4/18/2024 0 Comments Soccer tactics board ireland![]() Watching the game back the reason he was so muted was more evident than in real time. On Sunday, we saw just once what he was capable of as he stuck the ball in the back of the net at the end of a driving run, after the whistle had sounded. Before the All-Ireland final, he had controlled the middle of the field for Listowel, driving forward and winning primary possession on kick-outs. The fifth and final player that needed close marking was midfielder Joe Joe Grimes. Fortunately most people didn’t get to see his quality on Sunday because Barry Donnelly never let him get a run at the Arva defence and even managed to show up some defensive weaknesses he had as Donnelly put him on the back foot. ![]() Having seen a number of Listowel’s games, I can testify that his ball control, speed and agility are excellent, and I can see why Tomás O’Sé was disappointed that he wouldn’t commit to the Kerry U20s. The fourth player requiring attention was Jack McElligott. Charlie Madden never let him have a sniff of the ball to such an extent that he was taken off early in the second half. Sean Keane at corner-forward (but wearing 5) was their playmaker while also contributing to the scoreboard but his impact on Sunday was reduced to a single point from play and a converted free as Finbar McAvinue took him out of the game.ĭavid Keane was the Kerry champions’ top scorer to date and again on Sunday but all three of his points came from frees, none of which he won himself. Interestingly, the first and only Arva kick-out that Listowel won in the second half (granted there was only three) was with 63 minutes on the clock.Ĭoming into the game there were a few key players of Listowel’s that needed special attention if Arva were going to win the game. It was a brave and maybe risky call but it was probably the most important tactical move of the match. This was partly as a result of Arva pushing an extra body into the full-forward line to create a 4-3-5 formation with keeper Cian O’Hara coming out behind the line of five as a reinforcement. In this quarter, Arva won both of their own kick-outs through Dylan Maguire and won five of Listowel’s seven. In a move like something from the Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi, Arva implemented ‘Tai No Sen’ (feign weakness and then attack with a killer blow). ![]() Listowel gave away eight frees in the third quarter while Arva only gave away three but the biggest turnaround was on the kick-outs. In the third quarter Arva’s conversion rate went to 60% (6/10) while Listowel’s dropped to 33% (2/6), Arva gave away the ball three times but they continued to win the turnover count three to nil. Arva’s work rate was shown by the seven times they fought and won back the ball compared to Listowel’s three. In the first half, when Arva were second best in shot conversion (33% to 63%), kick-outs won (five from 18), possession given away (Arva four, Listowel three) and frees conceded (Arva 10, Listowel eight) there was one statistic that they were on top in, turnovers won. This was the start of the quarter that turned the game completely in Arva’s favour. Having lost a throw-in and a throw-up in the first half, Arva won the first contest of the half with Tristan Hofmann catching Anthony Nolan’s throw-in and driving 40 metres forward. They got beaten on the kick-outs at both ends of the field and gave away more frees than Listowel.īut at the start of the second half, the change in mindset was clear from moment one. They made mistakes but they immediately tried to correct them. The only reason they were within three points at the break was their work rate. This was a game of two halves and Arva, by the high standards they have set over the last 13 games, were poor in the first. While tactics played a part in the result it was more about desire, work rate, team spirit and honesty. Arva, in being crowned the best junior team in not just Ireland but Europe and Britain, won their title with a whole team effort lead by some remarkable leaders. Firstly, how the battle was won is purely academic as the most important thing is that the battle was won.
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