Paulo Pezzolano’s vertical Cruzeiro outfit

Uruguay is not only a hotbed of young players but a hot-bed of young coaches who preach a high-pressing and high-tempo vertical style as 39-year-old, Paulo Pezzolano and his 30-year-old assistant, Martin Varini are two of the hottest coaching prospects from the South American country. The duo has linked up to guide Cruzeiro to an impressive second-place finish in the Campeonato Mineiro while securing promotion and the Brasiliero Serie B title in their first season in Brazil, winning the title at a canter. This is all impressive when you consider that Cruzeiro did not ring wholesale changes to the squad as Pezzolano was mostly using the same squad as his predecessor while promoting young players from the academy. Cruzeiro did have some luck this season as they did not finish in the top three in expected points, vastly overperforming their points total but were still ranked highly in a lot of important metrics. Cruzeiro finished 5th in expected goals with a 45.26 number as they scored 54 goals while they had a 37.99 expected goals conceded number, conceding 24 goals while they led the league in passes per defensive action (PPDA) with a 6.04 number with the third youngest team in the league.

Build-up

Paulo Pezzolano is an intriguing young manager as when he joined Cruzeiro, he utilized a 4-2-2-2 shape in the Campeonato Mineiro but once he faced some difficulties, he switched to a 3-4-3/3-4-1-2 shape and has largely stayed with the formation throughout the season. The principles in both formations have largely stayed the same, attracting pressure with circulation in the build-up phase to play the ball to the ball-far centre-back who will push up with possession or to play a deep pass in between the lines to instigate quick transition and vertical connections. Cruzeiro will circulate possession and stretch the pitch in the build-up phase, utilizing rehearsed movements in the wide areas to transition with quick wide combinations before switching the ball as there is a focus on stretching the pitch under Pezzolano.

In their two-chain formation, Pezzolano’s side will normally build-up in a 2+3 shape, circulating possession amongst the centre-backs to attract a high-press while if the opposition are sitting in a rigid medium block then Cruzeiro would circulate possession to the ball-far centre-back, allowing him to push up and drive the ball forward to play raking passes in between the lines. In the 2+3 shape, Cruzeiro would operate with deeper fullbacks either side of the deepest-lying midfielder, receiving possession and working connections with the centre-backs to attract pressure to one side of the pitch before they can switch possession to the ball-far centre-back or ball-far fullback to push up with possession to play a deep pass in between the lines. Being able to stretch the pitch in build-up with the deeper-lying fullbacks is essential in stretching the pitch in build-up when Cruzeiro attract pressure.

The deep pass in between the lines is essential to Cruzeiro’s build-up play as the centre-back will drive the ball forward and look to play a deep pass in between the lines for a player to lay-off the ball to a deeper teammate while an attacker makes a deep third man run in behind to receive possession and have a goalscoring opportunity. A deep pass can also be played in between the lines for an attacker to drop deep while a teammate makes a run to occupy his vacated zone for a flick-on to the attacker who pushed forward to have an opportunity on goal or to square a delivery for another runner to have a high-quality opportunity. While the centre-back is pushing up with possession, Cruzeiro will utilize blind-sided movement to create space in between the lines with players dropping deep while also making deep runs while the deeper-lying midfielders will move into space to work lay-offs. The player spacing is normally triangular so that Cruzeiro can work quick vertical connections in between the central lines to either work early passes for deep runners in behind the opposition defence or switch the ball to the flank to create crossing opportunities.

Pezzolano’s team look to play a risky and low percentage pass in between the lines before working quick connections with high percentage passes in between the lines in order to work quick fast paced transitions to create attacking opportunities. Cruzeiro will normally have a triangle in between the lines with a midfielder or striker dropping deep to tuck into the central spaces as once the ball is being pushed up by the centre-backs, the triangle will rotate to create space for a deep pass in between the lines while once the player receives possession in between the lines, a midfielder will drop deep and move and move into space to receive possession with another midfielder pushing up to work a quick vertical connection. The strikers will also be moving with a striker moving deep to receive possession in between the lines while another striker makes a run in behind. If the striker drops deep to receive the early pass in between the lines, his strike partner will move into space to receive possession while the winger will make a run in behind to receive a pass into the channels where he can have an opportunity on goal or work a high-quality crossing situation for a teammate in the box.

Cruzeiro can also work wide build-up interchanges in the wide areas by moving the ball to the deeper-lying fullback as the winger will move to the towards the touchline while the ball-near midfielder will move into the half-space as the ball can be played into the half-space for the midfielder to lay-off for fullback while the winger makes a third man run into space to receive possession and have a low crossing opportunity. The ball can be played to the flank for the winger to play a one-touch pass for the midfielder in the half-space as the fullback makes a run to receive possession with an overlapping run being made outside him and underlapping run made inside him to play the ball to one of his options for a higher quality crossing opportunity. There can also be a much simpler sequence of the fullback playing the ball to the player in the wide zone, continuing his run into the half-space while his teammate in the half-space makes a movement into the wide zone to receive possession as the ball can be played to the fullback in the half-space for a high quality cut-back opportunity or a cross can be played into the box with the fullback moving into the box as a crossing option.

