I want to focus on the teams that perhaps no one is talking about, have had eventful off-seasons, or are just straight-up enigmas. I’m not necessarily saying all these teams are MLS Cup dark horses or will be any good at all but rather each being an interesting, unique case for differing reasons. So interesting, that I recommend keeping track of these clubs even if you aren’t a fan.

FC Cincinnati

The other “Queen City,” ew, I know. Hear me out though. While the majority of teams in MLS have had a slow transfer window, FC Cincinnati has been busy. They managed to win the race to sign the highly touted, Brazilian international, Brenner. He had been linked to moves to several different European clubs including Juventus, Arsenal, and AC Milan. Cincinnati shocked everyone when they ended up being the team that got him.

In addition to Brenner, Cincinnati has also signed ex-DC United playmaker, Luciano Acosta. He had a spectacular 2018 season in MLS notching 10 goals and 15 assists before earning a move to Liga MX. However, he only managed 5 goal contributions in Mexico. Whether he can reproduce that 2018 season on a consistent basis is yet to be seen. Most recently, they’ve signed the exciting, young Ghanaian winger Isaac Atanga who will bring more dynamism to the FCC attack.

Regardless, one of Cincinnati’s biggest struggles in the 2020 season was chance creation and they’ve gone out and signed three possible solutions to that problem. On top of all this, Cincinnati will be playing in their brand new, state-of-the-art stadium that is arguably the best in the league. FC Cincinnati has finished in last place in their first two seasons but this could be the season they start turning things around. While far from a finished product, Cincinnati will be looking to have its first winning season in 2021.

Austin FC

This the most obvious on this list simply because you can never really predict how an inaugural team will perform. A perfect example was last season when Inter Miami dominated headlines but it was Nashville who ended up having the surprising but better inaugural season. Austin FC has gone out and built a solid roster that if everything clicks they could very well be making the playoffs their first season.

They’ve gone out and signed some tantalizing South American players mixed with MLS veterans. Midfielder Tomas Pochettino and winger Cecilio Dominguez come into the league as Designated Players and will look to lead the Austin FC attack. Underlooked additions to this roster are young defenders, Jhohan Romaña and Žan Kolmanič, both looking to prove themselves in a better league. Speaking of youth, because they are an inaugural team, they got the first pick of the draft and selected Generation Adidas player, Daniel Pereira. He will have a good mentor in the midfield with Alex Ring, who Austin acquired from NYCFC and is highly regarded as one of the best midfielders in MLS.

Other notable MLS veterans that Austin has acquired are Nick Lima, Matt Besler, Diego Fagundez, Kekuta Manneh, and Ben Sweat all of which who have been consistent, solid players in MLS. Austin has gone out and built not only a talented roster but a balanced one. Only time will tell if first-time head coach, Josh Wolff can get the most out of their roster. 

Vancouver Whitecaps

The Whitecaps are a weird team, but that’s what makes them so intriguing. They don’t really have an identity but have shown glimpses of being playoff contenders. They had a solid midfield and have built upon it with the signing of young Brazilian, Caio Alexandre. Alexandre played more as a defensive midfielder at Botafogo, but with Whitecaps already deep in that position, the assumption is that he will play a more advanced 8 role. Alexandre will need to use his more advanced role and passing range to create counters for the team.

The Whitecaps have also signed another South American in winger Déiber Caicedo who will add speed and dribbling ability to the Whitecaps attack. Just as surprising as the signing of Caio Alexandre, the Whitecaps also signed right-back Bruno Gaspar from Sporting CP in Portugal. Gaspar is entering his prime and will be the fullback partner to Ali Adnan who is arguably the best left-back in MLS. It will be in the Whitecaps’ best interest to get the most out of this fullback pairing that has the potential to be the best in the league.

Whitecaps already had a solid foundation for their roster entering this off-season and they’ve gone out and built upon it. Their coach, Marc Dos Santos, was all over the place last season when it came to tactics and formations. He will need to be more consistent this season for the Whitecaps to consistently win. As of right now, the Whitecaps are built as a counter-attacking team and could be electric if all cylinders are firing. We will see if the Whitecaps of the 2021 season will be more like the impressive side that beat LAFC 2 – 1 or the disastrous one that lost to LAFC 6 – 0 that we saw last season. Or both…

Colorado Rapids

The Rapids were a pleasant surprise last season finishing 5th in the East led by a core of young Americans. Instead of depending on Designated players, the Rapids have put a heavy reliance on youth and some underlooked European talent. The investment in youth bore its fruit last season when young players like Sam Vines and Cole Bassett really took their games to the next level. Rapids were the underdogs in most games but always played with a chip on their shoulder. When their backs were pinned against the wall is when they played their best.

However, they have to start stringing together consistent performances week in and week out. Not only winning the high pressure games but the easier games they should be winning comfortably. Inconsistency normally accompanies a predominantly young squad and it will be up to coach, Robin Fraser, to build upon last season and create consistency. Another key will be to get the most out of their only designated player, Younes Namli.

Namli is the catalyst for the Colorado Rapids and getting greater production out of him is going to be essential to go further this season. Kellyn Acosta will also need to step up and begin to dominate games in the midfield. Lalas Abubakar will need to continue to be the rock at the back and continue as one of the best centrebacks in the league. If Colorado can get all these different components working together consistently week in and week out they could potentially be one of the most dangerous teams in the West. 

New York Red Bulls 

The once-great giants of the East, the New York Red Bulls, have fallen in recent years. However, there is hope for the 2021 season. Like the Rapids, their hope lies in their youth. Their youth combined with still recently acquired coach, Gerhard Struber. Struber comes straight from the Red Bull footballing system which prides itself on not only playing youth but relying on them. Their footballing philosophy is the epitome of modern soccer which is high pressing, possession-based football.

Struber started implementing this system late last season but has now had an entire off-season to drill it into his team. He has some exciting young players to carry out this system in Caden Clark, Dru Yearwood, Andrés Reyes, Cameron Harper, Kyle Duncan, Cristian Cásseres Jr., and others. The youth will also be supported by solid MLS veterans in Aaron Long, Daniel Royer, and Florian Valot. The recent drama with designated player Kaku signing with another team while still under contract at Red Bulls is still a major question mark come the beginning of the season.

Whether Kaku plays for the Red Bulls this season or not, there is still plenty to be excited for in this team. We could see the revival of the New York Red Bulls being ignited by Struber and his young core of players this upcoming season. Regardless of whether Red Bulls win or not, watching how Struber utilizes his youth will be something to look forward to.

Conclusion

As we wait for Charlotte to get on the pitch in 2022, consider following the journey of the following five teams this season and who knows, they could surprise us. If you aren’t a Charlotte fan, whether you are a neutral or already have a team, they might be worth tuning into watch.

The post Five Intriguing MLS Teams to Watch in 2021 appeared first on Regal Soccer.

EAST

Atlanta United – Josef Martinez (Striker), Alan Franco (Defender), Ezequiel Barco (Winger)

Chicago Fire – Ignacio Aliseda (Winger), Robert Berić (Striker), Gastón Giménez (Midfielder)

FC Cincinnati – Brenner (Striker), Luciano Acosta (A. Midfielder), Jurgen Locadia (Striker)

Columbus Crew – Gyasi Zardes (Striker), Lucas Zelarayan (A. Midfielder), Pedro Santos (Winger)

DC United – Paul Arriola (Winger), Edison Flores (Winger)

Inter Miami CF – Gonzalo Higuaín (Striker), Rodolfo Pizarro (Midfielder), Matías Pellegrini (Winger), Blaise Matuidi (D. Midfielder)

CF Montréal – Victor Wanyama (D. Midfielder) *

Nashville SC – Jhonder Cádiz (Striker), Randall Leal (Winger), Hany Mukhtar (A. Midfielder)

New England Revolution – Gustavo Bou (Striker), Adam Buksa (Striker), Carles Gil (A. Midfielder)

New York City FC – Jesús Medina (Winger), Maximiliano Moralez (A. Midfielder)

New York Red Bulls – Dru Yearwood (Midfielder), Kaku (A. Midfielder)

Orlando City SC – Nani (A. Midfielder), Mauricio Pereyra (A. Midfielder)

Philadelphia Union – Jamiro Monteiro (Midfielder)

Toronto FC – Jozy Altidore (Striker), Michael Bradley (D. Midfielder), Alejandro Pozuelo (A. Midfielder)

WEST

Austin FC – Tomas Pochettino (Midfielder), Cecilio Dominguez (Winger)

Colarado Rapids – Younes Namli (A. Midfielder)

FC Dallas – Bryan Acosta (Midfielder), Franco Jara (Striker)

Houston Dynamo FC – Darwin Quintero (Winger)

Sporting Kansas City – Johnny Russell (Winger), Alan Pulido (Striker), Gadi Kinda (Midfielder)

LA Galaxy – Jonathan dos Santos (Midfielder), Javier Hernandez (Striker), Kevin Cabral (Winger)

Los Angeles FC – Carlos Vela (Winger), Diego Rossi (Striker)

Minnesota United – Jan Gregus (Midfielder), Emanuel Reynoso (A. Midfielder)

Portland Timbers – Sebastián Blanco (A. Midfielder), Yimmi Chara (Winger), Jaroslaw Niezgoda (Striker)

Real Salt Lake – Jeizon Ramírez (Winger), Albert Rusnák (A. Midfielder)

San Jose Earthquakes – Cristian Espinoza (A. Midfielder)

Seattle Sounders – Nicolás Lodeiro (A. Midfielder), João Paulo (Midfielder), Raúl Ruidíaz (Striker)

Vancouver Whitecaps – Ali Adnan (Fullback), Lucas Cavallini (Striker)

The post Designated Player Catalog appeared first on Regal Soccer.

