Unión Española 2023/24: How Miguel Ponce transformed the team’s attacking fortunes – tactical analysis

Unión Española are currently enjoying an excellent start to the 2024 season in the Primera División de Chile.

La Furia endured a sub-par 2023, finishing 10th in the league with only 39 points from 30 matches. This followed a season where they came 11th out of 16 teams. In fact, they have consistently struggled since the Chilean league moved away from the Apertura-Clausura setup in 2017. Unión finished seventh in 2018, ninth in 2019, fifth in 2021, 11th in 2022 and 10th in 2023. Their best finish in that stretch was in 2020 when they ended up third with 45 points from 25 matches.

This season, Unión once again sit third after nine matches with 16 points, averaging nearly as many points per game as they did four years ago. Whats better about their performance is their improved offence, with the team currently leading the league in goals scored with 20, almost half of what they managed in 25 matches in 2020 (43).

Miguel Ponce, who joined the club prior to the start of this season, has driven a massive change in their offence. This tactical analysis report will aim to break down his tactics, perform some analysis on their in-game moves and look at their best-performing players in 2024.

Background

Ponce boasts plenty of football experience, starting with a 18-year playing career that saw him feature for Deportes Temuco, CD Everton and CD Universidad Católica and win one Chilean top-flight title. The former left-back also won 18 caps for Chile.

Four years after his retirement in January 2007, Ponce became the assistant manager of La Serena and was named their manager just five months into the role. He oversaw them in 46 games between June 2011 and September 2012 before parting ways with them. In January 2013, he became San Luis manager, holding the position till April 2014. In July of that year, he joined San Felipe but lasted only six months in the role.

A brief spell as manager of Chiles U21 team followed before Ponce returned to club football with Huachipato in January 2016, holding that role until May 2017. He was then named the academy manager at Universidad de Chile in June 2017 but left that role a year later to join his former club Deportes Temuco, as manager. The homecoming lasted just six months and was followed by multiple short spells at Club San José (March-December 2019), Club Blooming (January-October 2020), La Serena again (October 2020-August 2021), Wilstermann (December 2021-April 2022) and Santiago Wanderers (April-December 2022).

Ponce spent the 2023 season with Club Deportes Iquique in the Chilean second tier and guided them to promotion via the playoffs. His efforts caught the attention of Unión Española, who brought him in ahead of the ongoing season.

What do the stats say about Unión Españolas improvement under Ponce?

Ponce has made a few key changes to Unións attack this season, but a lot of the change has been down to improving aspects in which the players were already showing promising signs.

As the stat-pack below shows, the club is creating better chances, as indicated by its improved expected goals (xG) figure. Having underperformed their xG last season, they are overperforming it this year, but the overall trend is positive regardless. Under Ponce, Unión are actually getting a lower percentage of their shots on target. However, their improvement in shooting from outside the box has made up for that.

Their efficiency from corners has dropped to alarming levels and requires addressing. More positively, though, Ponce has made them an excellent counterattacking team, while their positional play has improved as well. Lastly, they are contesting fewer offensive duels but winning a higher percentage of them.

As the map below also shows, their reduced shooting volume has seen them prioritise better areas to shoot from, focusing on central areas ahead of the penalty spot compared to last season. Their xG per shot has improved as a result.

A better explanation for U