In their two-chain build-up sequences, Cruzeiro would switch to a three-chain with a fullback remaining deep as they would utilize a 3+1 build-up shape, circulating possession to the ball-far centre-back who would drive the ball forward, adjust his body and play a deep pass in between the lines. They would also work wall-passing sequences as the deepest-lying midfielder moving towards the flank to create a triangle with the two-wide centre-backs as these situations can be utilized to attract pressure to one-side before switching possession to the ball-far centre-back or working a wall-passing situation with the deepest-lying midfielder to play a direct pass in between the lines. Cruzeiro also worked positional interchange situations where a wide centre-back would drive the ball forward with the deepest-lying midfielder dropping into the three-chain while another midfielder would move into the six-space. This would allow Pezzolano’s side to have a numerical superiority, working the ball back to the midfielder in the three-chain to play a deep pass to the six-space who would turn to work a pass in between the lines or switch the ball to the weak side.

After Cruzeiro switched to their 3-4-3/3-4-1-2 shape then they began to utilize a 3+2 build-up shape as their ideals remained the same, circulating possession and looking for deep passes in between the lines while the switch in shape allowed them to utilize more effective player spacing while being better prepared for counter-pressing situations after losing possession. They would also switch to a 3+1 in certain sequences with one player pushing up and the other remaining deep as the change in formation proved fruitful for Pezzolano and Cruzeiro this season. The switch in formation not only allowed them to be more prepared for turnover situations but to also create better passing angles for the centre-backs to not only evade the first line of pressure but to also maintain possession and circulate the ball in between the lines.

In the situation above, Cruzeiro are in their 3+2 build-up shape as their wing-backs have high starting positions as this allows the wide attackers to tuck into the central positions and drop deeper as passing options or to play closer to the nine-space, allowing the striker to drop deep and receive possession in between the lines. Cruzeiro have a line of three attackers against three attackers, leading the opposition medium block while two midfielders are behind the opposition attacking line. One of the wide attackers has dropped into the eight space to receive possession as Cruzeiro have the opportunity to stagger the midfield line into a triangular shape or a diamond shape with the ball-far 8, pushing up, the ball-near midfielder dropping closer to the defence while one of the attackers moves to the top of the diamond. Cruzeiro have attracted opposition pressure to one side of the pitch as they can circulate possession to the ball-far centre-back who will drive the ball forward with the striker dropping deep, the ball-near midfielder making a run towards the half-space as the attacker in the ball-near half-space moves to the nine-space. The ball-near midfielder’s run will drag a marker out of position and clear a space for a deep line-breaking pass in between the lines.

Cruzeiro have managed to shift the line of opposition pressure as playing with a double-pivot means that they could play direct passes into the midfield line as in this situation, the circulated possession to the wide right centre-back who played the ball to the ball-far midfielder in the second line as the striker dropped deep as the midfielder played a penetrative pass to the nine-space. Once the striker dropped deep, the attacker in the right half-space made a run into the nine-space as Pezzolano’s side have a catalogue of rehearsed routines and movements when progressing play in the build-up phase. Cruzeiro could also work a deep pass in between the lines to the right half-space for the attacker to receive possession, flicking the ball to the attacker in the nine-space while the ball-far attacker makes a third man run in behind or the attacker could dummy the pass for the wing-back to make a run in behind and have a crossing opportunity.

In their 3+2 build-up shape, Cruzeiro will still look to circulate possession to attract pressure as when the goalkeeper has possession, they will switch to a two-chain with one of the wide centre-backs moving into a fullback role. Once they push the ball forward, they will switch to a back-three as the centre-backs will circulate possession, playing the ball to the goalkeeper to attract pressure before playing a deep pass to one of the centrally positioned wide attackers in between the lines. Pezzolano’s side can also work wall-passing situations to the ball-near central midfielder with the wide or central centre-backs trading passes with him to attract pressure and create space for a deep pass in between the lines or to create space in the six-space for the midfielder to turn and play a deep pass in between the lines. In build-up sequences, the double-pivot takes a very active role in receiving possession, connecting play with the centre-backs while also turning and playing the ball into the attacking line while the double-pivot will also work connections with each other with one of the deeper-lying midfielders receiving an early pass in between the lines to lay-off for his midfield partner who can play a deep pass in between the lines to the 9 space as the striker drops deep and a teammate makes a run behind him. The double-pivot can also work connections to spread the ball to the wide areas for the wing-back to push up with possession or for the ball-far centre-back to drive the ball forward and play a deep pass in between the lines.

