How Micho exploited Chiefs ‘weak’ link
Bucs bench thinks on its feet
To win matches of the magnitude of the Soweto Derby requires quick thinking and bold decisions. This is where Orlando Pirates’ technical team got it spot on.
Second half substitute Luvuyo Memela’s brace helped Pirates’ to a 3-1 win over Kaize Chiefs at FNB Stadium on Saturday.
Thembinkosi Lorch had scored the opener in the first stanza before Leonardo Castro equalised.
In the first half Pirates had been rattled, even though it was 1-1 by interval.
The way Bucs assistant coach Rulani Mokwena rushed to the dressing room a couple of minutes before the break suggested they knew they needed a big response.
When Pirates came out the ineffective Bernard Morrison had lost his place and in came Memela, who wasted no time in swinging the game in Bucs’ favour.
“We believe that tactically it was a clash of 3-4-1-2 and in the second half we introduced two number tens with “Meme” [Memela] and Lorch behind [Justin] Shonga,” said Pirates coach Milutin Sredojevic.
Chiefs had dominated midfield in the first half, with the likes of Siphiwe Tshabalala and Joseph Molangoane taking the game to Pirates.
“In the first half it was four on three in the middle with Rama [Ramahlwe Mphahlele] coming as an extra as an overlapping full-back,” said Sredojevic.
“This is exactly where we looked at half-time, that we should have equality in the middle. So we made it four against four.”
With Mphahlele overlapping, it left space for Memela to exploit. “We punished them where we believe it’s [their] weak link, with a team that is risking with Rama overlapping and Molangoane coming inside. We scored the last two goals from there,” Sredojevic said.
We believe tactically it was a clash of 3-4-1-2 and we introduced two No 10s