Sergio Ruiz, who earned the honour of becoming Charlotte FC’s first-ever signing, now has a teammate, joking on Twitter that, “I will finally be able to train with someone.”
That someone is FIFA Puskas 2018 nominee Riley McGree, the 21-year-old Australian moving from Adelaide United. You’ll remember his incredible scorpion kick competed with Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic bicycle kick for Real Madrid, as well as the brilliant individual goal from Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah that won the prize.
Since Charlotte FC’s inaugural season was pushed back to February of 2022, McGree was subsequently shipped off to Birmingham City of the EFL.
In this tactical analysis, we’ll take a thorough look at which qualities McGree will bring to the Charlotte midfield. Our scout report starts with an analysis of his usage at Adelaide, followed by technical and tactical evaluations. Finally, since his new parent club is yet to take to the pitch, this analysis will briefly consider the tactical trajectory of sporting director Zoran Krneta’s roster and scouting director Thomas Schaling’s scouting considerations.
How was McGree used at Adelaide United?
In Australia’s 11 team A-League, Adelaide United finished seventh, narrowly missing out on the Finals Series, essentially the A-League’s playoffs, by one point. Despite missing the playoffs and finishing with a -5 goal differential, goal scoring wasn’t the problem. Of Adelaide’s 44 goals (4th in the league), McGree paced the team with 10 goals and tied Ben Halloran’s mark of five assists.
Adelaide United’s tactical setup was typically a 4-3-3 or a close variant. Within that system, McGree was utilised as a centre-attacking midfielder, or a #10 for short.
A creative player how excels in progression through the dribble and his work close to goal, his heat map lights up both at midfield and deep in the half spaces. As Adelaide progressed into the final third, it was common for McGree to operate in the half spaces, especially on the right.
