The Back Four: On One Knox's title

Welcome in to The Back Four!

As always, visit Backheeled for more USL content, including a deep dive into the Championship’s conference finals. Also, check out This League! for an audiovisual dive into the week that was.

Without further ado, let’s get to it.

One Knox, 2025 League One champions

When you're running a club right, a strong playoff run can change the zeitgeist – not just in the cloistered world of lower-league soccer, but in your actual community. Having set a League One attendance record of 7,500 and lifted a trophy on Sunday evening, it's safe to say that One Knox is doing just that. This win meant something to the supporters in Tennessee, and that's a credit to the entire organization from manager Ian Fuller on up.

How'd it happen on the pitch? Knoxville re-ran the lineup that got them to a final, but their shape was more of a 4-2-4 than usual. That alignment was dually beneficial. In a pressing sense, using Kempes Tekiela and Babacar Diene as a proper strike pair allowed for two-on-two, face-up coverage against Spokane’s central defenders. Moreover, both forwards could drop for touches in possession, exerting central pressure as wide overloads developed.

Spokane’s tweaks were more obvious, namely by way of Nil Vinyals’ inclusion in the team. League One’s all-time leader in set piece xG+xA, Vinyals scored an ultra-dramatic goal last weekend to force a penalty shootout against Portland. Having started just 13 times in 27 regular season appearances, the Spaniard did feature when these clubs met at the end of August.

While the Velocity lost that match in Tennessee, their use of Luis Gil as a right mid and Vinyals as a No. 10 (and/or pressing striker) created opportunities to overload the vaunted Knoxville defense. That was the gameplan once again on Sunday evening – not that it stopped One Knox from shellshocking their guests in the opening minutes.

It became immediately apparent that Stavros Zarokostas was going to be a target up the right side for Fuller’s unit, challenging opposing fullback Derek Waldeck with his straight-line movement up the flank. Paired with the drops from Diene or Tekiela, Knoxville’s altered approach tempted Spokane out of an optimal defensive alignment and set up critical wide one-on-ones.

That’s how One Knox ultimately found a lead less than four full minutes into the match. Off a long goal kick, Spokane found themselves unable to claim a second ball, but they had committed their pivot high in the process. Suddenly, Tekiela could claim possession with a head of steam and create an effective four-on-four against a backtracking defense.

Able to receive in stride off a Tekiela pass, Zarokostas could juke his defender and find a crossing lane. Meanwhile, left-sided Nico Rosamalia found the inside of a sleeping Lucky Opara, allowing for a shockingly easy tap-in mere inches from the net. 

Too easy an allowance? Sure, but it was a result of Knoxville’s absolute confidence in their attacking patterns. Spokane, by contrast, took time to find rhythm in something akin to a “three-box-three” look.

If Vinyals pressed as a striker in the Velocity’s 4-4-2 press, he became the left-sided No. 10 in their 3-2-4-1 offensive look. That shape was meant to create overloads through the midfield or, alternatively, force Knoxville to get overly narrow and allow Opara (a right back-turned-winger) or left-sided Shavon John-Brown to come good in open space.

You see that pattern in action here, with Gil sliding into the right-pocket, No. 10 role. Spokane’s formational gambit played out on two fronts:

1. By using Vinyals and Gil centrally, you’re forcing the Knoxville pivot to commit narrow. (Callum Johnson and Abel Caputo, usually brilliant through the middle as Knoxville's No. 8s, struggled immensely to find the proper balance.)
2. By keeping Derek Waldeck low in a resting back three, you’re creating a three-on-two advantage against the Diene-Tekiela pressing pair. Thus, Knoxville needs to commit a winger (or two!) upfield to keep their edge.

That logic tended to open up wide lanes, and most of Spokane’s best attacking moves came when they could activate either John-Brown or Opara with a head of steam up the channel. The Velocity offense hinged on forcing rotations, quickly passing into gaps, and trying as best as possible to bend the implacable center back pairing of Sivert Haugli and Jordan Skelton.

Because of that domineering central presence, Knoxville didn't really allow great chances in the run of play. The Velocity's best first-half look (a 0.34 xG attempt for Andre Lewis in the 25th minute) was a breakaway in the wake of a One Knox corner, and even that was exquisitely defended by a sprinting, sliding Jaheim Brown – who, admittedly, gave the ball away to make the chance happen. Still, almost nothing came easy despite Spokane's tactical edge.

Neither side changed things up out of halftime, but Knoxville looked noticeably sharper. A feistier press stopped the guests from finding their patterns, and a more direct attacking stance quickly led to rewards.

