The Philadelphia Union’s 4-1-2-1-2 has displayed a high pressing and possession based plan, specifically in the Toronto game. On Sunday, viewers saw for the first time the Union’s ability to sit deep and defend in the new system.
With less than 30 percent of possession, the Union still created chances, while limiting Atlanta to only two clear opportunities. The Union had 11 shots to Atlanta’s 12, and produced three clear opportunities: a Brad Guzan save from close range against Fafa Picault late in the game, and a goal-line clearance from Miles Robinson after Picault rounded Guzan and scuffed his shot at the empty net.
The plan with the ball was always the same for Philadelphia. They didn’t look to string together long, intricate passing sequences. Instead, after winning possession, the Union’s first intent was to play it to the forwards.
The shape of the midfield clogged spaces centrally. Earlier in the match, the Union were successful in pressing the Atlanta defenders higher up the field but as the game went on, the three deeper midfielders for the Union were sitting deeper.
Here is a screen-grab of the Union winning the ball in the midfield. There are about six white shirts in close proximity to the ball.
In this play, Auston Trusty wins the ball, and Haris Medunjanin is on hand to gain possession. From there, it is two passes before the Union are through on goal: one to Brenden Aaronson to get out of the initial pressure, then a splitting pass between the Atlanta center backs, who can’t recover into a defensive shape before the play develops.
Fafa chance against ATL (March 17)
Picault got another good scoring opportunity late in the game. Derrick Jones and Haris Medunjanin are surrounding the ball and win it back. Medunjanin plays a forward pass to Jones, with the right pace so that Jones can play a first-timed pass into space for Cory Burke.
Miles Robinson, who had a terrific game, can’t keep up with Burke who gets to the end line and finds Picault in front of net. Once again it’s two forward passes to get into the box, and one more to give Picault a scoring opportunity.
Fafa chance #2 against ATL (March 17)
At home gainst Toronto, the Union connected 503 passes but just 267 passes against Atlanta.
Only 69 attempted passes were backward, while 220 were forward. The direct approach led to the limited time of possession, but also to counter opportunities.
The result in Atlanta shows a tactical flexibility that wasn’t as evident in the past. Head coach Jim Curtin has shown the aggressive, attack-first mindset against Toronto, one that the Union usually employ at home, as well as a defensive, direct system that is less common in MLS. The Montreal Impact used a similar counter attacking style in 2018, but after a slow start were unable to make up the gap.
The Union’s flexibility, meanwhile, should confuse opposing teams. It isn’t every road game that the Union will sit back and launch just two or three attackers on quick counters.
Against Sporting Kansas City, the Union did not sit back. The only reason the possession stats were skewed so much was the red card shown to Marco Fabian halfway through the second half.
The Union wasn’t on pace to dominate possession against Kansas City like it did against Toronto, but it wasn’t a defensive display either. The Union picked out chances to press in Kansas City and won the ball high up the field while it was still 11v11, but did so less often than against Toronto. It was a sort of middle ground between the first and third matches, where no team showed superiority in ball control.
The wide disparity between the three matches shows a new direction and flexibility from previous Union teams, who took pride in playing the same attacking style at home and on the road.
The question once again at this point of the season, though, is if the Union will catch up to where the stats indicate. The Union are sixth in the league in shots, but tied in last place on goals with two. Philadelphia is also first in expected goals, and given the three clear opportunities the Union created in Atlanta, could have come away with three points.
Next up Philly host Columbus and visit Cincinnati to round out the month. Sitting in last with one point isn’t great, but just three games in – two of them the most challenging on the schedule – is too early to panic. The new system has shown more flexibility, and should Curtin continue to match his opposition’s tactics, the Union will quickly be the last team that any team will want to face.
