Your
views - will Kaizer Chiefs or Orlando Pirates be the winner tonight?
Not
calling for the usual rhetoric “3 mabone” fortune-telling, fuelled only by
nothing but the love of our clubs.
I am asking for some analysis – the way the
coaches would approach it. List a few strengths and weaknesses of each club and
how you think that will affect the game tonight.
And if you were the coach –
what kind of game should each team play to skew the odds in their favour; having
said that, now your (somewhat educated) guess of the outcome.
My Opinion
Kaizer Chiefs
strengths
1.
Itumeleng Khune
2.
Good strikers (Last season’s top 2)
3.
Creative and quick attacking midfield
4.
Coach who knows them
5.
Play well when they have the ball
6.
Generally better at keeping team structure
Kaizer Chiefs
weaknesses
Defence
- Back four
Defensive
play in general i.e. winning the back when they lose it
Khune
is usually the busier keeper on the field in tough Kaizer Chiefs games
Other
plus and negative factors; they are not trying a new system – should therefore
be more comfortable under pressure; down side, easier to plan to neutralise them.
Also, the big win against Spurs may have done well to boost player and coach
confidence. However, VV and the players’ sense of invincibility after big wins
has been their downfall in the past; e.g. Baroka FC beat Chiefs after they
walloped BidVest Wits 4-0 in the Nedbank Cup; loss to Vasco and Free State Stars
after beating Pirates.
Orlando Pirates
strengths
1.
Solid backs four
2.
Good at winning the ball back all over the field
3.
Pressing and ball possession means they generally control the midfield
4.
Good wingers – (who may drift in & allow right & left back up the
wings)
5.
Unpredictable attack – nearly all the players can and have scored
6.
Fluidity – more versatile players than KC. Wingers & midfielders switch
flanks & roles quite often; harder to mark. Negative – can also leave
costly holes and confusion when too many players are crowding one area of the
field.
Orlando Pirates weaknesses
Relatively weaker strikers
Other plus and
negative factors
New
coach, new system; they may be less confident under pressure; plus is that they
may still be hard to plan effectively against. Despite being treble champs, they may be the
slight underdogs in the minds of SA media and some fans – who are mostly pro-Kaizer
Chiefs. They may have the confidence to dominate their rivals. Confidence gained by a sterling performance
against Spurs and the treble – which have both been downplayed by some people).
Game plan: How Orlando
Pirates can win it
Chiefs’
main strength is the striking power they pack in Musona and Majoro. But without
the ball, it will be ineffective. So Leal should seek to neutralise that.
Leal
was not around when Pirates played that 1-1 draw against Chiefs in February. In
that game Pirates used Khune for target practice while Chiefs had two shots the
whole game; VV said in the post match interview “I do not know why Chiefs
defended so much…” I hope now he knows. Luckily the passing game Leal has introduced
plays well to existing Pirates strengths – control of the midfield via pressing
and high ball possession.
Pirates
should play more of the passing game in the midfield to create spaces and
frustrate and tire out Chiefs. No ball no attack. Pirates should press more
(close down people quicker) to ensure high ball possession, stopping them from
launching their own attacks.
They
should use the likes of Mayambela, Segolela, Doutie to show-boat just a little
(even when trailing behind). This will keep the ball, distract the opposition
(the vuvuzelas following the tsamayas will also help) allowing a quick
transition to fast attacking. Further, it will help the players relax more
around the ball which should improve composure in the box.
If
Pirates were to successfully keep Chiefs in their won half most of the game –
the increased numbers in their own half will not necessarily mean they can
defend well – if general defensive play is not a strength.
Game plan: How Kaizer
Chiefs can win it
First
thing VV should get right is the mental attitude of the players. Tell them
“history counts for nothing. This will be a tough game – although I think you
will win it.” Not “you can beat anyone. My team is the best”. Without the
addressing the mindset, KC might not up their game enough to win the battle.
They might play like they are playing Baroka FC or Nathi Lions and lose,
despite that attacking power. Chiefs’
priority should be not to allow their quick attacking midfield and strikers to
be pushed back too much where they cannot threaten Josephs.
Chiefs
should not try and match Pirates on ball possession since Chiefs can be more
effective with the little they get. They should not run too hard to get the
ball in the midfield, since they will get tired and create spaces for Pirates.
But
Chiefs should remain organised and push up as a unit – refusing to play in
their own half. A few long balls into OP’s 18 area plus some defense-splitting
passes and a few deliberate offside runs should be enough to scare the OP
defence back, creating more space for Chiefs attacking midfielders to work.
Attacking
through the middle might prove tough – getting the ball wide, especially in
their own half, Chiefs might be able to open up space to launch quicker attacks
since Pirates wingers may not be operating strongly there under Leal. All the
last 5 goals conceded by Pirates either came from long balls; dead ball
situations or both – Supersport United, Santos, Golden Arrows, Black Leopards
and Spurs.
My prediction
I
see a Pirates win. Not because I am a Bucs fan, but because I think by playing
to their strengths, Bucs can neutralise Chiefs’ strength; whereas, for Chiefs
to neutralise Pirates, they would need to somehow bypass the middle – by long
balls etc, which is not Chiefs’ game.
By Mduduzi Mthembu
