Back in March, Orlando Pride made waves when they signed Barbara Banda from Shanghai Shengli FC for $740,000.
Second in the NWSL in goals scored and goal contributions, the signing was a stroke of genius.
But the story behind this Orlando team doesnt end there.
Littered with stars and with a tactical approach that suits the personnel beautifully, this Seb Hines coached side is on the verge of a regular season championship.
They are both one of the most prolific attacking sides and the top defensive team in the league.
This tactical analysis digs into the specifics of their defensive principles and then offers an analysis of key attacking concepts.
Makings Of A Stout Defence
Orlando had conceded just 12 goals in 19 matches.
In their seven previous NWSL games, theyve allowed just one, which came from a brilliant individual effort by Temwa Chawinga.
While they are third in goals scored this season, Prides defensive tactics are at the heart of their success.
That is despite the fact that Rafaelle, the former WSL star with Arsenal, hasn’t played since 6 June while recovering from a foot injury sustained at the Olympics.
A 4-4-2 setup is typical, often in a mid-block or 3/4 press.
One of the key characteristics of this Hines-led team is their ability to adapt to opponents.
When playing against weaker teams, its common to see a greater emphasis on a high press.
Against more prolific opponents, that mid-block may sit a little deeper, setting a midfield line of confrontation.
If theres a need to press with three players in the highest line, they can do that as well.
Even in this example below against KC current, the base setup is a 4-4-2, but the left midfielder typically took a higher position while the right midfielder dropped deeper to deal with KCs asymmetric attacking shape.
We can also see the spatial allocation of the midfield four.
Orlando is wider on the right and more narrow on the left.
Theres still a focus on blocking off the middle and contesting entry passes into that space.
Against Houston, there was a greater emphasis on a high press.
The approach showed a more standard fl
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