CR Flamengo: Disrupting a defensive block with wide-area rotations

Giving attacking players a licence to move into areas of the pitch where they are not expected to be causes overloads and forces opposition defenders into situations where they have multiple responsibilities. These scenarios leave them with decisions to make regarding where the biggest threat lies, often meaning they must commit to one defensive situation and forsake another in the hope that their team-mates can provide cover. 

In this article, FIFA Technical Study Group expert Aron Winter highlights how CR Flamengo used wide-area rotations to cause confusion and distort Pyramids FC’s defensive shape during the FIFA Challenger Cup in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2025™ in Qatar.

This attacking phase focuses on the roles and responsibilities of three key players:

• Centre-forward, Gonzalo Plata (50)

• Right-forward, Jorge Carrascal (15)

• Right-back, Guillermo Varela (2)

Winter explains the mechanism and impact of their key movements in this phase:

• Plata (50) was effective at moving to pin the left centre-back, ensuring he could not leave the defensive line to support his overloaded left-back, Mohamed Hamdy (21);

• Varela (2) was high and wide, meaning the right midfielder was tasked with covering him; and

• Carrascal (15) was dropping into the half space, forcing Pyramids’ left-back, Hamdy, to follow him into midfield territory.

“The intention in their starting positions and subsequent movements was clear,” Winter says. “There was an evident plan, and the players knew their roles and the triggers to play from. These movements were consistent in the first half, dragging Pyramids’ defenders into spaces they did not want to be in and leaving dangerous areas unoccupied. With time on the ball and space to play in, Flamengo’s players had the technical nous and game intelligence to really disrupt their opposition.”

“Plata’s movement around the ball-side centre-back was clever because he knew there was a large space to run into as Hamdy had been drawn out and was trying to press Carrascal, who in turn could see the space available and execute a pass for Plata to chase down.”

In clip 1 below, Winter highlights how the movements impacted the communication in Pyramids’ midfield, leading to a weakness in providing cover and filling spaces that ultimately prevented them from getting effective pressure on the ball.

“As soon as Carrascal drops into the half space and receives, he recognises that the left-back has come with him and the space is open for Plata to attack. As he runs into the space, the right centre-back tracks him while the left centre-back focuses on recovering to the penalty area as left-back, Hamdy, and the Pyramids’ midfielders attempt to recover centrally. Varela (2) holds in a deep supporting position and is left unmarked to receive.”

The first variation of the attacking pattern saw two of the three players rotate into different positions while performing the same key functions assigned to the player in that position. Centre-forward Plata maintains his role of occupying the centre-back, while Carrascal (15) pulls into the wide area, and right-back Varela (2) starts high before dropping into the half space.

In clip 2, we see how Varela’s movement is tracked by Pyramids’ left midfielder, leaving left-back Hamdy assigned to Carrascal. As Varela realises he has been tracked, Flamengo’s left centre-back receives the ball unopposed, triggering a decoy attacking movement to receive in behind the defensive line from Plata. Then, as right-centre-back Danilo (13) receives without pressure, Varela makes a diagonal run towards the outside of Pyramids’ left centre-back, while Plata makes a run down his inside.

The second variation sees a similar pattern but a further rotation of the personnel. In this scenario, centre-forward Plata (50) comes wide, right forward Carrascal (15) takes up the centre-forward role, while right-back Varela (2) inverts to the half space.

In clip 3, we see how Varela moves further in-field as his left-back steps forward with the ball. This movement draws in Pyramids’ two wide opposite-side defensive players, leaving Plata free in space. To screen potential passes to Carrascal or Varela, Pyramids’ centre-midfielders get sucked into deeper positions away from the ball, leaving Jorginho (21) free to receive under no pressure and with time to pick out a pass to Plata.

For Winter, the quality of communication and synergy among the Flamengo players contrasted with the lack of cohesion and disruption in Pyramids’ defence.

“Flamengo’s players had good technique, and their movements meant they created time and space on the ball. Carrascal, Varela and Plata had great alignment and an understanding of each other’s roles, and could see where the gaps were. Pyramids’ players found it difficult to respond quickly enough to their secondary responsibilities (cutting out passing lanes, reconnecting to their defensive shape, nearest player getting pressure on the ball) and, therefore, often became overloaded and isolated.”

• Clear understanding of roles and responsibilities

• Good communication, especially in the rotations

• Timing of movements to trigger other movements

• Accurate and intelligent placement of key passes

• Game awareness to recognise where the spaces and opportunities were