A High-Pressing Creative Threat: DC United’s new era under Troy Lesesne – tactical analysis

This past offseason included plenty of change at DC United. Former Manchester United star Wayne Rooney is departing as the club’s manager, and the capital club is also hiring a new general manager. After a long and drawn-out search, DC United hired Troy Lesesne as their new head coach, with the 40-year-old getting his first permanent role as an MLS head coach. 

Lesesne does bring former managerial experience, with the South Carolina native previously managing New Mexico United of the USL Championship for three years. He then moved to MLS, becoming an assistant manager on the New York Red Bulls staff, before being promoted to interim head coach for the majority of last season after the club mutually parted ways with Gerhard Struber. 

While Lesesne did well with the Red Bulls, guiding them into the MLS Cup Playoffs, the club opted not to give him the full-time role. Since his arrival in DC, there has been immediate buy-in from the players to Lesesne’s tactics and style of play, with this tactical analysis taking a closer look at how his DC United side have looked to play early in this MLS season. 

Looking to press high and cause turnovers in advanced positions 

One of the early hallmarks of DC United’s style of play under Troy Lesesne is its high-pressing nature, with DC statistically the best pressing side in MLS currently. A lot of this comes from Lesesne’s time with the Red Bulls, with high-octane pressing and looking to put the opposition under immediate pressure one of the key principles in the Red Bull philosophy. 

The data viz graphic above shows the pressing actions of DC United this season in the opponent’s half. As we can see, Lesesne’s side have managed 72 high regains already this season, with 31 dangerous recoveries, meaning DC were able to get a shot off within 20 seconds after regaining possession. 

Looking deeper at the statistics from this MLS season, DC United leads all MLS sides in challenge intensity (7.7) and PPDA (5.76). When talking more about the more basic principles of Lesesne’s pressing style and philosophy, DC United tend to press in a 4-1-3-2 shape, with it tending to stay very narrow, as DC look to either force into the central areas where they are able to overload the midfield and put immediate pressure on opposition players, or force a pass wide from the centre-backs to the full-backs, where then the outside midfielder and full-back on that side both tend to engage the full-back as he receives possession.