With the recent hiring of Greg Vanney for the head coach position, Galaxy is entering a new era. The ex-Galaxy player turned coach brings hope to the organization with the masterful job he did in turning Toronto FC from one of the worst MLS teams to MLS Cup and Supporter’s Shield winners. He completely transformed the culture of the club, making Toronto the example of MLS excellence year in and year out. His 2017 MLS Cup winning Toronto is arguably considered to be the best team in MLS history and at the very least one of the best MLS teams of all time.

Vanney has quite a daunting job ahead of him with LA Galaxy. With so many years of mediocrity at Galaxy, fans have lost patience and another bad coaching stint would most likely take them over the edge. Unlike, Guillermo Barros Schelotto though, Vanney has already proven that he has what it takes to create a winning culture and team in the MLS.

So how exactly can Vanney revitalize LA Galaxy and bring them back to their former glory days? Before going into potential Vanney line ups and the LA Galaxy roster we need to look at his system and tactics to see how everyone will fit.

Tactics

The core problem that has haunted LA Galaxy in these lackluster years has been a lack of identity. Galaxy hasn’t had a playing philosophy or identity since they won the MLS Cup in 2014. Having an identity provides guidance and consistency in every aspect of a club. From the players signed, lockerroom environment, and on the pitch performance every aspect is guided by a club’s identity and philosophies. When no such identity exists, the club has no guidance or direction.

Greg Vanney comes into LA Galaxy having a clear identity on how he wants his team to play and the kind of players he requires to fit his system. Vanney likes his team to be electrifying on offense through an aggressive possession-based but fluid style with an emphasis on attacking the wide space. On defense, his team normally sits in a high-mid block in a man-oriented pressing system. This clear identity and style was key to Vanney’s success at Toronto.

Vanney is a flexible coach when it comes to formations but he tends to favor a 4-4-1-1 or 4-4-2. However, because of his philosophy of fluidity, the formations aren’t rigid but rather constantly adapting or changing depending on the opposing team. The first example we see of the fluidity of his system is when his team has the ball.

Build Up Phase

On offense, Vanney’s team shifts to a 4-1-4-1 from the 4-4-1-1. The box-to-box midfielder (8) pushes up while the more creative second striker (10) drops down beside the number 8. The defensive midfielder (6) drops down even deeper to be the link between the defense and offense.

Vanney likes his teams to build-up starting from the back. During the build-up phase, the fullbacks stay back to be passing options for the centrebacks and the six. The six, the single pivot, moves laterally to follow the ball being passed across the defensive line to be a passing option to connect the defense to the offense. Once the six receives the ball, his job is then to start the attack by either playing a through ball over the top for the wingers, play a splitting pass to the striker (9), or play it short to the create ten.

This six is the heart of Vanney’s system because he links the entire team together, provides cover for counters, and is always an available passing option to reset play. The six can very much control the tempo and pace of the game in this system. Michael Bradley played this role perfectly at Toronto and had been crucial to Vanney’s system working.

The six requires strong positioning, passing range and defensive capabilities. However the six is not just stuck in front of the centrebacks. Vanney’s system relies on fluidity and balance. If the six finds an opportune space in the attack, he has permission to join the attack. However, when that happens it is up to the eight to sit back instead and cover for the six. Balance.

Finding who can play this six role effectively at Galaxy will be a major priority for Vanney.

Wide Overloads

After the build-up phase is when Vanney wants his team to exploit the wide spaces by creating numerical advantages with overloads. As mentioned earlier, he wants fullbacks to stay back during the build-up phase but this role completely changes once the build-up phase is over. Once build-up is over the fullbacks can push forward push into the attack but not whenever they want. They push when there is an opportunity to create these wide overloads.

A common scenario in Vanney’s system is that the six will play the ball to the ten. Depending on what side that occurs, the winger will then cut inside into the half-space, to allow room for the fullback to overlap and join the attack out wide. At the same time the nine shifts towards the side that this all happening to further overload that area. This gives Vanney’s team a four versus three overload in the wide space. This forces the left-back to mark the winger and leaves the fullback open (light blue).

This isn’t the only type of overload that Vanney drills his team teams to do. There are different variations for different formations and situations within each game. In other scenarios it could be the box-to-box midfielder who runs into the half space and the number ten overlaps. Vanney prepares his team for any possible circumstance. That’s what made Toronto so difficult to play against for so long. Vanney’s teams are flexible and fluid enough to adapt to anything thrown at them.

A large part of that fluidity comes with the elite playmaker, the number ten, in Vanney’s system. Vanney has had the opportunity to coach some brilliant MLS playmakers that have been key to his teams. Vanney’s flexibility to adjust his tactics to put his playmaker in the best possible position to thrive is why they have thrived under him. Nevertheless, Vanney needs an elite playmaker just as much as the playmaker needs him.

Playmaker

While the 6 is the heart of Vanney’s system, the 10 is the brain. They are the puppetmasters of the offense and the catalyst of the attack. While we will be referring to the playmaker as the 10, it doesn’t mean that they necessarily play a traditional number ten role. His two most notable playmakers being perfect examples of not being traditional number tens.

First, it was Sebastian Giovinco who Vanney played as a second striker behind Jozy Altidore in a 4-4-2. Then there is Alejandro Pozuelo who played more as an advanced midfielder and winger. However, there is one common denominator between Vanney’s playmakers regardless of their playstyle. Full creative freedom.

Part of the reason that the system we have seen from Vanney has heavy emphasis on fluidity is to get the most out of these playmakers. Vanney doesn’t want to limit their creativity in any way. The 10 moves around the pitch wherever he thinks is best to make something happen. Vanney coaches his team to make sure they know what to do when the playmaker roams.

With the ten roaming, an unorganized team can get exposed. They need to know how to adjust their positioning to not only support the playmaker in the attack but cover on the defensive side as well. That’s where Vanney does an excellent job in making sure his team can adjust fluidly.

Defense

On defense, Vanney prefers a 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1 in a man-oriented high press. The most defining aspect of his system is the man-oriented part. A lot of modern defensive systems have zone-oriented systems. When defending, each player has to cover a specific zone that they are in charge of marking any opposing player who enters that zone. However, once that opposing player leaves the zone the player doesn’t follow him out of it but rather his teammate who has that new zone covered does.

In a man-oriented system such as Vanney’s, instead of players having zonal assignments they have player marking assignments. Each player has a specific opposing player they need to mark throughout the game. The specific player they need to mark can change throughout the game but they will always have a marking assignment. For Vanney, the most important of these assignments is the marking of the opposing double pivot.

Vanney puts a strong emphasis on marking the opposing midfield double pivot. Most teams in MLS play with a 4-2-3-1 and have a double pivot of midfielders to provide defensive stability and help the build up on the offense. If they are tightly marked and unable to get the ball it forces the opposing team to have to play wide which is what Vanney wants.

While Vanney has a very particular philosophy and system he wants to play, he still remains flexible to adjust his tactics on a game to game basis. Now that we have an understanding of Vanney’s system, it’s time to see how the current LA Galaxy’s roster fits into his system.

Roster

While the team’s 2020 record may not reflect it, on paper, LA Galaxy has a decent roster with potential but is missing some key pieces. However, the roster that Vanney is inheriting is better than the one he inherited at Toronto FC when he arrived in 2014. The roster has a mix of experience and youth but depth outside the first 11 is lacking. With that said, there a still quite a lot of question marks surrounding the roster.

Let’s first take a look at how Galaxy would line up in Vanney’s system if there was a game today. This is assuming if the recent reports on Pavón going back to Galaxy are true.

Defense

Analyzing the roster starting from the back to the front, we will start with the defense including the goalkeeper position.

At goalkeeper, new signing Jonathan Bond should be the day one starter. Bringing much experience from Europe and using up an international roster spot, he has clearly been brought in to play day one. Behind him, Galaxy has great depth at the keeper position with Klinsmann. Unfortunately for him, it looks like he will continue to be a backup keeper as he has been the majority of his young career.

As for the centreback pairing, this was an issue in the 2020 season that finally received attention this offseason. Whether it was because of coaching or individual reasons, LA Galaxy has struggled to find an inspiring centreback pairing for years now. With new signing Derrick Williams, Galaxy and Vanney are getting exactly what they needed. Williams is a left-footed centreback with great mobility and passing range. All traits suited to the high defensive line and possession based style Vanney likes his team to play.

As for his partner, Steres was the most consistent of the centrebacks last season. It could very well be DePuy or Gonzalez with no one out of contention with a new coach. However, Steres seems to fit the profile of centreback who fits Vanney’s system the best of these three. Centrebacks in this system will have to defend in transition often so it also important to have great fullbacks who can help cover.

Luckily for Galaxy, they do possess some top-quality fullbacks. Fullback is by the strongest position for the Galaxy on the defensive side. With the recent acquisition of MLS Cup winner, Jorge Villafańa from Portland, they are getting one of the most consistent MLS left-backs of the past 6 years. Combined with the young and explosive Araujo, it will make for potentially one of the best MLS fullback pairings in the league.

Both players also have large engines and can run at top gear for 90 minutes and more. This might prove to be even more useful with the lack of pace at centreback. They will probably find themselves having to run back on defense often to help their slower centrebacks stop counterattacks. Behind Villafaña and Araujo, Galaxy also has some good depth with Oniel Fisher, Danilo Acosta and young Josh Drak.

Midfield

The biggest question in the midfield is who is going to be Vanney’s new Michael Bradley. The only defensive midfielder on the Galaxy roster as of writing this is young Panamanian international, Carlos Harvey. Most of his playing career in the US has been in USL but was brought up to the Galaxy first team late into the 2020 season. While he certainly has potential, his professional playing experience is limited.

With the number six role being the heart of Vanney’s system, it is crucial to have a general in that position. As previously mentioned, this player needs to be defensively solid, have good positioning, and a strong passing range. Harvey does possess these traits at a core level but will have to refine them in order to run the midfield as Bradley did at Toronto for Vanney. Bradley came into Toronto an established player, Harvey is in the complete opposite stage of his career.

