There are twenty-seven teams in the USL, they're all ranked here, and I have no creativity: thus, a column name was born. These are my weekly power rankings featuring write-ups and snide remarks on whichever clubs capture my sprit. If you want more, make sure to check out:
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Read my take on Blair Gavin to Tulsa and the Rising transition!
But without further ado...
Title Contenders
1.) SAN ANTONIO: You probably won't be surprised to find that PC has 10 yellow cards this season, tied for the eighth-most in the USL. There's a tendency to label him a dirty player thanks to the fouls and a tendency to be a bit cynical in the tackle, and PC actually rates below average for tackle win rate and defensive actions per foul conceded. All that said, I've got nothing for respect for what the Brazilian adds for San Antonio. Tactical shirt-grabs against the break have value, like it or not. This is a team that's most vulnerable to counterattacks.
The Oakland game, especially after the immediate Samuel Adeniran opener, was a case study in preventing such counters. San Antonio often sat deep and relied on PC and company to defend smartly; #6 had five successful defensive actions in that vein. Nevertheless, he also swallowed a yellow to cut down an opposing midfielder on the turn. There's a balance to strike, and San Antonio has the depth and nous to strike it; they allowed but two shots on target in yet another dominant win.
2.) TAMPA BAY: Jordan Scarlett had himself a day, and Tampa Bay never really had a doubt in downing Las Vegas on Saturday. The numbers bizarrely underrate the defender; he's below par in every area save passing volume and rates in the 44th percentile for overall value. Still, Scarlett illustrated every aspect of his brilliance against the Lights. In the first half, he struck from range in the aftermath of a set piece to put Tampa Bay on top. From then on, he defended in transition brilliantly, providing last-ditch solidity against the counter while sitting around midfield to support possessive dominance. I'll have plenty more about the offensive blowout in this week's Tactics Show, but #5 needs a minute in the sun.
3.) LOUISVILLE: Surprisingly, Danny Cruz went with a distinctly rotated lineup for the Louisville-Indianapolis Proximity Association Football Contest™ by featuring Carlos Moguel, Ian Soler, and Oscar Jimenez with guys like Sean Totsch, Brian Ownby, and Tyler Gibson on the bench. Still, Moguel's safe feet at the pivot sparked the opening Louisville goal, drawing Indy narrow to open up a left-sided break. When that move hit the final third, Ray Serrano did his best Ownby impression to swap with Wilson Harris for a lovely glancing header.
Still, Louisville struggled to build much more than usual against an aggressive press without their usual starters and their well-ingrained patterns. The cavalry came on late, but the chemistry just felt a shade off, and the high press of Louisville's own leaked some looks when Indy cheated their midfield up. One such opportunity earned a throw that led to a penalty - missing Totsch, eh? - and doomed the side to a meddlesome LIPAFC loss.
All the usual suspects were back in the fold on Saturday against a distracted Sacramento side, but the result wasn't dominance. A smart bit of winger-central midfielder interchange powered the side's opening goal via Wilson Harris, but the technical skill of the opposition's deep ball handlers proved difficult for the boilerplate 4-1-4-1 press. When the wingers failed to track back, Sacramento was able to equalize. A long rain delay soiled the flow of the match, and Louisville was definitely the superior side, but we saw another possible route for breaking this side down.
On a separate note, Benton from Vamos Morados commented on how great Amadou Dia has been this year in the context of the weekend match, and it's hard to disagree. The left back gets ample time to rest in a Louisville team that coasts by design, but he's still in the 70th percentile for Goals Above Replacement. All of Dia's creation and passing numbers rank in the 80th percentile or higher; he's so dynamic and inventive as a crosser from any angle. At the same time, Dia provides a veteran presence down the left in a defensive context, and that showed against the Republic. He'll be vital if this team makes an expected playoff run.
