CD Tacon vs. Sporting Huelva Takeaways: Sofia Jakobsson does it again
CD Tacon had a massive bounce-back performance on Matchday 2 of Liga Iberdrola, defeating Sporting Huelva 3-0 behind another sensational display from right winger Sofia Jakobsson.
As expected, CD Tacon had a rough going in their first Liga Iberdrola matchup, falling 9-1 to rivals FC Barcelona in the first Women’s Clasico. But most fans understood that this match would be more about taking lumps, learning lessons, and bouncing back with a stronger performance on Matchday 2.
Tacon did exactly that in a measuring stick of a match against Sporting Huelva, who just stayed afloat in 2018-2019 as the 14th-placed team in Liga Iberdrola. Sofia Jakobsson and a hungry CD Tacon attack took care of business in a 3-0 win over Huelva, and here are some takeaways from the matchup.
Faster Pace
Honestly, what really doomed Tacon in their 9-1 loss to Barca last week was their tendency to play slowly out of the back, which left them vulnerable to mistakes against Barca’s astute pressing game.
Against Sporting Huelva, CD Tacon did a much better job of getting the ball up the pitch quickly, making use of Chioma Ubogagu and Sofia Jakobsson on the wings. Tacon were more fluid in attack, and their midfielders and defenders were able to effectively move the ball quickly instead of leaving themselves vulnerable to mistakes in the middle of the park.
Width, pace, and directness will continue to yield great results for Tacon, who can use their qualities to counterattack when they face Atletico Madrid or their rematch with Barcelona.
Jakobsson does it again
Sofia Jakobsson was Tacon’s best player on Matchday 1 against Barcelona, providing moments of individual brilliance with her assist for Jessica Martinez’s lone goal and her willingness to run directly at defenders.
Against Sporting Huelva, Jakobsson was even better. She scored the first goal of the match by pouncing on a mistake by a Huelva center back, rounding the keeper to punish the opposition thoroughly. She provided another assist to Martinez and then created Kosovare Asllani’s wonderful 84th minute score to seal a 3-0 victory.
There are few players who are as fast as Jakobsson or as able to leave defenders for dead. But what’s impressed me the most about Jakobsson through the first two games of the season is her ability to create for others, which will prove to be her most important trait going forward.
Keeping getting it to Ubogagu
It’s important to praise Sofia Jakobsson for another excellent performance, but fans cannot neglect the other world-class player on the wings for CD Tacon.
Chioma Ubogagu was the Orlando Pride’s best player in this year’s NWSL campaign before joining the Liga Iberdrola for the 2019-2020 season, and she flashed her off-ball intelligence and chance creation in this game.
Honestly, Ubogagu was unlucky not to record an assist, because she sent several teasing balls into the area. She isn’t far off from Asllani when it comes to technical ability, and she always seems to be open on the left side. Few players are more devastating on the counterattack due to her sharp decision-making and ability to quickly make up ground on defenders, so Ubogagu could prove to be Tacon’s biggest X-Factor against more difficult opponents. They need to keep feeding her the ball this season.
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Ohale shores up the defense
Yes, CD Tacon faced a much easier team than Barcelona, but I can’t help but think that Osinachi Ohale’s immediate inclusion into the lineup played a significant role in the team holding Sporting Huelva to a clean sheet on Matchday 2.
Ohale joined Tacon as a relative unknown, though she did have past success with the Nigerian national team despite not competing at the 2019 World Cup. Though it was just one game, Ohale honestly looked like a world-class center back against Huelva.
She was clearly on another from everyone else in terms of positional awareness as both a defender and passing outlet, and Huelva’s attackers were helpless to gain any sort of advantage against her. Ohale provided astute covering, shielded attackers away from dangerous areas of the field, and looked unlikely to concede an individual battle
CD Tacon fans should keep a close eye on how Ohale continues to influence the defense, because she could prove to be a critical signing for this rapidly improving club.