As for the number eight, Dos Santos is a fantastic player for Vanney to have in that role. He’s great in possession and able to unlock defenses with his late runs and passing in the final third. All skills very much suited to the number eight role under Vanney. However, the concern would be those times when Dos Santos does have to come back to defend which isn’t his strong suit. As well as the lack of depth in the midfield, a common trend throughout the rest of the positions in this Galaxy team.

Wingers

Things get interesting when it comes to the attacking players of Galaxy. One of the few bright spots of Galaxy in the past couple of years has been Cristian Pavón. However, his loan finished after last season and he is technically a Boca Juniors player as of writing this. Galaxy is keen on bringing him back and the feeling is mutual with Pavón. Bringing him back should be another priority for Galaxy.

Pavón has been one of the few dynamic Galaxy players since arriving in 2019. In many games, Pavón seemed to be the best chance for Galaxy to create something on offense. With Vanney preferring his wingers to cut into the half-spaces, Pavón could flourish under him. Both Pavón and Álvarez working the half-spaces would help get the most of their individual creative abilities. They would also both be cutting onto their stronger foot. All that combined with the fullbacks, Villafaña and Araujo, overlapping could prove to be a nightmare for opposing teams to defend against.

Once again, the winger options behind these two is very limited and the quality drops off significantly.

Striker and the Number Ten

Perhaps the two biggest questions surrounding this roster have to do with the striker and the number ten positions. The first question is whether Chicharito will bounce back from a disastrous debut season in MLS. LA Galaxy is paying him a fortune and he will need to pay it back this season will goal production. His lack of production wasn’t necessarily all his fault, however. Apart from the off-field issues he went through last season with his injury and divorce, on the pitch Guillermo did not set up Chicharito for success.

Chicharito is a pure poacher, he needs service to get the most out of him. Many times last season, he was too isolated up top and the only service he would get would be desperate crosses. This made defending against Chicharito and Galaxy very straightforward for opposing teams. Vanney’s Galaxy won’t be so drab and predictable, further helping put Chicharito in the best position to thrive.

Vanney’s use of the playmaker also known as the ten will also be advantageous to Chicharito. Part of the reason why Jozy Altidore thrived under Vanney was that he had Giovinco to keep opposing teams’ attention and to play off of. So many times teams would focus on stopping Giovinco that Altidore was left openings to exploit to score easy goals. This suits Chicharito even better with his excellent off-the-ball movement and his poaching nature. However, this leads us to the biggest question for this roster.

Who will be Vanney’s Giovinco or Pozuelo in LA? As of right now, the best choice would be Lletget, however, he is nowhere near the level of either Giovinco or Pozuelo. He doesn’t possess the creativity, flair, or technical ability to run the offense. Galaxy needs their elite playmaker who can link the offense together and single handily take over games. If Galaxy bring back Pavón, they would have no more Designated Players slots left to bring in that number ten.

Finding this player should be the number one priority for Galaxy. There is a case for Álvarez slotting in more centrally as that second striker/playmaker and it would give him creative freedom to operate in the middle. However, Álvarez is still very much raw and isn’t consistent enough to lead the offense just yet. Galaxy may have to wait out Dos Santos’ contract, renegotiate it or sell him in order to make space to buy an elite DP playmaker. This should be something that LA should highly consider because of the difference an elite playmaker can make in Vanney’s system.

Continuing with the trend, the depth in these positions is severely lacking and needs to be addressed in order for Galaxy to make it through a long season.

Conclusion

While this LA Galaxy team has potential it will not by any means be an easy task for Vanney to get them back to winning ways. There are four main keys to give this team the best shot of winning in the 2021 season. The first is to sign an elite playmaking Designated Player. The second is to resign Pavón. The third is to get Chicharito scoring. Lastly, the fourth and most overlooked one is to get Harvey comfortable playing in MLS. While these won’t guarantee Galaxy becoming contenders in the West, they sure will put Galaxy in the best position to succeed.

Greg Vanney has already built up one club from being at the very bottom to be at the very top year in and year out. His time and impact at Toronto will go down as one of the most impressive coaching stints in MLS history. However, LA Galaxy is a rebuild and will provide its own unique challenges. With the rich winning history both the Galaxy and Vanney have, he will have high expecations to live up to. What a story it would be if the ex-Galaxy player turned coach turns things around at his old club. While there is a lot of work to be done, LA Galaxy is in the best hands to rebuild its legacy.

The post How Greg Vanney Can Rebuild LA Galaxy’s Legacy appeared first on Regal Soccer.

Sobociński is considered to be one of the most talented young stoppers in Poland but is still very raw. He had an impressive campaign to help get LKS Lodz get promoted to the first division of Poland, Ekstraklasa, but struggled to adapt to the superior league. It was a difficult year for not only Sobociński but for the team as a whole as they got relegated down to the 2nd division. Thus far, things have turned around for both Sobociński and Lodz with them in contention for promotion once again sitting in 2nd place.

What about Sobociński makes him considered by many in Poland as the future of Poland’s defense? And how will he be able to transition to MLS?

Aggression

When you watch Sobociński for the first time, the first thing that stands out is his aggression. His approach on defense is reminiscent of the classic, no non-sense defenders of the early 2000s. While he only stands 6’1, which is relatively on the smaller side of centrebacks, he imposes himself on opponents as if he were much bigger. He doesn’t like to give opponents space or time. This is why he is suited to the stopper role.

The stopper in soccer is the centreback whose job is to stop the advancement of the ball as quickly as possible. They do this by fiercely contesting every ball in their area, stepping into passing lanes, and use aggression to disrupt the offense. This role requires confidence, bravery, anticipation, and strong tackling and heading ability. All traits that Sobociński possesses.

Sobociński is a fearless, strong tackler who is also great aerially. He loves to get stuck in and aggressively challenges for every ball. He isn’t afraid to put his body on the line to make the necessary tackle. He tackles hard and with authority not only winning the ball but also making an immediate statement to opposing players. Sobociński isn’t the type of defender who jockeys until his opponent passes back or makes mistake. He is hungry to make a crunching tackle anytime an opposing player has the ball.

As of writing this, Sobociński has won a solid 62.9% of his defensive duels this season. This is a further indication of his good one versus one defensive capability. In the air, thus far this season Sobociński has won 65.4% of his aerial duels. Sobociński isn’t the tallest but possesses fine athleticism. He has an impressive top speed for a centreback, able to quickly move laterally, and win those aerial duels. This athletism aids his aggressiveness and gives him an advantage in 1 v 1 scenarios.

His style of play is a nightmare for attackers because anytime they play against him they are in for a physical battle. Sobociński doesn’t want to give a single inch away for free. Sobociński’s style of play isn’t only physically fatiguing for opposing players but also affects them psychologically. If opposing players knows every time they touch the ball they are going to be physically challenged hard it will affect their mental. They will be less likely to hold on to the ball for long and instead opt for a quick pass backward or sideways instead of turning towards the goal and attacking.

However, like most young defenders, Sobociński isn’t flawless. His over aggression can sometimes lead him to be prone to mistakes and yellow cards. In his season playing in the Polish first division, he was criticized for making too many mistakes and rightfully so. His mistakes normally don’t come from a place of not being physically capable but rather more on the mental side of the game.

As in most young players, soccer IQ, such as reading the game and positioning is their weakest part. This trend continues with Sobociński and his occasional rash decision-making. Whether it is reading the game too late or anticipating too early, Sobociński needs to improve this aspect of his game to get the best out of his exceptional physical capabilities. This area can be improved with coaching and just flat out more experience.

Sobociński’s athleticism and physicality will help him significantly in adjusting to Major League Soccer’s high level of physicality. However, he must improve the mental aspects of his game in order to successfully defend the superior MLS attackers week in and week out. The clever and skillful attackers of MLS such as Lodeiro, Reynoso, Zelarayán, etc. make quick work of overly aggressive defenders who don’t read the game well. Playing against these attackers on a weekly basis will help Sobociński to improve every defensive aspect of his game.

Technical Ability

It’s rare enough to find a left-footed centreback nowadays, but to find a left-footed centreback that is athletic and gritty with a strong technical ability is a combination of unicorn level scarcity. This combination is very valuable in modern football systems because of the emphasis on high pressing and building up from the back.

Left-footed centrebacks are high in demand because of the prominence of playing out of the back. Teams now more than ever like to build up their attack starting from the goalkeeper and defenders are an important piece to start the attack. Defenders nowadays need to be strong technically and comfortable on the ball. Left-footed centerbacks help even more in the build-up because when playing on the left side it is much safer to pass with the left foot than the right.

Sobociński has what many Polish fans have deemed a “magical left foot” and for good reason. His left foot creates beautiful passes in every different form. From long switches, to over-the-top through balls, and line-breaking passes, Sobociński’s left foot can do it all. This season he’s had an exemplary overall pass completion percentage of 85.3%, attempting an average of 64.47 passes per 90 minutes.

Sobociński started out as a defensive midfielder in the youth levels of Poland. In fact, when playing in the youth levels he was known to consistently score goals from long distances because of the power his left foot possessed. As he’s gotten older he’s also increased his accuracy to go along with that power elevating his passing ability to another level. It is perhaps his time as a defensive midfielder that helped him develop his technical ability.

Below are some examples that showcase his diverse passing ability:

Over-The-Top Through Ball

Long Switch

Line-Breaking Pass

Passing Under Pressure

Sobociński’s technical abilities don’t stop at his passing. To accompany his strong passing ability he also has good vision. When on the ball, he is constantly scanning for runs in behind and openings to exploit the defense. He is comfortable enough on the ball to progress it forward as well as possesses a good first touch. He’s well-rounded in every technical aspect.

Similar to his defense, if Sobociński improves his decision-making when it comes to passing, it will take his distribution to an even higher level. This season so far he has completed 50.8% of his long passes with an average of 10.38 long passes attempted per 90. Completing half of his long passes is not bad at all, but the ones he didn’t were mostly due to it not being a good choice rather than not him not capable of producing the accuracy required. Again, this is something that he can improve with more experience and time.

