the secrets of New Zealand and Guatemala, the two rivals that come to Mascherano’s Argentina

Guatemala y New Zealand are the other members of group A and the next rivals of Argentina in the initial phase of the Sub 20 world. They played between them in Santiago del Estero, in the run-up to Argentina’s victory over Uzbekistan: the Oceanics were one hundred percent opportunistic and took advantage of the only mistake made by the orderly Guatemalan defense to win 1-0. Javier Mascherano took note of the high and low points of each one.

They use similar tactical schemes, but their stances are quite different. Both Guatemala and New Zealand bet on five defendersAlthough those in black present their wingers a few meters ahead of the Central Americans, who defend with their lines closer together.

A few meters higher or lower can mark a team’s intentions and game plan. That was clear in the first match of group A, one of the ones that opened this youth World Cup. While Guatemala closed in a 5-4-1, the New Zealanders drew a 5-2-3.

The difference is mainly in the extremes. On the side of the men in black, they had Jay Herdman to the right and with Noah Karunaratne to the left. The best of this team was seen when they were able to get together and throw down some walls, which did not abound at all. They managed to do it a couple of times.

The height of New Zealand’s centrals is a key factor. Isaac Hughes is 1.83m tall; Finn Surman is 1.90m tall; and Lukas Kelly-Heald is 1.98m tall. They are towers that close the aerial game and that also try to impose themselves in the area in front of set pieces. As a counterpart, they show slowness and a certain coarseness in the game on the grass.

In fact, the Guatemalan plan It was to take advantage of the spaces behind the forward wingers and the gaps left by their central defenders between the lines. They found free players on a couple of occasions both with balls from above and with some filtered pass.

Of that Javier Mascherano’s coaching staff will surely have taken note. Guatemala prioritizes maintaining a tactical order. Seeks not to be badly stopped or disarmed. And it takes juice out of the clarity of daniel cardoza, who proves to be the most inspired of his attack. Lying mostly on the left, he can appear through the center to put in a filtered pass or test the goal.

Cutting and going at speed towards the counterattack is the premise of the cast of Central America, which is not easy to penetrate if it does not go out of its script. Once alone they caught him badly off and he paid for it with the goal from the admitted Normal Garbett.

A lack of concentration cost Guatemala the game. Fin Conchie, a midfielder with a good foot from New Zealand, put in a forward airship to Garbett. But the biggest mistake was Mathius Gaitanwho botched the clearance and left the way clear for the attacker.

Guatemala had shown itself to be the one with the clearest things on the field. He lacked encouragement to hurt a New Zealand who, without having done too much, did not forgive him for the only mistake in the back.

Santiago del Estero. Special delivery.

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