Looking at FC Dallas' new 3-4-2-1
How Nico Estévez wants to play in 2024 (I think!) – so let’s start taking a look, with even more coming tomorrow
Around the better moments, FC Dallas had three problems last year: one was a debilitating, probably unprecedented run of injuries to key players. Not much anyone can do about that – not unless you believe in otherworldly spirits or taming the bad juju of unsettled planetary alignment and such.
One was individual regression in key spots. We talked about that one already.
The third leg of last year’s less-than-stable stool was tactical – and FC Dallas manager Nico Estevez has worked hard in the offseason to address it.
In short, the FCD attack got “stuck” too many times last year. In trying to control matches through the careful control of space, the offense bogged down way too often. FCD rode out its injury decimation by using the same cautiously rigid 4-3-3 structure, by faithfully being in the right spots to defend when possession was lost. By prioritizing defense this way, FCD kept games close and grinded out enough points to make the playoffs (and then made things tough on Seattle in a first-round best-of-three series.)
But the offensive product suffered. It was predictable and lacked risk taking. Teams could sit back and say, “Come on, try to get behind us.”
Which brings us to the 3-4-2-1 that we’ll see in 2024.
Estévez has been a bit coy about extensive use of the new formation this year – which is understandable. Why give away the entire plot? But seeing as the 3-4-2-1 was pretty much ALL we saw in preseason, it seems safe to say the old 4-3-3 will be stashed away; “Break glass in case of emergency,” you know. Until further notice, they’ll use three in the back, two wingbacks (who must be disciplined in retaining width), a highly placed striker (Petar Musa) and two attackers underneath the No. 9.
(By the way, it IS a 3-4-2-1 … a lot like the Thomas Tuchel model at Chelsea three years back (image above). It’s not a 3-5-2 or anything else. It’s semantic at some point, I know, but for us tactical nerds, there are important differences.)
Here’s the entire point to this new tactical scheme: It’s about drawing defenses out a little. FC Dallas has key attackers who are good in space, but maybe not as adept in tight places. Look at Bernie Kamungo and Dante Sealy, for instance. Box them into a small, crowded area and ask them to problem-solve their way out, and they’ll struggle. But Kamungo slashing in behind a back line? Or Sealy running at hapless, slower defenders out in space? Yeah, that’ll work.
Paul Arriola is better than those two in tight spaces, but he’s also more effective dashing about, whether that’s opening lanes for others with his third-man running (he’s VERY good at that) or slashing in behind.
Not to mention how well Jesus Ferreira can slip into pockets of space between lines, then find the runners in behind those lines. Don’t be surprised if he doubles his total of six assists from last year.
So I’m pretty sure this is about drawing defenses out a little, making the spaces in behind the opposition back lines a little more accessible, then playing a little more in semi-transition. (More tomorrow on how they might go about it.)
Look at the image above. This is where FCD found itself too often last year: 3 across the front (a little too static) with two or three supporting players in behind. The result too often was what is about to happen here: recirculate possession, hoping to move some of those defenders. Except that the defenders knew: just stay home, let ‘em have the ball out there, and we’ll be OK.
Now I suspect the ideal version of the new alignment (personnel wise) will look like this:
Sebastien Lletget will factor in somewhere, too; I’m just not quite sure where. What I am more sure about ….
Ferreira will find pockets underneath the striker. That will balance out three potential runners, Kamungo or Arriola (also playing underneath the striker), plus a wingback on either side. Again, the idea is drawing defenders out first; if they don’t get pressure on Ferreira once he finds the space between lines, he’ll kill you with pinpoint passing.
Defending out of the new shape
What I saw in preseason, FCD will press with three, leaving 7 in behind to defend. The 7 in behind will either look like a 5-2 (line of five in the back, with two central midfielders) or a 3-4 (a three-man back line, screened by four midfielders), depending on how high the opposition positions its attackers. The difference, of course, will be how deep the wing backs drop.
We’ll see if the three-man press wants to direct play into the central areas, or attempts to push possession out wide for trapping opportunities (as in the image above). It might even change game by game, depending on opponent strength and tendencies.
I’ll have more tomorrow on what else you might see out of this shape and design, but that’s the gist. There are other elements to attacking out of the 3-4-2-1 … I’ll show them to you next time.