Sobociński is going to help Charlotte FC in possession by progressing the ball forward and unlocking defenses through his ball carrying and precise passing.

Conclusion

Charlotte FC’s Sporting Director, Zoran Krneta, has consistently said that Charlotte will look to play an attacking, possession-based style and Sobociński fits the profile of the ideal centreback for this system. His athleticism and 1v1 capabilities allow him to play a high defensive line. He possesses the technical ability and composure to play out of the back. He also has that fearlessness that you can’t teach but is essential for being an elite stopper.

Major League Soccer is a great opportunity for Sobociński’s next step in his young career. He will be heading to a league that has the superior attacking quality and increased physicality that will push him to the next level. It will give him a chance to refine his skills and ability to prepare for a move to a better European league if that’s what he wants. He will also be going to a club that will be playing a system that caters to his playstyle and strengths.

Charlotte FC has possibly found themselves a diamond in the rough. While he’s rough around the edges, he has all the ability to be a key player in Charlotte’s spine for the upcoming inaugural season and much longer. He also has the potential to play at a high level back in Europe in the near future if he desires and earns it. For the rest of the year, he will continue to hone his craft in Poland helping push LKS Lodz to another promotion back to the Ekstraklasa.

Like “The Punisher” from the Marvel comics, Sobociński is gritty and instills fear in his opponents but is precise in his execution, someone Charlotte FC fans should look forward to having on their side.

The post Jan Sobociński: The Polish Punisher appeared first on Regal Soccer.

The first and most obvious reason is a quicker adjustment period. There will be no culture shock or language barrier when bringing in an American player to the MLS. The second reason is that he won’t fill up a valuable international player slot. That means one could use those slots on the more impactful positions such as attacking midfielder or striker with higher-profile foreign players. Lastly, American players are normally undervalued so if you have to pay a transfer fee there is a good chance it will be lower than say an Argentinian or Spanish player.

There are plenty of MLS quality Americans playing abroad that Charlotte FC should be inquiring about. However, there are a certain three that would be open to an MLS move, fit the club’s ideal player profile, and be automatic starters for Charlotte without breaking the bank.

Starting with…

Ethan Horvath (25)

Club: Club Brugge (Belgium)

Position(s): GK

Transfermarkt Value: $1.4 Million

Profile: Ethan Horvath has been playing in Europe his whole professional career, first at Molde in Norway and then Club Brugge in Belgium. Unfortunately for him, things haven’t gone to plan at Brugge only playing one league game thus far this season. His contract expires this upcoming June so he could leave for free. At 25 years old, Horvath is entering his prime and has an important decision to make regarding the future of his career.

Does he renew his contract at Club Brugge and keep fighting for the starting position? Or does he decide to leave to get guaranteed playing time elsewhere? Horvath has previously stated in an interview that he is the main financial provider for his parents. A move to MLS in his current situation would be very attractive considering he would get the playing time he deserves and be financially stable to continue supporting his family. All this while being in the familiar setting of his home country.

Horvath can easily be one of the best goalkeepers in MLS. He has all the ability and experience to be one of the headline keepers within the league. Back in October, the starting keeper for Brugge, Simon Mignolet, tested positive for COVID-19 and couldn’t play the Champions League game against Zenit. Horvath was thrust into starting a Champions League game having not played competitively in 13 months. He rose to the occasion and had a brilliant game making 2 key saves near the end to help Club Brugge win the game 2 – 1.

This was a testament to Horvath’s not only goalkeeping ability but even more so to his unwavering mentality to put in a performance like that, after not having played in 13 months and on the biggest stage in football.

Horvath stands at 6’3 with a lean, lanky body physique. He possesses excellent reflexes making him good in 1 v 1 scenarios and set pieces. He also has a great diving ability and is able to stretch and reach wide shots with precision. All that is combined with strong hands and parrying ability that decreases the risk of him giving the opposing team extra chances.

The command of his box is solid with him being aggressive to punch or catch crosses or corner kicks. Horvath’s lanky physique is deceptive because unlike what most would think he is athletic. He is capable of coming off his line quickly with acceleration and speed. As well has a good jumping ability to reach crosses or set-piece passes.

Horvath’s biggest weaknesses are his on the ball ability and distribution. He is not a ball playing goalkeeper. If a system is heavily reliant on using the keeper as an extra man for possession he may struggle in it. While he isn’t the worst, don’t expect him to do anything more than either to play it simple short or punt it long. His decision-making in certain scenarios could improve too but only being 25-years-old and a keeper who generally have longer careers, he has plenty of room to improve.

Charlotte FC would already be signing one of the best keepers in the league without him even playing a game for the club. He wouldn’t require a DP contract but a cheaper TAM deal would most likely be needed to attract him to Charlotte. For Horvath, Charlotte would provide a guaranteed starting position as well as financial security.

The clip below demonstrates Horvath using his high reflexes and strong hands to save a problematic shot and protect his team’s lead.

Ventura Alvarado (28)

Club: Atlético San Luis (Mexico)

Position(s): CB, RB, LB

Transfermarkt Value: $3 Million

Profile: Ventura Alvarado has been applying his trade in Mexico his entire career. The ex-Club América player has currently fallen out of favor at Atlético San Luis to a much younger Jesús Sandoval. The club is in 14th place and Alvarado is getting minimal playing time so a move to MLS could sound like a saving grace to him.

Alvarado’s most obvious asset to his game is his athleticism. He’s not the tallest of centrebacks standing at barely 6 feet but his raw athleticism makes up for his lack of height. In Mexico, he’s known as being one of the fastest and most mobile defenders in the league. Alvarado is extremely fast. Possessing quick acceleration and an impressive top speed for anyone let alone a centreback. Despite his shorter height, Alvarado is also very strong and able to win physical battles.

Alvarado is also a super aggressive defender. He is constantly seeking out the ball and pressuring anyone who has it. He loves to let the attackers know that anytime they touch the ball he will be right there to give them a shove and make them uncomfortable. His athleticism combined with his aggression makes for a difficult combination to beat the majority of times. Attackers have very little time to react when Alvarado is right on them immediately as they receive the ball.

His athleticism and aggression make him an excellent 1 v 1 defender. His aggression and ability to outpace or muscle opponents tend to be overwhelming. He will come out on top in most 1 v 1 scenarios.

However, this aggression doesn’t come risk-free and can be a liability. Alvarado accumulates a lot of yellow cards. Normally it is due to him being overly aggressive and arriving late on tackles. This is something he will have to be careful with when playing against the evasive MLS attackers such as Pozuelo and Zelarayán. Alvarado is best paired with a more passive, sweeper centreback to cover for him.

Alvarado is also very technically sound. First off, he’s completely comfortable with both his feet. He’s able to ping passes and dribble with both his right and left foot. He is also very comfortable carrying the ball and driving it forward. On top of that also possesses a solid passing range. From short easy passes to long diagonals across the pitch, Alvarado is capable of passing in a variety of ways.

Lastly, as a byproduct of his athleticism, on-the-ball ability, and two-footedness, Alvarado is very positionally flexible. He can play across the entire defensive line and defensive midfielder position in an emergency. He possesses the speed and technical ability to play fullback on either side of the pitch. His height, aggression, awareness, and tackling ability allow him to play as either the left or right centreback.

One aspect that one can’t see on the stat sheet is that Alvarado is also a leader. He captained Club Necaxa during one of their best seasons in recent years finishing 6th, making the Liga MX playoffs.

Alvarado’s skill set, athleticism, and versatility make him the ideal defender for modern, high-pressing systems that require fluidity between the different positions. With his age, lack of playing time, and at a smaller club in Mexico, Charlotte FC should be able to sign him at discounted transfer fee. He also would most likely be able to be brought in with just a senior contract. Alvarado can be a player that the club can build their defense around with his vast experience in playing and captaining in the unforgiving Liga MX.

The clip below demonstrates Alvarado’s aggression and strong tackling ability.

This one demonstrates his raw athleticism and commitment.

Shaq Moore (25)

Club: CD Tenerife (Spain)

Position(s): RB, RW

Transfermarkt Value: $720,000

Profile: Shaq Moore was a lock-in starter for Levante when they were playing in La Liga three years ago. Putting in solid performances week in and week out, including a memorable one against Barcelona. However, he currently finds himself being a key player at CD Tenerife in the Spanish second division but sitting in 16th place.

So far this season, Moore has 2,105 minutes played, by far the most minutes of any other player at Tenerife and one of the highest in La Liga 2. With that said, there is no chance that Tenerife will get promoted this season. That combined with just being flat out too good for Tenerife, Moore could be looking for alternative options. He’s been playing in Spain for almost 5 years now and a new challenge back in his home country could be enticing.

Moore is an attack minded fullback that loves to get forward at every opportunity. Standing at 5’11, he’s taller than most fullbacks but doesn’t sacrifice any speed for the additional height. He is rapid and utilizes that that speed to fly down the wide-space, beat players in the 1 v 1s, or to get back on defense.

His speed allows him to get into the position to do what he does best. Crossing. Shaq’s biggest strength is his pinpoint crossing ability. His crosses don’t only have the pace but the precision as well. Almost every cross Moore makes is a threatening one. For opposing teams, it’s a nightmare combination when you have a fullback who can get into the crossing positions and put in precise crosses all game long. It is very difficult to defend for 90 minutes.

Naturally, when it comes to attack-minded fullbacks, their poor defensive positioning will get exposed. Nevertheless, with Moore’s speed he is capable of getting back on defense quickly. His speed and agility also helps him in 1 v 1 defending. His 5’11 height combined with his quickness makes it very difficult to dribble past him. On top of that, he has an impressive slide tackle to add to his defensive arsenal.

Moore isn’t only a crossing merchant on offense. He has great overall technical ability to dribble into threatening positions as well as playing dangerous through balls. His offensive abilities are so good that he is sometimes utilized as a right-winger for Tenerife. His passes have a nice weight to them. He will often play threatening passes in behind the defense to his wingers or strikers playing them through on goal.