Interchanges in the double-pivot are crucial when Cruzeiro are circulating possession in the build-up phase against a medium or more organized deep block as playing the ball into the midfield line for connections, invites pressure from the opposition midfield line which will create space for deep passes in between the lines or passes to the flank. Cruzeiro utilize triangular passing sequences to move the ball forward at a fast pace and quick tempo as they can play the ball to the ball-far wide centre-back who will drive forward with possession, turning and working a pass to the ball-near midfielder who can play a back-pass for a ball in between the lines or play a deep pass of his own in between the lines. Cruzeiro will also move the ball to the wide areas as if the wide player in the half-space does not drop deep to receive possession, the wing-back will take up a deeper role to receive possession with his wide attacker moving into the wide zone so he can surge into the half-space with possession while the ball-far wide attacker will tuck into the ten space as the striker will hold the nine-space.

In the build-up and attacking phase, Cruzeiro would sometimes switch to a 1+3 shape with the wide centre-backs pushing forward, either side of the deepest-lying midfielder while the central centre-back remains in a sweeper-like role. Pezzolano utilized this to combat defensive low blocks, circulating possession and looking to create numerical superiorities as well as spacial superiority to work passes into the next line. They can create overloads on the flank and attract pressure while looking for triangular interchanges in between the lines as there will be a lot of movement in between the lines to open passing lanes for direct passes to the nine-space. They can sometimes operate in a 1-2-3-4 shape as well as a 1-3-2-4 shape as if they lose possession in this shape, the focus will be on the wide centre-backs getting back into position and the attackers leading the effort to regain possession by dropping back to regain possession with direct turnovers or slow the opposition down with tactical fouling.

In the image above, Cruzeiro are in a 1+3 shape as the opposition are sitting in a 5-4-1 defensive shape, they have moved the ball to the wide right centre-back who has pushed the ball forward whole the ball far centre-back has also pushed forward into the midfield line. The opposition winger is pushing up to press which will allow the ball-near 8 to side-step into a pocket of space to receive possession or one of the front four will drop deep to receive a direct pass in between the lines. The wide centre-back could also play a direct pass to the wing-back on the flank to receive possession, playing a one-touch passing connection with his teammate in the half-space to make a run and receive possession for a crossing opportunity. Cruzeiro have triangular player spacing in the build-up phase which is in line with their other build-up shapes as this allows for quick rotations as the wide centre-back can work the pass in between the lines which will trigger the 9 dropping deep while the ball-near attacker in the half-space will move to occupy the 9 space or make a deep run behind the opposition defence to receive possession in behind to have an opportunity.

The central centre-back who is the deepest-player on the pitch will be frequently used with back-passes to him as he can spread possession to the wide centre-backs as the opposition will be in a medium to low block, the centre-backs will also look to work passes to the six-space or if the opposition push up to apply pressure on them, they will drive the ball forward and look for a deep pass into the channels or in between the lines. In certain situations, Cruzeiro could also utilize a 1+4 build-up shape as the ball-near 8 can drop near the six-space to create a double-pivot as he will receive possession, turn and play the ball to his midfield partner to make a run forward while the ball is played to the wide centre-back who will play a deep vertical pass to the ball-near half-space or to the nine-space for the striker dropping deep. The central centre-back being positioned deeper allows Cruzeiro to recycle possession quickly as he can receive possession from the goalkeeper while playing the ball to one of the wide centre-backs as if this triggers a higher line of pressure from the opposition then Pezzolano’s side will circulate possession to the ball-far centre-back who will drive the ball forward and look to play a line-breaking pass in between the lines.

Despite operating in a variety of shapes over the course of a season with different personnel, Pezzolano’s main ideals in the build-up phase were consistently apparent as they searched for depth with early balls in between the lines. Cruzeiro were comfortable in circulating possession amongst their centre-backs to attract pressure and utilize movement in the second line to create space for passes into the next line or to play direct passes in between the lines for quick vertical connections. If Cruzeiro moved possession to the wide areas, they would utilize movement for quick vertical connections to generate crossing opportunities as they looked to find balance between being a more direct vertical side while being able to hold possession against the more defensive teams in the division.

Positional Play

In the attacking phase, Pezzolano’s side prioritised vertical passing interchanges with an emphasis on deep passes in between the lines to the nine-space or ten space while they also prioritized blind-sided movement in between the lines as while they would work passing interchanges with players dropping deep, they utilized deep third man runners in behind the opposition defence for attackers to receive possession and have high quality cut-back or crossing situations. Cruzeiro also prioritized stretching the pitch, circulating possession from the flank to flank with little runs into the half-space to create high quality cut-back and crossing opportunities. The Brazilian side looked to be more direct and fast-paced with their attacking transitions but could also be more patient and elaborate.

