Super League Tactical Takeaways, Week 15
Ascendant Dallas, shifty attacking shapes, and more from Week 15 in the USL Super League
Is Dallas a legit contender? After an impressive double matchweek, they look like the most likely threat for top-of-the-table Brooklyn. Trinity sit just three points back of first place, boast the USL’s second-best expected goal difference at plus-4.7, and lead the division in scoring.
In large part, Dallas’ contender status owes to their back three shape. It’s a system that maximizes their roster - and they’ll get a chance to showcase it again in the only match of the Thanksgiving stretch next Sunday.
What made Dallas so impressive after Week 15, how did DC Power get off the schneid, and what else did we learn across the league? Let’s dig in.
Dallas Trinity (0) - Spokane Zephyr (0)
Close-run, tactically intriguing draws are Spokane’s stock and trade these days, and that again held true in Dallas at midweek. The match ended nil-nil on a 1.2 to 0.9 xG margin in favor of Zephyr, and it was the midfield battle that shone amidst the lack of scoring.
Spokane’s pressure stood out early, defined by heightened wing play and hard closing in the center of the park. Flexing Natalie Viggiano and Emina Ekic up the wings gave Zephyr’s adjusted 4-3-3ish look parity against Dallas’ back three. Deeper, midfielders Sophia Braun and Marley Canales duly denied bounce passes off Amber Brooks at the base of Trinity’s single-pivot shape.
Especially in the first half, Spokane looked sharper in attack on the back of a 2-3-2-3 possessive formation. Full backs Haley Thomas and Julianne Vallerand would tuck into a line of three alongside holding midfielder Taylor Aylmer, whilst Canales and Braun flowed as dual No. 10s further ahead.
That shape leaned into Spokane’s strengths and tested what had typically been a 3-1-4-2 press from Dallas; using a pair of attacking mids between the lines forced Trinity to drop one of their No. 8s deeper.
For Zephyr, Vallerand (87% passing accuracy, 12 duel attempts) was particularly adept at maximizing her options in the channel pocket. Searching balls to Natalie Viggiano in an iso were just as likely as a dribbled cut inside or a square pass to Aylmer.
Further upfield, both Braun and Canales engaged in smart edge-of-the-area runs to punctuate build with a threat nearer to goal. Dallas would eventually slow that pattern down to a degree, however. By re-orienting their midfield as mentioned and using Meza (three takeaways) as a higher presser in the center, Trinity improved at denying Aylmer and limiting central options.
That denial wasn’t universal, as seen in this second-half example with play driving from Sydney Cummings in defense to a central Aylmer. From the onset, Dallas’ two forwards can’t deal with the triangle of Cummings, Aylmer, and defender Sarah Clark, thus allowing the No. 6 to find a touch.
On the turn, Aylmer can look ahead to find Canales available between the lines. Canales was smart about making “second striker” sorts of runs in that manner all evening. In this case, her touch is made possible because of a countervailing drop from Braun. One of the No. 10s goes high, the other goes low, and Trinity momentarily loses the protection in front of their back three.
Thus, Canales can look forward and find striker Emma Jaskaniec with the defense bent out. The timing and weight isn’t quite there, but it’s emblematic of the Spokane formula.
For their part, Dallas was somewhat slow on the break and took as many shots from outside of the box (four) as they did inside of it (four). There was room to be had on the counter if runners could move horizontally into gaps behind Zephyr’s elevated full backs, but those chances were rarely taken in the first half. Gracie Brian did well to carve out touches in the right half space, and Meza was her usual self switching play into open gaps, but the flow generally wasn’t there.
Bringing Chioma Ubogagu onto the left wing in the second half changed that dynamic. Her spark forced Viggiano to sit deeper on the wing and limit the diversity of the Spokane attack, and it enlivened Trinity in their own right.
Pauline MacDonald’s side enjoyed more inside-out interchange as they pushed up into the final third, for one. Ubogagu was a key part of that calculus, cutting inside from the left - albeit rarely actually receiving in that context - to cause trouble. Right wing back Julia Dorsey was more effective still, pairing with a drifting Allie Thornton to help create.
The improved movement didn’t quite cure the indecision in shooting positions; there was a standout chance in the 56th minute where Dallas got an in-cut from Ubogagu and multiple edge-of-the-zone Meza touches, only to meander their way to a low-percentage cross. Hesitation was a major reason hat Trinity didn’t get over the line.