Moore’s transfer fee is a bargain for the quality of player Charlotte would be getting. He wouldn’t even require absurdly high wages. A senior contract on the higher end of the spectrum would most likely be the max required to sign him. Moore should have no problem adjusting to the MLS and would fit the player profile of what the Charlotte front office is looking for. Moore is entering his prime but is still young enough to make a move back to Europe if he so desires, which would also net Charlotte FC a nice profit. It wouldn’t be a dead-end move for Moore. Charlotte would get a potential top MLS fullback for a bargain with the potential of profit or being the long-term right-back for the club.

This clip below is a typical Moore sequence and showcases what he does best. He uses his pace to join the attack, drives the ball forward when he receives it, and then delivers a threatening cross.

Conclusion

Signing American players from abroad is a great way to bring quality into the club without having to spend a fortune. It allows for more room for international slots and the budget to bring in even better foreign talent into the team. That combined with an easy adjustment period makes signing Americans make that much more sense. With more talent than ever in the US pool, better players are getting overlooked and Charlotte FC should take full advantage of that.

The post Americans Abroad Charlotte FC Should Sign appeared first on Regal Soccer.

Various French clubs at every professional level have been further financially devastated on top of the already crippling Covid-19 losses. With many French clubs not receiving the TV revenue they were promised, they are desperate to offload players to build some revenue. Due to this, many players within Ligue 1 & 2 are being sold at discount prices that would normally be unheard of. Players who were unattainable for certain clubs before 2020 are suddenly realistic possibilities.

As one can imagine, right now there are bargains around every corner of Ligue 1 & 2. One of the many leagues that can benefit greatly from this is Major League Soccer. French football is a gold mine of talent. In more normal circumstances, most Ligue 1 and some Ligue 2 players would have been difficult to attract and afford for MLS clubs. That is no longer the case. Clubs in the MLS can now sign players from Ligue 1 & 2 that normally just wouldn’t have been possible in the past.

With Charlotte FC building its inaugural roster for 2022, Ligue 1 & 2 have to be leagues that they are keeping a close eye on. Many of the players from these leagues fit the Charlotte FC player signing profile and philosophy. Young players with high potential and players in their prime who are MLS first-team quality. While there are a multitude of great potential pickups, three stand out to be fantastic fits and bargains for Charlotte FC

Beginning with…

Amine Bassi (23) (Morocco)

Club: AS Nancy (Ligue 2)

Position(s): AM, CM, CF, LW, RW

Transfermarkt Value: $1.8 Million

Profile: Amine Bassi is a silky right-footed playmaker who has excellent technique, vision, and spatial awareness. While his best position is attacking midfielder, he is very versatile. Just in 2020, he was deployed as an attacking midfielder, center midfielder, left-winger, right-winger, and center-forward at AS Nancy. Bassi is exceptional at making himself available to receive the ball around the penalty area and immediately turning to try to create a chance for his team. He has been in a league of his own in chance creation in Ligue 2 for the past 2 seasons. He’s very well-rounded technically so he has multiple different approaches to create these chances for his team.

He can create chances by playing a threaded through ball, whipping in a sizzling cross, beating his defender in a 1 v 1 with his tight dribbling, or taking a quick touch to create enough space for him to fire a shot. His precise, close-control dribbling makes taking the ball off him incredibly difficult. His vision and ability to pick a pass can open up defenses in an instant. He isn’t afraid to shoot outside the box and is more than capable of consistently scoring these lower percentage shots. Bassi is a complete playmaker. In a league that at the heart of most successful teams is an elite number ten pulling the strings, Bassi looks very capable of being that puppetmaster. In order to reach that level though he has to increase his end production.

While he creates the most chances out of anyone in Ligue 2, his goal and assist tallies could be better. In the 2019 – 2020 season, he notched 4 goals and 3 assists in 2,008 minutes played. Thus far in the 2020 – 2021 season, he has 4 goals with 0 assists in 843 minutes. However, his expected assists are 3.79 this season. His lack of assists could come down to his teammates not finishing off the chances Bassi creates for them. Who knows what he could accomplish with more clinical finishers. He would also have to adjust to the physicality of the league with him lacking raw strength and physical presence.

With that said, if Charlotte FC were to sign him as a Designated Player he would need to take his goal and assist tallies to the next level. A goal he is more than capable of accomplishing considering he has much room to further develop at the young age of 23.

There has been European interest for Bassi but most recently it seems to have died off. Bassi could have very easily have been picked up by an English Championship team but because of Brexit that just isn’t an option anymore. Charlotte FC can take advantage of this current situation and swipe a massive young talent out from under everyone. He would most likely have to be a Designated Player but would only be 24-years-old when Charlotte starts playing allowing for a potentially huge profit if he gets sold later on.

He would be coming into the MLS as one of the most creative and dynamic players within the league. At 23, he’s already accumulated 7,944 minutes of professional playing experience and is at a stage where he is ready for the next step in his career. Similar to when 23-year-old Miguel Almiron made his jump from Lanús in Argentina to play for Atlanta United in MLS. Shockingly, Bassi is available for a free transfer this summer with his contract with AS Nancy expiring this upcoming June. Charlotte FC and MLS could provide Bassi a bigger stage to showcase his talent to the world.

The clip below perfectly demonstrates Bassi’s playmaking ability. Utilizing his superb close control dribbling, flair, and vision, he dictates the entire sequence and creates a goal for his team finishing it off with an assist.

Amine Adli (20) (France/Morocco)

Club: Toulouse FC (Ligue 2)

Position(s): ST & CF

Transfermarkt Value: $603k

Profile: Amine Adli is just 20-years-old but is a lockdown starter for promotion favorites, second place Toulouse FC in Ligue 2. He’s overperforming his expected goals of 3.62 already scoring 5 goals and adding 3 assists in 1,308 minutes played so far this season. While he is still a very young and raw prospect, he has shown to possess qualities beyond his years.

What initially stands out the most about Adli is that he doesn’t seem to be significantly weak in any footballing aspect. Despite his young age and limited professional experience, he has proven he has what it takes to play at a professional level. A complete forward is the best way to describe the kind of striker Adli is.

In terms of physical characteristics, he stands at 5’9 but has a similar, sturdy build to that of also 5’9 Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero. He has great explosiveness and speed to help him get away from defenders. His low center of gravity, great balance, and sturdy build help in avoiding getting bullied off the ball on a regular basis. He also seems to have made bulking up this past offseason a priority and continues increasing his mass up to this point. All of Adli’s physical characteristics would be helpful for the physicality of Major League Soccer.

However, more importantly, where do his mental and technical soccer abilities stand? Well, Adli isn’t only a complete forward because of physical characteristics. On the technical side, he can do it all. He has good ball control to carry the ball effectively, clever dribbler utilizing small touches to beat defenders, good vision and short passing ability for a young striker, and versatile finishing.

He has no problem using both his feet to score and dribble. He’s capable of dropping deep to receive the ball and progress it forward into the final 3rd. He can also play off defenders’ shoulders and get in behind. Adli can play almost any assignment asked of him in that striker position. His hold up ability still needs work but will improve as he continues to physically develop and gain more experience.

When it comes to his strongest mental attributes the most impressive ones are his composure and awareness. Whether it’s being closed down by a press or a 1 v 1 against the goalkeeper he is aware of his surroundings and has the composure and technical ability to act accordingly. The pressures of professional football don’t seem to startle him. He just looks like he belongs. However, one area where most young players are weak in is decision making. This is certainly an area that Adli needs to improve in but it is only natural to assume he will improve on it with experience.

Adli’s contract with Toulouse also ends this upcoming June so he would be available on a free transfer. His salary, however, is the tricky aspect to estimate. While there has been very little hype around Adli, if Toulouse sustains their good form and gets promoted to Ligue 1, it would make attracting Adli more difficult. If that is the case, a Designated Player contract may be the only way to attract him to MLS. On the flip side, if they don’t get promoted, MLS would be a more attractive option than playing in Ligue 2. In that case, a TAM contract or less could suffice to bring him to Charlotte.

While U-23 Designated Players have been very hit or miss in the league, unlike a lot of the flops, Adli has already proven he can be a consistent contributor to a professional team. However, the reality remains that a U-23 DP is still a huge gamble for any MLS club. MLS is more physically demanding than Ligue 2 and some young players just can’t handle the transition.

The most ideal scenario would be to sign Adli on a Senior or TAM contract at most. He isn’t ready right now to bear that Designated Player status but can still be a consistent starter in MLS. Regardless of whether he comes in on a DP, TAM, or senior contract, he will have to step up his goal contributions.

Charlotte would be gambling on his potential to develop into a top MLS striker, so they would require patience with him. A big risk but with massive upside. With that said, Adli has all the tools to be a top MLS striker and the next headline MLS export.

In the clip below, one can see all his well-rounded abilities coming together to start and finish a goal sequence. He begins with a clever pass that splits the defense. He then has the awareness to recognize where the open space is in the box and runs into it. His teammate finds him and Adli is composed and technically adept enough to take one precise touch to beat the last defender. He immediately follows that touch with a beautiful finish on his weaker right foot.

Senou Coulibaly (26) (Mali)

Club: Dijon FCO (Ligue 1)

Position(s): RCB, LCB

Transfermarkt Value: $968k

Profile: Senou Coulibaly is a right-footed center-back that stands at a towering 6’4 but is impressively mobile. While on paper having a really tall center-back seems to be a strength there are many cases where height is more a hindrance than an advantage. Coulibaly is not one of these cases. The clip below is just to showcase the athletism Coulibaly possesses despite his deceptive tall, lankier frame. He is able to keep up 1 v 1 with Kylian Mbappe, one of the fastest players in the world.

