The third and final match in Group F will pit two of the weakest teams in the tournament against each other, allowing us to make an interesting tactical preview. Thailand, who are playing in their second FIFA Women’s World Cup, and Chile, a World Cup debutant, will meet to try to return home with a win. Thailand comes off the back of back to back defeats against the United States and Sweden. They have conceded 18 goals and scored just one so far. Chile, for their part, lost to Sweden 0-2 and 0-3 to the United States.
As for both teams’ their best chance of qualifying will be as best third-placed teams. Thailand will have to beat Chile with a large goal differential and wait for other results to work in their favour. The task is almost impossible as they are virtually eliminated. Chile, meanwhile, are more likely to qualify for the round of 16. They must beat Thailand and watch for the results of the Argentina vs Scotland and Cameroon vs New Zealand games.
In this tactical preview, we will see how and why both teams had poor showings and how that will effect their performance in tonight’s fixture. In addition, we will analyse the characteristics, virtues, and weaknesses of Thailand and Chile when facing this match. Leaving the FIFA Women’s World Cup with a victory will be a small feat for both teams, so it will be an interesting match to analyse.
Previous statistics
Before delving into this tactical preview analysis, it is necessary to analyse the statistics from their previous matches. Both teams were surpassed in all facets by the USA and Sweden, two vastly superior teams.
Thailand faced the USA in their first match and lost 13-0. In their second match, Thailand lost 5-1 to Sweden. Beyond the negative results, the inferiority of the Thai team was very noticeable against two of the world powers.
In both games, Thailand’s possession of the ball was very similar, which means that it is not a team that has the characteristics to control matches. In addition, Thailand had very few goalscoring opportunities as a result of this low possession. They also made fewer passes and low pass success rates.
Chile also performed similarly to Thailand in the first two Group F matches. Chile lost their first match against Sweden 2-0 and their second match against the United States ended 3-0. The inferiority of a team that debuts in the FIFA Women’s World Cup was evidenced in those first two games.
Chile has been characterized as a reactive team, as has Thailand. With little possession of the ball, more worried about defending and creating very few chances to score.
The Chilean team had very low possession of the ball in both games, with only 31% and 29%. Against Sweden, they had a goalscoring opportunity and against the USA, they had none. In addition, they only made 248 passes and 227 respectively with a very low pass success rate.
Thailand’s system
Thailand has played their two games with a base system of 4-5-1. Although, at times it has tried to make a 4-4-1-1, placing a player behind the striker to have more attacking options. But in the analysis, we can see that coach Nuengrutai Srathongvian has made a lot of changes to the team.
The goalkeeper who played the first match was Skunaya Charoenying, while the second match was started by Waraporn Boonsing. The right-back position has also been alternated between Ainon Pancha and Warunee Phetwiset. The centre-backs have been Natthakarn Chinwong, Pitsamai Sornsai, and Kanjanaporn Saengkoon. The left-back position will be occupied by Sunisa Srangthaisong, who has played both games.
In midfield, Taneekarn Dangda will play from the right wing to centre forward at times alternating with Kanjana Ngoen, who will play from the right. The interior midfielders will be Silawan Intamee and Suchawadee Nildhamrong. Intamee will be in charge of positioning herself as an attacking midfielder at certain moments of the match. In the defensive midfield position, the options will be Pikul Khueanpet and Wilaiporn Boothduang. The left midfielder will likely be Rattikan Thongsombut.
Chile’s system
If there’s one thing clear about Chile, it’s that their system doesn’t change. This match is not going to be an exception. Chile has a very marked style and scheme that they have been using for some time. The 4-3-3 formation is the one they are expected to use again for this match against Thailand.
Christiane Endler, Chile’s captain, and the most important player will continue to be the goalkeeper. The four-person back line will be the same and unchanged. The midfield zone is where changes can be made for this game. The choice of a central midfielder or defensive midfielder will be between Karen Araya or Yanara Aedo.
Francisca Lara and Claudia Soto will be the midfielders on the left or right. Both will be alternating the position on both sides, as they are generally free to do so. Similarly, Daniela Zamora and Rosario Balmaceda will be the wingers and will alternate by right and left. The center striker will be the usual, María José Urrutia.
Influence of Thailand
Thailand has chosen to defend exclusively in their first two matches. They attacked very little because their rivals didn’t let them. The Thai players’ area of influence has been their own half of the pitch. They couldn’t make it past the half-way line, so the work for the striker was very difficult.
We can also see that the left-back has had more work than the other players. Thailand are a weak team when Sranthaisong plays, so it’s the area where the team suffers most in defending. The vast majority of the goals that have converted to Thailand have started from that area of the pitch.
Influence of Chile
The case of Chile is similar to that of Thailand. In their first two games, the Chilean team has hardly been able to get past half the pitch and has only had to defend against the attacks of rival teams. We can see how Christiane Endler has been the player with the most influence in both games. That speaks very badly of the defence.
Karen Araya has been one of the most outstanding players because as a defensive midfielder she has had to cover a lot of her teammates. Balmaceda, who usually plays closer to the sideline, has had to play practically as an inside midfielder to perform defensive tasks.
Weak defences
It’s not alwlays bad to defend in a football game. Defending is an art and it’s an important part of football. But defending well during the 90 minutes of a match is very difficult. First of all, it requires a lot of training sessions. Second, it requires players who are physically very strong. Also, to defend well you need order, organisation, good time management and maximum concentration.
For example, an analysis of the Thai and Chile defences shows the mistakes that were made. Thailand defended with a four-player backline and a five-player midfield line. The idea was to close or completely cover the internal and external lanes of the pitch with numerical superiority. Unfortunately, It didn’t work.
Chile defended with a 4-3-3 system. The problem is that they don’t apply pressure on the player with the ball and that gives her a chance to pass without any problem. In addition, Chile makes a few mistakes by allowing rival players to be placed between the back line and the midfield line. They don’t cover the spaces well and their players don’t position themselves well when it’s their turn to defend.
Thailand and Chile chose to use a totally defensive tactic for the first two games, but the USA and Sweden were far superior to the Thai and Chilean defenses. Both sides paid for their inexperience. After numerous defensive performances, both teams could go out and look to attack. Fortune favours the brave and the team that decides to attack could come out on top.
Conclusion
Thailand and Chile will probably be playing their last match in this edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. Both teams have had poor performances in their first two Group F matches. Qualifying for the round of 16 will be very difficult, as they no longer depend exclusively on their own results.
Similarly, not everything should be seen as a negative for Thailand and Chile. Thailand qualifying for the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the second time in their history is a win in itself. They are going through a good phase with women’s football in their country. Chile qualified for the World Cup for the first time in their history after having many problems with the support provided by the Chilean Football Federation. Therefore, simply qualifying was a gigantic feat.
In any case, it will be a match where the two teams will surely change their defensive tactical schemes to attack a little more. It will be a very tactical match. Both Thailand and Chile will want to win in order to go home with at least one good performance. In addition, there is still a small chance of qualifying for the next round for both sides.
If you are following the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019 then you will find our FREE tactical preview magazine the perfect compliment to the tournament. You can download it HERE – each nation is previewed and we also profile their key player and young player to watch. Enjoy!
Comments