The tactical flexibility Gregg Berhalter has instilled in this American side is the sort of double edged sword that keeps a columnist awake at night....
The tactical flexibility Gregg Berhalter has instilled in this American side is the sort of double edged sword that keeps a columnist awake at night. You watch the projected lineup, that nominal 3. 4. 2. 1, and you think you have a handle on it. Then kick off arrives, the system breathes, and suddenly you're looking at a 3. 2. 5 in possession with wing backs pushed higher than a kite. Against Paraguay, with the pressure of a World Cup group stage on home soil, that shape will be tested to its very core.There is a fascinating subplot here with Chris Richards finally cracking the opening eleven. The young centre back has been knocking on the door for months, and now he gets his wish. His inclusion in a back three is interesting, particularly because it allows the full backs to become something closer to auxiliary wingers. When the US drop into their defensive 4. 4. 2, Richards will need to show he can handle the transitional threat of a Paraguayan side that loves to break with pace. Squeaky bum time for the defender, but this is exactly the stage he wanted.The midfield pivot is where the real intrigue lies. We saw against Germany that the side looked far more coherent when Malik Tillman dropped deeper into the engine room and Weston McKennie was allowed to roam further forward, almost as a second striker. I expect a similar pattern tonight. Do not discount the possibility of a 4. 1. 4. 1 shift, with Robinson and Freeman operating like orthodox full backs, Tyler Adams sitting as the screen, and an attacking line of Pulisic, Tillman, McKennie, and Dest given license to create chaos. It is a system that demands immense work rate, but it also gives Folarin Balogun a chance to feed on scraps and turned chances. Clinical finishing will be the difference between three points and a frustrating draw.So the question for Paraguay is simple: can they sit in a low block and frustrate this fluid American machine Or will the sheer depth of movement from the US front six overload their defensive lines Berhalter has the tools in the kit bag. Now it is down to execution on the pitch.
