deeper areas in the most recent parts of his career.
But, he missed out on selection in Qatar.
Imran Louza is another player who can slot into the midfield role. However, there are doubts about the fact he has been injured for the entirety of the season and is only coming back to training now. 
Ilias Chair and Selim Amallah both can feature in the attacking midfield roles, as both have the vision to produce defence-cutting passes and the technical ability to dribble in tight spaces.
Morocco have the adequate depth to make changes if necessary, or to add extra creativity when chasing games.
Attackers
Munir El Haddadi has struggled for minutes at his current club Getafe, and while he has shown promising signs in the earlier stage of his career, he has struggled to get consistency in his performance and not been up to the required level.
He can provide a threat off the bench after playing for Morocco 11 times in the last 18 months with 2 goals for the nation. 
Abde Ezzalzouli is a promising young player who is currently on loan from Barcelona. He was given his debut in September, and after a few good performances whilst out on loan, he may be given a chance to try to spark a change after coming off the bench.
Key player
Hakim Ziyech hasn’t featured for a long time for Chelsea and is a player that seems to be slightly forgotten about.
His inconsistent performances for his club have shown that he may not be at the world-class level.
However, Ziyech is capable of producing magic moments and when in form, he can carry his country to big results. 
The Moroccan magician doesn’t have the greatest pass accuracy, due to his ambitious passing in the final third.
While the accuracy isn’t high, these passes are difficult to pull off, usually against a settled defence which gives huge rewards should it be successful.
Tournament predictions
Morocco faces a hard group, and it seems like they are set to fight for the 2nd place of the Group, but we’ll most likely see Belgium and Croatia qualifying to the Round of 16.
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If they manage to reach the eight-finals, things won’t be any easier as they’ll likely face Spain or Germany.
Life won’t be easy for Morocco in Qatar!
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THE 2018 World Cup runners-up, Croatia, will be looking for a repeat this year as they aim to claw their way out of Group F and onto the podium once more.It’s difficult to keep expectations in check considering their success in Russia, followed up with the convincing Nations League campaign and World Cup qualifiers.

This is a fresh team; a team that’s been blessed with a healthy mixture of experience and youth.
But also a team that’s still very much a dark horse in the tournament despite their silver medal status from 2018.
Predicted starting XI
As for the starting lineup itself, this is where it gets tricky for both us to predict and Dalić to choose.
The goalkeeper position is arguably one of the weakest links of this otherwise impressive squad.
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Both Dominik Livakovic and Ivica Ivusic potential starters but certainly not their strongest weapon. 
When it comes to the backline, the youth tandem of Gvardiol and Sutalo seems the way to go given Croatia’s possession-based style of play.
Both defenders are strong on the ball and will aid the team’s build-up phase greatly.
When it comes to the full-backs, Borna Sosa is expected to be a regular with Borna Barisic as an alternative on the bench. Josip Juranovic should be the regular and Josip Stanisic start on the bench.
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How Croatia could line up
The midfield is Croatia’s bread and butter.
We don’t need to spend too long on the incredible trident of Brozovic, Modric and Kovacic but one potential worry for Dalic heading into the tournament is his pivot’s fitness.
Brozovic’s injury puts the whole system in jeopardy and while he may still recover in time for the event, it remains to be seen how Dalic decides to tackle his absence, should it come to that. 
There are a couple of options available with Kristijan Jakic probably being the likeliest to fill Inter star’s boots.
However, the defensive midfielder position is definitely among Croatia’s weak links as the quality plummets with Brozović out of the picture. 
Finally, we have the forward line. Croatia’s firepower is impressive but the lack of a clear No9 in the squad is a reason for concern.
Andrej Kramaric is the roaming, false 9 type of striker while someone like Ante Budimir offers a more traditional blueprint for the position. 
A similar thing can be said for the right-wing position as all of Mario Pasalic, Nikola Vlasic and Lovro Majer have their unique traits but also change the system with their inclusions.
The only constant is, therefore, Perisic on the left. The veteran is among Croatia’s most important players and will surely continue to have a prominent role in Qatar as well.
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Attacking phase
Croatia are a formidable force in possession of the ball.
Dalić has already confirmed Croatia are likely to stick with their 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3 formation, depending on the personnel available and chosen. 
Croatia are likely to stick with their 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formation
Take this sequence as a great example of exactly that. In this example, we see them overload the middle of the pitch. 
During a game Croatia will overload the midfield
It’s not uncommon for Modrić to drop deep and then deploy either a line-breaking pass into space or simply a lofted ball over the top, both of which complement the runners Croatia have in their arsenal. The example here is a perfect demonstration of such a scenario. 
Dalić may not be a master tactician but he needn’t be when he’s got such incredible talent at his disposal.
The following example shows us that perfectly.
Croatia base their attacks from out wide
Most of Croatia’s attacking sequences do end up in a delivery from out wide. In attack, Croatia are a force to be reckoned with.
Defensive phase
Despite stats revealing their high success in final-third recoveries, Croatia are not a high-pressing side. 
