It was the last round of group game fixtures in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2019. In Group E, both Cameroon and New Zealand lost their first two games. The clashes between these two teams will decide who will progress.
New Zealand sitting in fourth place behind Cameroon, needed a win. In this tactical analysis, we will show you how Cameroon won a place in the round of last-16.
Lineups
Instead of a 4-4-2 formation used in the first two matches. Tom Sermanni instructed his team to play in a 5-3-2 formation against Cameroon. Anna Green replaced the injured C.J. Bott. Katie Bowen joined the defence with Katie Duncan starting at defensive midfield. The pair of strikers were still Rosie White and Sarah Gregorius.
Cameroon started some of their best players in this match as well. According to the official site of FIFA, it was a 5-4-1 formation. Their number seven, Gabriel Onguene, was very sharp in this game.
Cameroon exploited the spaces behind defenders
Since Cameroon attempted to take all three points, they were aggressive in their attack. Their pattern to create chances did not involve build-up. Instead, they tried to exploit the spaces behind the New Zealand backline. If their passes could go through the defenders, they could create one v one chances against the goalkeeper. Furthermore, this type of quick play could break the opposition defensive shape. This approach is useful, especially in transitions. Therefore, Cameroon created more shooting chances.
The first two images are an example of using this approach against the high defensive line. The Cameroon players just won the ball back in midfield, trying to hit the opposition in transition. In this moment, the ball carrier drew the attention of the New Zealand midfielders.