Dallas still conceded some looks in the back half, and they willingly gave Spokane too much time to pick out passes down the middle. Meza, Brian, and Amber Brooks only combined for two tackles attempts in the central chunk of the pitch, and that allowed the guests to build rhythm. By comparison, Spokane’s defensive effort felt full-throated; their wing help was critical to containing Ubogagu and co. down the stretch.
I feel like I’m repeating myself with both of these teams, but there was a lot to like without the sweet payoff at the end. For Zephyr, an important chance to make up ground on a playoff team went wanting. For Dallas, it set up yet another match at the weekend, one where the good ideas came together…
Carolina Ascent (0) - Dallas Trinity (1)
Two questions lingered on Saturday night in Charlotte: how would the Carolina Ascent respond after finally losing a match, and could Dallas bring the energy after playing at midweek? After all was said and done in a #2-versus-#3 matchup, Trinity came out the definitive winners. Sam Meza struck three minutes in, and Dallas didn’t allow a chance worth 0.2 xG for the next 87 minutes on their way to a clean sheet.
Tactical tweaks can play out like a game of chicken; whoever blinks and gets away from their strengths is usually worse off. When good teams like Dallas and Carolina are playing, it’s the team that sticks to their system that usually ends up better off. Pauline MacDonald stayed consistent, while the Ascent shifted their defensive shape and suffered for it.
After last weekend’s lost, Carolina moved from a true 4-4-2 into a shiftier pressing look. To match Dallas’ back three, a winger - usually Jaydah Bedoya on the left, but it depended on the ball position - would step up into the forward line.
Meanwhile, the weak side winger had a decision to make and often hewed narrow rather than high or wide. The re-positioning was denied to make central progression difficult, but it didn’t come off and gave Trinity far too much room to work just moments into the match.
In the frame above, Carolina is trying to find their footing. Giovanna Demarco (a center mid in purple) has pushed near the forward line. Meanwhile, ostensible right winger Jill Aguilera sits deep like a No. 6, tucking under Demarco. It’s sort of a 4-1-2-3, but it isn’t a shapely one.
As Bedoya (in orange, bottom of frame) pushes high and Aguilera fills centrally, Carolina is extremely narrow. Meza, wise as ever, spots that development and drifts into the wide-open wing for a touch.
Meza drives inside upon getting that touch, carving behind the midfield to bend Carolina even further. This is the sort of moment where quality makes a difference. Yeah, the Ascent are out of shape, but a lesser dribbler than Meza wouldn’t be able to take advantage.
Upfield, striker Cyera Hintzen drops low from atop Dallas’ 3-5-2, dragging out a center back with her. You can see the lack of a consistent line creates by that drop, with the orange-marked back four parting like the Red Sea. When Hintzen and Meza give-and-go from there, the midfielder can move into the box, and it’s a goal.
Switches toward the sideline were another fruitful outlet when the Ascent got too narrow, as seen whenever Chioma Ubogagu could iso against a full back. Given their setup, Carolina naturally struggled to drop wingers low and double up against the wing backs, meaning that Ubogagu could get to the endline and cut back to Hintzen or go it alone with an inside-arcing dribble.
Things improved as Carolina simplified into more of a 4-2-3-1. Forward Kathrynn Gonzalez sat somewhat deeper like a No. 10 defensively, and her drifting attacking movement became more targeted on the other side of the ball. Her runs could open space for Mia Corbin - in her most strikerly deployment in months - to do damage.
Dallas often pressed against build in a 3-4-3 with a midfielder like Meza almost becoming marking Taylor Porter at the No. 6 spot for the Ascent. That choice restricted Carolina to the edges, although Renee Guion did her best to turn that containment into an advantage from the left back spot.
There are certain players in this league that are just fun, and Guion fits that bill. Across the 90 minutes, she tried 14 passes into the final third. Most of these came via the wonkiest serves you can imagine, lofted and bendy diagonals from the half spaces that felt like a heat check.
Guion paired the flair with motion; around the 43rd minute, she made a takeaway in the defensive half, burst all the way up into the channel to occupy two center backs, and thus opened up Bedoya in acres of space up the left. The left back’s expressiveness powered Carolina’s most dynamic moments.