4.) COLORADO SPRINGS: Jairo Henriquez is a spectacularly smart mover, and he took every inch that Phoenix's sub-optimal system gave him on Saturday. Operating on the right for the most part, he cut inside and out to challenge addled fullbacks, forcing harsh overreactions that were tailor-made to open up Hadji Barry and Cam Lindley. The Switchbacks dominated territory and looked like the team that I considered a title threat early in 2022, and a pre-halftime red card sealed the deal. Henriquez did the job himself to ultimately earn a 1-0 win in a third-straight clean sheet, but I was so, so sold by this team at numerical parity. By the way, how about three consecutive one-to-nil games? You never would've seen that coming even a month ago.
5.) SAN DIEGO: Every time I write an article or appear on a podcast (check out Always Loyal!) to preach about San Diego's title chops, they come out and lay an egg. I'm probably the leading proponent of both Elijah and Collin Martin being brilliant, but Monterey exploited both in the 3-5-2 this Saturday. The opening goal played over the left-centerback with his defensive midfield peer tracking; the shape naturally opened the flank, and neither was in position to cover. As the game wore on, #17 and teammates like Alejandro Guido and Jack Blake never quite found their roles, and Monterey was much more successful penetrating in possession than normal. The red card didn't help and doomed a comeback, but this match might've been an endorsement for that more complex 4-4-2 defensive system.
6.) BIRMINGHAM: Anderson Asiedu, winger extraordinaire, is here to stay for Birmingham, and I liked the choice against Miami's high-flying fullbacks. He certainly contributed in the wide areas, but #6 often slid narrow to allow Jonny Dean to go wild on the flank. Still, that side became problematic when Florian Valot began to assert himself in the half space next to his wingback, helping to create transition looks as well as Miami's opening set piece. On top of that, the Phanuel Kavita knock didn't help out in terms of defensive rotation.
Still, the Legion brought on inverted Jake Rufe on the left - we underrate the fun of his footedness - and rode things out, generating looks along the way. A patient, side-to-side sequence starring a narrow Dean and great Asiedu dribbling eventually beat Miami down the flank, and the Enzo-Agudelo two-forward look sucked the foe deep enough to let Bruno Lapa equalize. This wasn't an overwhelmingly good showing, but being able to pick up results on the road through Lapa magic is a boon. He's got five goals and four assists in about 14 total matches, by the way. Special player, and maybe the key to a special late-season team.
Oh, and let’s get Juan Agudelo off penalties. Please…
7.) SACRAMENTO: Say what you will about the Republic's away performance in Kentucky, but there are bigger fish to fry this week in the form of the Open Cup final. Even with that matchup looming, Mark Briggs featured stalwarts like Lee Desmond and Douglas Martinez, albeit aside a short bench stocked with teenagers. The shape took on a 4-4-2 aspect, and classic Douglas Martinez wide bursts as well as typically great progression from defense - Duke Lacroix and Josh Bauer stood out - carried the Republic past the Louisville press with enough regularity to keep the match tight. The rain delay killed any sort of flow or continuity, but I just want to emphasize that this game did not matter in the minds of the Northern Californians, and I imagine that Briggs and company would've readily accepted a loss at the 60th minute or so.
Playoff Locks
8.) MIAMI: There's no clean way to assign a value to continuity, but you can see how familiarity over the last month or two has greatly improved Anthony Pulis' side. Still, there were times that Birmingham's central emphasis and the high-Valot strictures of the pressing system limited what Miami could do in build and transition. When the Frenchman started to drop deeper and wider to link with the pivot and add gravity in tandem with Joaquin Rivas, the attack opened up for this side, leading to that opening set piece banger. The pivot was strong as well, and I would've awarded Miami the three points on the balance, but a poor sequence featuring overly narrow and overly deep defending let Birmingham equalize, and the Legion weren't without chances in general. This is still a good result, and the Legion are tough; Miami is a solid, solid playoff side.
9.) EL PASO: On a pure talent basis, you'd be hard pressed to find a better midfield than Richie Ryan, Dylan Mares, and Eric Calvillo. When you're relying on that trio to control a four-man attacking front, cover for high-flying fullbacks to the touchline, and drive your entire offense, it's a different story. The excess responsibility led El Paso to an underwhelming first-half showing in New Mexico on Friday.