Dalić’s troops will sit back in a deep and compact block, often assuming a 4-5-1/4-1-4-1 or a 4-4-2 shape, depending on whether they’re more aggressive or conservative.
Croatia sit deep in a compact block
This shape aims to optimise their coverage off the ball while also congesting the danger zones on the pitch. 
If Croatia decide to push up and disrupt the build-up without aggressively pressing, they will usually instruct one of the midfielders to position himself next to the striker, creating a make-shift 4-4-2 structure.
We can actually see a very similar scenario in the following example.
When Croatia high-press they move to a makeshift 4-4-2
This man-marking approach does come with its pros and cons, of course. When executed well, it yields great results in terms of ball recovery, as we’ll soon see.
However, it’s also highly risky.
Very rarely do they actually go all the way to the final third or even the opposition’s box but as already explained, when they do, they’re often very effective.
Transitions
Just like in almost any phase of the game, midfielders are key to Croatia’s transition tactics. Both Modrić and Kovačić are excellent carriers of the ball.
Midfield is key to Croatia’s transitions – with Modric and Kovacic being excelling ball carriers
It’s not uncommon to see Croatia start their transitions by winning the ball in the middle third of the pitch, where they are undeniably most aggressive.
Moving onto defensive transition tactics, it all comes from coordinated action in the middle third.
Within seconds of losing the ball, Croatia aggressively hunt possession back
Croatia will often hunt for the ball relentlessly in the first couple of seconds of losing possession.
Attackers
Even though they aren’t lacking firepower, there are question marks that can be raised for both their striker and right-wing positions.
As things currently stand, we don’t know who Dalic is going to pick as his starting no.9 once the World Cup rolls in.
In our predicted XI section, we decided to go with Kramaric but to call him a striker may be a bit of a stretch. 
Midfielders
The best of Croatia’s squad undoubtedly lies in their midfield line. This is where their individual quality can break any game and tip the tides in their favour.
If everyone was fit and firing, there would be no doubt about the starting trident of Brozovic, Modric and Kovacic.
However, they’re not all fit. At least not as of yet. Having sustained an unlucky injury just before the World Cup, Brozovic is still on the mend.
Defenders
Between Livakovic and Ivusic, the choice may not be crystal clear and this has been an ongoing debate in Croatian media for a long time now. 
When it comes to the centre-backs, going with Gvardiol and Sutalo makes the most sense given Croatia’s system and style of play. 
About the full-backs, Sosa and Juranovic could both get a nod ahead of their respective counterparts simply due to their more offensive nature. 
Key player
Was there ever any doubt? Even at the ‘tender’ age of 37, Modric is still Croatia’s best and most influential player. The captain will be looking to bow out of the national team with a bang and what better way to do it than to have one last go at the big trophy?
Modric the player needs little to no introduction. He’s an all-action midfielder who glides across the pitch as if he was 17, not 37.
His attacking, progression and retaining capacity are off the charts and we can see he regularly tops almost all the on-the-ball metrics as well.
There aren’t many other players at this World Cup who can go toe-to-toe with the Croatian maestro as he’s basically the best at what he does. And he does it all. Well, almost.
The Real Madrid superstar might not be the best and most active defender in the tournament but that doesn’t mean he’s a liability out of possession.
Despite being 37, Modric still has an impressive engine and it’s his experience and footballing IQ that makes him a competent defender too, more so than his physical attributes.
How far Croatia can and will go largely depends on the form of this little man. And judging by his season so far, both for club and country, Modric is as good as he ever was.
Tournament prediction
The 2018 silver medalists are back for more in Qatar. It’s very difficult to predict how far they will go because they could just as easily reach the final again as they are to somehow implode halfway through the tournament.
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Given their potential opponents and the quality of group-stage opposition, reaching the quarter-finals and going beyond that is possible and desirable for Vatreni.
However, if Brozovic recovers in time, Modric retains his top form and Dalic’s troops get lady luck on their side again, the quarters are the very minimum they should achieve.
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CANADAS rise has been meteoric.With stars like Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David, there was a perception that Canada was a fringe competitor to claim a top-four spot and make their way to Qatar.

What transpired exceeded everyone’s expectations, well, at least everyone outside of the Canadian national team program.
Exceeding all expectations, Canada topped the CONCACAF table, finishing ahead of the favourites USA and Mexico.
If there’s one theme to pull from their qualifying campaign, it’s the power of the collective.
Predicted starting XI
For those who followed Canada’s journey to the World Cup, some of the standout features of the squad were tactical versatility and an extraordinary youth movement.
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At the World Cup, Canada will likely feature either a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-4-2.
Against stronger opponents, they tended to play in a 4-4-2, then went with a 4-2-3-1 when they expected to have more joy and possession.
Given the quality of their group, which features Belgium, Morocco and Croatia, a 4-4-2 may very well be the go-to system.
In that starting XI, Milan Borjan of Red Star Belgrade will start in goal.
Vitória and Kamal Miller are the likeliest centrebacks, flanked by Richie Laryea on the right and Adekugbe on the left.
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In midfield, Porto’s Stephen Eustáquio and Toronto FC’s Mark-Anthony Kaye will likely see the majority of time at the pivot positions with the 39-year-old Atiba Hutchinson rotating in.
