Shadow Scholar Syndicate: CAN 2019--Day Thirty-Two Recap

Your “Syndicate Hangover” is proudly presented by “Perrier”

Your friendly bookie remains more of a San Pellegrino man, but we’ll accord the hosts some respect for their second-rate club soda. Along with La Croix, it’s an acceptable option when the only other alternative happens to be Seltzer Water.

Day 32: Recap

Bookie’s Stats—

Spread: 51-72

Straight up: 71-36-16

Gentlemen, behold the regal return of our beloved “Super Eagles”. They get awarded their second day in less than a week following a paramount performance. After six long years , they’re back at the CAN and headed to the Semis….

Yes, I’ve ordered some jerseys. Chill out, everyone.

S.S.S. Tactical Breakdown

Two major contenders for the continental crown turned in strong statements en-route to Africa’s Final Four. We’ll take a closer look at some tactics in a possible preview of what would make for a great Final.

Lineup—Senegal—Match Five (Projected) (4-2-1-3) (7/9/2019)

M’Baye Niang

Keita Balde Isamaila Sarr

Henri Saviet

Idrissa Gueye Alfred N’Diaye

Y. Sabaly K. Koulibaly C. Kouyate L. Gassama

Edouard Mendy

Lineup—Senegal—Match Five (Actual) (5-1-2-2) (7/10/2019)

M’Baye Niang Sadio Mané

Keita Balde Henri Saviet

Badou N’Diaye

Youssouf Sabaly Idrissa Gueye Lamine Gassama

Kalidou Koulibaly Cheikou Kouyate

Alfred Gomis

A tale of two halves for Aliou Cisse and the bookie’s selected favorites to win it all. Let’s begin with the initial formation you see above. Lord, what a fucking mess this was. It took an excessively long time for the bookie to figure out the player placement. Little discernable shape for the Terangans over the course of the initial half hour. Eventually I discovered that Gueye was the one missing from what can only kindly be described as the attacking constellation.

Honestly no clue what the hell Cisse was thinking with this. One assumption is that by stacking the right with his more creative players, they could “out-lane” an anticipated Benin five-back set. Not only did the plan come nowhere close to working, but Badou N’Diaye and Keita Balde kept gravitating over to that side as well. Everyone got in each other’s way. The squirrels did execute some nice defensive moves, but it was mostly the Senegalese tripping over their own feet.

The Terangan left was laughably bad. Your friendly bookie had previously advocating switching Youssef Sabaly over to right back. Though he can play on both sides, he’s unquestionably stronger opposite. I dropped this idea when it became apparent that Gassama appeared settled at the position, but I’m returning to it now. Some truly dreadful passes and crosses from the Bordeaux man in the first half. He didn’t improve even slightly after the restart. More than a couple crosses to no one marred his afternoon.

A player who did improve markedly after the restart was Idrissa Gana Gueye. Much like in the tournaments opening match, he pushed up to take over traffic coordination in midfield in a reconstituted 4-2-1-3. Initially he got pickpocketed a few times by D’Almeida and Adeoti, but he directed a few useful attacks.

The Everton man wasted no time as soon as D’Almeida was subbed off in the 67^th, blasting forward on that magnificent run and supplying the sublime finish off the give-and-go with Mané. The FC Everton man was fantastic throughout the second 45.

Two of Cisse’s three subs deemed factors as we head into the marks.

Grades—Senegal—Match Five

Idrissa Gueye	A+
Krepin Diatta	A+
Cheikhou Kouyate	A
M’Baye Niang	A
Mbaye Diagne	A
Henri Saviet	A-
Sadio Mané	B+
Kalidou Koulibaly	B+
Lamine Gassama	B
Keita Balde	B
Badou N’Diaye	B
Alfred Gomis	B-
Youssouf Sabaly	D+

We’ll simply have to see better in terms of tactics in the next match. Even if, as presently projected, they get the Malagasy in the semis, the midfield constellation wastes too much talent. Saviet gets comparatively good marks based mostly on the set-piece services he provided. To have him up high and right doesn’t make a great deal of sense.

Bookie will continue to press for sitting Mané unless they can come up with some reliable positioning for him. Though he eventually found his creative spark, he’s using up valuable energy and picked up a needless late booking when he should have long been off. Diatta makes a strong case for starting XI inclusion. Sarr is another option. Badou N’Diaye actually works well when he can align vertically with Mbaye Diagne.

Sabaly needs to either sit or switch. Though they remain my favorites, adjustments are necessary should the Terangans wish to win their first ever AFCON.

