Far from being overawed, the Filipino side rose to the occasion and turned in a dominant performance to run out deserved 4-2 victors.
On the back foot
Ceres put Tampines on the back foot right from kick-off, employing a high-intensity pressing game, working hard to quickly close down space in midfield and ensure the game was played in their half.
As the possession breakdown above highlights, Ceres had close to 60 percent possession for the entire game while almost 84 percent of the match was played in either the middle third or their attacking third of the pitch, highlighting their dominance.
Key to that was the width with which they played, with Iain Ramsay and Jose Porteria on the left and right flanks respectively, providing great attacking impetus. As the average positions shows below, Tampines attempted to stack the midfield but by keeping their width and playing wide, Ceres were able to negate that tactic and keep control of the game.
Ott outstanding
Key to Ceres dominance in midfield was German-born midfielder Manuel Ott, who oozed class in the contest. Ott, 24, patrolled the middle of the park with all the experience you would expect from someone who spent their formative years at FC Ingolstadt in Germany.
As is evident from his heatmap below, Ott was a rock in midfield for Ceres, and while he didn’t venture far from the middle of the park, the way Ceres played he didn’t need to. His role was to break up any Tampines counter attacks and ensure Ceres maintained their dominance in the middle of the park and he did that to perfection.
Khairul the key
Tampines came into the game slightly more in the second-half, and key to that was the substitution of star attacker Khairul Amri, who came on in the 52nd minute and had an immediate impact.
Amri provided a focal point for the Tampines attack and was able to win a penalty for his side shortly after coming on.
As his graph above highlights, he operated mostly on the left side of the attack, and while he didn’t score himself from his three shots, he was involved in a lot of Tampines best attacking moments and made them a more attacking threat.
Far from being overawed, the Filipino side rose to the occasion and turned in a dominant performance to run out deserved 4-2 victors.
\nOn the back foot
\nCeres put Tampines on the back foot right from kick-off, employing a high-intensity pressing game, working hard to quickly close down space in midfield and ensure the game was played in their half.
\nAs the possession breakdown above highlights, Ceres had close to 60 percent possession for the entire game while almost 84 percent of the match was played in either the middle third or their attacking third of the pitch, highlighting their dominance.
\nKey to that was the width with which they played, with Iain Ramsay and Jose Porteria on the left and right flanks respectively, providing great attacking impetus. As the average positions shows below, Tampines attempted to stack the midfield but by keeping their width and playing wide, Ceres were able to negate that tactic and keep control of the game.
\nOtt outstanding
\nKey to Ceres dominance in midfield was German-born midfielder Manuel Ott, who oozed class in the contest. Ott, 24, patrolled the middle of the park with all the experience you would expect from someone who spent their formative years at FC Ingolstadt in Germany.
\nAs is evident from his heatmap below, Ott was a rock in midfield for Ceres, and while he didn\u2019t venture far from the middle of the park, the way Ceres played he didn\u2019t need to. His role was to break up any Tampines counter attacks and ensure Ceres maintained their dominance in the middle of the park and he did that to perfection.
\nKhairul the key
\nTampines came into the game slightly more in the second-half, and key to that was the substitution of star attacker Khairul Amri, who came on in the 52nd minute and had an immediate impact.
\nAmri provided a focal point for the Tampines attack and was able to win a penalty for his side shortly after coming on.
\n![\"\"](\"/uploads/afc/files/website/OPTA/graphics/ceres-khairul-graphic_LS.jpg\")
As his graph above highlights, he operated mostly on the left side of the attack, and while he didn\u2019t score himself from his three shots, he was involved in a lot of Tampines best attacking moments and made them a more attacking threat.
", "headline": "Analysis: Ceres Negros pressure key to success", "description": "Singapore: Ceres Negros travelled to Singapore knowing a win over Tampines Rovers would guarantee top spot in Group G and a place in the Zonal Semi-finals of the 2017 AFC Cup.\r\n", "author": { "@type": "Organization", "url": "https://www.the-afc.com/", "name": "the AFC" }, "image": "https://assets.the-afc.com/migration/b/q/bqora8lgzppfdr5vczmh.jpg", "isAccessibleForFree": true, "datePublished": "2017-05-05", "url": "www.the-afc.com/en/club/afc_cup/news/analysis_ceres_negros_pressure_key_to_success.html" }