Coulibaly has a good understanding of how to get the most out of his height. A common trend you find in Coulibaly’s profile is how well he utilizes the combination of his height and athletism. The most obvious advantage of such height and athletism comes in aerial duels. Coulibaly is fast enough to arrive at the aerial balls within his defensive area and also has the height to win them against the majority of attackers.

Coulibaly is very commanding of his defensive area. Any opposition player that comes into or receives the ball within it will be immediately met by him. Coulibaly’s approach to defending is to disrupt the flow of attack by applying pressure immediately on the first touch an opponent has. With his long 6’4 frame and ability to quickly move laterally, it is difficult to dribble past his initial pressure. Most times, Coulibaly pressures the opposing ball receiving player as the ball arrives at their feet. His initial pressure forces most attackers to have to make a quick decision. This normally results in the opposing players being forced to make a less threatening pass backward.

While Coulibaly’s pressures can be very effective, if mistimed or against better opposition it can end up leaving the defense exposed. Coulibaly seems decently aware of these scenarios but occasionally will pressure in moments that will leave the defensive shape vulnerable. In MLS specifically, higher quality Designated Players who are excellent dribblers can take advantage of such pressure. One clever touch or feint from them could result in Coulibaly getting beat. However, with experience playing in Ligue 1, he has faced his fair share of attacking quality.

When it comes time to defend an attacker face to face in 1 v 1 scenarios, Coulibaly takes a less aggressive approach compared to when his opponent is playing with their back against him. He is patient and rarely lunges for tackles. He uses his length and lateral quickness to jockey his opponents to keep them in front of him. He jockeys until his opponent takes a bad touch, leaves an opening, or a teammate helps that he then takes advantage of to dispossess his opponent. His objective is to stay between the attacker and the goal or passing lane they are looking to attack.

The weaker aspects of Coulibaly’s game are his tackling and passing. He needs to improve the strength of his tackles. Sometimes when he goes for tackles it lacks strength and commitment not allowing for clean dispossession of the ball. It can give second chance opportunities to the opposing team. He also rarely slide tackles but when he does he doesn’t seem to time them well. If he wasn’t so tall and athletic this would be a bigger issue but he makes up for the lack of slide tackling ability with his raw athletism and length.

Coulibaly’s passing is mediocre at best. His passing range is very limited, it isn’t the most accurate and his pass selection can be off at times. While he’s actually pretty decent on the ball dribbling wise, don’t expect him to progress the ball with his passing. Coulibaly would best be paired with a center-back who is comfortable passing out of the back.

However, Coulibaly isn’t a complete product yet. Center-backs tend to peak at older ages compared to most other positions in soccer. With Coulibaly only being 26, he’s not even in his prime yet as a center-back, so he still has much room to improve. Dijon is highly likely to get relegated to Ligue 2 and a move to MLS could be attractive to a player like Coulibaly. There isn’t much transfer interest for Coulibaly, but that is great news for Charlotte. With relegation, his transfer fee would drop even lower than what it already is allowing Charlotte to pick up a solid center-back about to enter his prime for pennies.

Conclusion

With Covid-19 and the TV deal disaster in French football, Charlotte FC has a rare window to acquire players from Ligue 1 & 2 for massively discounted prices. It is a huge opportunity to acquire some high quality, key players for the inaugural season of Charlotte. Zoran Krneta, Thomas Schaling, and co. have continuously stated that the Charlotte scouting network is monitoring leagues all around the world for players. Ligue 1 & 2 should be at the very top of the list of their prioritized leagues to scout.

Massive thank you to Kasarachi from @FootyScribblers for all his recommendations and additional insight on French football! Make sure to check out his own site over at footballscribblers.blogspot.com.

The post Ligue 1 & 2 Bargains for Charlotte FC appeared first on Regal Soccer.

With promotion at stake, Swansea has been scrambling to increase their depth this January transfer window. A large part due to loanees Morgan Gibbs-White, Kasey Palmer, and Viktor Gyokeres all being recalled to their parent clubs. With Swansea pushing for a promotion, manager Steve Cooper is looking to bolster his attacking options.

Morris has been a key attacking piece to the Seattle Sounder’s recent success. Winning two MLS Cups during his 4 seasons played there, Morris being crucial in those MLS Cup runs. Jordan has accumulated 42 goals and 21 assists in 129 games for the Sounders. While European interest has been there for Morris since 2016, Jordan Morris will be leaving the MLS for the first time in his career at 26-years-old.

Player Profile

Jordan Morris is an incredibly hard working and flexible attacking option. He can play any forward position but has found his best form playing as an inverted winger on the left for Seattle. The most obvious strength Morris has is his powerful running ability. Morris’s stocky physique is not one of a typical soccer player and combined with his impressive speed it makes for a dangerous combination.

His pace and power are the main attributes that define his playing style. He uses them to explode past players one versus one but also to play off the shoulder of defenders and run in behind. The latter being a very useful ability to Swansea and their system. More on that later.

However, Morris isn’t only all brute strength and speed. An underrated aspect in Morris’s game is his playmaking ability. While he’s no number ten, Morris does possess good vision and passing ability for a direct attacker like himself. He shouldn’t be relied on to be the creative catalyst of a team but can link up play nicely, cross the ball, and create if needed. It is one of the aspects of his game that he has improved on the most throughout the years.

One of the main reasons that Morris’s playmaking ability was hindered early on in his career was that he practically had no left foot. Morris was heavily dependent on his right foot and it was holding him back. He realized this and has drastically improved it. He isn’t fully two-footed but is capable of consistently crossing and scoring on his weaker left foot.

The most impressive part about Morris, however, isn’t his pace, power or playmaking but his incredible worth ethic. Morris leaves everything on the pitch every time he steps on it. On offense he is constantly moving either looking for the ball or running in behind. He runs after every 50/50 and isn’t afraid to run back on defense and put in a tackle to stop a counter. If one thing is guaranteed that you will be getting from Morris every time he is on the pitch is 110% effort.

Some weaker aspects of his game are his finishing and close control dribbling.

While Morris’s finishing isn’t terrible by any means it is nothing special. It’s very average. Due to his smart off the ball movement, most of Morris’s goal-scoring opportunities are high percentage shots. For these high percentage opportunities, his finishing ability is more than sufficient. With that said though, Morris is by no means a clinical finisher.

While Morris has definitely improved his first touch and dribbling it still isn’t anything super impressive. His strength definitely comes with having space to work with. When playing against really defensive sides who don’t give much space he can struggle. He doesn’t have the close control required to beat opponents one versus one in tight spaces in and around the box.

So how does Jordan Morris fit at Swansea City under Steve Cooper’s system?

Swansea City

Swansea City has found plenty of success playing a 352 under Steve Cooper this season. The most obvious thing that stands about Cooper’s current system is that there are no wingers. This seems to be an immediate problem on paper because Jordan Morris’s preferred position is left-winger. The current two strikers in Cooper’s 352 are André Ayew (left) and Jamal Lowe (right). However, they don’t play a traditional number nine role.

Ayew’s role is that of a deep-lying forward who drops deeper to help in the transition from defense to attack. He’s the creative playmaker of the two strikers so you want him to be on the ball as much as possible. Therefore he has complete freedom to roam and drop to receive the ball from any position he sees fit.

Lowe’s role on the other hand is to pull defenses by drifting wide and running in behind. Sound familiar to a particular Sounder’s strengths? Lowe has been in top form recently scoring 7 goals in his last 7 games. He won’t be losing his starting position anytime soon but his role fits Morris’s strengths.

Morris would most likely be filling this role to give Lowe a break as a sub or playing the cup games. They also happen to be the same exact age with Lowe being the elder of the two by 3 months. Morris’s speed and smart off-ball movement are perfectly suited to this role. He would not only be providing depth but also competition to Lowe in that position.

The other but less likely possibility is that Steve Cooper switches to a 343 formation. With Morris as the left forward, Lowe as the right forward, and Ayew in the middle of them playing the false 9. While this is much less likely, it is possible if Morris impresses enough and Lowe keeps his fine form. Cooper could want to find a way to fit all three players in the starting line up and a 343 could be a very viable option to do so.

Conclusion

Jordan Morris has finally decided to step out of his comfort zone and is headed to Europe. It is a six-month loan that could potentially change the entire perception of his career. It is an opportunity for him to prove to American fans and more importantly himself that he can cut it in Europe. He is being thrown straight into the fire in the midst of Swansea City’s promotion battle in the Championship. If he performs well and helps Swansea get promoted it could potentially mean he will become a Premier League player.

For Swansea City, they are getting a tireless worker and a dynamic player who can make an immediate impact. They are getting such player on a low-risk loan deal but with high potential upside. Jordan Morris’s direct playing style, power, and speed are all well suited to the Championship. Not to mention that in terms of culturally adapting it should be easier for Morris considering he already speaks English.

A great opportunity has arrived for Jordan Morris in Europe, it’s now up to him to prove to everyone he has what it takes.

The post Jordan Morris: Swansea’s Depth Solution? appeared first on Regal Soccer.

With four months left until that estimated deadline, there still have been no solid rumors surrounding who could end up being Charlotte FC’s first-ever head coach. However, there is an available coach out there who seems to tick every box for what Charlotte FC are looking for. His name is Peter Uneken.

Coaching History

Dutchman, Peter Uneken, is the current coach of Jong PSV, the U-21 PSV squad that plays in the second division of the Netherlands professional football pyramid.

Uneken, a former professional player, started his coaching career at NEC Nijmegen as a youth coach there for three years. Afterward, he began his 7-year coaching career at PSV at the helm of the PSV U-14 team. Then he went on to coach the PSV U-17 team for two seasons before taking charge of Jong PSV for four years starting as the assistant coach and becoming the head coach two years later.

His two seasons as head coach of Jong PSV have resulted in finishing in eighteenth place his first season and currently in sixteenth place in his second season. While these results seem to be alarmingly awful at first glance, Jong PSV can be extremely inconsistent due to the nature of it being a youth team playing in a professional league.

