Direct attack

Direct attacks may not always result in a specific goalscoring opportunity but they could equally be the precursor to an attacking phase and so retaining possession is important if it is not possible to get in a shot immediately.

What can be said with authority is that there was a trend for individual direct play from many teams at this World Cup, whether by construct or default as the individual actions of players came to the fore at the expense of team construction in the attacking phase or build-up.

Where resistance (high or mid-blocks) in open play was encountered, the TSG identified an increasingly prevalent option of playing ‘long’ and bypassing the mid areas (zones 2 and 3) of the pitch, with teams stretching play with searching runs from deep in zone 1 to zone 3 to evade their opponents’ defensive blocks. Argentina, Russia and Portugal were exceptional exponents of direct attack but they were not alone. Spain also stood out with their direct attacks albeit with less success in comparison to the aforementioned teams. Morocco, Vietnam and Egypt demonstrated an ability to attack individually though, by contrast, it was noted that their collective build-up play had less of an impact. The TSG’s view for ongoing game development is that this should be used as an additional tactic and not as a replacement for build-up play.

Technical skill as a basis

Paraguay achieved notable success also in the application of this tactic as did Serbia. Some may query the merit of an approach which foregoes playing through the quarters as a team, but when it is applied in the right way with a precise delivery and the correct timing and location of runs, direct play of this kind has its value. It is also an additional tactical ploy for teams to master. Indeed those teams who are more technically adept were able to combine a compact, short passing game with longer plays, whereas those with limited resources were reliant on a longer game which rarely succeeded across a whole match.

The art of the surprise

Technical competence is key in attack to utilise the advantages gained in possession, but so too is surprise. In this regard the use of the toe-poke was a powerful technical weapon in the armoury of a number of teams in direct attack. Long seen as a futsal-specific technique, we saw numerous attempts from players throughout the competition to master the toe-poke in full stride, albeit with varying degrees of success.

Stretch of play and goalkeeper involvement

Stretching play opens up the pitch while releasing pressure from the opponents’ high press or high block and it was here that Russia and Argentina excelled. However, this ploy relies on quick thinking and bravery in the break-out from zones 1 or 2 on the part of the forward player; it also requires a colleague’s quick thinking and vision to set off the attack with an accurate and well-weighted delivery. Goalkeepers were pivotal in setting up direct attacks and their role as a creator of opportunities appears ever more significant. Here, both Guitta (BRA) and Higuita (KAZ) were instrumental in their respective teams benefitting from the concept.

Even when direct attacks do not result in a goal-scoring opportunity, they can be vital in gaining ground to commence a positional attack and here the TSG noted the approaches of Russia and Portugal specifically.

In assessing this World Cup, the TSG were mindful of observations made after the Youth Olympic Games in 2018 regarding developing teams who deployed tactics which demanded a certain technical capability. The view was that teams should consider carefully adopting strategies which demand complex technical abilities. Even at elite level, tactical sophistication and technical competence are not always aligned and in the group stage, those teams who could not marry their tactical approach with effective technical qualities struggled. Futsal is a technical and a tactical game, but tactics require understanding and the ability to execute them.