What changed late-on? Liam Rose solidified the side with a double pivot, and that extra hand in possession staved off the host side's press. You saw the effect on the go-ahead second goal where the pivot let Eder Borelli break into space, where he played a switch into - who else? - Lucho Solignac with substitute Chris Garcia streaking narrow. John Hutchinson deserves full credit for unreal management in a massive, massive match here.
10.) PITTSBURGH: With a short turnaround from Saturday to Wednesday, Pittsburgh changed out seven of their eight midfield and attacking players as a black-and-gold Battery bout loomed. The disconnection showed, and the Riverhounds leaned heavily into long balls and direct attacking with no Mertz, Forbes, or Dixon to stir the drink in the middle. Meanwhile, Mekeil Williams and Shane Wiedt were less effective than usual when matched man-to-man in a front-three press. Forbes and Dixon entered at the half and looked bright and impactful, with the former dragging Charleston wide and the later punishing them down the middle, but the opposition still held firm. Dane Kelly has to do more. His gravity can unlock the offense, but he just can't figure out a connection with the rest of this team.
A quick note: Alex Dixon absolutely should not have been allowed to cut his hair. I'm someone who uses afros and other visual distinctions to isolate players during the course of a match, and Dixon's shorn mane renders him rather vanilla for my purposes. More seriously, #7 returned at the wingback spot in a 3-5-2 against Loudoun to wrap up the matchweek. The 'Hounds were underwhelming in attack even with their talisman, and a sixth-placed expected goals per ninety seems high for a team that's so often labored in build. What, then, powers this offense? It's the press. Pittsburgh opened the scoring by pushing Dani Rovira high up the left, pinching a center midfielder up, and generally wreaking havoc. After the ensuing turnover, the high-intelligence attacking front went to work. This team will go as far as its transition generation allows.
11.) DETROIT: Maxi Rodriguez, a top-fifth midfielder for expected goals, defensive actions, and everything in between, was given free rein to press higher than normal against Indy Eleven. Those moments proved more fleeting than one might hope as the Eleven's expansive, free-wheeling 4-3-3 stretched Detroit out. Rhys Williams faced an especially tall task against left-back overlaps without any apparent limits or restrictions. With one of Rodriguez or Brad Dunwell often planted high, DCFC struggled with penetration down the middle, and the usual "balls into the channel" backup plan was hard to pull off given that time-shortening Indy press. This ended up as a hilariously dull game, and a Tulsa loss renders the ultimate draw more than okay, but I want some more spark.
12.) MEMPHIS: Kicking off a stretch of three games in nine days at midweek, Ben Pirmann went with a boilerplate eleven against Loudoun. The foe responded smartly with deep-seated, conservative wingers as well as aggressive central responses to Aaron Molloy, putting Memphis in a high-possession, low-space scenario. 901 couldn't quite break through. I'm not going to pretend like this is some sort of systemic issue for Memphis; sometimes you just don't get that one breakthrough to change a game. Still, might Loudoun have found a blueprint for higher-end foes come playoff time?
When the Saturday lineup dropped, I was interested to see what Chris Allan might add. He's been one of the best, most under-the-radar additions of 2022, top-third for defensive efficiency and all the expected stats. Still, he and the rest of the Memphis attack were largely denied by Orange County's 4-3-3 pressure. One forward harried the centerbacks as the other two denied the fullbacks, and the central midfield denied Molloy et al. to really frustrate Pirmann's side. Meanwhile, a simple ball over the top loosed OCSC to beat the Tennesseans on the counter. Dual runs into the six-yard box opened a far-post Jeremy Kelly volley to equalize at the death, but this wasn't Memphis' week.
A note on Pirmann: watch what happens with him as we head into the offseason. There was some smoke around him and Phoenix, and multiple sources have mentioned that he's unlikely to re-sign as manager amidst lowball offers from 901 FC's front office. I don't understand why you wouldn't drop the bag on one of the brightest minds in the USL, but that's what Memphis has to resort to evidently.
