High-flying Nairobi United hosted Rainbow in a National Super League clash at the M-Pesa Foundation grounds in Thika last weekend.Both teams have been employing free-flowing football since last season as they were both promoted from Division 1 Zone A.In this piece, we will look to understand the tactical intricacies that played out in the game. A game that saw a bullish performance from Nairobi United to emerge 2-1 winners.Both teams set up in a 1-4-2-3-1 formation, mirroring each other on this front.Nairobi United emphasized wide combinations and neat interplay to progress further up the pitch.##NAJAVA_MECA_7812688##Rainbow on the other hand looked to go long into the forward Mustapha Dulmant who would then look to hold up play and invite the likes of Paul Jawa and Tyron Kariuki into play.In the build-up phase, Nairobi United employed a 2-3-1-4 structure with very fluid rotations among the advanced midfielders, wingers, and fullbacks.Key man Bernard Ouma was the designated first phase orchestrator whipping passes to the fullbacks with ease, the centre-back partnership of Daniel Bichiok, a very neat passer, and Bonface Ontere were secure in possession.The fullbacks Isaac Andrew and Jim Ouma started on the same line as the deep-lying playmaker but the occurrence of the right winger drifting inside and Ouma drifting wide right as Rodgers Angal also gravitated to the right-hand side created major problems for Rainbow FC, especially as the winger on that side Paul Jawa was not very keen on tracking back.To try and stop this build-up structure that saw Nairobi United toy with the Rainbow side at times, Rainbow abandoned their 1-4-1-4-1 defensive structure to a 1-4-4-2.TACTICAL ANALYSIS: Gor Mahia’s victory over Tusker unpackedThis still was not the solution majorly because Rainbow distances between the first line of pressure and the second line of pressure were really wide.This created ease in movement and distribution by the Nairobi United Midfielder.With Ouma dropping to aid in the build-up, Elson Wangamati and Angal adopted positions between the lines.The 5V2 numerical superiority Nairobi United possessed was a proper headache for Rainbow.Nairobi United were now creating a flurry of chances, bar their rather poor finishing the scoreline could have been embarrassing for Rainbow in the first half.After a short stoppage where Rainbow met with their tactician, they now switched to a narrow 433 press with Jawa taking up the central position with Dulmat to his right and Ali Salim to his left while Tyron Kariuki dropped into midfield.This coupled with a higher defensive line forced Nairobi United to now go long into Henry Omollo the striker who is a good channel runner.For a few minutes, the 433 press was working and then the distances between the lines of Rainbow began again.These distances between the line were again due to the presence of Ouma who pushed higher dragging back the second line of Press as the first line looked to go man for man with the two centre-backs and the goalkeeper Ernst Mohammed.Credit to the Nairobi United players’ game-reading acumen, two midfielders now again dropped between the lines, overloading the lines.This led to the first goal, the aforementioned right-hand side overload against the Rainbow fullback worked as some good interplay saw a cross brought in and a well-cushioned header by Omollo to score the first goal, a well-deserved opener Rainbow in possession looked short of options as they could not bring in their wingers into play.In build up they employed a 2-1-3-3-1 formation, the compactness of the Rainbow mid-block, a 4411 structure caused issues for them to penetrate leading to long balls into Dulmant as earlier stated, he had minimal chance as he was marked by two centre-backs.Rainbow were however dangerous on quick transitions with good runs in behind.In the second half Rainbow now switched to a 1-4-4-2 structure with Ali Salum and Dulmant up top.Chasing the game they now resorted to long balls from the goalkeeper taking up a 2-3-1-4The pressure on second balls and going man for man against the Nairobi United backline paid off as a quick restart saw Rainbow grab a very good goal.From Kamau who was played in, beat his marker at the post and looked fired one past a hapless Ernst Mohammed in the Nairobi goal.The encounter now became cagey with a raft of substitutions, Rainbow with their tails up they now went all in, employing a 2-3-5 structure, the two centre-backs, two midfielders, and right back who played a rather lower slot in to form the rest defense with the fullback pushing higher up to now overload the Nairobi United right back as the goalkeeper looked to go long into the left backThis tactical switch saw Rainbow almost grab another were it not for some very brave last-gasp defending.KCB land Compel FC hitmanNairobi United hit the last nail in the coffin from a defensive error by the Rainbow backline saw the ball intercepted in the Rainbow defensive area a well-measured cutback for substitute Lesley Owino to slot it home.This goal was the last straw as Rainbow never really found a way back into the game.Nairobi United now knocked the ball around with self-confidence, managing the game well to get the much-needed three points and continue with their good run of form.Rainbow will head back to the drawing board and look to iron out our structural issues from their side.