In the 53rd minute sequence you’re seeing here, Knoxville was able to shape into their preferred offensive 3-2-5. With Brown low as a proxy center back and Stuart Ritchie bombing upfield, Fuller’s side gave themselves a five-on-four against the Velocity‘s defensive line.

Upfield, Gil decides to stay narrow within the Spokane press, and it’s a fatal choice. Because he’s marking a center mid, Skelton can ping a pass toward over Gil’s head toward the open sideline and find Ritchie and Rosamilia in a localized two-on-one. Spokane is outnumbered at the back, doesn’t get enough help out of the midfield, and concedes a penalty when Ritchie and Rosamilia one-two their way toward the box.

Was it actually a penalty? I mean, no! The foul clearly happened outside of the 18-yard area. Ultimately, though, Knoxville was sharper where it counted. By the time they went up 2-0, they held a +0.2 xG edge. When push came to shove in the final third, they had the verve to break the opposing defense down. Spokane didn’t.

Veidman was bold in his substitutions, going for an all-physicality strike pair of Anuar Pelaez and Neco Brett while allowing Waldeck to push forward like a classic fullback might. Still, it didn't result in the desired return against One Knox's low block. Spokane ultimately finished with a final-third passing accuracy 10% below their season average, putting just one shot on target whilst Haugli and Skelton combined for 18 clearances.

Really, that's been par for the course all November and all year. One Knox allowed only eight goals in 18 home matches against League One competition this year. They didn’t lose a single league game at Covenant Health Park. Fuller made Knoxville a fortress, and that gave him the leeway to reinvent Tekiela as a between-the-lines connector and integrate the 3-2-5 attacking look as 2025 wore on.

Those tenets – home dominance, defensive integrity, and time-tested attacking patterns – were undeniable on Sunday night. Ultimately, they explain how One Knox rose to the moment and cemented their League One title.

Pittsburgh's outside backs

Sean Suber was named to the all-USL first team last week, a totally deserved honor for the steadiest center back of the 2025 season. Suber, the centermost member of Pittsburgh's back three, has played every single minute this year, put up 90th percentile duel wins per 90, and served as the beating heart of the Riverhounds' system. Still, he's part of an elite defensive unit from left to right.

Saturday's wire-to-wire win against Rhode Island FC put Luke Biasi and Beto Ydrach – the left- and right-sided center backs, respectively – in the spotlight. The Riverhounds shut RIFC down by dominating territory, and that duo made it happen.

Rob Vincent ran back his usual shape, which oriented itself as a 3-1-5-1 in the attacking zone. It’s easy to overlook in hindsight, but that was a risky look against this Rhode Island team! We’ve seen Noah Fuson, JJ Williams, et al. take defenses to task by turning them over at halfway and breaking, but Vincent trusted his defenders to hold steady – and was richly rewarded for it.

Defensively, Biasi and Ydrach combined for 10 duel wins, 10 ball recoveries, and three interceptions. Outside of a few spare moments, they kept RIFC’s forwards in their collective back pocket. Hold-up receptions came under constant pressure, allowing Pittsburgh to prevent breaks and stay in the attacking half. Once there, the outside defenders were equally useful as zone retention anchors.

Here, the midfield initially stirs the drink. Pittsburgh is loosely in 3-4-3 mode, and they let Danny Griffin push up from the pivot on the ball. Meanwhile, wingback Perrin Barnes and attacking mid Charles Ahl probe further ahead. Those numbers and the Riverhounds' pace of play force RIFC deep.

Barnes' cross is deflected, and that's where Ydrach comes in. Both he and Biasi took up extremely elevated positions in the attacking zone throughout the 90 minutes to baseline their side's field-tilting dominance. Here, it means that Ydrach can cornerstone a passing triangle with Ahl and Griffin; as those two trade places, the rookie defender stands ready to receive and swiftly break lines.

It's ultimately the quick ball movement and Griffin-powered ingenuity that stands out, but it's only possible because Pittsburgh is so deeply ensconced in the attacking zone. That's what Ydrach and Biasi made happen for the full 90 minutes.

You’re seeing the passes from Ydrach (yellow) and Biasi (black) that ended in the attacking zone here. By any standard, that’s a lot of offensive contributions for defenders! Biasi actually attempted more passes in the Rhode Island half than his own, evidencing a complete territorial victory for the Riverhounds.