In the Mix
13.) NEW MEXICO: Zach Prince is to "consistent formations" as Dracula is to "garlic," so new Mexico returned to a back four against El Paso. The shape was more of a patient, narrow 4-2-4 than we've seen at any point this year, one that stretched the Locomotive in possession while deepening into a standard 4-2-3-1 in defense. Over-shifting led to an allowance, but the dominance of Amando Moreno and Preston Tabortetaka carried the side to dominance, especially on the slower El Paso right. Still, numerous offside calls and an inevitable slowdown left New Mexico without a lead, and second-half changes doomed the home side to a chastening defeat. The atmosphere at the Lab rocks, but it's increasingly likely that the Albuquerque crowd won't get a home match.
14.) MONTEREY: James Murphy doesn't get enough love as a key creative linker in the Monterey midfield. Rating in the 83rd for expected assists and with four actual assists this year, Murphy was a monster against San Diego's loose 3-5-2. He would thread balls from the heart of the pitch as his teammates filled the vertical lanes, forcing the Loyal to stretch and overreact. Normally best through Gleadle-driven counters, MBFC was precise in settled play thanks to Murphy, and a 3-1 win against a good Loyal side is a statement.
As an aside, Morey Doner is just so, so good at right back. He's got a goal and five assists alongside 79th percentile Goals Above Replacement. I wish we'd see more players jump from the Canadian Premier League to the USL. The leagues seem to be roughly at par, and Doner was a standout north of the border for a few years before his California switch. He's going to be key going forward if Monterey retains the defender for 2023, and I wouldn't mind seeing some more Canucks join him.
15.) LOS ANGELES: When pondering the Galaxy's style, it strikes me that they're bottom five in long pass percentage but top three in clearances. This is a team that understands how to knock a ball into oblivion in defense but control possession and the tempo of a match in the proper context. My odds have Los Angeles in a dead heat with El Paso and Las Vegas for the last two playoff spots in the West, but Yoann Damet's side has an edge because of their sharp tactical identity and thorough execution therein. After a few dry weeks, this team's offense is kicking again with Michael Salazar and Jonathan Perez arising as a dynamic veteran-and-youth platoon to match the incredible Cameron Dunbar on the other side. Tsubasa Endoh's debut brace a week back shows just how deep the Galaxy are in attack. Will they get in? I'd honestly bet on it.
16.) TULSA: The connection between Blair Gavin and Sam Doerr dates back to Phoenix, but anyone who reads the former's hiring as the next coach of FC Tulsa in those terms is missing the forest for the trees. Gavin is so eminently qualified because of that spell in Phoenix where he contributed to some of the best teams in USL history. His stint in Columbus and sterling reputation are icing on the cake. I wrote about Gavin's fit in the long-term vision for Tulsa this week, and I'm amped to see what he brings to the table.
At the weekend, Donovan Ricketts' team moved into more of a 4-2-3-1 this time around as Machuca got a rare start at striker. Part of the new-look eleven stemmed from injuries to Brian Brown and Ronald Rodriguez, but there's been a recent shift without a doubt. The disconnection was somewhat palpable, and the Tulsa attack was overly reliant on long balls into the channels while also suffering from lacking chemistry in the press. When they got looks in transition, there was a lack of tempo and cohesion as well; Rodrigo Da Costa was slow on the ball. Late on, Tulsa committed most of their men forward and spaced with possession in mind, ceding a counter goal to Atlanta that just might doom 2022's playoff hopes. Still, Gavin-powered hopes spring eternal.
17.) INDY: Fresh off of a great upset win versus San Antonio, the Eleven adjusted to the other conference's leader by swapping into a 4-3-3 featuring Stefano Pinho. Thinning out the midfield against the best central unit in the USL was brave, and the Indy press was aggressive as a result, but the opposition was able to break through by dropping their centermen narrow. That tact powered the opening goal, sucking the Eleven inside and opening the flank. The defensive failures on the flank and against crossing runs did the side no favors; every line made a mistake to go down 1-0. Still, Pinho and that press continued to go at a million miles an hour, stifling build against a rotated squad and creating a second ball that led to #29 equalizing.
