The MLS is Back Tournament is well and truly underway as the second round of fixtures are taking place. Teams are competing in a tournament for a spot in the Concacaf Champions League in 2021. Groups A through F are fighting for a place in the knockout rounds, with this analysis focusing on two clubs in Group A: Orlando City and NYCFC.
Orlando City and NYCFC are two clubs that were formed in the past few seasons. Their squads have bolstered some of European footballs biggest names in league history, such as former Barcelona star David Villa and Juventus player Andrea Pirlo. Most recently, Orlando City has the MLS’ new star, Luís Nani, who has won the UEFA Champions League with Manchester United.
Both teams will be looking to make a statement as the MLS resumes in a different capacity than usual league play. Since the restart, Orlando City has found more success in the first round. Orlando City beat Inter Miami 2-1 in the first round while NYCFC lost to the Philadelphia Union 1-0 in their opener. With the tournament being held in Orlando, the hosts will hope to continue their fine run of form. This tactical analysis and match report will analyze the tactics for both sides during Orlando City’s 3-1 victory over NYCFC.
Lineups
The formations of managers Ronny Delia (NYCFC) and Oscar Pareja (Orlando City) played a crucial role in the match, which will be analyzed later in the match report. In regards to how each team started, Orlando City lined up in a fairly balanced 4-2-3-1. With the two pivot players in Junior Urso and Oriol Rosell providing defensive cover in front of the back four, this allowed Orlando City’s lethal attack to get forward. They utilised a lone striker with three attacking midfielders in behind that provided creative attacking opinions. Nani and Chris Mueller were the danger men in Orlando’s attacking three.
For NYCFC, there was a slightly more radical formation as they started in a 3-1-4-2. With the back three holding, the role of Alexander Ring becomes crucial as he is the main connector between the defence and attack. With six attacking players on the team sheet, it is clear that Delia wanted to create an overload when attacking to expose Orlando City’s attacking nature. However, what Orlando City possessed and NYCFC did not was balance in their formation. This match analysis will uncover why this is the case.
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