Group C: Egypt, Spain, Dominican Republic, Uzbekistan

As expected, both Egypt and Spain qualified from this group, but it was a little surprising that Egypt beat the Spanish team 2-1 in the final game to finish top. The four teams in this section were good to watch, providing some engrossing games with some fine football on show. Uzbekistan finished bottom of the group, but they very much underlined the fact that they are developing well, and will be a team to watch in the future.

In possession, head coach Rogerio Micale’s side adopted the 1-4-3-3 formation in a unique way. The wingers’ roles were of particular interest: on the one hand, they narrowed their position to create space for the full-backs to receive the ball and support the attack, but on the other, they also offered to receive the ball in an inverted full-back role, and looked to play first-time balls in behind for their full-backs to run on to. Midfielder Zizo (14), who was called-up as one of the squad’s three permitted over-age players, was very influential in the team, bringing his leadership qualities and experience to bear on the pitch and supporting his younger team-mates.

Santi Denia’s Spain team were very patient in their build-up play. They often built attacks down their left-hand side, Sergio Gómez (17) frequently combining with full-back Juan Miranda (3) as the pair made overlapping and underlapping runs. Central midfielder Pablo Barrios (6) was effective in dictating the game, and the team consistently tried to get early deliveries into the penalty area. It was also notable that Spain varied their formation in midfield, playing with one or two defensive midfielders at different times during the group stage. When they lost the ball, Spain pressed and counter-pressed high up the pitch in a bid to win the ball back as quickly as possible.

A striking element of the Dominican Republic’s play was the versatility Ibai Gómez’ players showed when playing in different formations. They are a developing team and play to their strengths. This was reflected in the way they strategically played for set plays in the final third, which then gave them the opportunity to leverage the height and physical prowess of their taller players. Out of possession, the Dominicans sometimes pressed in a mid-block defensive shape, but quickly dropped into a low block whenever their lines were broken.

Uzbekistan head coach Timur Kapadze experimented with a number of different formations throughout the group stage, using both the 1-4-2-3-1 and the 1-5-2-3 set-ups. His young charges proved to be very competitive in a difficult group, losing by just a single goal to the eventual quarter-finalists Egypt and Spain. They progressed their play with intensity and moved the ball quickly. Out of possession, they were a very strong team that liked to press high, and were prepared to defend 1v1 in order to do so.

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