No team in the East outside of Louisville City did as well to marry defense-first principles with engaged final-third control this year. Like Louisville, Pittsburgh used bold central defensive deployments to make it happen. In contrast to the Players’ Shield winners, however, the Riverhounds have proven to be consistently incisive in the attacking zone this postseason. That’s not a knock against the elite defenders plying their trade in Kentucky; instead, it’s yet more proof that Luke Biasi and Beto Ydrach are performing at any utterly elite caliber.

Taylor Calheira!

I voted for Taylor Calheira as a top-three MVP candidate this year, yet I haven't carved out enough space to highlight why he’s so excellent. Fresh off a game-deciding brace in the Western Conference Final, it‘s high time to discuss FC Tulsa’s talismanic striker.

Calheira lit up MLS Next Pro in 2024, scoring 14 times for NYCFC II. Still, he did so while regularly dropping in front of opposing defenses to connect play and winning merely 0.99 aerial duels per match. That’s evolved one year on.

Indeed, Luke Spencer and Caleb Sewell clearly saw something bigger in Calheira’s skillset when they signed him in January. This year, the No. 9 led the USL in duel attempts and contested 64 more headers than any other Championship player. His aerial wins more than tripled to 3.47 per match. In terms of box touches, final-third recoveries, and xG on target, Calheira finished in the USL’s top five. There isn’t a single player that better embodied their club’s attitude and style.

The 23-year-old led the line of a 3-4-3 for most of the season, serving as the muscular final-third outlet (and tone-setting presser) for the league’s most vertical team. Those responsibilities haven’t changed for Calheira, but he’s now the tip of the spear for a more flexible back-four system. Against New Mexico, that manifested as a 4-1-2-3ish offense and 4-1-3-2 press.

By the time the first half was out on Saturday night, Tulsa had posted a 68% field tilt, leading 1-0 on the back of a Calheira goal. Their press goaded United out of their short-passing comfort zone, leading to longer goal kicks like this…

…which still didn’t break Tulsa’s press down. New Mexico lacked the aerial weapons to truly go toe-to-toe with the USL's master of that style, and Calheira assured that his side would always press that advantage.

Here, it's winger Kalil ElMedkhar that wins the initial header, but you'll note how Tulsa has gone full 4-4-2 to contest the restart. Both Jamie Webber and Delentz Pierre have pushed up a line, making it easier to collapse against a potential second ball; Webber's step also provides two-on-two parity against the New Mexico center backs.

While Calheira and Webber can't claim ElMedkhar's header, they continue their vertical runs and press United. That leads to a wanton chip into the mixer...

...that won’t lead to sustained possession because of Pierre's disruptive presence and an intelligent step by Ian (a center back) out of the defensive line.

By the time the ball pops upfield, Calheira continues to occupy New Mexico's defense, reading the situation like a book. Webber starts to dribble inside toward his left, so Calheira cuts the opposite direction against the momentum of the play. As such, he'll be able to receive on the through and create his own shot.

In what might've been the most dominant playoff performance in the history of the USL, this was…like…the 50th best sequence for FC Tulsa. Their showing was that good. Still, Calheira’s relentless verticality, committed pressing, and clever read on space shines through. Plays in this genre help to explain the No. 9’s dominance, and they’re a major reason why Tulsa is set to host a title game next weekend.

Flexible Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale likes to live dangerously, for better or worse. Last weekend, intense pressure let United scrape by against a hot Carolina side. In a double matchweek, that bold sensibility led to new tactical and wrinkle and mixed returns, but it ultimately showed why this team is second in the Super League table. How’d it go down?

It's useful to set the table with that win away in Charlotte. There, Fort Lauderdale used aggressive wing pressure to disrupt the Ascent while also relying on their back line to hold steady. As Carolina built in their back-four alignment, you’d typically see striker Kiara Locklear mark Taylor Porter – the opposing No. 6 and a premier tempo-setter – as wingers Jasmine Hamid and Sh’nia Gordon made aggressively arced closing runs toward the center backs.

Were there moments where the Ascent simply chipped over the press? Sure, but United did well to recover into their block – last weekend’s foes ended up with less than 1.0 xG! Left-sided defender Laurel Ansbrow put in five tackles, combining with partner Madison McComaskey for 14 clearances in a 1-0, clean-sheet win.

Was it pretty, given that Fort Lauderdale mustered only eight box touches? Maybe not, but Stella Nyamekye's zone-exit carriage and the sheer ingenuity of Hamid were enough. Things were better on the stat sheet in DC at midweek, but that spark was far less evident.