His recovery from injury will largely dictate his playing time in this tournament. If fit, he’ll certainly see the pitch as he is the emotional leader of the team.
Tajon Buchanan, the Club Bruges winger who featured twice against Atlético Madrid in the Champions League, will likely start on the right while Bayern Munich’s Alphonso Davies leads the attack from the left.
Though the Bundesliga star plays left-back for Bayern, he will feature as Canada’s left midfielder.
Junior Hoilett will play the No10 role with Jonathan David of Lille as the striker.
Toronto’s Jonathan Osorio, the 30-year-old with 55 caps for his country, has made the squad – but his fitness will be in doubt.
If he does play, look for him to play in that central attacking midfielder role, which would then free Hoilett to see minutes on the wing as well.
Attacking phase
Looking at our first tactical image, which comes from their match against Uruguay, we see the asymmetry of Canada’s 4-2-3-1.
Canada play in a 4-2-3-1 formation
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The possessions tend to be very direct, looking to break lines early. 
In possession, this is when Canada’s most dangerous.
If their midfielders can run onto a ball between the lines, their pace in the wings and David’s movement centrally will cause problems. 
Midfielders of Canada try to run between lines, while David’s pace on the right is a threat
Once Canada gets into the box, they do arrive with a lot of numbers. Should the initial possession not lead to a shot, look for the Canucks to cut the ball back to one of their two outside-backs.
As that happens, the forward and attacking mids are very good at offering a clear target in the box.
In their match against Qatar, their runners overloaded at the far post and created a 3v2 against the host nation. The result of this sequence was a Larin goal.
Midfield and attack get into good positions in the box
Davies and David are well-known across the globe.
While this is a Canadian squad that will lean heavily on the collective, expect John Herdman to design the team’s tactics to bring out the best qualities of their two young stars.
Defensive phase
This is where Canada excels. This is a hard-working, tactically disciplined and fiercely competitive team with complete buy-in from the squad when the team is out of possession.
If Canada can make it out of a difficult group, their quality out of possession will likely be the reason for their success.
Even though Canada is a counterattacking team, they break the mould with their aggressive high press. 
Looking at the first tactical image, Canada does well to pressure the centrebacks and funnel play deeper, often into the wings.
Canada contain the opposition in their own half by pressuring the centre backs
The sequence against Mexico plays directly to a high recovery by Canada and a Larin goal.
That goal was the direct result of Canada’s effective high press.
Once in the wings, Canada will again attempt to seal the opposition.
Looking at the final image of the section, which is again from the Mexico match, Canada has seven players in that shaded area.
Seven Canadian players attempt to suffocate the opposition in wide areas
Transitions
Canada’s attacking output will largely come down to the effectiveness of their counterattacking.
Even if Canada loses the ball in this scenario, they are well placed to counterpress, recover numbers behind the ball, and eliminate the opponent’s direct moves to goal.
Canada like to get numbers behind the ball and recover their defensive shape
The most important aspect of Canada’s defensive transitions is getting numbers behind the ball, and recovering into their solid defensive shape.
During attacking transitions, look for Canada to prioritise the wings. The pace of Davies on the left will be a threat to any opponent.
In attacking transitions, Canada will look to the wings
Even when Canada counterattacks centrally, their narrow defensive shape positions the wingers to run behind the backline through the central channel.
That’s what we have in the final image in this section.
Their narrow defensive shape when Canada counters can see their wingers running through the middle
Canada’s play in transition was exceptional in qualifying.
Should it carry over into the World Cup, you’ll find the squad is difficult to break down and a threat in attacking transitions. 
Attackers
It’s high up the pitch that we find many of Canada’s top young talents.
Buchanan and Larin are expected to be regulars, and of course, Davies. Hoilett will feature as well, and we may see the likes of Cavallini and Millar throughout the tournament.
They may not have the household names that Belgium enjoys, but this is a very talented group of players with the right blend of emerging young stars and veteran leadership.
Larin, who should recover his fitness in time for the World Cup, also gives Canada some tactical versatility.
Midfielders
Midfield is certainly the thinnest part of Canada’s team. That said, the midfielders listed in the World Cup squad are specifically on the team to play as defensive midfielders.
Regardless of the system, Canada will likely deploy a double pivot.
Should Canada play with a four-midfielder system, Davies and Buchanan are the incumbents in the wings.
Hoilett is another example of a player listed as a forward who will play as an attacking midfielder. Laryea can play right midfield as well.
Defenders
Along the backline, Canada will feature several players who are either in or nearing their prime years.
Then there is Steven Vitória, the 6’5″ Chaves centre-back who leads the line at the young age of 35. He’s the veteran leader of this group.
The son of Portuguese immigrants from the Azores Islands and a member of Portugal’s youth national teams, Vitória started representing his native Canada in 2016.
Hutchinson can also play along the backline, but it’s widely expected that Miller will start beside Vitória.
Key player
There’s no questioning Canada’s star man.
Alfonso Davies, the Bayern Munich superstar who was born to Liberian parents in a Canadian refugee camp, immigrated to Canada with his family in 2005.