Lineup—Nigeria—Match Five (Projected) (4-3-1-2) (7/9/2019)

Odion Ighalo Ahmed Musa

Alex Iwobi

Oghenekaro Etebo

Moses Simon Wilfred Ndidi

O. Aina K. Omerou W. Troost-Ekong C. Awaziem

Daniel Akpeyi

Lineup—Nigeria—Match Five (Actual) (4-2-3-1) (7/10/2019)

Odion Ighalo

Ahmed Musa Alex Iwobi Samuel Chukwueze

Oghenekaro Etebo Wilfred Ndidi

Jamilu Collins Chidozie Awaziem

K. Omerou W. Troost-Ekong

Daniel Akpeyi

What’s important to note here concerns the sheer amount of depth and flexibility that Gernot Rohr has to draw upon. A truly brilliant arrangement that led to fantastic performances from Musa and Chukwueze. Like many, I falsely assumed that Musa would be doing the bulk of his work on the right and that Chukwueze would anchor behind. Rohr can evidently kill your team in many unexpected ways.

We witnessed some rotation from Etebo and Ndidi—both of whom were sensational tonight—but otherwise players were pretty immobile in this stable arrangement. High-flying intensity from most all of the players on the pitch, the one conspicuous exception being Jamilu Collins. Bookie’s unsure of the reasoning behind the SC Paderborn defender’s start. Hopefully Ola Aina isn’t hurt.

While Collins remained largely anonymous, virtually everyone else kicked some serious ass. Tons of high marks to dole out. Moses Simon factored in too, despite being introduced in the 80^th.

Grades—Nigeria (Match Five)

Odion Ighalo	A+
Oghenekaro Etebo	A+
Alex Iwobi	A+
Samuel Chukwueze	A+
Ahmed Musa	A
Moses Simon	A
Wilfred Ndidi	A
William Troost-Ekong	A-
Kenneth Omerou	B+
Chidozie Awaziem	B+
Daniel Akpeyi	B
Jamilu Collins	B-

Okay. Before we get too excited we should note that Baxter rolled with the exact same eleven as he did in the previous match, and made no real tactical tweaks to the 4-3-3/4-1-4-1 offensive/defensive arrangement. While Bafana were able to maintain defensive discipline throughout the first twenty minutes or so, Rohr’s über-talented bunch ultimately unlocked them once fatigue and frustration set in.

It wasn't all that hard for the Eagles to take full control of the match once they realized there wasn’t a novel system to break down. There’s also the matter of the game-winning goal from Troost-Ekong, only scored courtesy of abysmally poor marking off a basic corner. Nigeria will get a much tougher semi-final opponent than the Terangans next round and cannot count on scoring of such easy “Standards”.

Bookie nevertheless deems this a championship-worthy team by virtue of the fact that Rohr’s surfeit of weapons make the next lineup very difficult to project. The German has himself quite the kader. Beyond Iwobi and Ighalo center and Oghenekaro Etebo pocket, I’m unsure of who will get the start next time.

John Obi Mikel might go over Ndidi. Henry Onyekaru, Samuel Kalu, and Moses Simon are all viable options on either side of the attack. An Onyekaru-Chukwueze combination suddenly looks very frightening. Sunday can’t get here soon enough.

“Riffs of the Day”—Day Thirty-Two

Reader: Love the Egyptian fans. Still fireflyin’ it even after the embarrassment.

Vicey: It only takes 24-hours or so to get over your country’s defeat. That’s why football, as a safe outlet for nationalism, beats the hell out of war. One settles down and enjoys the return to normalcy in the perpetual Weimar Republic ; )

Reader: The 1994 Nigerian generation is the equivalent of the 1972 Miami Dolphins. We’ll never shut up about them.

Vicey: Pshaw. Love it, 11-M. I guess that would make the 2000 Nigerian Generation the equivalent of the 2007 New England Patriots.

Reader: We’ve got a guy in a giant squid costume rampaging throughout the stands.

Vicey: Seen. The fact that we didn’t get a “Crikey” out of Robbie Nock is inexplicable.

Reader: Gonna weigh in on the whole Rapinoe thing?

Vicey: Fuck no. Read through the Day Twenty-Two Recap again if you must. You know where the bookie stands. Let nothing detract from U.S.’s fourth star. The team accomplished that through rigorous hard work. I don’t give the slightest of shits about what issues got propelled to the top of the agenda over a half-gallon of Breyer’s during “Executive Time”.

Reader: Where the hell did Idrissa Gueye come from?

Vicey: He charged all the way up from the defensive ranks...and I'm suddenly interested in watching some Everton matches this season. What a fucking finish!