USA's In-Game Flexibility & Midfield Runs Cause Paraguay Problems

Mauricio Pochettino implemented a very successful game plan overnight, as Paraguay couldn't deal with the tactical plan.

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USA made a fantastic start to their World Cup campaign with a comfortable 4-1 victory over Paraguay. Setting up in a 4-3-3, Pochettino would regularly ask his side to move into a back 3 when they had possession.

Sergiño Dest played very high and very wide on the right, with Antonee Robinson & Christian Pulisic often rotating high and wide on the left. By putting 5 men on or near the defensive line, Paraguay’s back 4 became very stretched and this created huge gaps in the channels between the centre backs and full backs.

Weston McKennie in particular caused Paraguay so many problems with his movement in behind - so often an unselfish action too. This first clip is from the opening 2 minutes, and this run set the tone for USA’s game plan.

According to official FIFA data, USA made 350 ‘offers to receive’ possession from their team mates. An incredible 118 of those offers were classed as ‘in behind’, with a 100 of them coming in the final third.

McKennie himself made 22 of these moves in behind, more than any other player. In total he made himself available to receive the pass 67 times, but only received it 25 times - yet more evidence of his hard work that often wasn’t rewarded.

It wasn’t just him though - in this second clip, USA are again in their back 3 shape in possession. Dest’s wide positioning creates a large gap that McKennie moves in to, but the ball doesn’t come. USA switch the ball quickly before Robinson is next to threaten in behind.

Pulisic then moves narrowly, and with Balogun taking the attention of both Paraguay central defenders, another huge gap forms in the back line. It’s Tillman who takes advantage of this, and receives a nice pass over the top.

All of these off the ball movements from the USA players are very intelligent, and Paraguay just couldn’t deal with it in the back 4 shape they were set up in.

In this final Tactical Cam clip, we see the build up to the second goal. The huge difference here? USA stay in the back 4 when winning back possession - they would often do this when they begin possession on the left. Pulisic gets the space to receive wide on the touch line, before finding himself in a more narrow position moments later.

Antonee Robinson receives the ball and locks eyes with Pulisic - his movement here is tremendous. He faces the ball and then suddenly darts into the space in behind - the difference being this time that it’s his own movement that has essentially created this space in behind.

Using the BBC’s fantastic 3D tool, where you can watch all of the games they broadcast with a first person view of any player on the pitch, we get an even better idea about how brilliant this pass from Robinson is.

You can just see in the top left of the screen Robinson’s view of Pulisic’s dart in behind, he then curls the ball around two Paraguay players and into his path, before Pulisic lays it on a plate for Balogun.

This was a very impressive start to the World Cup by Mauricio Pochettino’s USA side, it will be interesting to see if they use this kind of tactical plan again in the upcoming games, or whether the Argentinian will cook up some different ideas.