Welcome to Takeaways, an occasionally-written series where we pore over, analyze, and discuss some of the most exciting developments, impressive feats, and noticeable trends we learned from RSL’s recent victories and performances.
RSL returned to action this past Saturday, Aug. 31, at home in front of the Riot where goals from Anderson Julio and a first of the season from Phillip Quinton led the Claret-and-Cobalt to a comfortable and commanding 2-0 win over New England Revolution in the first meeting between both sides in more than two years (March 2022), and the first in Sandy in nearly six (Oct. 2018).
The result represented a return to winning ways for the team and a perfect, most ideal weekend birthday present for RSL Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni, who turned 48 on Aug. 29th. The win also represented the Claret-and-Cobalt’s first MLS victory since the 5-2 home thrashing of Atlanta United on July 6, and the team’s first clean sheet since its goalless draw at Montreal on June 15. Saturday’s heroics arrived in front of yet another sold-out 20,475-person crowd at America First Field, the Club’s eighth consecutive SRO accomplishment and the ninth in 13 games this season.
A record-breaking start to the 2024 campaign, which saw the team achieve an unprecedented 15-game unbeaten streak, was frustratingly punctuated by consecutive losses in its two games against Houston Dynamo (Leagues Cup) and San Jose (MLS) prior to the events this past weekend. On the back of that, Saturday’s win certainly provided a much-needed reprieve for Pablo’s men, and as such, here are some of the biggest takeaways about the team from that game which should be just cause for optimism and excitement.
Pablo the Alchemist, RSL Summon Resilient Spirit
Pablo Mastroeni - master tactician, ruthless catalyst, and a great motivator, but we knew that already. Of course, we did.
RSL came into Saturday’s game determined to put an end to its recent slump, which had seen the team record just one win, one draw and suffer four defeats in its previous six games in all competitions. Most recent, and perhaps frustrating, of them all came in the form of a 0-2 home loss to West bottom-placed San Jose at America First Field in the team’s return to domestic, regular season action a week prior on Aug. 24, a very rare back-to-back loss.
“We looked like a team that hadn’t played in a few weeks,” Pablo admitted in a press conference after the San Jose result. “We gave away a lot of easy balls early on… and that really was the story of the game, we weren’t sharp enough with the ball.”
“I understand that the fans’ expectations are a lot higher this year compared to previous years because of the way the team has performed, especially in the opening 20 games of the season, and it is my responsibility and that of my coaching staff to help make the players feel more confident and bring back the form we all saw during the first half of the season.”
RSL’s beloved head coach has long been famed, throughout his career, for his outstanding, inspirational man-management abilities. Indeed they represent one of the 48-year-old’s most defining and admirable leadership qualities on what is certainly a long and impressive list. Time and time again this season, Pablo has effectively displayed his unique talent and ability for transforming and coaxing the very best out of his players, often turning ordinary efforts into something extraordinary and pushing them to perform even past their own perceived best onto new, previously unimagined levels. Like an alchemist turning base metal into gold, drawing out the purest form of potential from his players and molding them into something greater than they ever imagined they could be.
These players would run through a brick wall for their manager if it ever came to it, and they’ll certainly be the first ones to tell you that. Saturday night, thus, stood as a perfect example, a paradigm, and another inspirational chapter to the thrilling story.
Having endured the frustration of the San Jose home loss, the onus, therefore, was on Pablo to get his message across to the dressing room, and the rest of the team to deliver a much-needed positive result against New England in front of its adoring, dedicated home support, and that is exactly what happened, in domineering fashion too.
Pablo Mastroeni’s charges delivered a lesson in quick, effective transitioning and attacking football, and defensive doggedness en route to a comfortable 2-0 victory, a result which - in truth - never really looked in doubt from the first whistle.
Football in its contemporary era has consistently shown that the truly best managers are those able to marry effective, complex tactical ideologies with the various profiles of their players to create a conducive enough system and environment to help them thrive on the pitch, whilst simultaneously also being able to coax out the very best of those same individuals at the manager’s disposal. And in this, Pablo surely reigns supreme and has proven himself to be amongst the very best in the business - certainly on the North American Frontier. Though not that he’s had to in any case. One never has to go about proving their own greatness, you only need embody it, and RSL’s head coach certainly reigns as cream of the crop.
Tactical Identity Remains the Same
By the end of the summer transfer window, much of the questions asked, certainly by pundits and fans alike, revolved around how the team’s tactical makeup might be altered in light of the Club’s transfer activities.
RSL enjoyed its busiest-ever transfer window this summer which saw fan-favorite Andrés Gómez depart the club for pastures anew in the North-West of France, and the addition of a total of five new faces. Attackers Lachlan Brook, Benji Michel, Dominik Marczuk, and Diogo Gonçalves were added to a squad already boasting the caliber of players like Chicho Arango, Diego Luna, Anderson Julio, Matt Crooks, and others. Former Vancouver defender Javain Brown was also drafted at the end of July to provide more defensive versatility and depth.
With such a busy, action-packed transfer window, the big question on people’s minds was how or whether RSL would have to significantly alter its tactical setup to try and accommodate its record-breaking five new signings.
Saturday gave us a short and most definitive answer: No.
RSL came into the 2024 campaign featuring a new, innovative tactical identity thoroughly worked on during its preseason and implemented by Pablo and his coaching staff, which provided a solid foundation and base for the team’s record-breaking form early in the season.
