1. Introduction
Why document game plans for Cruz Azul?
Football is one of those games; a game that includes thousands of minute details and split-second decisions. For that reason, absorbing strategies from a successful team such as Cruz Azul would not only be of great interest to aspiring coaches but also to keen fans as well, to dig into the ground deep to understand the game itself.
Throwing oneself into the approach used by Cruz Azul might finally uncover some patterns explaining why they win and sometimes lose.
Indeed, proud of the Cruz Azul fan. Since I went there to watch matches when I was still a little child. What I have always seen the most is that they look completely prepared for every match. Superb control of possession, a very well-organized defense, and super-fast counterattacks made them an excellent rival.
End Finally, I paid less attention to the goals and fireworks, and became more sensitive to the tactical club decisions associated to each match. Fruit of a few years observation, combining with appreciation for the smallest details of the game from Cruz Azul .
Table of Contents
2. The History and Legacy of Cruz Azul
2.1. Early Beginnings and Tactical Foundations
Cruz Azul were founded way back in 1927; since then, they have become part and parcel of the Mexican football history books, well known for their tactical discipline and organization.
This team hails from Jasso and can nowadays boast of being one of Mexico’s most successful clubs with many championships at home and abroad.
Since its first days, Cruz Azul faced a tactical explanation based on a mix of inspirations taken from Europe and the classical Mexican style of playing.
It was represented by a tight defensive architecture, fluid transition from the defense to attack, and also by pressing, which, eventually, proved to be big challenges for other teams.
The afore-mentioned reasons have made the club one of the biggest powers in Mexican football.
2.2 Mission-critical coaches function in strategy
No critical review of the strategy of the game could develop without critique of praise for coaches that formulated it.
The best known, of course, are those: Raúl Cárdenas, and then, of course, Juan Reynoso.
Both coaches left a very clear mark on tactics within the club when they arrived with their philosophy about how to develop each team. So, the coach had to have a solidity on defense on one flank, but on the other an open game searching for more possession.
At the close of the season in 2021, Cruz Azul ended a 23-year drought in Liga MX with the championship under Reynoso. Tactics of flexibility with a compact defensive structure were dependent on counter-attacks as made possible by speed from his wingers.
Normally, Reynoso had stuck to one of two approaches over the years while the side remained tactically fluid: either the 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 depending on the opponent.
3. Knowledge of Cruz Azul Tactical Line-ups
3.1 The Old School Vintage 4-4-2 Formation
In contemporary usage, Cruz Azul has been, in the true sense of the word, a 4-4-2 side. This is one of those systems of football which considered winning the ball back for possession as important at defense as at midfield.
It had two center forwards and four midfielders, often comprising two central midfielders and two wider players plus four defenders .
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Key Characteristics of 4-4-2
Strong defensive solidity: The four at the back have a flat four and work to shut off any possibility of passing lanes and getting at attacking situation
Wing play: The wide midfielders spend much of their time in both attacking and defending, run much and crossing to the forwards.
The 4-4-2 system is very well-suited to a team that wants to press high and transition for an immediate smash in open play every time it wins the ball back. Pressing and Counter-Attacks.
One game which really stood out, which I witnessed, was how Cruz Azul almost played a perfect 4-4-2 against Club América.
They absorbed early pressure and then went on to counter their way forward in devastating fashion through the wingers, winning 2-0. The shape which it maintained at the back but still go forward and threaten is a masterclass in how to play the best 4-4-2 formation.
3.2 The 4-2-3-1 Formation: Balance and Flexibility
Cruz Azul uses one of the newest formations-the 4-2-3-1. A very much a formation of the relatively recent period, this formation offers much more flexibility, in attack and defense than older molds.
Features typical to the 4-2-3-1:
Double pivot central midfielder : The central midfielders double up to cover the back four and team up for defending from deep.
Attacking triad: It is a system of three midfielders who play behind one single attacking striker who creates menace and ideas at all angles.
Dynamic movement : it is a system with fluid changes of action where midfielders interchange with the attackers to strangle opposition.
Throughout the last years, one was when Reynoso would strictly use 4-2-3-1 mainly in the final game of the 2021 Clausura within the game of Cruz Azul and Santos Laguna.
He dominated the middle circle while playing during the game by taking rapid transitions and opening scoring chances subsequent to scoring chances. This tactical move changed the team to league champions for more than two decades.
4:Game Time Tactics: Attack and Defense
Attacking Tactics
Possession-based Game
Cruz Azul does set up the safeguard of possession in their form of attack. Possession is one strategy wherein they can dominate the pattern of the game and exhaust energies of opponents, too, for that length of time.
In this strategy, players like Luis Rome and Yoshi mar Youth, in the middle field, makes sure that there are structures set up regarding distribution and attacking systems.
4.1.2 Wing Play The wingers feature a lot in Cruz Azul’s attacking shape. Players such as Roberto Alvarado and Oberlin Pineda are always looking for ways to get wide and bring in the kinds of crosses that find some space inside the box from here also.
In the Toluca match of the 2021 season, they shoot deep as high as the open side to create the view for quick one-time passes down either wing and then pass through Toluca’s defense into big areas that can be used by Cruz Azul in the attack so as to score two crucial goals.
4.2 Defensive Structures
4.2.1 High Press and Counter-Pressing
Cruz Azul uses an extremely high press rate, as well, at least under Reynoso.
So, quite often, after losing possession, they switch very fast into an immediate counter-press to recover it as soon as possible, so that the opponent doesn’t have the chance to get the possibility of actually launching a proper counter-attack.
4.2.2 Density Defensive Form
Playing 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1, Cruz Azul compresses the defensive box so efficaciously that there is hardly any space between their players and not quite enough space that the opposition readily finds it to take it upon themselves and beat them.
In that compressed unit, problems usually surface when Cruz Azul is transitioning from attack into defense.
A real classic occurred in the game Monterrey played in 2020. It held most of the playing time but failed to break down a very strongly constructed defense setup by Cruz Azul. Ultimately, a tightly packed defense by Cruz Azul took them to emerge victorious with a shoreline of 1-0.
5. Key Players: Their Roles and Impact on Tactics
5.1 Defensive Pillars
Pablo Aguilar and Julio César Domínguez are the bedrock from where one might well imagine to grasp the understanding of the game in defense, engineer aerial duels, and hence form the backline.
From which are always the crucial points from where a team might present itself as compact and difficult to access.
5.2 Midfield Masters
While the midfield undoubtedly forms the backbone of any football team, there is something almost special about Cruz Azul. At the very simplest level, it is Luis Rome and Rafael Baca who find themselves playing the really important position in allowing that connection between defense and attack.
Possession breaking-down play but also the capacity to hold onto it and distribute it forward, are basically what’s most critical in Cruz Azul’s overall game plan.
The attack front is another weak spot that can be hurt by a player like Jonathan Rodríguez and Santiago Gimenez. More valuable still has been Rodríguez, clinically finishing, and all the varied things he does well, leaving space for himself and his teammates to function without obstruction.
6. Match Strategies for Overcoming Opponents
6.1 Shift the Match Strategy
One of the bigger strengths of Cruz Azul is how adaptable their style is based on who they are playing. Probably when they are playing stiffer opposition, they’ll be playing a more defensive setup, trying to catch individuals on the break.
Whereas when they are playing weaker teams, they should be dominating possession and pressing up high.
6.2 Attacking Weaknesses
Nobody would even think about this, theoretically, but Cruz Azul likes to take advantage of weaknesses, which might be a bit weird because they’re facing a pretty devastating center-defense team in terms of pace today, will then look for diagonal passes over the top and try to exploit the space that’s left behind.