On the other end of spectrum stands Portugal with their 3-4-3 . While Georgia ’ s system had a clearly defensive orientation , Portugal ’ s 3-4-3 was meant for dominance . In general , this type of approach and the profile of players on wide positions were the main criteria for determining whether a system ’ s defensive line should be regarded as composed of three or five players .
The makeup of the attacking part of a team was another differentiating feature . From Turkey ’ s no-center-forward attack , over Denmark and Czechia ’ s two players up front , to the more fluid and versatile three-man composition of Portugal ’ s front line ( diagram 8 ), different ways of setting up the attacking part of a team were used .
Diagram 6 – France ’ s 4-3-1-2 ( against Portugal )
Not all the teams used the system consistently throughout the competition and reasons for this might be different . Portugal gave up on their initial 3-4-3 as they probably felt more confident in 4-2-3-1 . On the other hand , Turkey and England , who started using it during the knock-out stage , did this mainly for defensive reasons .
While Portugal and Switzerland were both attacking and defending in a threecenter-back system , there were teams that were only attacking , occasionally or regularly , in this formation , such as Italy , Holland , Belgium and Ukraine . Usually starting in a 4-3-3 , or one of its variations , they were switching by different methods to a 3-4-3 to create a four-player rectangle in the middle when in possession . n
Diagram 7 – Georgia ’ s 5-3-2 ( against Portugal )
Note : Part 2 will be published in the United Soccer Coaches Soccer Journal in Spring of 2025 .
Author Bio : Lazar Šoć is a UEFA A license coach from Montenegro . Most recently he was an analyst of EURO 2024 and Montenegrin national and club teams ’ games for CdM , one of the country ’ s most read web portals . Lazar ’ s last coaching position was at the U15 team of Celta Academy in Brasov , Romania . He ’ s currently a master student of Sports Performance and Management .
Diagram 8 - Portugal ’ s 3-4-3 ( against Czechia )
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