Tactical Tidbits: Armada cracks Eddies’ stifling defense late
Photo credit: NASL.com
If FC Edmonton were a vehicle, it would definitely be a compact car — a very, very tiny one. After a frustrating 75-plus minutes, Jacksonville Armada FC winger J.C. Banks finally provided the figurative jaws of life to carry the home side to a 1-0 victory.
The Eddies defense, the stingiest in all of NASL last season, loves to pack the middle of the pitch with extra bodies. It doesn’t make for the most eye-pleasing football, but its effectiveness is hard to argue.
News flash: Edmonton didn’t switch up its style of play at all in the offseason. The Eddies sat deep and tight in what was a season opener for both clubs after receiving Week 1 byes.
Banks’ sublime individual effort in the 77th minute masked what wasn’t the smartest of game plans by Armada coach Mark Lowry, but it worked. Rather than funneling the ball to the flanks and serving in crosses, Jacksonville opted to operate mostly through the middle — right where a cluster of Edmonton defenders and midfielders were bunkering down.
You must get the ball out wide and attack from the outside in if you hope to generate any semblance of an attack vs. the Eddies. #compact
— Soc Takes (@SocTakes) April 2, 2017
But the stats support that the Armada got the better of the run of play, despite the questionable tactics. The home side connected on 550 passes compared to the visitors’ 367. And Jacksonville also dominated possession, owning the ball for 59 percent of the match.
No matter how you slice it, serving in only 12 crosses was an unusual way to beat the Eddies. Part of the reason it worked was the lack of pressure being applied high up the pitch by Edmonton forwards and midfielders. The Eddies were absolutely content to sit back and let Jacksonville knock the ball around freely in its defensive third.
If you’ve ever heard of the “high press” played by teams like Sporting Kansas City, what Edmonton does defensively is basically the complete antithesis. You might as well call it the “low press.” Eddies attackers aren’t expected to pressure opposing defenders after losing possession to keep the ball in the final third.
Edmonton coach Colin Miller prefers the retreat-and-bunker-down method. It worked for the Eddies in 2016, and it will probably work for them plenty in 2017, too. But one seam up the middle was all it took on this afternoon.
These two clubs will head north to Edmonton next weekend for an immediate rematch, so it’ll be interesting to see if either manager elects to switch up his tactics.
Follow Kevin on Twitter @KJboxing.
