England have lost 1-0 to Japan, failing to score for the first time since their 0-0 draw against Slovenia at EURO 2024.
Thomas Tuchel’s side only managed four shots on target from their 19 in the match, with their first shot on target not coming until the 62nd minute.
Japan, on the other hand, were very impressive, becoming the first Asian country to ever beat England, scoring once from their seven shots in the game, but looking comfortable throughout with their defensive solidity and cohesion.
In this article, we’ll cover
Wide triangle imbalance
The balance on either side for England with their in-possession setup was flawed. The left triangle was configured of Nico O’Reilly, Anthony Gordon and Phil Foden (drifting over from the centre-forward position).
O’Reilly positioning slightly deeper in the first half made it less dynamic for England going down the left, as Gordon was often isolated in wider spaces, while Foden was dropping off the last line to provide inside passing options, which Japan stunted nicely, leaving England with little to no box threat when crosses did find their way in.
Meanwhile, on the right, Ben White, Morgan Rogers and Cole Palmer formed the right-sided triangle, which lacked penetration in behind, often making it easy for Japan to squeeze up and force them backwards.
The few moments of promise down that side came from White making timely overlaps, as both Rogers and Palmer came towards the ball, with White running beyond and getting himself into some advantageous crossing positions, which ultimately led to nothing.
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Japan’s aggressive midblock
Japan deserve immense credit for their defensive resolve against England, irrespective of their attacking balance issues.
Setting up in a 3-4-2-1 on paper, Japan’s off ball shape became more of a 5-2-3, with the double pivot and front three looking to stay narrow, prevent England from playing through the middle and aggressively swarm the ball if they did manage to break the lines centrally.
Japan’s wing-backs were responsible for tracking the runs of Rogers and Gordon if they went to run beyond, while also jumping to apply pressure on White or O’Reilly if they progressed down the flanks.
This allowed the three central defenders of Japan to jump out aggressively behind the double pivot, restricting the space for the likes of Palmer and Foden to receive between the lines and forcing turnovers which they could generate their own attacks from.
Elliot Anderson seals his spot
One positive to come from England’s performance was Elliot Anderson, who epitomises exactly what Tuchel wants his side to represent.
The midfielder had 136 touches of the ball, completed 111/117 passes, including 80/84 passes in the opposition half, also making one key pass and completing four long balls.
But the main thing Anderson gives you, along with his composure and quality to handle the ball in deep phases of play, is his capacity to win duels and compete throughout the entirety of the game.
Anderson made 13 ball recoveries in the match, winning four ground duels, making four interceptions and winning both of his tackles attempted.
Having a midfield partner for Declan Rice who can offer similar physical attributes to screen and protect the defensive unit when he goes forward, while also having qualities to dictate from deep and break the lines with his passing, makes him a shoo-in to start for Tuchel’s side this summer.
Forward options flatter to deceive
The likes of Palmer, Foden and even Rogers all failed to ignite a spark in the England attacking unit, struggling to ever get a foothold in the game.
Palmer lost the ball which led to Japan’s only goal, but he was unable to lay his mark on the game in the way he would’ve liked, despite making two key passes, the dynamics with a lack of runners in the frontline caused issues for England’s attacking balance.
With Rogers playing out wide on the right, but also looking to come towards play and combine and Foden playing as a false nine, it was often easy for Japan to harry those central spaces, making it difficult for England to find solutions.
Gordon was the only real threat in behind, looking to run beyond the aggressive Japan defence, but the timing and cohesion between himself and his teammates was off, leading to a blunt attacking performance.
The best attacking combinations came from two substitutes down the left-hand side, with Lewis Hall and Marcus Rashford creating 2v2 situations of which the pair tried to outplay via give and go’s and counter movements.
Tuchel’s biggest challenge ahead of the World Cup is identifying his attacking groupings, who works well and compliments each other and who doesn’t, this will be the key for England finding their rhythm come the tournament.
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