His leap from Vancouver to Bayern Munich was unprecedented in the league’s history.
Entering the World Cup fresh off his 22nd birthday, Davies is the uncontested star on the team.
Though he will play higher up the pitch as an attacking left midfielder, the same position he played at Vancouver, Davies is as well-rounded a player as you’ll find at the World Cup.
His role with Bayern Munich transfers exceptionally well to Canada’s defensive commitment and counterpressing responsibilities. 
Tournament prediction
Odds makers list Belgium and Croatia as the heavy favourites to make it through the group stage but don’t sleep on this Canadian team. They’re built for tournament play.
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Canada doesn’t arrive in Qatar with the same pressure that Belgium and Croatia do and that could be good for them. 
But it’s fair to expect them to finish third at this group unless Croatia and Belgium really underperform, after all, we’re talking about the last runners up and the last 3rd place of the Russia World Cup in 2018.
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Japan boasts a squad with exciting players that could cause problems for Spain and Germany and Costa Rica in Group E.Japan has evolved in the last decades from a team that was basically formed by players active in their home country to an exporter of talent.

Having names in some of the biggest teams from Europe certainly makes Japan a different contender.
But this World Cup will be tough for them as Group E is no joke with Spain and Germany as favourites to progress to the Round of 16.
Predicted starting XI
Japan is definitely strongest in the forward department in terms of depth.
At the same time, they’ve got plenty of decent options in midfield too.
With Itakura’s injury, they are slightly weaker at centre-back, while their starting full-backs are 32-year-old Sakai and 36-year-old Nagatomo.
Alongside captain Yoshida, aged 34, this makes for an experienced backline but also one that’s got a lot of mileage.
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How Japan could play at the World Cup
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Attacking phase
Japan has some interesting stats but lacks proper balance, like in terms of long passes per match compared with their upcoming opposition in the World Cup.
They thrive in transitions and if they can force opportunities to counter-attack against Spain and Germany, that’ll suit them and their playing style perfectly.
The figure below shows an example of Japan’s typical shape in the build-up phase. 
This is Japan’s typical shape in the build-up phase
Japan’s defensive midfielder drops deep, while another plays higher up the pitch
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During this phase and the ball progression phase, it’s common to see Japan’s holding midfield duo stagger (one drops deeper while the other sits higher) to give their teammates better passing options and make it more difficult for the opposition to mark them. 
Japan are typically comfortable building out from the back via short passes.
They are extremely patient in the build-up and ball progression phases.
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Japan has a tendency to overload one side of the pitch with all but one of their players positioned inside the opposition’s half. 
Defensive phase
Japan’s defensive skills have improved a lot in the last World Cups. That is a reflex of the development of football in Japan.
The figure above provides a couple of examples of how the Samurai Blue typically set up to defend in the high-block phase.
The first example shows how Japan’s 4-2-3-1 typically looks in this phase, with the front four typically orienting themselves more to the ball and the dangerous passing options near to their position in relation to where the ball is at that moment.
In the second example, we see how Japan’s deep midfielders defend in this phase a bit more.
These players will generally remain deeper focusing on defending in relation to their position.
Japan’s midfielders will sit deep and focus on defending
Focusing solely on Japan’s forwards for a moment, they will sit narrow in the high-block phase.
While Japan’s forward sit narrowly in a high-block
It’s common to see Japan’s midfielders applying aggressive pressure from behind to the opposition receivers. 
The midfield applies aggressive pressure to opposition receivers of the ball
If they foresee the incoming pass early enough, Japan midfielders can intercept the ball themselves.
Often, this can lead to interceptions
It’s not just Japan’s midfielders who press like this, we also see their defenders jump out from the backline and press aggressively.
Their defensive shape resembles a 4-5-1 formatio
When defending deeper, as the opposition settle into a period of possession, it’s common to see Japan use something of a 4-5-1 shape, as seen above.
Transitions
Below we can see Japan focusing on their counterpressing efforts.
Key to Japan’s counterpressing is the pressure the forwards and wingers put on the opposition
We see two examples of Japan’s counterpressing in this image. 
What’s key for Japan’s counterpressing is that their centre-forward/wingers track back and continue applying pressure to the ball carrier even after they progress beyond their line. 
At the same time, players will come out from deeper positions to offer support, as the right-holding midfielder did in this example, with the left-holding midfielder and ball-far players shifting across to cover for him.
This leads to the opposition ball carrier getting overwhelmed with energetic Japan shirts all around him, leading to the turnover.
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Attackers
Furuhashi, Maeda and Ueda are all performing well at club level but have not exactly replicated that at international level thus far. 
Mitoma is a very different case in that he’s largely produced more at international level of late than he has at club level.
Osako has been quiet in recent international games too but has a great goalscoring record at international level.
Ito was a revelation for Genk in Belgium and has started life in Ligue 1 with Reims positively, though in a different more central role than the right-winger role he perfected with Genk. 
Midfielders
Our midfield selections for Japan include Wataru Endo, Hidemasa Morita, Daichi Kamada, Genki Haraguchi, Gaku Shibasaki and Ao Tanaka.