In the situation above, Cruzeiro are in the opposition half as they are employing triangular player spacing for quick movement and passing circulations in the final third as the deep wide player who is holding possession can work a pass to the attacking player who is moving into the half-space as the player in the half-space can play a one-touch pass into the wide areas while player in the half-space makes a dart to the wide zone with the deep wide player who played the first pass making an underlapping run into the half-space. This underlapping run can create a passing option for a reverse pass and high-quality low cross into the box while the underlapping run can drag a marker out of position to open a passing lane for a teammate in the ten space while also allowing the wide player to cut inside and drive the ball into the centre. If the ball is played to a teammate in the ten space, then the player in the ten space has the opportunity to play a direct pass to the wide areas for Cruzeiro to have a high-quality crossing situation.

In this situation, the pass was played to the half-space for the player to spread the ball into the wide areas as the wide player played a back-pass for the deeper wide player before moving into the half-space while the midfielder occupying the half-space moved into the wide areas. A back-pass was played to the right-sided centre-back to drive the ball forward and work a pass to the left-sided centre-back, driving the ball forward to then work a pass to the left flank where the wide player worked a one-two with the deeper wide player who made an overlapping run and crossed the ball into the box. In the attacking phase, Cruzeiro are not afraid to play back-passes to players with better overviews of the pitch as this allows them to circulate possession, attract pressure to play the ball to the ball-far centre-back who will drive the ball forward and play deep passes in between the lines. In their two-chain system, once they moved the ball to the wide areas, the interchanges between the player in the half-space and wide zone was a staple of their system as it allowed them to work quick connections to create crossing situations.

With the triangular player spacing in the final third, Cruzeiro utilize blind-sided movement as this is crucial in dragging opposition defenders out of position to provide depth in the build-up phase as with the ball-near midfielder making a movement into the half-space, he is dragging his marker with him as the striker can fake a run in behind and drop deep to receive a direct vertical pass in between the lines. Once he receives this direct vertical pass, this will trigger a run in behind from the ball-far midfielder in the ten space as the striker can lay-off the ball to his teammate in the six-space to lob a pass in behind or switch the ball to the wide areas for a low crossing situation. When circulating possession in the opposition half, there is constant movement in between the lines as Cruzeiro are constantly looking for a direct pass into depth to initiate one-touch connections in between the lines for passes to deep runners in behind or for switch passes for crossing opportunities.

The triangular spacing and movement is integral around the opposition box, especially with the rotations in the nine-space as if the striker drops deep, a teammate will make a run into the nine-space to receive possession while if the striker moves into the wide areas to receive possession, the ball-far midfielder will tuck into the nine-space. In the final third, they will work connections with a deep pass into the nine-space as one of the central attackers will move into space to receive possession and another attacker making a third man run in behind to receive possession. Cruzeiro are in constant rotations in the nine-space as if the central striker drops deep, one of the centrally placed attackers will play move into the nine-space as if the ball is moved into the wide areas, the attacker will move from the nine-space into the wide areas with the ball-far attacker tucking into the nine-space to receive possession as the striker will dovetail him in the ten space.

This is crucial as the front three utilizes movement to generate space for crossing opportunities as they will usually look to attack the box with a minimum of three players with one attacker making a run to the near post, another attacker making a run into the centre while the third attacker moving to the back-post. This is subject to change as if the striker is in a situation where he has dropped deep or moved into the wide areas to combine play, one of the wide attackers will move into the nine-space as if the ball is moved to the wide areas for a crossing situation, the wide player positioned in the central space will make a run into the near post, allowing the attacker to move to the top of the box for a cut-back situation or move to the back-post while allowing another attacker to make a run into the centre. Cruzeiro’s attackers will constantly be interchanging from crossing situations to create space for cut-backs and low crosses into the box.

Despite operating in two different shapes since Pezzolano took over at the beginning of the year, the tenets will remain the same in possession, with the team looking to work quick vertical passing sequences in possession while also utilizing positional interchange to facilitate deep passes in between the lines. In a two-chain, there is a higher reliance on the wide interchanges to create crossing situations in the wide areas while in the three-chain shape, there is a focus on deeper passes in between the central lines and quicker central rotations. There are a lot of similarities as in both systems, Cruzeiro relied on nine-space interchanges and deep runs from midfield to create opportunities.

In the situation above, Cruzeiro are circulating possession in a triangular passing shape as one of the strikers has dropped deep with another holding the nine-space as the centre-back pushed up with possession and played the ball to his teammate occupying the ten space to lay-off the ball to the six-space while his teammate positioned in the right half-space continued his run to receive a pass in between the lines. Once he receives possession in between the lines, the player in the ball-far half-space can make a deep run into the central positions to receive a lobbed pass where he can play a cut-back or have a shooting opportunity on goal. The player making a run in between the lines to receive a deep pass from the six-space can work a pass for the striker to make a run into the channels before making a movement to the near post as the attacker in the ball-far half-space will make a run to the centre of the box to receive a cut-back with an attacker moving to the back-post.