Mark Lowry recognized the need for a risk-taking, give-and-take approach to meet a more talented opponent and rode out the bumps, and he pushed Justin Ingram and Aguilera much higher in the second half to dare Louisville's midfield to respond. Indy got their chances, earned a penalty through a nice faux-set piece featuring high-low Pinho and Tejada movement, and somehow did the thing.
In an attempt to carry the LIPAFC momentum into an ostensibly playoff-relevant Detroit game at the weekend, Indy freshened up with Ayoze and Rodney Michael in the team. The side noticeably widened the scope of their front three and committed to a one-holder, two-shuttler midfield shape so as to match Le Rouge's standard shape in build. Michael was especially impressive, tucking narrow against Detroit's wingback to open up insane Robby Dambrot overlaps or find room in the half space in his own right. Still, the shape of the midfield was every bit as useful in clogging the opposing attack. It was a distinct performance from the Louisville game but impressive in an equal manner, even if the ultimate draw was a slog and Indy generated nary a shot on net.
Down Bad
18.) RIO GRANDE VALLEY: A huge road match in Phoenix saw the Toros find some chances and succeed via their usual press-centric 4-3-3 but never quite get over the line. The opposition, bizarrely formed in a cattywampus, unbalanced shape, was uniquely weaponized to carve through the usually compact RGV defense, and the tempo of the match ran counter to the slow, grinding preference of Wilmer Cabrera. Nevertheless, Jonas Fjeldberg and Christian Pinzon again proved crucial in transition, transforming the Toros from a one-note pressing side into a counterattacking dual threat incrementally each week. Still, the use of two high central midfielders to support the press doomed RGV against the counter and left them weak against Phoenix's slithery center. The loss in Chandler probably spells the end of the Toros' playoff hopes.
19.) PHOENIX: I was unabashedly negative about Juan Guerra's wonky 4-4-2 last week, but I found myself buying in with the personnel changes against Rio Grande Valley on Wednesday. What changed? On Saturday, Arturo Rodriguez was tasked with a dual role of right-center creation and wing defending, but Santi Moar was allowed to solely focus on the former as Darnell King owned the right. Greg Hurst did enough in a bizarre right-forward role to make up the difference. Meanwhile, Ryan Flood proved more agile and responsive than Marcus Ferkranus at left-centerback when the side adopted a 3-2-5ish look when dominating possession. Phoenix bled a few chances when King stayed too high and Flood failed to space well enough, and the lack of Kevon Lambert hurt in the defensive midfield area.
Ultimately, Luis Seijas' energy in lieu of Lambert made the difference. He got much higher as Aodhan Quinn proved level-headed, forming a dynamic, roaming duo with Moar in the middle. The pair ran rampant and were impossible to mark, and the second-half entrance of Arturo Rodriguez bolstered the effect. A 2-1 win against RGV's stout defense is nothing to scoff at, and I liked almost every change Juan Guerra made after a frustrating debut.
Saturday saw the side move into a true Oakland 3-4-2-1, but the differences from the Roots' optimized fit within that shape and Phoenix's growing pains were clear. Using that system against Colorado Springs' lethal wingers forced the Rising to pin their fullbacks deep as a baseline. When those fullbacks are slower, more staid veterans like Darnell King, that means they don't have the flexibility to get end to end in a Edgardo Rito-esque manner. Suddenly, you need your attacking midfielders to drop deep or your centerman to bump wide in defensive rotation, but that leaves your passing patterns broken in transition. It's a vicious cycle, and Phoenix couldn't break it. The red worsened everything, and the second half was fairly dire in a 4-2-3. It's tough, but this season isn't the barometer for Guerra.
20.) ORANGE COUNTY: Falling somewhere between a 4-3-3 and 4-5-1, Richard Chaplow's base shape against Memphis proved flexible enough to provide spark in attack while generating ample wing support and forging a strong defensive trio in the middle of the park. No example better illustrated the balance than the opening goal. Orange County created a turnover, one Iloski dropped low to hit the other on a switch, and the defending champions were in business. That control largely remained for most of the evening, but a late shift into something more like a 5-2-3 ceded the impetus to the Tennessean guests. Late bursts from Memphis' #10 addled the centerbacks on more than one occasion, including Jeremy Kelly's far-post equalizer, and that was that. The overall performance was representative of a team that's rapidly figuring things out but still sits too far behind the playoff rabble to make waves for the rest of 2022.
