GUADALAJARA, Mexico: It’s number-crunching time when it comes to formations at the World Cup. Every team start with a goalkeeper in front of the net, but then it’s up to the 48 coaches to try to arrange their lineups to optimize their players and match up effectively with opponents. On paper, the lists may look more like area codes, phone numbers or lottery combinations: 4-4-2, 5-3-2, 4-2-3-1 and so on.

World Cup coaches are strategically using different formations to win matches. These formations, like 4-4-2 and 4-2-3-1, aim to balance defense and attack. Some formations focus…

GUADALAJARA, Mexico: It’s number-crunching time when it comes to formations at the World Cup. Every team start with a goalkeeper in front of the net, but then it’s up to the 48…