This move exhibited Cruzeiro’s propensity for blind-sided movement and vertical combination play in the final third as when the centre-back was driving the ball, the attacker positioned in the ten-space side-stepped into a pocket of space to receive possession. When he laid off possession to the six-space, the player positioned in the ball-far half-space tucked into the central zones while the player in the ten space made another movement into a more central position to receive possession. When the player in the central spaces tucked inside, his teammate positioned in the right half-space tucked in further as the deepest-lying midfielder played a switch ball to the flank with the striker moving into the half-space, allowing the attacker positioned in the half-space to make a run into the box while the player in the ten space then made a movement into the right half-space to receive possession. Throughout this move, Cruzeiro were vacating and occupying zones to provide passing options for the man on the ball to facilitate quick passing interchanges.

Cruzeiro’s centre-backs will push the ball forward and look to work deep passes in between the lines as Pezzolano’s side will work quick vertical passing combinations to work a pass in behind for a deep runner or switch the ball to the opposite flank. Cruzeiro look to stretch the pitch in the attacking phase with direct switch balls for the ball-far winger to have 1v1 situations on the weak side to evade a marker and play a low cross into the box. The ball can also be switched to the winger as an underlapping run from an attacker or an overlapping run from a fullback to create space for the winger to cut inside and work a pass into the centre or have a shot on goal. A pass can also be played to the runner for a higher quality crossing opportunity as the relationship between the fullback and winger is integral as the fullback pushing forward allows the winger to tuck inside as the ball-near striker can drop deep and receive possession in between the lines, make late runs in the box or into the channels while vacating space for the winger to move into in crossing situations.

When Pezzolano’s side were operating as a two-chain, they were not averse to switching to a three-chain in the build-up phase or in the attacking phase as a fullback would maintain a deeper position to receive possession or a midfielder would drop in between the centre-backs. In the second sequence, it allowed the fullbacks to maintain high positions so that Cruzeiro could circulate possession to the ball-far centre-back to play direct passes to the highly positioned fullback as the winger would also be able to tuck inside, dropping deep to receive possession in between the lines. In the attacking phase, they would switch to a 3-2-5 attacking shape which would allow them to stretch the pitch while giving their centre-backs the opportunity to drive the ball forward and work passes in between the lines.

In the situation above, Cruzeiro are switching to a three-chain as a midfielder originally dropped in between the centre-backs but pushed up as the ball was circulated to the left-sided centre-back as another deeper-lying midfielder dropped in between the centre-backs as he received possession and played the ball to the right sided centre-back. The centre-back pushed up and played the ball to the highly positioned right-back which triggered a run into the half-space and a back-pass for Pezzolano’s side to circulate possession to the left-sided centre-back who played a deep line-breaking pass for the central striker to move into the wide areas as the ball-far attacker made a run into the nine-space as the cut-back was cleared. The left winger also made a movement to the top of the box to receive a cut-back as this was an array of Cruzeiro’s sequences in possession coming together.

In the situation above, it is apparent that Pezzolano’s side are looking to stretch the pitch with their fullbacks which allows their wingers to tuck inside, drop deep and receive possession in the half-spaces. They have established a midfield box as this is their 3-2-5 attacking shape as they will circulate possession amongst the centre-backs from side-to-side, creating space for their ball-far wide centre-back to push up and play a deep pass in between the lines. Players will receive possession in between the lines, work passing connections and make runs to move into space or to clear spaces for teammates to receive possession and work quick connections. Once the ball is played to the highly placed fullbacks in the wide areas, there will be direct passes for runners in the half-spaces to create crossing opportunities.

In their three-chain shape and their two-chain shape, another facet of Pezzolano’s style that is apparent is stretching the pitch with switch balls from one flank to the other. Cruzeiro can switch the ball by playing back-passes to their defensive chain to switch the ball to the ball-far centre-back for a deep pass in between the lines or spreading play to the wide areas on the weak side while they can also switch possession by working long switches to the weak side where their wide attackers will be in 1v1 situations. In both situations, there will be an emphasis on creating high-quality crossing situations while they can also switch possession to the weak side for a teammate to play a one-touch cut-back into the box for Cruzeiro to generate high quality crossing opportunities from the half-space or high-quality shooting opportunities. Cruzeiro can also play switch balls for quick connections on the weak side to generate high quality cut-back opportunities.

Counter-pressing

Cruzeiro employ a persistent and ferocious counter-press to deny the opposition counter-attacking situations while also looking to win possession in the opposition half to create goalscoring opportunites with quick connections. They also lose possession with early passes in between the lines as they will have to transition into a counter-press to regain possession, denying the opposition the opportunity to establish quick attacks while utilizing an organized offside trap to constrain space and win turnovers. A lot of Pezzolano’s play in possession is associated with risk as Cruzeiro can lose possession in crossing situations or with their connections around the opposition box as they have to transition seamlessly into counter-pressing situations to deny the opposition counter-attacking opportunities and to sustain attacks.