Endo and Morita have been a common sight at holding midfield for Japan during Moriyasu’s tenure, they perform the roles expected of them well and we’d expect to see the partnership feature in Qatar.
Reliability on the ball, press resistance, intelligent decision-making and good positioning without the ball will be crucial for this area.
Meanwhile, Kamada is a very well-rounded midfielder who can create opportunities from a slightly more advanced position. His bravery in possession and ability to break lines via his passing to set up dangerous goalscoring opportunities make him a very valuable option.
Tanaka and Shibasaki provide versatility but will likely deputise for Endo and Morita in Qatar. Their profiles can fulfil the necessary roles, though Endo and Morita will likely be the preferred first-choice pairing.
Meanwhile, Haraguchi will likely be the intended backup for Kamada (though Kubo could nudge him out for that role either) and, again, offers plenty of versatility to Moriyasu, so could even fill in for other areas if required, though that will be unlikely.
He lacks the passing quality of Kamada which could be an issue in terms of a starting place but, at the same time, offers better ball-carrying ability, so will be a useful option.
Defenders
As for the defenders, our predicted back-four includes three very experienced options in Yuto Nagatomo, Maya Yoshida and Hiroko Sakai, while we’ve also got Arsenal’s Takehiro Tomiyasu in our starting XI at the right centre-back position, adding some youth to the backline. 
Should Itakura remain out of action, we predict that Tomiyasu will be a very important member of this squad both for what he brings to the table in terms of profile and ability, as well as his positional versatility.
Japan’s defensive depth is an area of concern, which may be somewhat evident from our last defensive selection, Ayumu Seko, who’s never made an international appearance.
The World Cup is some place to potentially make your international debut, but Seko could be the best option of what’s available outside of the aforementioned players based on what the former J-League rookie of the year has shown with Grasshoppers of late.
Key player
We’ve gone for Kamada as Japan’s ‘key player’ for the tournament.
The main area to focus on with Kamada, as mentioned previously, is his passing.
He performs a relatively high number of forward passes, progressive passes and passes to the final third which makes him a key man for Japan and their preferred playing style.
If Moriyasu’s men can find Kamada in space in front of the opposition’s defensive line with runners ahead of him, particularly during a period of transition, that will spell trouble for the opposition as the playmaker possesses excellent ability to create chances from those situations.
Additionally, Kamada’s defensive work rate will be important. 
Tournament prediction
Japan has evolved in the last World Cup and other international tournaments. However, Spain and Germany remain far more likely to progress to the Round of 16.
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However, the Japanese still have more chances of making it to the eight finals compared with Costa Rica.
Time will tell if they have evolved enough to beat a European team on their quest to qualify to the knockout phase of the World Cup.
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GERMANY has a younger team than in the last World Cups. The old guard has changed. In the last tournament, they failed to make it to the Round of 16, finishing behind Sweden, Mexico and South Korea, at the bottom of Group F, so it was probably needed.

Radical changes happened since that disaster, and the new generation has a lot of potential.
They will face Group E in 2022, where Spain is considered the strongest team, and the other opponents will be Costa Rica and Japan. 
After last year’s Euros, Germany replaced their head coach, Joachim Löw.
This much-needed change in leadership will hopefully allow the Germans to continue the success that some of the more recent German coaches have had at the club level. 
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Predicted Starting XI
In Flick’s 15 games in charge, he has mainly used the 4-2-3-1 that he famously used during his successful Bayern Munich stint.
But Germany has also played using a line of 5 in the defence under his spell.
Manuel Neuer will lead his country out on the pitch in goal, as the 36-year-old will look to win his second World Cup.
Germany usually line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation
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The goalkeeper is as important in making saves as well as the leader of this team.
Neuer has recently revealed that he underwent three surgeries because of skin cancer on his face, but he’s expected to play for Germany in the upcoming tournament.
In the German back line, Niklas Süle and Antonio Rüdiger are likely to form the defensive duo. 
In the full-back positions, there is a possibility that a more defensive player replaces one of the predicted starters if Germany progress into the later stages. 
The starting XI should feature a packed-up midfield, a solid defence, and a versatile Thomas Müller behind the attackers. 
Müller is likely to begin as the attacking midfielder, sitting just behind the centre forward.
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His experience at past World Cups, as well as his recent performances under the very same manager, give Müller a good chance of retaining his spot.
On the wings, Leroy Sané and Serge Gnabry will both be making their debuts at the World Cup, after being overlooked 4 years ago.
They can contribute with a lot of speed on the wings. 
Leading the line, Kai Havertz is expected to continue his role as the centre forward for Germany.
The striker position has been a problem for Germany since 2014, and actually, during that tournament too.
Klose was called up then almost unexpectedly as that generation didn’t have many options in that position and it is the same now – but, France’s 98 winning team didn’t have a recognised elite striker so who are we to judge?
Attacking phase
Germany tends to try to make the most of their dense and organised midfield, and progress fast through the wings.
Müller is a versatile player and can both help with assists and scoring goals, and the Germans will look to control matches from the start.