Players come and go at a constant rate and it makes it difficult to build cohesiveness and chemistry within the team. The best Jong PSV players are consistently either being moved up to the senior team or sold to clubs around the world. The high player turnover rate at Jong PSV makes the job of finishing at the top of the table that much more challenging. Fortunately, finishing high on the table isn’t what the Jong PSV head coach is judged on, but rather developing youth players into professional footballers.

But what about Peter Uneken screams perfect fit for the head coach position at Charlotte?

Availability

The first and most obvious question when it comes to hiring a coach is… are they even available for hire?

Uneken has already publicly announced his departure from the club after the end of 2021 season, “I had a great time here, but I feel I am ready to take the next step in my career.” His departure from PSV happens to align perfectly with the timeline that Charlotte FC has set for hiring the head coach.

Charlotte sporting director, Zoran Krneta, has mentioned in previous interviews that the club’s goal is to hire the head coach before the upcoming summer and winter transfer windows. The reasoning behind this is so that the coach can be a part of the recruitment process in those two crucial windows.

Speaking of recruitment…

Recruitment

If Uneken were to be hired, he wouldn’t be the only ex-PSV employee at Charlotte FC. Charlotte’s director of scouting is Thomas Schaling who previously was a senior scout at PSV and is also Dutch himself. But why does this matter?

With both Uneken and Schaling coming from the school of PSV their recruitment philosophies will align. They will have an understanding because of their past experiences at PSV. It could be very well possible that Schaling already personally knows or has met Uneken. This connection will help facilitate the entire recruitment process.

The chemistry between the head coach and director of scouting can’t be overlooked. The relationship between the two positions directly affects the team on the pitch. This will be especially crucial with the upcoming transfer windows where Krneta, Schaling, and the future head coach will be working closely together to build a competitive inaugural squad.

Part of the Charlotte FC recruitment philosophy that Krneta and the scouting department have prioritized is youth.

Youth Development

The club has consistently talked about how they want to make youth development a priority. Their goal is that the Charlotte FC academy continuously produces quality players who can contribute to the first team. This goal is something that Uneken is very familiar with coming from one of the most elite youth producing clubs in the world.

Uneken had the following to say about his work with the youth in his announcement on leaving Jong PSV, “At PSV U21, we play professional football but are secondary to the first-team squad. Our main duty is to deliver well-rounded footballers into the professional game. And that’s what we have done. We are half-way through the season but as many as six players have made their professional debut and Yorbe Vertessen has been promoted to the senior squad, which makes everybody at the PSV Academy very proud.”

Uneken’s entire job as head coach of Jong PSV revolved around taking raw, young prospects and shaping them into proper footballing professionals. PSV does this as well as anyone else in the world and Charlotte would be inheriting all their trade secrets in hiring Uneken.

With 7 years of experience within the youth system of PSV, Uneken undoubtedly has learned PSV’s strategy in producing world-class talent consistently. He would benefit the Charlotte FC academy massively and would be key in helping the youth players transition into the professional game.

His experience at PSV has also helped him in learning the best ways to communicate with youth players and create those connections that are so crucial to their development. Interacting with youth players requires a drastically different approach compared to veteran professionals. This not only benefits Charlotte academy players but any young players that Charlotte FC signs in the future.

Uneken would also have considerable contacts as PSV to organize loan or permanent moves to Charlotte for young players within the PSV academy system or professional teams. Charlotte FC could utilize this to acquire some of the best young talents at PSV and throughout the Netherlands.

Developing youth is easily Uneken’s biggest strength. You could call him a specialist in that department. He would have no problem trusting the youth and integrating them into the first team at Charlotte.

Playing Philosophy

“We will play attractive, attacking soccer that our fans will appreciate,“ Zoran said. ”And, of course, we will try to win every game.” These are the words of Zoran Krneta early on in an interview when asked about the playing philosophy the club will have.

PSV plays an attacking, possession-based football from the academy levels to the senior team. Uneken’s playing philosophy would line up with what the club is looking for. He would bring that attractive PSV style of play to Charlotte.

While Charlotte has only signed three players thus far, those players fit this style of play, hence why they were signed by the club. Sergio Ruiz, the club’s first-ever signing, said in an interview with Regal Soccer that he prefers playing in a vertical, possession-based system.

With that said, how well he could implement that system in the MLS would remain to be seen.

Conclusion

Peter Uneken may not be the flashy signing fans would want but he ticks every box that Charlotte FC is looking for in a head coach. The only concern, a significant one at that, would be his lack of substantial head coaching experience. It is also for this reason that a head coaching job for Charlotte FC would be a realistic possibility.

His lack of professional coaching experience wouldn’t make him an attractive coaching option for any team within the top 5 leagues. Leaving perhaps a small team within the Eredivisie or the other smaller European leagues to take a chance on him. While that is plausible, none of those opportunities would seem as attractive as the Charlotte FC job.

Charlotte FC would be offering an incredibly unique experience and more exposure for Uneke as a head coach. He would be leading a brand new team in a new country but working within a familiar environment alongside a majority Dutch scouting department. With the Charlotte FC front office leaning towards hiring a European coach, on the surface, this hiring makes perfect sense.

Uneken looks to be a remarkably compatible option for the Charlotte FC head coach position. With the grand puzzle of Charlotte FC slowly coming together, Peter Uneken could be a piece that fits perfectly into it.

The post Peter Uneken: Charlotte’s Perfect Fit? appeared first on Regal Soccer.

But this wasn’t good enough for us. We wanted something of our own. Soccer is engrained in Carolina culture, it is an integral part of us, we deserved something of our own. The Carolinas were craving a team more than ever. Finally, on that fateful day of December 17th, 2019, Charlotte was awarded an MLS franchise.

What a day December 17th was. I remember being in a state of shock, excitement, and pure joy. I couldn’t believe the Carolinas were finally getting an MLS team. There was a party in Charlotte that reverberated throughout the Carolinas. Tom Glik, president of Tepper Sports & Entertainment, put it perfectly: “We’re not bringing soccer to Charlotte. It’s been here for decades.”

David Tepper and co. wanted to come out and not only announce the new MLS franchise but make a statement. Without even knowing the name of this new MLS club, David Tepper immediately targeted our future rivals and recent MLS Cup winners Atlanta, “Charlotte is HOT! We’re the hot city,” Tepper said. “Screw that other city!”

He got that right, Charlotte is HOT. Thousands of fans swarmed to place seat deposits right as they announced the ability to. Over twenty-two thousand seat deposits were placed within the first month. The Carolinas were finally getting their MLS team.

However, after the announcement party, the hard work begins in building a brand new soccer club from scratch. At this point, Charlotte was expecting their inaugural season to be in 2021. The club only had a little over a year to sign all the staff, all the players and be ready to play in March 2021. Time was of the essence.

The next few months were filled with staff hirings, most notable the following. First off, Zoran Krneta was announced as Sporting Director. He brings global knowledge with his experience as co-founder of the global scouting network Star Sports & Entertainment. Also bringing experience in landing players in the MLS such as former Chicago Fire player and 2017 Golden Boot winner Nemanja Nikolic.

Shortly after, Marc Nicholls was announced as Technical Director. Tepper president, Tom Glick, had this to say on his impact: “He brings a wealth of experience in Major League Soccer and our region, and he has built high performing teams. It’s great to have him join us right now, as we build from the ground up, including constructing our youth academy, establishing partnerships with other soccer organizations, confirming our coaching methods and laying pathways for young players into our senior team.”

Director of Scouting was next and former PSV senior scout, Thomas Schaling was the man chosen for the job. Another notable addition to the Scouting Department of Charlotte was the announcement of Steve Walsh as a Special Advisor. Yes, the same Steve Walsh who helped build Leicester City’s historic Premier League-winning team in 2015-16.

To lead the new Charlotte academy, Dan Lock was appointed Academy Manager. He brings over a decade of experience in all youth soccer levels. Most recently working in highly respected Seattle Sounders academy.

These hirings made a statement to the fans and the league that the team weren’t playing around. They hired top-notch individuals for the job to ensure that the club is in the best hands possible to create a winning and competitive team right out of the gate.

It was around the end of when the majority of the headline Charlotte staff positions were hired that the inevitable Coronavirus started significantly impacting the United States. The MLS season was just starting but doubts of it being able to continue were increasing. With only two 2 games into the 2020 MLS season, it had been to be postponed until further notice. The new Charlotte MLS franchise had to begin questioning how Covid-19 would impact them and their process towards the inaugural season.

With the pandemic, along with everyone else, Charlotte had to adapt. The name of the club still hadn’t had been announced to the public, the academy needed to get started, and building the inaugural roster all had to get done. However, to the disappointment of fans, MLS and Charlotte announced that our inaugural season would be delayed to 2022. From a fan perspective, it was disheartening. From the Charlotte staff’s perspective, it was probably relief, because they had some breathing room to not rush and really build the club and team up properly.

While Covid-19 has been devastating to the world, it has been a blessing in disguise for the club. The first reason is just having more time to prepare for the inaugural season. The second of them came in the form of the first-ever player signing for the team. On July 8th, a week before the delaying of the inaugural Charlotte season, Sergio Ruiz becomes the club’s first signing. The midfielder was acquired from just relegated Racing Santander in the competitive Spanish second division. According to sporting director Zoran Krneta, signing Ruiz was only financially possible due to the crashing soccer transfer market caused by the pandemic.

Shortly after, Sergio Ruiz was loaned to the iconic Spanish club, Las Palmas, in the Spanish second division to continue playing and developing in a league he is familiar with. Speaking with Sergio personally, he is extremely passionate about the Charlotte project and is one hundred and ten percent committed to the club. He told me he was just as sad as the fans when the inaugural season was delayed a year. His heart is not only in Charlotte but he also has all the footballing ability to go along with that heart on the pitch.