21.) CHARLESTON: Fidel Barajas, a teenage starlet with appearances for both the American and Mexican youth apparatuses, joined Charleston in a surprise switch away from San Jose and MLS/MLS NEXT Pro this Friday, and that's kind of a big deal. Barajas was raised in Northern California; this isn't some geographic anomaly. Players like the Battery's new #11 and Kobi Henry in years past are choosing the USL because they want a chance to immediately prove themselves and garner attention on their way to bright European futures. This is the success of the USL's larger model in a nutshell. With the Tebow-Jacksonville news at the start of the week and this bright bit of Battery business, you have to feel good about how the #Soccerwarz are trending. More this weekend in the Backheeled recap; subscribe to get it Sunday night instead of Tuesday.
More to the point in reference to a face-off against the Riverhounds, Charleston tended to be direct and long-ball-addicted in a manner reminiscent of the season's early days, but the approach was fairly effective in playing over the Pittsburgh wingbacks. There was a shade of intentional imbalance to Charleston's shape with AJ Paterson further up at left-centerback and Leland Archer at right. Still, the defensive core tended to play a deeper line than normal and benefited from it. The midfield pivot also stayed flatter, resulting in a compact shape that limited the central areas splendidly. However, the conservatism left Charleston mostly feckless on the ball, and the match was low on chances. If you're Conor Casey against a high-powered opponent, that's probably by design, and a scoreless draw is a solid result.
With Barajas available at the weekend, Charleston opted for Avionne Flanagan and Aidan Apodaca on the wings and bizarrely benched Preston Kilwien after his Riverhound romp. New York's aggressive press goaded yet more long balls initially, but a brilliant interception and full-field carry from Romario Piggott - a top third foul-drawer and volume passer - broke that pressure to create Apodaca's opening goal. The defense was solid from there, but in a distinctly different fashion than on Wednesday; the pivot was so aggressive to much the Red Bulls tit-for-tat. Fantastic week on and off the pitch for the Battery.
22.) LAS VEGAS: This won't surprise you, but Danny Trejo's full MLS contract has hurt the Las Vegas attack. Coming into this weekend, the Lights had summed just two goals and six shots on target after their star's LAFC move. Still, the defensive collapse has been more important still. You can validly handwave away the 5-0 loss to RGV because of the early red card, and Tampa Bay is simply on a different level, but the Lights were as sloppy as they've been in 2022 this weekend. The high line in possession was easily beaten in transition, but the opener came when Las Vegas sat entirely too deep. It's an issue when you're susceptible in multiple phases, and that was the state of play for Enrique Duran and company in a vital playoff-stakes matchup.
23.) OAKLAND: If you're a Roots team that feasts on the flanks, you ostensibly have the formula to beat a San Antonio team whose only slight weakness can come with their defensive rotations in the channels. That success goes out the window when you concede immediately as Oakland did on Saturday. The high back three failed to address a switch with two forwards racing in behind, and it was 1-0 like that. With the lead, the opposition was able to sit in and clog the midfield. The Roots have no central midfielders above the 44th percentile for expected assists, and build was laborious. The 2-0 loss at the end of the day puts Oakland behind both Las Vegas and Los Angeles with at least as many games played, and my model has them at 10% odds of getting the 7th seed. I was hoping for a Noah Delgado renaissance, but this team doesn't have enough attacking variance to do the thing.
24.) LOUDOUN: I think I'm member #1 of the Teddy Ku-DiPietro fan club outside of his immediate family, so I was tickled to see DC United let him get a game under Ryan Martin on Wednesday. He was key at the heart of a fresh 4-1-4-1, pressing up with another central midfielder to harry Memphis' two-man pivot with one holder in support. The wingers also sat deep to fend off the opposition's ferocious Kelly-Fernando counterparts. I particularly loved Jacob Greene's deployment as an out-and-out winger capable of dropping low but bursting up in attack with aplomb. He did that very thing on the opening Loudoun goal, validating a fantastic strategic game for the Virginian side.
