RB's tactics last night were really interesting and I feel like if we had our full team, not tired, we'd have easily blitzed them. RB for a good amount of the time really had only 1 or 2 defenders back with the others all pushed up supporting the midfield - it was 8 and sometimes 9 players clogging the middle and trying to overwhelm our defense. That was the prime reason we were on our heels and not able to make the short passes to break out (that and everybody seemed overeager to make the bad pass right back to RB). Of the three CB defenders, only one is a true CB with the other two being outside backs that seemed to be there more for speed and to push up to apply pressure rather than defend deep.
To break that, we needed to have our wingers spread higher to receive outlet passes over the top and into space; it rarely worked with only Villa high and no immediate support. But to push the wingers higher, Hererra was needed to help Ring sweep out the attacks and hold the line in front of our Defense; YH easily covers more ground than Lopez and has better stature/length to tackle/hold the ball. Those two, plus the four defenders and keeper would typically be enough to win the ball and make the long pass forward into space if the short pass wasn't there. Maxi would be able to stay higher to harass with the forwards. One well placed outlet pass and it'd be three forwards w/ Maxi trailing running in space against at most 3 defenders (or only 1-2) with Felipe chasing. I'd take that matchup every time against RB over a build from the back attack.
I know it's all hypothetical, and we played the way we did because of our lack of healthy players (Jack's legs are shot and Wallace looks like he's only got a 60min tank), but I do think if we can get healthy by the playoffs and not have anybody suspended for yellows, then PV could easily shift the tactics to advanced wingers and it will take RB out of their game.
To break that, we needed to have our wingers spread higher to receive outlet passes over the top and into space; it rarely worked with only Villa high and no immediate support. But to push the wingers higher, Hererra was needed to help Ring sweep out the attacks and hold the line in front of our Defense; YH easily covers more ground than Lopez and has better stature/length to tackle/hold the ball. Those two, plus the four defenders and keeper would typically be enough to win the ball and make the long pass forward into space if the short pass wasn't there. Maxi would be able to stay higher to harass with the forwards. One well placed outlet pass and it'd be three forwards w/ Maxi trailing running in space against at most 3 defenders (or only 1-2) with Felipe chasing. I'd take that matchup every time against RB over a build from the back attack.
I know it's all hypothetical, and we played the way we did because of our lack of healthy players (Jack's legs are shot and Wallace looks like he's only got a 60min tank), but I do think if we can get healthy by the playoffs and not have anybody suspended for yellows, then PV could easily shift the tactics to advanced wingers and it will take RB out of their game.