With many players positioned in front of the ball, if Pezzolano’s side lose possession in the opposition half, there is a reliance on the attackers retreating to force turnovers as if they lose possession in the build-up phase in the deeper areas, the defensive-line will push up to close down the space forcing opposition attackers making runs in behind into offside positions while constraining the space to make tackles and regain possession. If Cruzeiro lose possession in the opposition half and burst on the counter, the midfield line will push up or hold their positions while the attackers will drop deep to engage with the ball-player allowing the defensive line to retreat and cover runners. The midfield players will be engaged when the opposition move the ball into their zone or to an opposition attacker positioned in their zone as this could lead to two or three players closing down an attacker to regain possession. The attackers retreating is essential as the wing-backs are positioned high as they will need time to cover space and move back into position.

In the build-up phase, Cruzeiro will play deep passes in between the lines as if they lose possession in one of these situations and the ball is played back to the goalkeeper, Pezzolano’s side will employ a high-press, applying direct pressure on the opposition goalkeeper and centre-backs to force a long ball so their centre-backs can regain possession on the halfway-line. If early passes are played into the channel, the closest player will track the opposition player to apply direct pressure as if a back-pass is played to the goalkeeper then the striker will apply direct pressure on the back-pass while if a pass is played into the next line, Cruzeiro’s midfield line will push up to apply pressure to launch a quick attacking move. In these situations, Pezzolano’s side will look to force a direct pass down the line to launch a lateral press to force a turnover and launch a counter-attack at the opposition goal.

If a direct pass in between the lines is intercepted in the half-spaces, instead of retreating, the highly positioned fullback will step into the half-space to close down a passing lane or engage the opposition player in possession while an attacker will drop deeper as if they lose possession in the central areas, Cruzeiro will counter-press with normally two but maybe three-players to force turnovers or lose passes. In their build-up shape, Cruzeiro have attackers dropping deep as if they lose possession in the central areas, their highly positioned wing-back will be focused on retreating to his position in the case of a counter-attack while the attacker positioned in the deeper-areas will push up to engage the player in possession with the central striker lurking behind him as if the opposition player holds possession for too long, he will be triggered into engaging the ball while if Cruzeiro win a turnover, a direct pass will be played for him to drive into the box.

Pressing

Pezzolano prefers to instil a high man-orientated press in order to regain possession in the opposition half to create opportunities as this is a facet of Cruzeiro’s game that has remained apparent throughout their formation changes. Having a high man-orientated press allows them to control the game as it has been impressive that Cruzeiro have managed to sustain a highly taxing style over a gruelling season from the Campeonato Mineiro to the Brasiliero Serie B. Since the beginning of the year, Cruzeiro have pressed in a 4-2-2-2, 4-3-3 and 3-4-1-2 as they adapt their pressing shape to focus on man-orientations, closing down space and forcing the opposition into turnovers or long balls so they can regain possession in the opposition half and launch attacking moves. In certain situations, they can switch to a compact diamond pressing shape as Pezzolano’s side have a mastery of transitioning in between the attacking and defensive phases of the game.

If Cruzeiro are pressing in a 4-2-2-2 shape, they will maintain a high position, especially if the opposition are looking to utilize a short goal-kick situation as if the two-opposition centre-backs are positioned either side of the goalkeeper, the two Cruzeiro strikers will be positioned outside the opposition box. If the ball is moved to one of the centre-backs, the ball-near striker will push up to engage the ball as if a pass is played back to the goalkeeper, this will trigger the midfield line pushing up to deny the goalkeeper and centre-backs passing access to the midfield line. The wingers will also push up to engage the fullbacks as if the opposition shift the ball to one flank, the ball-far winger will tuck inside into the midfield zone as he will push up to engage the centre-back or goalkeeper if the ball is played back into the centre. If the opposition switch the ball to the ball-far flank while the winger is tucked inside, the ball-far fullback will push forward to engage the opposition fullback while the ball-near midfielder or winger will move into the fullback zone to provide cover and defend any passes down the line. When the fullback pushes up to press, Cruzeiro are also organized in covering the space as their defensive line will shift across while the deepest-lying midfielder will drop in between the centre-backs or closer to the centre-backs to cover any passes in that area or act as a centre-back in any counter-attacking situations.

Pezzolano’s side are not averse to changing positions in the pressing phase to cover man-orientations and spaces in the pressing phase. Pezzolano’s side are very aggressive in applying pressure on the opposition goalkeeper as if they are pressing in their 4-2-2-2 shape and the ball is played back to the goalkeeper, there are situations where both strikers will push up to apply pressure on the goalkeeper and force a long ball so Cruzeiro can regain possession. Cruzeiro press with a front two so they can apply pressure on the centre-backs but they can also easily shift to apply pressure on the goalkeeper while if the ball is moved to the wide areas, the ball-near striker will move to the wide areas while the ball-far striker will drop deeper to close down the ten space with the ball-far winger tucking inside as Pezzolano treasures central compactness in the pressing phase. There are instances where the opposition play the ball to the six-space for the midfield line to push up and force a back-pass for the midfielders to push up and apply pressure on the goalkeeper while the strikers move into a midfield role. A key facet of Cruzeiro’s central compactness in the pressing phase is once the ball is played past the strikers, this will act as a trigger for the midfield line to push up and apply pressure to force a turnover.