At best, a truer 4-2-3-1 press could force Power toward the sideline, allowing for three-man traps at the sideline. Here, the opposite happens. DC stubbornly retains the ball in the central third of the pitch (as opposed to the flanks) and creates a virtual five-on-four. They’ve got three defenders and two midfielders outnumbering United, and it forces the guests to get overly narrow.

The result? Power can quickly ping through the middle because of their numerical advantage. Hamid pushes narrow in vain, DC can work toward Fort Lauderdale’s open left, and there’s suddenly room to work against an isolated Kelli Van Treeck at left back.

Van Treeck’s best matches have come as an attacking-minded winger this year, and she struggled to manage her defensive role in the nation’s capital. As seen, she had a tough job; Ali Rogers’ setup facilitated regular overloads through DC wingback Susanna Fitch and forward Dasia Torbert. 21st and 40th minute goals that gave Power a 2-0 edge were both examples of central overloads leading to Van Treeck-targeting box entrance. It’s no coincidence she moved back up the wing after halftime.

United went again at the weekend against Tampa Bay, and they looked far better. The Sun have been exorcising their own demons, but Fort Lauderdale garnered 20 more final-third entries than their guests; they finished with a 66% field-tilt and (excepting a second-half penalty) registered a +1.2 xG edge.

With Van Treeck as the right winger and Gordon as the right back, things felt more assured from the jump. Their inside-out combinations tested Tampa Bay's press-first 4-2-3-1, whilst Lily Nabet's elevation from the pivot to the No. 10 spot added much-needed defensive nous and spatial understanding to United's shape. The biggest change? Shifting between back-four and -three alignments depending on the phase.

McComaskey made it happen, sitting in like a defensive No. 6 but dropping low as the centermost center back in an offensive 3-2-5. She ended up as United's second-leading passer while playing quarterback, helping to turn the tables on the exact "five-player base against a four-player high press” that stung against DC.

Here, McComaskey passes through the press into Nabet, who also dropped a line in possession into the 3-2-5’s pivot. Under pressure in the clip, the Angel City loanee is able to turn through the Sun’s hard-closing midfield, immediately pushing Fort Lauderdale into an effective six-on-four against the opposing back line. Nabet sprays toward Hamid, interplay between Hamid and left back Julia Grosso leads to box entrance, and a shot ensues.

While it took a 91st minute equalizer via McComaskey for United to get a point, this was a far better performance than at midweek. We’ll see if the phase-based shape holds, but it feels like the best way for this team to maximize some of the Super League’s brightest attackers. Fort Lauderdale are at their best when they’re forcing the issue, and we’re seeing Rogers figure out how to do it in real time.

Quick Hits

In other news this week…

• Hopefully Ghost worked as far as the email newsletter goes? Sound off if not!
• While I'm plugging the new site, be sure to check out the refreshed Transfer Tracker and brand-new Depth Chart hub. Those will be updated in earnest once transfers actually start happening.
• The beauty of the playoffs is how these communities have coalesced around their teams. I mentioned One Knox’s 7,500 number in that section, but Pittsburgh (6,700+) and Tulsa (9,000+) did the same. These are the moments where passive fans fall in love with the sport, and the USL's playoff darlings are maximizing their time in the sun.
• Rhode Island looked overwhelmingly flat on Saturday night, but I really thought Amos Shapiro-Thompson brought the goods. His one-on-one defending against Junior Etou and 45 minutes of Robbie Mertz was near-flawless; the wingback's half-field chip to JJ Williams in the 49th minute is probably the best pass of the postseason. Shapiro-Thompson's versatility means that he ought to be a key piece in Pawtucket for the foreseeable future.
• The new Jennifer Lawrence-led, Lynne Ramsay-directed Die My Love is decidedly not a crowd-pleaser, but I adored it. Some notes...
  • Lawrence plays a new mother that's just moved to the country with husband Robert Pattinson, and she's going through the ringer of post-partum depression. Every decision she makes is entirely unexpected; her performance runs on the edge of being absolutely over-the-top without ever crossing the line. This move really has no plot – it relies entirely on Lawrence to crash through emotional modes with abandon.
  • Ramsay loves to traffic in feel-bad stories. We Need to Talk About Kevin might be my least favorite (or "most viscerally uncomfortable while watching") movie experience ever! Die My Love abuts that territory, but it's smart enough to build in moments of lightheartedness, (dark) humor, and straight-up empathy by way of the always-excellent Sissy Spacek.
• Caveat: if you're someone who bristles at animal endangerment...well, uh, look elsewhere.
• If you're in Tulsa for the title game next weekend, hit me up!