The disruption of Covid-19 caused havoc in soccer in the United States, with many of the National Women’s Soccer League’s biggest stars leaving for Europe. Some went on loans in search of minutes, such as Alex Morgan’s short stay with Tottenham Hotspur, while others left on permanent deals. One of the biggest losses was suffered by the North Carolina Courage, who saw defensive stalwart Abby Dahlkemper leave for Manchester City, where she signed a two-and-a-half-year deal.
Dahlkemper anchored the defence for the North Carolina side that finished runners-up in NWSL in 2017 and won the NWSL Championship in 2018 and 2019. She appeared eight times in 2020 for North Carolina in both the NWSL Challenge Cup and the NWSL Fall Series. The departure of such a critical player will leave North Carolina Courage head coach Paul Riley with a big decision to make on filling the gap in his backline. This tactical analysis will look at the available options within North Carolina’s current squad, and how North Carolina’s play may have to change to deal with the loss of Dahlkemper.
Left-sided centre-back
Dahlkemper frequently partnered Abby Erceg at centre-back, playing as the more aggressive of the partnership. Erceg is club captain at North Carolina and also captains the New Zealand national team. At 31, she is well travelled and has previously played in Australia, Spain and Germany. She came to Chicago Red Stars in 2014 and has been with North Carolina since 2017. For three years Erceg and Dahlkemper have worked together at the heart of North Carolina’s defence.
This partnership worked well, with Dahlkemper playing as a stopper. Erceg operated in more of a cover role, allowing Dahlkemper to use her athleticism to physically challenge the striker and also step forward to intercept passes to start counter-attacks. Also, with the ball, she was more willing to step into midfield to help build the attack and provide an extra passing outlet to increase her side’s press resistance.
The graphic below shows how well Erceg and Dahlkemper play together. Erceg stays back and covers the backline, while Dahlkemper steps forward to challenge the aerial ball. She’s able to force the ball backwards, and Erceg stays in position to ensure that the opposition cannot get behind the defensive line.
In 2020, Erceg averaged 2.73 aerial duels per 90 minutes, winning 73%. She had more success in the air than Dahlkemper, but Dahlkemper was more successful in ground duels. Dahlkemper won an average of 4.3 ground duels per 90 minutes, with a success rate of 57.9%, compared to Erceg’s average of 3.82 ground duels per 90 minutes, with a higher success rate of 85.5%. These stats show that Erceg provides quality when it comes to defending in the air, while Dahlkemper was much more aggressive on the ground to challenge for the ball.
Erceg should continue to start as the left-sided centre-back. On the right side, there are several options available in the squad who could start alongside Erceg.
