Germany v Colombia
The second round of Group H shocked viewers, with Colombia taking the three points in a 2-1 win against two time World Champions Germany following a late winner by Manuela Vanegas. Germany were unable to find a solution to score, and Colombian young talent, Linda Caicedo put Colombia in the lead in the 52 minute, finding the top right corner through a precisely hit shot.
Germany levelled the playing field in the 89th minute, with Captain Alexandra Popp confidently slotting away a penalty. Colombia’s victory sees them top Group H and is only their third win in the Women’s World Cup.
Tactical Analysis: Germany
Voss-Tecklenburg opted to keep the same formation, 4-2-3-1, as their 6-0 win over Morocco in the first round of matches, making only two changes to her starting line up. Lena Oberdorf made a return to the squad following injury, replacing Melanie Leupolz who filled her defensive midfield position against Morocco. A change of left back saw Chantal Hagel replace Felicitas Rauch.
Midfielder Svenja Huth found herself in the right back position once again, a decision which worked alongside the formation and her ability to pose a threat on the wing to increase Germany’s goal scoring opportunities. Her ability to use the channel and overlap Jule Brand to often finish with a cross into the box was not on full display, with Colombia’s Linda Caicedo causing pressure and obstruction to this German tactical play, making it increasingly hard for Huth to find space in the channel.
In attempts to break Colombia’s defensive line, wingers Jule Brand and Klara Buhl carried the ball centrally on multiple attacks, linking up with Magull and Oberdorf but were unable to find a way through. Germany’s overloading of the attacking half, with seven players involved in the press, was matched by Colombia who changed their formation to meet the Germans and kept a solid defensive position. When receiving the ball in the wide areas, German players were often isolated, with two Colombian players compressing the attack. Due to this, Germany played with a sense of urgency throughout the first half, making decisions which they could have had more time to complete in order to find a goal.
In the second half, Voss-Tecklenburg made changes to inspire new movements in attack. Lea Schuller replaced Lina Magull and Nicole Anyomi replaced Klara Buhl. However, both subs were unable to help Germany find a goal.
In corner set pieces and closer to box free kicks by Colombia, Germany opted to defend with zonal marking. However, Colombia and their strong presence used this system to score their winning goal, with Manuela Vanegas having an open area with no pressure to head the ball into the goal.
Key Players: Germany
- Lina Magull
Lina Magull played a key role in Germany’s central play, finding herself on all sides of the pitch. In attack she filtered to aid either Buhl or Brand, and had the ability to join Oberdorf and Dabritz in the central defensive position. Her versatility across the pitch aided in Germany’s performance, getting into shooting positions.
- Alexandra Popp
Alexandra Popp scored Germany’s only goal with a penalty, placing the ball centrally and sending the keeper to the right side. Due to Germany’s inability to use the channels to attack the box, her full goal scoring ability was not on display, but she adapted her playing style, and dropped deeper into the central position to help Germany defend and attack.
- Lena Oberdorf
A regular starter for Germany, defensive midfielder Lena Oberdorf often plays a key role in the German squad. Her ability to close down opposing attacks and dictate central play in possession builds a strong core to the German squad. In an overcrowded central area, she found passes to her teammates and created opportunities to attack.
Tactical Analysis: Colombia
Nelson Abadia’s side lined up in the same formation as their win against South Korea, only making one change to the starting line up. Leicy Santos made way for Lady Andrade in midfield.
Colombia used their physicality and adaptability in their favour, changing their formation to meet Germany’s, making it increasingly hard for Germany to break through on goal. Dominating the central areas, Colombia overcrowded the pitch dependent on Germany’s movement. When Germany attacked centrally, Colombia narrowed their positioning creating a near to impossible wall to break through.
When using wide areas, Colombia isolated German players, with Buhl and Brand often being surrounded by two or more players. Their adaptability in positioning undoubtedly was the reason for their success, giving Germany little chance to pose an attack threat. Caicedo’s wide positioning applied pressure to Svenja Huth, giving her little opportunity to use the channel and find the wing players, forcing the ball into the central area which Colombia heavily dominated
When attacking, Ramirez remained a constant threat to Germany, having the ability to create dangerous runs and physical strength to roll Germany players. Colombia attempted to make space to attack and on multiple occasions brought the play to one side of the pitch, leaving a dangerous player such as Linda Caicedo on the opposite wing, with the tactical plan of switching the ball to the lightly marked player.
Colombia matched Germany’s marking style, using the German’s zonal marking style to create space and find the back of the net. Their carefully placed corners often met a player with an area to head the ball. The second half introduction of Leicy Santos increased Colombia’s threat in set pieces, being the selected player for precisely placed corners.
Key Players: Colombia
- Linda Caicedo
It’s no surprise that young talent Linda Caicedo would be a key player in Colombia’s lineup. She applied pressure to Germany, and posed a threat with the ball at her feet, having the ability to change pace in attack and find fellow forward players. She recycled a corner set piece, taking the ball around Dabritz in the wide area and finding the top right corner in the 52nd minute.
- Mayra Ramirez
Mayra Ramirez has a strong presence in the forward position, using her physicality to create a dangerous attack and move around defensive players. She found opportunities to score, testing the goalkeeper. Her versatility helped her find important passes to teammates and influenced her directional runs. Her strength helped her hold the ball and find a pass into free space.
- Jorelyn Carabali Martinez
Carabali Martinez was an important player in Colombia’s defensive line, often blocking shots and crosses. She had many perfectly timed tackles and made herself hard to get past. She found herself in all areas across the defensive line and isolated German players on the wing, making careful tackles which kept the ball out of their box.
- Leicy Santos
Being introduced early in the second half, Leicy Santos’ became a key player in the Colombian team, influencing the team’s attacking movements. She was given the role of taking corner set pieces, and continuously delivered precise balls which eventually led to Colombia’s winning goal.