South Africa deserve a lot of credit for getting better in each game. They are a welcome addition to the knockout stages. They deviated from their typical play style in the first game as they shifted to a back 3 which didn't work in or out of possession (0 points). Shifted to a back 4 in a 4-3-3 and played with more in-possession balance and more directness in the build-up against Czech's man-to-man press but lacked defensive clarity (1 point). And against South Korea they maintained their in-possession balance in the 4-3-3 but improved their defensive clarity by sticking to a compact 4-4-2 and defending in a mid/low block with a big transitional threat (3 points). The results have reflected the quality of the performances. It was a real shame to see Broos go against the country's identity and DNA in the first game by shifting to a defensive system without the ambition to be proactive and to take the game to the opponent. Instead, they were overly pragmatic and lacked clarity with and without the ball. As soon as they reverted to the identity of ambitious, technical, and dynamic football which has been created by the Mamelodi Sundowns in recent years, South Africa found success again. But, the thing is, they did not do it in a 'naive' way. The Sundowns were often naive in the Club World Cup as they constantly tried to play out of man-to-man pressure by playing out from the back when the optimal solution is to find ways to quickly advance the ball into 1v1 situations high. Against Mexico, South Africa were guilty of this error once again, but they were much more direct and logical with their approach against Czech Republic and South Korea as they often played one pass short to lure the press on before playing direct to 1v1 situations high. Plus, in the defensive moment, instead of going 'gung-ho', they played a compact and well-drilled 4-4-2 against a team that struggles to break the opponent down in open play and South Africa used their outlets to get up the pitch and to be a threat in counter-attacking moments. Combine that with their typical bravery, ambition, dynamism, and short + sharp combination play in possession and you get a well-drilled and nicely balanced team. The blueprint to success is clear so Broos should certainly stick with it going forwards. Canada are difficult opposition, but South Africa can go toe-to-toe with them if they maintain tactical balance and play with their typical level of bravery. Expecting a very fun round of 32 game. 🇿🇦👏