Mexico's opening win was built on security, tilted circulation towards the left, and relied on Julián Quiñones and Brian Gutiérrez to unlock progression when opportunities appeared. And South-Africa's self-inflicted damage of course.

Thirty shots. Zero goals. Sometimes the shot map says more than the shot count. 🇦🇺🇹🇷

Vertical access from left to centre -> rotations/movements on the right.

After eight years of covering football, the last 48 hours have been... unexpected. For those who recently found us: we cover football through a tactical lens, from detailed match reports to the threads and visuals you see here. 🧠📊 Welcome, and thanks for following along. 👋

Brazil's biggest problems against Morocco weren't just visible without the ball. 🧩 Too many bodies inside. 🛡️ Casemiro left to cover alone. ⚡ Santos to Vinícius to only real outlet. 🚧 The right side never really got going. 🇧🇷🇲🇦 #WorldCup

Morocco repeatedly bypassed Brazil's 4-2-4 press, exposing the spaces around Casemiro and punishing an uncoordinated first line. 🇲🇦 Early control 🇧🇷 Vinícius' moment of quality 🇲🇦 Late threat through Hakimi-side rotations A 1-1 draw in a fascinating tactical battle

Next instalment of my (free to read) World Cup tactical breakdowns, this time on Brazil - Morocco. Morocco exploited Brazil's structural OOP flaws with one dynamic on the left, one pattern through the centre and a few half-baked, right-sided rotations. medium.com/@joel-parker/thre…

Morocco striker Saibari (#11) preferring to drop deeper left so far - and causing Brazil problems doing so.

Brazil’s right side has looked very vulnerable against Mazraoui and El Khannouss so far, with Saibari also overloading that side. #BRAMAR

Apparently this is a fake quote by Klopp - would have been a bit much from a Red Bull employee anyway.

Pause the picture. 🇧🇦 1 at the back. 🇧🇦 -1 in midfield. ➡️ Force Canada wide. ⬆️ Encourage the long ball. The kind of tactical detail that often decides how a match unfolds. @fahdahmed987 explores it in depth in his latest analysis. betweentheposts.net/canada-b…

Of course it was an error by Sithole, on a pass that perhaps shouldn't have been played. But Mexico's high press created that.

A simple system well executed, with two clear standout players.

Throughout the World Cup, I'm planning to share 'tactical snapshots' 🔍 This will include images and animations of specific game sequences that highlight a team's wider gameplan or approach in and out of possession I will collate all posts as replies to this one 👇🧵 #FWC26

USMNT team under Pochettino plays a very flexible style, off movements and runs down the inside channels to vacate spaces for those out-in combinations, some incredible central, diagonal, one-touch passing sequences that need the final pass to be refined, runs behind Paraguay backline for the runners to lay the ball off to the player coming from behind.

That was a really impressive first half from the USMNT. Pochettino’s side are showing genuinely fluid, movement-based attacking play. Players deliberately running down the inside channels to drag defenders inward, vacating space for out-to-in combinations. This creates the base for those sharp central & diagonal one-touch sequences with high-tempo relational play that breaks lines quickly at speed (seen in Pochettino's Spurs side of old). The runs in behind the Paraguay backline are classic third-man runs (as Pochettino naturally has studied the classic Bielsa tactic). They pull the Paraguay defensive line forward so a teammate can receive in dangerous pockets. McKennie’s off the ball work is key, constantly opening lanes, while Pulisic adds the direct threat to exploit the spaces created. And how clinical has Balogun been up front! Really impressive first half. 3-0 USMNT, could've probably been more. #USMNT #USAPAR #WorldCup2026

A few clear themes in the first half between Canada and Bosnia & Herzegovina (BH) today. The home side is dominating possession with an aggressive 2-4-4 structure. The fullbacks are providing double width and plenty of support through under and overlapping runs. Meanwhile, BH are defending deep in a compact and low 4-4-2 block. With BH defending so deep, Canada are finding it difficult to penetrate during open play. Their man tactic is to overload the box with players and targeting the far post with crosses. Due to the double width, the fullback or winger can get a cross in. Set-pieces seem to be another potentially valuable route for chance creation via freekicks, corners, and long throws. Canada have relatively generated better chances from dead-ball situations rather than open play, as far as I can tell. BH are focusing on defending low and springing on the counter. They don't have too much pace centrally through their strikers. So, the reliance is on hold-up play before accessing the quicker wingers. BH are also relying on set-pieces to generate quality chances. They've got tall and physical players to flood the box. The opening goal came from a corner, too. BH are more threatening from set-pieces due to their superior physical profiles. I don't see these themes changing much for the rest of the game. Canada are proactively attacking and trying to produce chances but BH have been robust defensively so far. A tough and competitive game.

Lira aggressively stepped out to dispossess Sithole after a vertical pass from Williams, and the loose ball fell to Julián Quiñones, who calmly finished past the goalkeeper to give Mexico an early lead. Read the full piece for free on @BetweenThePosts: betweentheposts.net/mexico-s…

Mexico's opening win was built on security, tilted circulation towards the left, and relied on Julián Quiñones and Brian Gutiérrez to unlock progression when opportunities appeared. And South-Africa's self-inflicted damage of course.