Tactics Talk: How system change revived Louisville’s season
After their 2-0 defeat at home to Bay in July, Racing Louisville sat at the bottom of the National Women’s Soccer League table. They had just two wins and a draw to their name, had lost five games straight, gone three without scoring, and were five points adrift of the Chicago Stars.
Now, nine games later, and with a new system, they are back in business.
Head coach Bev Yanez moved away from the 4-2-3-1, introducing a 3-4-1-2 system for the 1-1 draw with Houston on July 18th. Since that tactical adjustment, Louisville have won five of nine games and are back in the playoff hunt.
Louisville have struggled with defending in transition, so the extra center-back—in theory, anyway—gives them extra security against opposition counter-attacks. They know they have a minimum of three defenders back to at least delay the opponent when they try to break away quickly. But the new system also gives Louisville more opportunity to press aggressively against the 4-3-3 variations often seen in the NWSL today.
In the 3-4-1-2, Louisville’s two strikers—usually Emma Sears and Kayla Fischer—can press forward onto the two center-backs. Their midfielders can match up three-v-three, with the ‘1’ in this system, Lauren Milliet, locking on to the deepest opposing midfielder. The three center-backs aim to handle more direct balls to the forwards, with help from the two wing-backs, who are more zonal, in halfway positions, preparing to press forward onto the opposing wing-backs when they receive the ball.
Here is an example of Louisville’s defensive system matching up against the San Diego Wave last weekend.