Carolina generally got more direct as the game went on, and they made a marked effort to play over the Trinity wing backs in the process. That Aguilera, Bedoya, and right back Josie Studer ended up with just five cross attempts and two completions shows you how effective that strategy was.
Smartly applied ball pressure from Dallas - see Amber Brooks’ three takeaways and six recoveries, exemplified in the screengrab - never made it easy to swing over the top with a diagonal.
Trinity’s depth shone while seeing the game out. Ubogagu would come off for star center back Hannah Davison and give the guests a more defensive mien for the final half hour. Jenny Danielsson brought her requisite physicality throughout the second half. Even while defending the lead, Dallas found opportunities to triple up around Meza in the half spaces and felt consistently dangerous without sacrificing structure.
With the win, that’s now seven games unbeaten for Dallas Trinity. They’ve got two games in hand on Carolina, one in hand on Brooklyn, and seem to have found a title-contending stride.
Fort Lauderdale United (0) - DC Power (1)
Coming into the weekend, there was a real argument to make that DC Power was the unluckiest team in the Super League. A 5% conversion rate undercut what’s mostly been a decent chance-creating offense, and a few bad defensive moments did the rest.
This weekend, luck finally broke Frederic Brillant’s way, as the heretofore unfortunate Power scraped away with a win in Fort Lauderdale. DC left it late, but a stingy defensive performance defined by in-game improvement set the table for their winner - a play marked by Madison Wolfbaeur’s boldness and unfortunate defensive miscommunication on United’s part in the 92nd minute.
Early, though, Fort Lauderdale had the better ideas. The visiting 4-4-2 felt stretched, and United had the numbers down the middle to take advantage.
Tryone Mears’ secret was using forward Addie McCain like an added center mid. You’d probably call the shape a 3-5-2 in the press when McCain pushed high, but the attacking look was “three-box-three” in classic Man City style.
Fort Lauderdale used their formation to great effect, dominating possession in the center of the park. McCain, Felicia Knox, Taylor Smith, and Darya Rajaee combined for nearly 180 passes in that boxy midfield foursome. That control didn’t necessarily lead to chances, however. Knox created three chances, but no one else in that group created any. United held 64% of possession but put only two shots on target.
McCain could stay further ahead if need be, interchanging with out-and-out striker Erica Gomes, who also had some freedom to drop low. Gomes wasn’t afraid to throw down, applying backpressure to DC’s midfielders and helping Fort Lauderdale generate; press-and-go counters were their most threatening and quickest-developing moves.
That “quick-developing” point is key because the Power’s subtle shifts during the match diminished United’s tempo.
For one, Allie Flanagan and Nicole Douglas, the strike pair atop the 4-4-2, did well to stay tight up top. If that duo could limit the ability for Fort Lauderdale to bounce passes into the midfield and develop downfield angles, the hosts couldn’t activate that central box.
Flanagan also knew when to dip into the left half space, deepening out to deny clean lanes downfield. She and Riley Cross, a fellow teenager, shone yet again. Cross contributed eight recoveries and four tackles from the left-central midfield spot, and both players were keen to spark counterattacks upon recovering. A 17th minute half-chance where Cross found Flanagan bursting over the top with her long stride was a prime example.
Recognizing the extreme height of Fort Lauderdale’s wing backs, DC knew to tuck their weak-side winger somewhat narrow in order to compress space. Brillant trusted his full backs to defend against diagonals towards Sabrina McNeill and Sh’nia Gordon, and that allowed the midfield to tighten up to even great. DC was happy to let United probe until they got frustrated.
Between Flanagan’s variability and the considerate defensive spacing, DC found their footing and goaded Fort Lauderdale into far too many wasteful punts up the sideline. Defenders like Amber Diorio (four clearances) at left back and Claire Constant (three clearances, two interceptions) in the right-central spot were happy to clean up danger in those situations.
Was it an especially coherent offensive for DC? Maybe not! Bagley’s goal was their only big chance of the match by the xG numbers. Still, the defensive structure was enough to stay level until the very last minute, and DC Power finally got their just desserts.
Cover Photo Credit: USL Super League (1), Spokane Zephyr (2), and Fort Lauderdale United (3)