Batista’s Blueprint: How Venezuela topped Copa America Group B and strategic insights for their clash with Canada – tactical analysis

Venezuela have secured the top spot in Group B for the first time, marking a historic achievement for the team. Their journey to this point has been marked by a series of impressive performances driven by smart tactical decisions that demonstrate their flexibility and toughness. As they prepare to take on Canada, a team recognised for its resolve and strategic prowess, the upcoming match promises to be thrilling.

This tactical analysis of Fernando Batista and his side delves into the key tactical strategies that pushed Venezuela to the forefront of Group B, considers potential tactics they might employ against Canada, and provide an analysis of how Canada might respond to these strategies to secure a win.

When analysing Venezuela, we will highlight their tactical plans in different phases: in possession and out of possession. For in possession, we will examine their build-up play, starting with the ball at the centre-backs as they look to advance into the opponents half, and consider the players positioning. For out-of-possession, we will focus on their playing style philosophy and defensive cover in the wide zones of the pitch.

In possession

Venezuela typically line up in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formation, but this is only their setup on paper. In possession, they utilise a deep-lying playmaker who drops between the centre-backs, pushing them wider. José Martínez often assumes this role; when he drops back to receive the ball, the full-backs are pushed higher and wider on the pitch. Essentially, during build-up play, Venezuela shifts into a 3-5-2 formation, aiming to stretch the play on the ball and exploit gaps in wide spaces, which then allows them to work the ball centrally.

This build-up strategy was evident throughout their opening game against Ecuador. The images below showcase a perfect example of how effective this approach can be. If the ball is moved quickly enough to their full-backs, the amount of space they have becomes apparent. The opponents full-backs focus on covering the space behind the two midfielders, who are pushing up for Venezuela and are marked in yellow. This leaves space and gaps in wide zones for Venezuelas full-backs to exploit.

Out of possession

Venezuela employs a hybrid of two different mid-blocks when defending out of possession. They alternate between a 4-4-2 and a 4-5-1 formation, depending on the balls position. When the opponent works the ball centrally, Venezuela adopts the 4-4-2 formation to compactly block central passing options. As the ball shifts to wide zones, one of the two strikers transitions into that area, transforming the setup into a 4-5-1. The images demonstrate this shift: initially, while the ball is central, the 4-4-2 formation is evident.