Briefly explained, the basics of the team’s new tactical setup since the start of the season have seen the team line up in a base 4-2-3-1 formation at the start of games. However, when in possession of the ball, player movement and occupation of select space and zones on the pitch then see this shape morph into more of a 3-2-4-1. To facilitate this, the left winger, typically Diego Luna, tucks inside into the left halfspace as a second attacking midfielder thereby allowing the left-back, often Alex Katranis, to push higher up and occupy more advanced areas, giving him the full freedom of the left flank and the primary responsibility of holding width and offering wide support from the left. With the left back now pushed higher up, the right back then tucks in as an auxiliary third center back alongside the other two regular starting center backs for a line of three in rest defense to help guard against quick transitions and counterattacks in the event of a loss of possession, ensuring overall defensive balance and solidity.
“We’re not changing systems just because of the few new players who aren’t clicking yet,” Pablo explained during a press conference after San Jose. “Instead, we’re focusing on getting the players to recognize the right pass and when the space opens up, and also in the correct time, if the pass isn’t there, to break the line, move the defense, play it through the midfield and go up from there, but we just need to have trust in the players. They’ll work on that.”
The identity centers more heavily around possession of the ball and playing quick, attractive attacking football - something Pablo has consistently stressed this season.
RSL’s head coach has consistently expressed his philosophy and desire for the team to play quick, sharp vertical passes to stun and pull apart teams or capitalize on disorganized defenses.
Against New England, we saw this in full flow. RSL especially utilized quick, direct vertical passes during buildup from the back, quickly moving the ball from back to front which helped consistently catch out the visitors' defense and create quick transition opportunities, particularly during the first half.
New Signings Javain Brown and Lachlan Brook were both also handed their first starts for the club, slotting seamlessly into the system and largely impressing for the entirety of their time on the pitch. In defense, Brown consciously inverted into a back three whenever Katranis went higher up the pitch on the left, providing defensive cover and an effective build-up option. In attack, Brook, although a left-footed player naturally prone to cutting inside, showed good awareness to also go on the outside to try and whip a ball into the box in good moments when the situation demanded it.
RSL’s tactical innovations have already borne significant fruits this year, culminating in the Club’s best-ever start to a new season, and the Club’s policy of targeting new players who fit the system is surely one that will continue to bear good fruits for years to come.
Exciting New Faces Show Promise for the Future
“Higher floor, higher ceiling” have been the most common and compelling words by RSL top officials this year primarily in relation to the Club’s measured, methodical, and proven successful approach to the recently closed summer transfer window.
If those words weren’t already enough evidence for fans, Saturday’s display should at least start to put their minds at ease.
As aforementioned, new signings Brown and Brook were each given their first start against New England, both lasting an hour before being taken off. The pair provided solid, impressive performances throughout the entirety of their involvement, both showing fine, encouraging glimpses that promise even better for the team’s prospects in the Club’s everlasting pursuit of excellence.
Australian attacker, Brook started on the right of RSL’s front three and impressed particularly with his work ethic and wide array of technical abilities. During the first half, the 23-year-old had a chance to open the scoring himself as early as the ninth minute when, capitalizing on a quick turnover, he ran onto a pass from Gonçalves’ inside the penalty box, but his well-placed first-time effort was narrowly parried away by Ivačič.
In his 62 minutes on the pitch, RSL’s new number 17 made 15 successful passes, an accuracy rate of 93%, including one key pass, three total shots, and one shot on target. As further testament to his defensive commitment and attacking efficiency, the 23-year-old also made two successful tackles and three successful progressive carries up the pitch, the joint second-most and joint-most respectively of any RSL player on the pitch at any point during the game.
Much unlike his attacking teammate, Jamaican defender Brown was handed his first start at right back as one of the team’s four deepest outfield players. The 25-year-old displayed his own wide array of speed, intelligence, strength, and tenacity, and impressed mightily with his defending abilities as well as his passing range and ball-playing abilities.
As earlier explained, RSL for much of the game utilized quick, direct vertical passes from back to front to try and create quick transition opportunities and break through New England’s line of press and defense, and Brown proved one of the Claret-and-Cobalt’s biggest weapons and proponents in facilitating this.
Brown especially excelled during build-up phases, constantly finding solutions in the first phase and helping the team progress the ball quickly and efficiently with his consistent vertical passes up the field and through the lines of opposition press - further ample evidence of his seamless adaption into the team’s system.
In his 62 minutes, he recorded four long passes - the joint-2nd most in the team, 46 total touches - the 4th most in the team and the most of the team’s deepest five defensive players, and 25 completed passes - the 5th most in the team and second-most in its defensive line behind only justen glad. Perhaps more interestingly, and indicative of his tactical understanding and build-up efficiency Brown also recorded a progressive passing distance figure of 189 yards - which is a term for the total distance a player's total number of completed passes have traveled towards the opponent's goal - the second highest in the team’s defensive line also behind Justen Glad who recorded 274 yards.
It represented a thoroughly impressive level of tactical and system understanding and adaptability for the two players in what was only their second appearance for the Club. Despite both only lasting an hour on the pitch, the pair laid down solid markers with tidy, effective, exciting performances, coming at a crucial time as RSL go in search of silverware come the end of the season, and only promises better to come in the future.