When Cruzeiro apply pressure in a 3-4-1-2 shape, the same tenets of the two strikers leading the press and applying pressure on the centre-backs will remain while they will also be very proactive in applying pressure on the goalkeeper. Their press will start with a triangle with the two strikers pushing up to apply pressure on the centre-backs while the attacking midfielder will close down the ten space. When the ball moves to the wide areas and the wing-backs remain in a deeper position, the ball-near striker will move across the pitch to apply pressure, the ball-far striker will shift across to the ball-near side to close down passing access to the opposition’s ball-near centre-backs. The attacking midfielder will also shift across to the ball-near side while the ball-far midfielder and ball-far wing-back will tuck inside to force a turnover on the ball-near side.

Even though, Pezzolano’s utilize the attackers moving to the wide areas to apply pressure, Cruzeiro have specific pressing triggers for their wing-backs who are also very active in the pressing phase. If the opposition circulate possession and move the ball to the wide areas, the wing-backs will be very active in the pressing phase, pushing up and providing cover as if the attacker is beaten, the wing-back will be engaged to make the tackle. If the ball is switched, then the ball-far wing-back will push up to close down the opposition ball-far centre-back to force a turnover as the defensive block will shift with the wide centre-backs pushing up to intercept any deep passes into the area. In the pressing phase, the ball-far wing-back will push up to apply pressure on the opposition’s ball-far fullback while maintaining a safe distance from his centre-back as if a deep pass is played in between the lines, the centre-back will push up to cover while the deepest-lying midfielder will shift over to the ball-near flank with the wing-back dropping back to force a turnover. The ball-far wing-back will also tuck into the central spaces when Cruzeiro are applying pressure on the ball-near flank as if the ball is switched, he will be tasked with leading the pressure phase on the opposite flank.

Cruzeiro can also press in a 4-3-3 shape as they will lead the press with a front three with the wingers closing down the space in between the centre-backs and fullbacks while the striker will be tasked with marking the centre-backs and pushing up to apply pressure on the goalkeeper when the ball is played backwards to him. Behind the front three will be the two 8s who will be applying pressure on the opposition double-pivot as the deepest-lying midfielder will be positioned closer to the defensive line. This allows the wingers to push up if the ball is played to the wide areas while the deepest-lying midfielder will also shift over to the ball-near flank with the defensive block to force turnovers. In their 4-3-3 shape, Cruzeiro maintain a compact defensive block to force turnovers while also being able to work quick vertical attacking moves after regaining possession.

When Pezzolano’s side are lateral pressing the wide areas, the ball-near winger will move to press the fullback, the striker will close down the ball-near centre-back while the ball-near 8 will provide cover with the deepest-lying midfielder and ball-far 8 tucking inside. After forcing the turnover, Cruzeiro will have the tight player spacing to play an early ball in between the lines and work vertical connections in tight spaces before switching the ball or working a pass for a runner in behind. The ball-far winger will also tuck inside as after a turnover, he will be an option to receive an early pass in between the lines to lay-off while a teammate makes a deep run in behind to receive a through ball and have an opportunity on goal.

There also situations where Cruzeiro can switch to a diamond pressing shape with an attacker midfielder dropping deeper to close down the ten space, a winger making a run from the wide to central areas to close down a centre-back as the wide players will tuck in tight to close down passing access to the central areas while also being able to move to the wide areas and engage the fullback if the ball is played to them. Pezzolano’s side are able to press in a variety of shapes and formations, looking to gain man-orientated coverage on the opposition with the goal of forcing turnovers in the opposition half while launching quick attacking moves. They had the most effective press in the Brasiliero Serie B while they will continue to have an effective press Brasiliero Serie A as they were able to have an effective press against Atletico Mineiro in the Campeanato Mineiro which was impressive as their opponents were the current Brazilian champions at the time.

Defensive Shape

In their defensive shape, Cruzeiro seek to implement a rigid medium to low block in a 5-4-1 shape while looking to maintain constant pressure on the ball to force the opposition into sideways and backwards passes so they can transition into their high-press and look to win turnovers. They also look to regain possession in their medium to low block to force turnovers and break with quick counter-attacking moves to create high quality opportunites.  Cruzeiro’s main pressing triggers are back-passes while players will engage an opposition player when he receives possession while being positioned in their zone as in the pressing phase, there is a focus on player’s covering each other’s pressing responsibilities as in the defensive phase, the same focus is apparent as players will constantly cover for each other in the defensive block.