Sule drives the ball into Sane who comes inside to receive the pass
The team builds their attack with defenders that can make proactive long passes to the wingers and other midfielders.
Above, we can see Sule driving the ball into Sane who has come inside to receive against Italy.
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Germany like to push players forward in attack
They are also happy to commit numbers forward to pin defences deep.
As we can see above against England, there are five players staggered against the England back line as they look to work the ball around to create a space.
When Germany will face stubborn defences, Joshua Kimmich’s range of passing is an excellent tool to unlock a defence.
Below, we see Kimmich open up to drop a pass in behind the Hungarian backline.
Joshua Kimmich likes to drop balls behind the defensive line
Germany has great midfielders that can make clever passes, but Kimmich is the strongest in this area of the team.
The visual below gives you an idea of how his the conductor of Flick’s orchestra.
Joshua Kimmich holds the key to Germany’s team
Defending phase
As we can see here, Germany is no longer the defensive powerhouse it used to be.
They concede more shots than they would like despite making more recoveries in the final third than many other teams.
Pressing from the front, Germany’s forwards are unlikely to retreat
Germany’s relentless pressure will see them dominate most games, and in doing so, we are unlikely to see them retreat back into defensive blocks for long periods of time.
Above, you can see a scenario that we will see time and time again in Qatar – Germany pressing man for man the moment the opponent takes a backward step.
Transitions
The team can make very quick transitions, and when they recover the ball, it’s show time!
The wingers Sané and Gnabry can be a great threat in this situation given their pace and direct style.
Below, they win the ball back against Italy and immediately there is the intention to release Sane into space.
When they win the ball, Germany immediately look to release Sane
However, the transitions when they lose the ball aren’t the best we’ve seen from a German international team.
The ability to pressure the opponents in the attacking half is their strongest weapon, but they need to watch out when they themselves turn the ball over in that area of the pitch.
Below, Luke Shaw has won the ball and there are only three German defenders behind the ball against three England attackers with one more joining in space from midfield – good teams will punish this.
Germany are at their weakest when they lose the ball because of their high defensive line
Defenders
In the back line, Matthias Ginter, Thilo Kehrer and Nico Schlotterbeck will all be in contention for starting spots, especially when Germany comes up against tough opposition where an extra defender who starts as a full-back will be required. 
Robin Gosens of Inter Milan will be a rotation option for either full-back position.
The German team, however, doesn’t have an experienced defence as they used to have in 2014 when they won their last World Cup.
Midfielders
The midfielders are the strongest weapon of Germany.
The team has experienced names like Müller, Gundogan and Reus. Goretzka may also be a starter in the team.
Modern football is all about quick attacking transitions and Germany has great talent to perform that task – they just need to do it the other way too.
The fact that Bayern Münich also plays with that kind of style can be good for the Germans, as they always contribute to the national team squad with several players.
Attackers
In the front line, Germany arguably has the least quality depth, especially after the injury of Timo Werner in early November.
Lukas Nmecha and Karim Adeyemi are both young players who haven’t had many opportunities with the first-team squad yet. 
They have shown their talent in the Bundesliga, albeit Adeyemi hasn’t found the back of the net at the time of writing.
A lack of depth may cause problems for Germany, should a starting player get injured during the World Cup. 
Some players that aren’t expected to make the squad include Niclas Fullkrug, who has enjoyed a very good start to the season, and could offer a box presence that Germany seems to lack, while Youssofa Moukoko could be a wildcard pick with his dynamic play style that can grow into something special, for the 17-year-old.
Key player
Joshua Kimmich will undoubtedly be one of the players of the tournament, and his performances will be key to how well Germany perform this winter. 
The Bayern Münich player started his career as a right-back but nowadays is a versatile midfielder.
He offers a lot of balance to the team, as he contributes with defensive actions, as well as creating chances and making good passes. 
Tournament prediction
The Germans are in a group with Spain, Japan and Costa Rica. Spain goes into the group as favourites but Germany are clear favourites for second place.
They are expected to qualify for the Round of 16 and have good chances of lifting the World Cup.
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However, if that happens, it won’t be an easy task. If they meet expectations and finish 2nd in Group E, they’ll likely face Belgium in the Round of 16 .
Then possibly Brazil in the quarter-finals which could be one of the most exciting games of the tournament as the Brazilians will want revenge for what happened in 2014.
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THE team of Keylor Navas will face a very tough Group and progressing to the Round of 16 will be very hard.However, their chances lie in the fact that Germany and Spain have relatively young teams, and the recent injury of Marco Reus certainly increases the chance of Costa Rica making it to the Round of 16.

But Japan and Costa Rica will have to fight hard as the Europeans are expected to be the first two teams of Group E.
Predicted starting XI
Costa Rica usually likes to play in a very wide 4-4-2 in possession of the ball; in this shape, the wingers offer great width and pace from the outside.
Keylor Navas would be shielded by Francisco Calvo and Oscar Duarte in front, and Bryan Oviedo and Keysher Fuller in the full-back positions. 
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How Costa Rica could line up at the World Cup
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Celso Borges and Yeltsin Tejeda form a double-pivot with Jewison Bennette and Gerson Torres on the wings.