At this stage, over six months had passed since the club was first announced but still no official name, crest, and colors had been released. After a long wait, on July 22nd they were announced. The Carolina’s MLS team would be named Charlotte Football Club and colors would be the Panthers blue, black, and white.

The name was disappointing considering the unnecessarily long wait fans had to endure for it (personally I would have gone with Charlotte Athletic). The colors make sense considering Charlotte FC will play in Bank of America stadium along with the Carolina Panthers. The crest while simple and basic is a clean design that is easily recognizable (personally a bigger fan of the secondary logo).

The fans finally had a name, crest, and logo for the club and something tangible through merchandise to support the team with.

The next few months were heavily focused on the Charlotte FC academy. They played their first matches on August 22nd and then played their first MLS Next matches on September 19th. In between all the academy action, Charlotte FC announced their second-ever signing, Australian golden boy Riley McGree.

He was announced on October 5th and the transfer showed the club’s vast scouting range. It is not often that Australian players go to MLS in general but especially young and upcoming ones. The signing of McGree continued to show the club’s commitment to signing younger but experienced players. How Riley will fare in the MLS is still unknown but the potential to be a top player is there.

Twenty six days later the Charlotte FC Academy U-15 and U-17 teams faced off against rivals Atlanta United in the Bank of America stadium. It was the first taste of game-day action for the CLT fans and it was quite a showing. The U-17s managed to haul in a 3 – 2 win in an end to end affair. While the younger U-15 squad most consisted of players 14 years old and younger lost to the older Atlanta U-15 team 5 – 3. Both games showed real early promise in the Charlotte FC youth system and players.

Lastly, Nick Kelly has just recently been announced as club president for Charlotte FC. Nick Kelly brings extensive experience in soccer marketing and partnerships. His former employer, AB InBev, is well connected with global soccer not only creating partnerships with over a dozen MLS clubs but also multiple international tournaments. Tournaments like the FIFA World Cup, Olympics, International Champions Cup, and Copa America. Budweiser became an official partner of the National Women’s Soccer League under Kelly in 2019.

Following the Nick Kelly hiring, another player signing was made on December 18th in Brandt Bronico. Another midfielder but this one is a 25-year-old North Carolina native who first made his name playing for the Charlotte 49ers. He brings MLS experience having made 66 MLS appearances for the team that drafted him, Chicago Fire. Charlotte signed their first-ever local boy in Bronico and the fans love it.

As of right now, there are a solid 31,000 seat deposits and counting going into 2021. While it has been a strong first year for Charlotte FC, there is still much more to do. The next priorities will be to continue to sell more seat deposits, hire a coach, and accelerate the planning and building of the first team.

Charlotte FC has much to be proud of in what they have accomplished in year one. The club has built a strong foundation to build upon the brand and team in their excellent staff hiring. The academy has had an impressive start and already looks competitive. Great signings that can contribute immediately in 2022 were made with Ruiz, McGree, and Bronico.

2020 was not the kind of year anyone expected but Charlotte FC deserves major credit for how they not only handled but made the most of the daunting circumstances. While 2020 was a historic and busy year for Charlotte, 2021 is only going to be even busier. The party has just begun.

The post Charlotte FC: A Year In Review appeared first on Regal Soccer.

The number ten is given to a highly creative, technical player whose job is to use these assets to create magic and pull the strings on the offensive side of the game. Whether it is going on a dazzling, dribbling run through the entire opposing team or picking a beautifully weighted through ball in behind the defensive line, the ten is the maestro of the attack.

It is this sole focus on attacking that is the reason why tens are disappearing in the modern game. High pressing systems that require every single player to defend are taking over. Having a passive number ten who has no defensive duties just doesn’t cut it anymore. Tens are being replaced by athletic, box-to-box midfielders who run up and down the pitch for ninety minutes. For this reason, the classic number tens are fading away into a not so distant memory.

However, hope is not all lost for the number ten role. Whereas Europe can be described as a dry desert that a ten will struggle to survive in. There is a place where it is a paradise for the classic maestros of football. An oasis in the midst of all the desert. It isn’t temporary but rather can serve as a permanent safe haven. A place where tens are not only welcomed but can strive in and be the key attacking stars they once were. This oasis… *dramatic pause* is Major League Soccer.

In a world where the number ten role is dying, it is more alive than ever in MLS. As recent as in the past five years, you are almost guaranteed to find a brilliant ten who pulls the strings for every MLS team who reached the MLS Cup final. In 2015, the MLS Cup finalists were Columbus Crew and Portland Timbers. Each team had an elite ten with Federico Higuaín on Columbus and Diego Valeri on Portland. In 2016 the two finalists were Toronto FC and Seattle Sounders, following the same trend, each had their own elite ten. Nicolás Lodeiro on the eventual winners Seattle and Sebastian Giovinco on Toronto. The next year in 2017 Toronto ended up winning the MLS Cup in a rematch with Seattle with Giovinco leading the way.

Fast forward to 2018 and we have Portland once again but this time they’ve added Sebastian Blanco, another high-level number ten, but with Valeri still there he played wide. Atlanta United, of course, had their own number ten, Miguel Almiron, and ended up beating Portland to win MLS Cup in just their second season in the league. Then we look at last year, 2019. Seattle wins the MLS Cup once again with Lodeiro against their familiar rival Toronto. This time Toronto has a different number ten in Alejandro Pozuelo replacing Giovinco. Do you get my point? There is a direct correlation between an MLS team’s success and an elite number ten playing for them.

This correlation isn’t just a recent occurrence either. When number tens were the biggest stars in world football during the 90s and early 2000s, the number ten hype train was in full effect in MLS as well. MLS boasted the likes of Carlos Valderrama, Marco Etcheverry, Mauricio Cienfuegos, Cuauhtémoc Blanco, Piotr Nowak, and Guillermo Barros Schelotto to name some of the electrifying, era-defining MLS number tens. Unlike the rest of the world, tens in MLS didn’t just last for an era. They continue to be an essential role and player that the best teams in MLS build their team around.

Elite number ten equals MLS success. Is that a law of nature? Just about. The role is so vital in MLS that one can easily make the argument that in order to be an MLS Cup contender it is a requirement to have an elite number ten conducting the offense. It almost seems like you are at an automatic disadvantage right off the bat if your MLS team doesn’t have such a player. But what makes MLS different than other leagues around the world that makes it such an ideal place for number tens?

Two main reasons. The first is that the 433 formation with two box-to-box midfielders is the most popular formation to play the modern high press system. There is no room for a number ten in this formation and system. On the other hand, MLS teams and coaches happen to heavily favor the 4-2-3-1 formation. Number tens are historically used in the 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2 formations. If you look at the current semi-finalists for the 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs, all four teams play in a 4-2-3-1 with a ten in the middle of it all.

It is no coincidence that every single semi-finalist this year is playing a 4-2-3-1. With each team having a top number ten, their goal is to build the system and team around their tens. Columbus has Zelarayan, New England has Gil, Sounders has Lodeiro, and Minnesota has Reynoso. In most cases, the 4-2-3-1 is the best formation to get the most out of them. Placing your ten centrally provides them with the most accessibility to get on the ball which is exactly what the number ten needs to dictate a game.

When the defense wins the ball, the ten will be close enough to receive it immediately to initiate a counter. He can link-up play between the two holding midfielders, the wingers on his side, and the striker ahead of him from this position. He can also run in behind the striker to receive a layoff or sit back and be available to recycle play. You want your number ten to have the max accessibility to the ball and his teammates. This is how you get the most out of his creative and technical abilities.

The second reason MLS is such an ideal place for tens today is the gap in quality between MLS attackers and defenders. This gap is a result of the unique roster and salary restrictions that MLS has. A byproduct of these rules is that teams tend to invest more money into their attacking core but at the sacrifice of their defense. The three designated-player slots are normally best utilized for high quality, dynamic attackers who can single handily take over a game. And what has been the most influential position on the soccer pitch? That’s right, the number ten. So naturally, MLS teams will use one of their DP slots on a number ten who normally can easily play at a high level in Europe but opts to play in MLS instead.

This creates mismatches within a game. When you have a DP number ten who gets paid millions because of his quality going up against an MLS defender who normally gets paid a couple hundred thousand in most cases, it’s just not fair. This gap between the quality of tens and MLS defenders is a big reason why they can, in many cases, completely outclass opponents in MLS. The gap in quality between the two makes it an uneven playing field with the advantage clearly in favor of the number tens.

Not only does the lower quality in defenders affect the 1 v 1 scenarios but the entire defensive organization of teams. The quality of the defensive structure and discipline of most MLS teams isn’t very good. While coaching is probably more to blame for this, the players still remain major factors of the success of a press. If an MLS team plays a high press to try and mitigate or counter the effect a number ten has over a game they risk exposing themselves. Simply because they can’t run a press as effectively as the superior teams around the world. All it takes for a great number ten to break most MLS presses is a clever pass or dribble to escape the press and expose the defense.

The MLS has hosted and continues to host a wide variety of number tens. At all their cores they are just those young kids having fun in a street futsal match playing for the pure love of the game, but they also all bring something unique to the number ten role.

Carlos Valderrama was your prototypical number ten who would dance and play with opposing players with his mesmerizing dribbling ability only to distract you until he played an impeccable pass to a teammate for an easy goal. Sebastian Giovinco played the ten role more Bergkamp-like playing as a second striker but still keeping all the pizazz of a traditional, showboating ten. Miguel Almirón was a skillful ten but one who also loved to use his natural, blistering speed to fly past defenders. Nicolás Lodeiro has the elite attacking creativity of any great MLS number ten but combines that with a high work rate and never-ending stamina to not only contribute offensively but defensively too. One could go on and on about the different legendary number tens of MLS and how they made the role their own.

But while the glory days of the number ten are gone in world football, the glory days are very much still alive and strong in MLS and not going anywhere anytime soon. In a soccer world that has moved on and no longer welcomes number tens, they will always have a special place in MLS.

The post MLS: The Oasis for No. 10s appeared first on Regal Soccer.