In Wednesday night’s match, DC United came out determined to draw Philly out of the center then attack the middle with narrow wing play. Below, you can see United pull Borek Dockal and Ale Bedoya away from the left half-space so Paul Arriola — the left winger — can connect with Zoltan Stieber — the right winger — through a central diagonal.
DC used this tactic repeatedly in the first half with varying success. In this instance, Auston Trusty’s quick response forces Stieber to return the ball to the left. Trusty then makes a great recovery run, but the Union don’t hand off Arriola well, and the Union’s young central defender has to deflect a Wayne Rooney shot to keep the scoreline even.
The Union later put the match away by drawing DC United’s mids out of the center and using a direct attack to free up CJ Sapong on the wing.
One thing to note: Jim Curtin often talks about how his current crop of attackers allows for interchanges that can be difficult for defenses to track. Fafa Picault is central in this clip, with Cory Burke coming off the left wing.
Picault makes a great read to recognize that Burke’s back post run means there should be space in the box, and the winger keeps his feet moving as DC scrambles, ensuring that he has a lane to Sapong and room to shoot.