In the picture above, Cruzeiro have dropped into a 5-3-2 defensive shape as the opposition have switched the ball to the weak side as the ball-near wing-back can push up to engage possession, allowing the ball near wide attacker to cover and intercept any passes or block any crosses into the box. In the picture above, the wide attacker is making the covering run to close down any passing lanes to the half-space as once he covers, the wing-back will push up to engage the opposition wide player to win a turnover. As the ball is switching, Cruzeiro are also moving their midfield block across to close down any passing lanes to the central spaces while keeping the spaces tight in between the lines. Keeping the spaces tight allows the centre-backs to push up and support the midfielders if a ball is played into their zone, they will push up and look to close down an opposition attacker. For instance, in the situation above, a direct pass to the central spaces is open as the centre-back will be tasked with pushing up to make the tackle as a midfielder will move into the area to engage and force a turnover so the Brazilian side can counter-attack.

There are situations where the wing-back can push out of the defensive line to engage a marker as the defensive line will shift over to the ball-near side to provide cover as if the attacker in front of him is beaten, he will make a movement into the half-space or track a run into that zone to provide cover. The defensive phase is similar to the pressing phase as Pezzolano tasks his players with covering for each other as if the wing-back pushes out to engage an opposition player, the ball-near wide attacker will cover while if a centre-back pushes out of position, his centre-back partner will slide across to cover or a deeper-lying midfielder will drop deeper to provide cover. In the defensive block, there are situations where the deepest-lying midfielder will drop into the defensive chain to allow the centre-backs to move to the wide areas and provide cover for the wing-backs.

In the medium block which will normally be in a rigid 5-4-1 shape, Pezzolano’s side will defend in a zonal shape with man-marking responsibilities as Cruzeiro will apply constant pressure on the ball in the midfield zone. If the ball is played to the opposition midfielder in the central spaces, the midfielder marking that zone will push up to apply pressure on the ball while if the ball is played to the opposition fullback, the ball-near wide attacker will push up to apply pressure on the ball as if the ball is played behind the wide attacker, the ball-near wing-back will be engaged to press. When the wing-back pushes up high, the defensive line will shift across to the ball-near side while the ball-near deeper-lying midfielder will be applying press security as if the opposition look to attempt a pass into the central areas, the midfielders will be positioned to intercept the ball while the centre-backs will also push up to make tackles and interceptions. By applying pressure on the ball in the medium block, Cruzeiro are looking to force back-passes which will allow them to transition into a higher press to force turnovers and launch quick attacking moves.

The tenets of closing down spaces in the central positions and applying pressure on the opposition in the medium block were similar in Pezzolano’s 4-2-2-2 shape as they would sit in a medium block with the attacking line next to the defensive line. If the opposition looked to move the ball to the wide areas, this would act as a pressing trigger with the winger pushing up to apply pressure on the opposition fullback while if they played a line-breaking pass behind the first line of pressure, the attackers would drop deep while the midfielders would push up with the wingers tucking inside to force a turnover. They would be able to counter-attack at pace after a turnover as their players would be closer together for quick passing interchanges and movement while the fullbacks would make overlapping runs into the wide areas, allowing Cruzeiro to switch the ball.

After winning turnovers in the medium block or the low block, Cruzeiro have the propensity to be a dangerous counter-attacking side as once they regain possession, the striker can drop deep to receive a direct pass in between the lines while the wide players make angled runs to the nine-space as they can work wall-pass connections before playing a lobbed passes to the central runners or to the wing-back bursting forward on the flank. If the ball is played to the wide areas, then there will be late runs into the box or movement from the attackers to create a higher quality crossing opportunity for a higher quality shooting opportunity. In the situations where they work direct wall-passes to the deeper-lying attacker for lobbed passes to runners in behind, the wide attackers can drive into the box to have a shooting opportunity of their own or square a cross for the striker making a late run into the box or for the other wide attacker. Wing-backs are also crucial in making late overlapping or underlapping runs into space to drag markers out of position or to receive possession for crossing opportunities.

Conclusion

Pezzolano turned down Head Coaching opportunities in the Middle East in order to continue his journey with Cruzeiro as they will be one of the teams to watch in the Brasiliero Serie A as his team and Vasco da Gama could be some of the more competitive promoted sides in a while. The young coach’s ability to guide Cruzeiro through a long competitive season while his side played a brand of energetic and high-octane football was impressive as he is one of the young coaches in South America to watch. Pezzolano is already Cruzeiro’s most successful foreign Head Coach in their history as in the past season, he became one of the more intriguing young coaches on the continent. Real Valladolid who are also owned by Ronaldo could be a brilliant opportunity for him in the future as his style meshes well with La Liga. Teams like Girona, Almeria, Rayo Vallecano, Valencia and Cadiz should be tracking his progress as he could be successful at teams like that. Another European league that would suit his style is the French Ligue 1 as teams like Brest, Nice, Reims, Montpellier, Rennes, Toulouse, Strasbourg and Monaco would also be good clubs for him.