9 years, 9 conference final appearances. @loucityfc got there tonight on the back of a 4-3-3 that dominated in the counterpress, keeping the ball in dangerous areas for most of the 90 minutes.

The first goal of the game was a prime example. You start with Ownby (LW) closing….

…hard on a defender to rush the pass, and then three LOU players clamp down to force the ball back in the mixer (see below).

It’s money from there. Ownby and Gonzalez (RW) both cut inside, and they link to get a penalty.

If @eplocomotivefc fans needed a reminder of @TiaN_Futbol’s skills, they got a handful of glimpses in yesterday’s 3-1 licking of Real Monarchs. Below, you can see Velasquez’s slick dribbling, effective ball progression, and keen sense of tempo all at play. Same thing here. Velasquez, playing as a #10 with Mares joining the strike corps, showcases an immediate chemistry with his Locomotive teammates in advancing play. Both sequences have him close to a hockey assist, and this one features a well-worked shot on goal.

In a return to form, @NewMexicoUTD limited Colorado Springs on the counter and earned a nice 3-1 win last night. They did so on the back of a 3-4-3 shape that used wingback pressure on COS' front three to stifle attacks. Below, you can see the front three shaping up in the press and the back three solid in the defensive third. In each example, NM keeps shape splendidly and liberates the green-circled wingbacks to intervene where needed.

This year’s iteration of the Sacramento Republic have been confounding, but the up-and-down of their defense has been something to watch in recent weeks. I wanted to break down how their shape and midfield pressure have led to or prevented success. In each of the sequences below, SAC is drawn out by overzealous closing, sloppy positioning, or a general failure to pick up runners. These multitudinous failures were unexpected for a generally strong defensive side.

Yesterday saw @TheMiamiFC earn a really impressive win against Tampa, and the dual false nine-ish roles played by Ariel Martinez and @PierreDasilva11 were a key engine in the attack. Check out their killer stats below. Miami nominally lined up in a 4-3-3, but their shape involves plenty of interchange and sneakiness from that attacking tandem. This tactic dually put pressure on the Rowdies midfield and tempted their back three out of shape.

I was on the record loving @NewMexicoUTD’s move for Harry Swartz this offseason, and I think he’s been nothing but spectacular alongside Josh Suggs and @danielrbruce as a fullback in their back-three system. Here, I’ll focus on the defensive play that enables the wingback spark. It all starts with the tried and true CB trio at the back, seen here. The Hamilton/Yearwood/Ryden axis can sustain itself in buildup, and it’s excellent in sweeping up the channels defensively. The chemistry is great.

Luna was rock solid filling in for Dylan Mares in the #10 role, as you can see below. I wanted to highlight a few other positives from his game and point out some areas for growth as well.

https://twitter.com/eplocomotivefc/status/1400845416527286276

For one, Luna did really well finding niches to dictate play and influence the game. He obviously got central touches given his position, but the midfielder also found joy dropping into the left half-space in buildup to grease the wheels for El Paso.

The first edition of the @SacRepublicFC rivalry matchup with Oakland ended in a draw, but I wanted to focus on the continued excellence of @cam31iwasa. He’s encroaching on 100 appearances for SAC, and he continued to put up well-rounded numbers, but I want to focus on his runs. Here are three examples. In the first, he pursues the big CB gap well with a curling move. The second sees Iwasa note Bone’s position and slide in, freeing the gap for his teammate. In the third, he makes a consummate back-shoulder run to earn a pen. It’s all really smart.

I praised @SportingKCII’s 4-1-4-1 organization earlier this week, and the solidity of their midfield line was well on display again against Tulsa the other night. The two sides’ variations on a similar approach made all the difference.

https://twitter.com/usltactics/status/1399701348879200259

You can get a sense of the differences here. SKC holds shape brilliantly, denying a short pass and goading the opponents into a long turnover. By comparison, Tulsa doesn’t hold a unified horizontally plan and overcompensates from wide, throwing things off and opening gaps.

Yesterday was a really solid performance for @EnergyFC, who drew in Indianapolis and nearly matched the hosts on shots. I’d give great credit to the @aidsinho/@robcoronado3 combo down the left for sparking the OKC attack. Both of their early-season stats are seen below. The best Energy attacks came when Daniels tucked into the central midfield within OKC’s 4-4-2. This pulled Moon inside for Indy and let Coronado run rampant down the flank. You can get a sense of the basic tactic below.