club friendlies predictions
Soccer is arguably the most popular sport in the world and is played in each and every country. Soccer has been described as the world’s most beautiful sport and what makes soccer so exciting is the fact that it is very easy to follow as there are no complex rules or random rules that make no sense, soccer players have the freedom to dribble or express themselves on the pitch and that offers excitement for both the players and the fans. Soccer is played proffessionally at club level and international level but the host of the soccer matches are played at club level with international matches coming during international breaks or major tournaments such as AFCON, UEFA Euros and the FIFA World Cup. Official club matches are played during the season, for exampe, the English Premier League is played from August up to May the following year, and there will be no official matches for about three months when the season ends, so how do people survive such a long period without any soccer matches given how addictive this sport is? well, the simple answer is club friendlies.
What are club friendlies?
Firstly, it is important to note that friendlies are not only for soccer clubs but they can also be played by countries as well. A club friendly match in soccer is a non-competitive game played outside of any recognized soccer club competition and the result from a friendly match has no effect on the standings of the teams in either a league or tournament. Friendly matches are not as popular as league matches because they are not competitive as they are played in a friendly manner, hence the name friendly matches. A friendly match is similar to a competive match in terms of the rules of the game, the only difference is the use of substitutions because more substitutions are allowed in friendly matches as it gives the technical teams an opportunity to try out different players and tactics. Clubs mostly use friendly matches for several reasons including;
Increasing player fitness
During the off-season, some players can relaxe a bit and that may have a negative impact on their fitness levels, friendly matches provide a platform for them to regain fitness before participating in official matches, because it’s one thing to hit the gym but it’s a totally different thing to be match fit, and for a player to be match fit, he has to play some games.
Integrating new players
In a case where new players are brought in, there is need for those players to be intergrated into the system and see where they are in terms of understanding the tactics for the new team. There is no better way for a club to start intergrating new players into the system than playing friendlies because there is less pressure in these type of matches.
Touring the world
Most European teams are involved in tours during the off-season and this is usually a PR campaign aimed at marketing their brand in various parts of the world such as America and Asia.
Raising charity money
Friendly matches can also be played for a worthy cause because teams can decide to play together and the sales and revenue through tickets will be used for various charatible purposes.
Which teams usually perform the best in club friendlies?
Generally, club friendly matches are difficult to predict on because when teams play in these matches, the huge concern is not the results (of course every team wants to win), but mostly it is about assesing the team if it is in the best shape possible. For example, Manchester United were flying in their friendly matches during pre-season, but their form dipped as soon as the season started and this shows just how unpredictable friendlies are and there. Usually the best teams such as Real Madrid, Manchester City amongst others will always have the urge going into any match (competitive or not), but the major difference is that these clubs might choose to rest their superstars and play fringe players and that will significantly weaken them, for example, A Manchester City side without, Foden, De Bruyne, Halaand, Mahrez, Bernado Silva, Cancello, Diaz and Gundogan will be a significantly weak Manchester City side which can be easily beaten.