This set of players is joined by Joel Campbell and Anthony Contreras making up the forward line.
Attacking phase
Costa Rica likes to be an offensive and direct team with a high percentage of long passes and passes to the final third, in comparison to other teams we’ll see in action at the World Cup.
They also like to go long to escape the pressure from deep, relying on Keylor Navas and his good long distribution to skip steps in the build-up and connect rapidly with wingers or full-backs out wide.
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Costa Rica look to break lines quickly
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The example above shows us this direct intention to break forward quickly with long deliveries from deep, in this case being executed by the centre-back to the left-back.
Costa Rica likes to give license to Keylor Navas to send long balls constantly, to start attacking moves or to be moved quickly to the middle third, where the full-backs and wingers can play one-twos .
The figure below shows an example of the kind of pass frequently made by Keylor from the back. 
Keylor Navas passing his vital to Costa Rica’s build-up phase
Again, the centre-backs take responsibility for progression from the back, with good movements from the strikers who occasionally like to drop deep to give their deeper teammates options in the build-up phase.
The right-centre-back carries the ball this time through the middle and sees his forward, who has dropped very deep into their own third to receive the ball, showing for the ball. 
On receiving, the forward then turns to accelerate the team’s march on the opposition’s final third.
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Costa Rica’s forward turns and accelerates the team’s march into the final third
In the middle of the pitch, Costa Rica often create overloads out on the left-hand-side where the midfielder on this side joins to create numerical superiority, helping the left-winger and left-back to beat the pressure. 
In this case, the left midfielder joins to be activated as a third man before his winger releases the ball to the full-back, who is then going to pass it to the middle where space has been created.
Overloads on the left are essential to Costa Rica’s attacking play
Costa Rica like to finish periods of possession with overlapping full-backs and aim to overload the box with players that can be a surprise factor to anticipate defenders and try to score headers. 
After they move the ball from wide to the middle, they change the ball immediately to the full-back on the weak side.
In this example, the right-back is the one to receive the ball with time and space to take a cross into the box, which is very congested thanks to the supporting runs of the midfielders and the two strikers who try to pin defenders.
Overlapping crosses will get forward and look to deliver balls into the box
Defensive phase
Out of possession, Costa Rica like to apply little intensity against the opposition high upfield when defending.
Typically, they are a team that sustains a lot of pressure from the opposition out of possession and have to clear constantly and win the ball back several times in their own third.
Luis Fernando Suárez’s teams like to defend in a narrow and rigid 4-4-2 position-oriented structure. In this system, the double-pivot tends to be a very proactive one to jump off their line and mark tightly rival midfielders. 
Both strikers perform the task of blocking passing options in front of the centre-backs, and the midfielders are required to mark zonally, protect this space, suffocate the opposition in central midfield positions and try to win the ball back via this rather passive approach. 
Depending on the game, Costa Rica may apply a press
Costa Rica generally don’t press rivals very high on the pitch.
However, they do on occasion, and it very much depends on the in-game situation at that moment, though we don’t expect to see them pressing with great intensity in Qatar very often. 
They’ll try to accumulate plenty of players on the strong side of the ball to try and stress players, eliminating short passing options and forcing them to send long balls,. 
This example is a perfect visual of what we are explaining, as the six players of the midfield and forward lines mark very tightly in the final third of the pitch on this occasion. 
The midfield and forwards mark tightly in the final third
Transitions
In attacking transitions, Costa Rica like to rely on long passes from former Real Madrid keeper, Keylor Navas.
In defensive transitions, Costa Rica have issues tracking runs from opposition players who can cause lots of harm with their runs, as their defensive line is not the fastest and can’t contain players at full speed, coming from the inside carrying the ball or defending through passes.
Defenders
Keylor Navas forms a big part of a defence full of players who will try everything to protect their line, with the likes of Francisco Calvo and Oscar Duarte in the centre-back partnership, inside Bryan Oviedo and Keysher Fuller as the starter full-backs.
Carlos Martínez and Kendall Watson are other young players that could be primarily rotational parts of the team.
Midfielders
Yeltsin Tejeda and Celso Borges bring experience and leadership in the double-pivot, but players like Brandon Aguilera, Anthony Hernández or Orlando Galo can help the team with a lot of creativity and proactivity through the middle.
Bryan Ruíz, Gerson Torres or Johan Venegas are the experienced attacking players but Jewison Bennette, at only 19 years of age, will surely be a tempting option for Suárez.
Attackers
Anthony Contreras has been really amazing and exciting for his country of late, he has already made his full debut, and we expect to see him lining up alongside his veteran partner Joel Campbell, who has continued to be a pacey and threatening option, pushing the last line of the defenders and making a nuisance of himself in-game.
Key player
Keylor Navas continues to be the most vital player in the Costa Rica national team, thanks to his clutch shot-stopping ability that helps his team to maintain clean sheets.
In addition his contribution is vital to their build-up, as he has the ability to make long deliveries to find free-men out wide, to then open space through the middle. 
Tournament prediction
Things won’t be easy to Costa Rica.