Loudoun wrapped up the week against the Riverhounds, and they looked much more controlled than one might have anticipated. The defense sat in more of a 4-3-3, and Greene operated as a true winger in helping to addle the opposing back three. Those high wingers ultimately left Loudoun a bit undermanned as they tried to build, and the 'Hounds generated a turnover in that context that allowed for a game-breaking counter. There were moments where Jeremy Garay was liberated to drop between the centerbacks to ease build, but the pivot was mostly high and isolated. Chances lacked, and the side couldn't recover after that first concession.
25.) HARTFORD: On Wednesday, Jimmy Slayton got the nod in net for Hartford, and I was curious as to why he might be preferred to Yannik Oettl. Both hover around three total Goals Saved Above Average, but Oettl's passing profile is much more tilted towards long punts. Against an aggressive New York side, we never got to test that phenomenon, as Hartford trailed 2-0 within three minutes. Both goals saw Modou Jadama leap hopelessly far into the midfield as a function of the side's high-seated, hard-closing defensive line. New York isn't an attacking juggernaut, but they have the speed to punish those mistakes, and Ray Reid belatedly learned that lesson.
Still, how about that added-time insanity? Hartford is a team that relies on high, wide wingers and aggressive fullbacks to build, but that leaves them thin in the box. Here, Rashawn Dally and company packed the eighteen-yard area and took advantage of an ever-milder New York system. Dally, in the top third for expected goals per shot, was phenomenal camping in the half spaces and doing it all, and you need to watch his thunderous equalizer if you missed the highlight.
26.) ATLANTA: Nicolas Firmino has been a bit up and down in 2022, but his 82nd percentile foul drawing is indicative of a player capable on the dribble, and that showed against Tulsa. #29 was exceptionally tight on the ball, forcing the opposition into a conundrum in their 4-2-3-1 shape, which featured high wing pressure and thus loosed Firmino. Atlanta was ferocious on the counter, and players like Bryce Washington and Mikey Ambrose looked great sparking transition from the back. That freed Firmino and loosed Jackson Conway in transition. He's in the 91st percentile for value this year and got his ninth goal of the season off a genius diagonal run that completely split against the momentum of Tulsa's defensive rotation. Compare Atlanta to New York, and you'll see development done right - and with style to boot!
27.) NEW YORK: How about the form Jordan Adebayo-Smith is in? I questioned his quality recently, but his impressive movement completely demolished Hartford to give the Baby Bulls a quick two-goal edge on Wednesday. Say what you will about #30's finishing, but he has the pace and power to punish any defender. Meanwhile, we're at the stage of the year where New York is throwing out teens for fun. Erick Ruiz, 17 years old, impressed in the pivot against Birmingham, and it boggles the mind that 15-year-old Davi Alexandre looks utterly competent with no driver's license in hand. That youth probably led to an extra-time collapse that blew a 3-1 lead, but you take what you can get in Montclair.
16-year-old Bento Estrela was in the starting mix on Saturday, but the stalwart O'Vonte Mullings stood out to my eyes. Behind Adebayo-Smith on the right, the fullback was given license to charge into the opposing half with abandon. Mullings has five assists and 78th percentile Goals Above Replacement this year, and Charleston's narrow 3-4-3 features only one true winger per side, liberating the right back's movement patterns. Still, the aggressiveness represented by Mullings led to New York conceding on a counter to open the scoring. The side struggled to create much after that, and Charleston gained in confidence to out-press a fierce pressing side.
Hey, at least Ibrahim Sekagya had a cool hat on Saturday? Manager hats are slightly behind goalkeeper hats in terms of "stupid things John likes." Nevertheless, the apparel doesn't make up for a bland performance, and Ryan Martin one-ups Sekagya in this arena anyway.