The World Cup 2010 is well underway and we have had the chance to look at the majority of the teams. World Cup fever has not been missed by the Football Manager Britain community and staff. As always what we favour most is how different teams and cultures come together and show off a variety of tactics. But then how do we interpret these tactics so that we can use them in Football Manager?

We have analysed each of the matches so far and will continue to do so throughout the competition within our forums. Over the next couple of days we will post our findings to the mainsite and continue to discuss and update the analysis of the World Cup sides until the end.

South Africa vs. Mexico

An entertaining start to the World Cup as the host nation took on the fluid Central Americans. It was a game where two very different styles of football came up against each other. Mexico wanted to keep hold of the ball and move around creating space. South Africa were rigid and organised, prioritising their defence before sending direct ball attacks for Mphela to use his pace to catch Mexico out.

With two defensive midfielders in front of the back four South Africa looked to get the ball in the midfield and counter quickly, with Gaxa getting forward swiftly on the counter attacks. Mexico were a good opposition for the South African style as they tried to control the ball further up the field and with their fluid movement sometimes left too much space on the wings. South Africa took advantage of their superior pace.

One of the most interesting parts of Mexico’s tactics was Marquez’s movement as a sweeper looking to get forward. Unfortunately Football Manager 2010 tactical creator does not replicate his movement very well; a defensive midfielder is probably the best we have. The whole Mexico setup is geared to keeping the ball. The philosophy is balanced as they look organised and hard to break down; but fluidity of movement from players such as Vela and Giovanni Dos Santos was a constant threat. Dos Santos would cut inside allowing Aguilar to also join the attack.

Player Instructions - South Africa

Team Instructions

Player Instructions - Mexico

Team Instructions

France vs. Uruguay

Given that France were the previous finalists and that Uruguay had qualified via a playoff, one would have expected the Uruguayans to have been cagey. That they were is no great surprise; that their more illustrious opponents were almost equally devoid of ambition is quite extraordinary.

Uruguay lined up in a 3-5-2 which quickly became a 5-3-2 once the team lost the ball. Their tight and compact style frustrated the French attack, despite France playing nominally three forwards. The side centre backs and wing backs could patrol the wings while the two holding midfielders and the central back were able to stymie any attempts to play through the centre.

On the counter, Uruguay would use González and Forlán as outlets who would in turn look to feed in Suárez. However, if this were not an option, they were quite happy to pass the ball amongst themselves so long as they could keep it away from the French.

France were notable in their lack of drive, preferring to play a slower-tempo possession game and look for openings where they emerged. Playing so slow allowed Uruguay to get five or even seven players back and France ultimately had nowhere to go. Ribéry was nominally their creative outlet, constantly given the ball to drive into the heart of the Uruguay defence; however, he regularly ran into a light-blue defender and surrendered possession. France’s solution to this obvious problem was to give him the ball more so that he could run into that brick wall with even more startling regularity.

One brief moment of interest from the game arrived in the fifteen minutes up to the sending off of Lodeiro ten minutes from time. Uruguay, sensing they could bully the French played a high closing down, hard tackling game which wrested the ball from their opponents and created a few half chances for the Latin Americans. Lodeiro showed the risk this strategy brings when he scythed down Sagna.

Player Instructions - France

Team Instructions

Player Instructions - Uruguay

Team Instructions