Their victory in the first round of the World Cup currently has the lowest odds in the betting markets, which also reflects the opinion of the pundits.
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Germany and Spain might have a lot of young blood in their teams compared with their winning campaigns in 2014 and 2010, but they still are the clear favourites to progress to the Round of 16.
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WHAT can we make of Spain going into the World Cup? Lots of possession and not enough goals, put simply.They have an exceptional group but something isn’t quite clicking for Luis Enrique and his squad.

In the same group as Germany, Enrique will be aware that he needs to find the winning formula quickly otherwise the likes of Japan and even Costa Rica might smell group stage blood.
Let’s have a look at how things will look on the pitch for the Spanish.
Predicted starting XI
We would expect Spain to choose Unai Simón as his number one – though Spain also have depth here with Robert Sánchez, David Raya and Kepa Arrizabalaga.
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Expect to see Chelsea veteran Cesar Azpilicueta at right back with Pau Torres and Eric Garcia in the middle. Jordi Alba keeps going and he’ll be on the left.
In the middle, there will be rotation due to situations and tactics but we would expect the first choice to be Rodri as the 6 behind Pedri and Koke. Having Gavi in reserve is hardly a weakness either.
Up top, Alvaro Morata is key to Enrique and will be flanked by Ferran and Sarabia more often than not.
Spain boss Luis Enrique favours a 4-3-3 formation
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Attacking phase
Unsurprisingly, as you can see from the visual above, Spain like to play a bit of football.
They want possession, they want to move the opponent around and then, ideally, hurt them.
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Spain like to drop deep and invite the opposition to press them
Something Spain like to do a lot, as seen above, is take the ball in tight spaces to attract pressure so they can play behind the pressure.
Unai Simon is capable in goal to play the passes into the feet of players in the next line and this can be dangerous for the opponent, as seen above.
We will also see that the Spanish midfielders are happy to play one-touch passes on the half-turn – like below with Koke.
Risky, but again opens up space to play.
Koke plays a pass on the half-turn to beat the opposition’s press
Enrique loves an inverted winger.
They come inside to get the ball direct from the centre-back and suddenly there’s space and options all over the place – as seen below with PSG’s Sarabia coming inside to receive.
Pablo Sarabia comes inside from the wing to receive the ball
Morata gets a lot of criticism but he is important to Enrique.
As we can see below, his off the ball movements are vital to create space for others.
Below, we can see how he comes deep to get the ball which opens up the pitch for others.
Alvaro Morata drops deep to create space for team-mates
Spain like to move the ball quickly through the midfield and we will see their 6 move slightly wider to help the full-back get forward to receive the ball.
He’ll then look for the winger who has gone central.
Spain score many of their goals this way.
The full-backs get forward and the wingers go into the centre of the pitch
And below we can see the attacking shape of Spain – 2-3-5 with the wingers coming inside and the full-backs high and wide.
In possession, Spain adopt a 2-3-5 formation with the full-backs high and wide
Defensive phase
So, how do Spain defend?
They have a high line and start their defending as close to their opponent’s initial build-up as possible.
Ideally, Enrique wants them to win the ball back within five seconds.
If they fail to do it, they will sit into a mid-block choosing the right moment to press again. And again. And probably again.
They are one of the top teams at the World Cup for winning the ball in the final third – that’s intense.
The example below is classic Spain under Enrique – dangerous in the final third but lose the ball.
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Spain try to win the ball back inside five seconds of losing possession
Here we can see how Spain immediately press and suffocate the player on the ball, leading to them winning it back again.
Transitions
In attacking transition, Spain are dangerous.
They have technically gifted players who can also carry the ball with power – Gavi, Koke, Pedri are all exceptional in this phase.
The wingers will stay wide and Morata will be the focal point to play off.
In defensive transition, Spain are a team who counter-press quickly.
We will see three or four players go together to close down the man on the ball.
Defenders
Tough choices for Enrique to make here, with Laporte, Pau Torres and the often knocked Eric Garcia fighting with Azpilicueta for a starting spot.
Midfielders
Easily the strongest part of Spain’s squad – Pedri (more on him below), Gavi and Carlos Soler provide that youthful energy alongside the experience of Busquets and Liverpool’s Thiago.
Attackers
By far, the weakest area of the squad for Enrique – Morata is likely to lead the line ahead of ex-Man City striker Ferran Torres.
Key player
The World Cup often gifts us a player who takes the step from very, very good to absolute elite in the eyes of the public – Barcelona’s Pedri could well be that player this time around.
Pedri could hold the key for Spain at the World Cup
He is the player that Enrique is building the side around – and he is excellent in attack, defence and transition.
Watch out for his ability to drive past players in the congested middle zone of the pitch.
Tournament prediction  
Spain are quite similar to the likes of Spain, Portugal and other teams hoping to win the World Cup.
They are great on the ball, but do struggle to turn that into goals.
But, they have an excellent head coach – tactically strong – and he is lucky enough to choose from an excellent mix of experienced, young and players in their prime.
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Spanish fans will demand a run deep into the tournament – but unless Enrique can find the key to turning possession into penetration then they could see themselves leave Qatar at the quarter-final stage.
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