Tyler Pasher to remain in Eleven midfield?
Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes
INDIANAPOLIS — For versatile Indy Eleven wingback Tyler Pasher, the question never seems to be if he’ll impact a match. More often than not, it’s merely a matter of which position he’ll do it from.
The pacey 23-year-old Canadian drew a few starts at left back to start the season, then seamlessly transitioned to the left side of Indy’s midfield once natural left back Ayoze returned to full fitness. Pasher has posed a consistent danger to opponents regardless of where he’s been on the pitch, but obviously gets more opportunities to impact the attack as a left midfielder.
Eleven head coach Martin Rennie, clearly giddy about what he’s seen from Pasher farther up the flank, hinted that the move might become a staple.
“Yeah, I think so. I think we’re fortunate that we’ve got guys who can adjust and play different positions,” Rennie replied when asked if the Pasher-in-the-midfield trend is likely to continue. “But yeah, that’s one of the options in that position. I think that’s a great option for us.”
Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes
Pasher looked sharp during his most recent outing as a midfielder in Indy’s 2-1 home win over Nashville SC. Pasher started on the left flank and was a significant difference maker on both sides of the ball for the Eleven throughout.
Later in the match, Rennie dipped into his bag of tricks and sent the left-footed Pasher to the right side of the midfield. Managers often do this to allow opposite-footed players to cut in from the wing to get a better angle to go directly at goal, but that wasn’t the only reason for this particular shift. Rennie confirmed it was primarily a tactical defensive move, feeling that his club’s defense could use a little extra cover on that side of the field to protect its lead.
“I wanted to shut that side down a little bit more,” Rennie explained. “Because of his good defensive work, that happened. And then also, I think the game changed a little bit at that point. I don’t know if you could sense that, but we got a lot of our chances once he went to the right. And that meant the fullback had a different look, and he’s quite comfortable playing on the right, coming inside. And that actually, I think, was when the momentum in the second half changed, and then the game became a little easier for us. I think he can do right, left (midfield) or left back, so that’s nice for a coach to have.”
Pasher is simply too dynamic in the attack for Rennie to justify treating him as a permanent fullback. Unless Ayoze picks up a knock or needs a match off for routine rest, expect to see the speedster affectionately known as “Bae” line up as a regular starter in the midfield.
Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KJboxing.
Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to exclusive content and supporter benefits. Click here to become a patron today.
