Solomon Asanté has been a key part of Phoenix Rising’s squad for the past three seasons since he joined the club in January of 2018. Since his joining, Rising has been a top club in the Western Conference of the USL; in 2019, the team amassed 78 points in 34 matches, winning their conference by 18 points and outpacing the Eastern conference winner, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, by ten points. Asanté’s contribution to the teams success is undeniable, which will be detailed in this scout report.
This tactical analysis will examine how Asanté fits into the tactics at Phoenix Rising under manager Rick Schantz. The analysis will primarily focus on how he contributes to their attack while also briefly focusing on his role in their press and defence.
Player overview
The 29-year-old Ghanian takes up the position of right wing in Phoenix Rising’s attacking 4-3-3, similar to the formation used by Barcelona. In his first season for Phoenix, he scored 13 goals and provided nine assists. Last season, Asanté scored 22 goals and registered 17 assists in a total of 32 matches for Phoenix, earning him the 2019 USL MVP award. He led the league in both scoring and assists as Phoenix cruised to 90 goals on the season, meaning Asanté contributed to 43% of all of Rising’s goals last season. This season doesn’t appear to be any different; despite a large break between the first match and the rest of the season, Asanté has already contributed three goals and three assists in three matches.
Role in Rising’s press
One of Phoenix’s Rising’s keys to success is their ability to press efficiently and dictate how opponents play out from the back. Their front three are the first line of that press and can often force an opponent’s decision without having to use their midfielders. This comes down to the movement and spacing of the front three, which Asanté is a part of as a right-winger.
His main priority is to prevent the goalkeeper from being able to play his centre-back. This movement is mirrored by Junior Flemmings, who is marking the other centre-back. Rising use their forward to mark LA Galaxy II’s holding midfielder, essentially forcing the ball either out wide or long. In the instance above, Asanté positions himself in the passing lane between the goalkeeper and the centre-back, using his cover shadow to prevent the pass. This prevented the pass being played, but it also allowed Asanté to be able to pressure the goalkeeper if he wanted to. Rising do not consistently pressure the oppositions goalkeepers, but they create an uneasiness in them by using cover shadows to prevent passes to a centre-back. Asanté also uses his speed to his advantage when defending centre-backs, essentially setting up traps for the opponents to play into.
