BREAKING: Jimmy Coenraets is capable of trying new things

Please let this be the pattern and not an exception.

I had low expectations for the second leg of the Royals’ friendly series with the San Diego Wave, just because I didn’t believe that Jimmy was going to change anything. But, shockingly, Jimmy made some changes and gave me a lot to chew on tactically, so here’s some quick hits of what I noticed, with pictures!

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But first, a glance at the stats.

Obviously, since it was a friendly, there were no official stats. But I need numbers to make sense of a match, so I watched the match at 2x speed and got a guesstimate of some key stats:

It was a bit of a game of two halves, with San Diego having the better of the first half and the Royals more or less dominating the second (we’ll get into why a little later). Two things I note in the stats: First, the Royals didn’t allow a single shot in the second half, which must be a confidence boost for a team who has been leaking xG. Second, I hate the passes into the final third to box touch ratio. The Royals completed a pass into the attacking third 24 times-ish, but only had 23-ish box touches. That (and the eye test) indicates that the Royals still aren’t getting into the box as much as they need to. They’re able to get to the box just fine, but as soon as they get there it’s like they’re playing “box is lava.” Please guys…. enter the box.

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First Half Defending

My main qualm with the Royals’ press- which has been going on basically since Jimmy showed up- happened a lot in the first half. When a team’s center back has the ball, Jimmy sends a winger up to press. More often than not, the opposition fullback on that side then drops and receives the ball with no one around them. Because the Royals winger is so high up, the opposition fullback has tons of space to dribble into and create a 1v1 against the Royals fullback.

And just generally, the wingers press too hard and alone, and the space they leave behind is exploited A LOT. Jimmy found a solution for this in the second half, but if the Royals are going to do a mid to low block, he has to figure out how the wingers can press without leaving a giant, easily exploited hole behind them.

And overall, the defending was better than it has been. With people dropping back to help, and the Royals building out in a less expansive shape, there was less room for the Wave to have their way in their attacking half. The two goals conceded were basically just two oopsies: a spill by a rookie keeper, and a terrible giveaway through trying to build out from the back. The spill isn’t an issue with Mandy McGlynn, and an easy fix for the latter is to just clear the freaking ball. But- for once- the Royals didn’t concede a million chances in the same exact way. Progress.

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Second Half Defending

Now onto Jimmy’s solution in the second half: a high press. The Royals were able to pin the Wave into their own half, and force them to go long. They then won the ball in the midfield and went again. So why not do this the whole game? I have two theories: first, Jimmy was just trying stuff. It’s a friendly after all. But my second theory is a little more interesting: I think the Royals are more comfortable high pressing when Kaleigh Riehl is playing. In the photos below, you can see Kate Del Fava stepping up to press Wave players. With all due respect to Lauren Flynn, I think we’d all be having heart attacks if Del Fava was as freewheeling when they’re paired at center back together. Riehl, on the other hand, is quicker and more experienced, and can be reliably left to mind the shop while Del Fava steps up to high press.

This is how the Royals kept the Wave from getting a single shot in the second half: commit bodies forward, force the Wave to go long, win the ball, rinse, repeat.

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ARIA. NAGAI.

I WAS MOVED. Her shift on Sunday showed exactly why the Royals need a mobile midfielder in their double pivot. She tracked runners and double teamed the Wave’s wingers, which kept the Royals from getting exposed on their flanks as much. She also dropped into the back line to help defend, and went high to help with the press. Nagai was everywhere, and her speed meant the Wave had less time to pick out passes in their attacking third. She also had some really great moments receiving and turning to launch attacks.

Her performance really solidified my opinion that the double pivot needs to be Ana Tejada OR Claudia Zornoza plus a mobile ball winner like Dana Foederer or Nagai, so the creative player has a destroyer next to them to do the defensive work. Honestly I even enjoyed Nagai and Foederer next to each other more than I thought I would; having 2 ball winners in the midfield gave the Royals a lot more security in central areas and cut off quite a few San Diego attacks.

Also if you’re Kelly Cousins: Y’all disappointed me in not signing Maya McCutcheon. I will only accept an Aria Nagai contract extension as an apology.

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The Janni™️

No, she didn’t play on Sunday. But I can only imagine Jimmy came up with this after watching her swashbuckling at the Euros. He had Imani Dorsey at right back and Bianca St. Georges as the right winger, but had them switch throughout the game. Dorsey would invert to add a number in the midfield, and St. Georges would drop back to give width and defensive cover. It also puts the right back (Dorsey this game, presumably Thomsen once she’s back) in a great position to receive, turn, and dribble into the right half space. You know, the thing she is best at. Hence, The Janni™️. It also adds some great off the ball movement during the Royals’ buildout, which has been lacking this season.

(It’s hard to show in photos, but it’s happening, I promise)

This tactical tweak makes complete sense with who the Royals’ right-sided options are: Dorsey, St. Georges, Paige Monaghan, KK Ream, Ally Sentnor, and Cece Kizer. All have speed, defensive acumen, and are good with the ball at their feet. I would prefer to see Dorsey, St. Georges, Monaghan, and Thomsen try out these positions over the others, but no matter who is participating in The Janni™️, I think this has real potential to launch attacks and provide the defensive cover the Royals have desperately been needing. Jimmy doing a tactic thing I really like…. who woulda thunk.

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Building out the Back

They still did it more than I would like. One of the Wave’s goals came from our insistence on doing so and a bad giveaway in our own box. If you’re being high pressed, please just go long.

But when San Diego wasn’t high pressing, I saw some improvements in the build out process. Rather than pushing both fullbacks up the line, Nuria Rabano stayed home, so there was a flat back 3. It was clearly an intentional move (I’m assuming to be more defensively solid), because even when Mandy McGlynn stepped up to join the back line, Rabano stayed to create a flat 4.

It also seemed like there was a conscious effort to get more bodies in the midfield to be available outlets for the defenders to pass to. Often, there was a solid line of 4 (left winger, double pivot, right fullback) behind the Wave’s first line of pressure, giving the back line lots of options. For reference, in the past it’s been a line of 3 in the midfield, with one of the midfielders pushed higher. And when The Janni™️ happens, there’s a line of 5 (left winger, double pivot, right fullback, right winger) in the midfield, meaning even more options for the defenders and more defensive solidity should they lose the ball.

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The culmination of everything good came together in the Royals’ best attack of the game.

San Diego committed 5 people to the press, so Del Fava goes long over them. Tanaka, Foederer, and Nagai win the ball in the midfield, then Tanaka receives and turns to dribble at the Wave backline. Because they lured the press then went long over them, the Royals have a 4v4 in their attacking third. Tanaka slips a pass INTO the box for Solorzano, and Kailen Sheridan makes a great save to deny the Royals from taking the lead. Great decision making, great execution. More of this, please.