NWSL 2019: Orlando Pride vs Sky Blue FC – tactical analysis

The week 14 of the NWSL saw Orlando Pride host Sky Blue FC at the Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Florida. The two teams sitting at the bottom of the NWSL table were battling for points. Sky Blue FC have shown a rise in form with wins in their last two games, while Orlando despite star-studded names in attack, had only won two games so far.

Still fresh from the FIFA Women’s World Cup finals this month, most NWSL teams were missing players from the USWNT. The challenge was to avoid a drop in their rhythm despite missing the World Cup Champions. In this tactical analysis, we see how both teams tactics played out in an exciting NWSL fixture.

Lineups

Orlando Pride, coached by Marc Skinner played a 4-2-3-1 mid-block with the Brazilian six-time FIFA World Player of the Year, Marta as the central striker. During the game we will see how she played the role of an attacking playmaker by dropping deep and creating plays. The central midfield was marshalled by Alanna Kennedy and Joanna Boyles. 22-year-old American rookie, Marisa Viggiano played a decisive role in the game with freedom as a number 10, while the fullbacks, Erin Greening and Ali Kreiger had important roles in attack.

Sky Blue FC were led by interim coach Hugo Macedo and although on paper they matched Pride with their 4-2-3-1, during the game they played with more of a 4-1-4-1. Missing the World Cup winner Carli Lloyd in attack, the responsibility to score goals fell on the shoulders of Raquel Rodríguez and Imani Dorsey. The Sky Blue game model was based upon short passing and gradual build-up play to create combination plays in the attack. Things did not go according to plan, however, due to the effective counter-strategy employed by Orlando.

Orlando pressing

From the whistle, we saw a conviction about Orlando in their desire to win the ball back when lost. They engaged in a mid-block and gave a lot of freedom for the Sky Blue defenders to build from the back often sitting deep as a 4-4-2 with Marta and Viggiano up top. They only began to press a couple of meters before their half, but aggressively. The back four held their line zonally, as they left it to their central midfielders to engage in a man-oriented press. If Sky Blue would take longer in possession around the central areas of the pitch, the Orlando forwards, Chioma Ubogagu and Marisa Viggiano participate in double marking to win back possession.