Van Gaal's Tactical Flexibility, Brazil's Y-Factor - 5 Talking Points From June 23

As the Group Stage comes to a close, here is a look at the highlights of Day 12 and the talking points as we approach the business end of the Brazilian carnival.

It was a teary affair for David Villa as he probably scored what was his last goal on his final appearance forAi??La Furia Roja. With nothing to play more, Vicente Del Bosque opted for his fringe players and they certainly didn’t disappoint as Spain trashed Australia 3-0 to leave the tournament on a positive note. Elsewhere, Netherlands dispatched off Chile in a largely comfortable 2-0 victory to finish as winners of Ai??Group B and Neymar grabbed headlines once again as his brace helped the Samba Boys ensure qualification with a resounding 4-1 victory over Cameroon.

Heartbreak for Croatia once again

The curtain raiser of the 2014 World Cup saw Croatia put in a pretty impressive shift, a performance that surely did not deserve to end up on the losingAi??side. However, the Croats recovered quickly and eased past Cameroon in a 4 goal rout that setup their game against Mexico to eventually decide who would progress along with hosts Brazil. A stern test of Mexico’s resolute defense and Croatia’s quick tempo at the Pernambuco saw the Tricolor come out tops in an impressive 3-1 victory over Niko Kovac’s side and book their berth in the last 16. Kovac, who took over the reigns from Igor Stimac in October 2013, had done a commendable job in restructuring his team and getting them on board the World Cup after a series of disappointing results meant that Croatia would have to scrape past Iceland to book their tickets to Brazil. However, the promise couldn’t transform into result as the Vatreni made their third consecutive group stage exit. However, with a young generation of stars blossoming into world class talent, Euro 2016 could well be the launchpad for the checkers from Ai??Europe.

Van Gaal’s tactical flexibility is paying dividends

Matters looked bleak for the Oranje in the build-up to the tournament as injury to a number of players forced Louis Van Gaal to take a rather underwhelming squad to Brazil. Ai??A change of system from the 4-3-3 to an unfamiliar 5-3-2 and Kevin Strootman’s absence meant that not many favoured the Dutch to make it far this World Cup. But Van Gaal’s tactical mastermind still had an ace or two. A rather asymmetrical 5-3-2 against Spain in which Robben played inside right to particularly exploit Spain’s left side of defense worked wonders. After a rather equal first half, the Dutch ran riot in the second with Ai??Robben and Van Persie leading the charge from the front. In their last group game against Chile, Van Gaal did the unthinkable and started Dirk Kuyt as a wingback to negate the attacking threat that Mauricio Isla posed down the right. It bore great dividends as Netherlands grabbed a comfortable win to finish as group winners.

Spain go direct and it bears immediate result

With nothing left to play for except pride, Vicente Del Bosque decided to be a little more carefree in his selection. The Spanish supremo has largely opted for a three man central midfield of Xavi, Xabi Ai??Alonso and Sergio Busquets – a selection that brought him under great scrutiny in Brazil especially because of the tired and weary legs of Xavi and Xabi Alonso not offering much athleticism. Against Australia it was a narrow 4-4-2 with Xabi Alonso starting alongside Andres Iniesta in an attacking set-up with Koke and Cazorla as the wide playmakers with Villa and Torres upfront. ThoughAi??the first half an hour was a similar no-confidence display by the Spaniards, Villa’s goal in the 36th minute eased concerns and Spain were on their way. What followed was some high intensity football which resulted in two more goals as Spain finished their campaign with a nice, crisp victory over the Socceroos.

Brazil must find their Y-Factor

There is no doubting the fact that Neymar is Brazil’s go to man. The Barcelona lad already has the team’s attacking responsibility by the scruff of hisAi??neck, scoring 4 in 3 games and acting as the main outlet at times when his side looked bereft of ideas. Even last night, the Brazilian’s first half brace set the tone for the Brazilians to push forward and dispatch an already eliminated Cameroon by 4 goals to 1. But what could be a worrying sign for the later stages is that none of the other two i.e Hulk and Fred looked like threatening the opposition rear-guard. Though Fred finally managed to get onto the scoresheet, the Samba attackers are yet to find their mojo. For the Brazilians to go all the way, they must surely find the corresponding Y to their X-Factor or else, the burden might just get a little to much for the young shoulders of Neymar.

The Round of 16 may throw up some breath-taking football

With Brazil pitted against Chile and Netherlands up against Mexico, the Round of 16 may have some entertaining football in store for us. Jorge Sampaoli’s men have been real entertainers this World Cup and will look to spring a major surprise when they come up against the hosts. Mexico have been calculative yet creative and their meticulous approach has earned them a place in the round of 16. Against Netherlands, who have arguably been the best team of the World Cup thus far, Miguel Herrera’s men will have to be at their best defensively to keep out the Oranje to have any chance of springing the surprise.

Van Gaal’s Tactical Flexibility, Brazil’s Y-Factor – 5 Talking Points From June 23 | World Cup 2014

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