13th Man

What a month!!!! Crazy how you can flip your place in the table with a handful of good results. Funny how reshuffling the pack with Woodburn playing technically deeper can change things. Also maybe just the team gelling.

Made quick work of your Swiss adventure. Time to head back to the Netherlands then? I wonder if PSV is open they have a pretty good squad and…okay, sorry. This part of the challenge is going to be tricky, as there’s such a huge financial gap between the top CL clubs and even the Ajax/Porto type clubs that winning the thing will be much harder than it was in Happel’s time…

Ha! Fair play. My move was to push off with my shoulder (no raised arms!) when turning in behind - can’t get my feet when you’re stumbling just a bit! Always a cat and mouse game between defenders, attacks, and the ref. I get it - I just tend to find pressing/marking the passer is more effective than marking the forward. The one exception sometimes is wingers. It’s more worth the risk because even if they get in behind, they’re at the touch line so not just through on goal…

On man marking - I find it’s weirdly harmful with strikers, especially when defending over the top balls. I honestly loved when CBs got close as a forward. Meant you could either lean against them when back to goal and force them to tackle through you, OR as you’ve found, you could accelerate around them into space with a step or two head start as they had to turn and sprint back. If they were a bit off and to the side. they’d at least be able to put pressure from the side…. In game, I’ve found no success in tight marking forwards. I usually reserve it for midfield playmakers when I want them constantly under pressure when they receive the ball.

[ @Hootieleece, doing what I’ve been doing in your thread - asking the questions I’m about to answer in this post. Tactics will come up a bit later though…] The European Adventure begins… Things moved fast, and PSV made sure Lindsay didn’t say yes to any of his other suitors - with Club Brugge joining Sturm Graz and Levante as suitors. While Leeds had made Lindsay wait weeks for his answer, PSV had offered Lindsay a contract within days. For the time being, Lindsay decided to stay on as manager of the US national team. If juggling both proved too bothersome, he’d resign from the USMNT to focus solely on PSV. Lindsay felt vindicated in his decision to stay in Austin as long as he did. Rather than toiling in the lower divisions or maybe taking on a club trying to avoid relegation, he took the helm of one of Europe’s premier clubs after a successful stint with the national team. He would be managing in the Champions League and challenging for titles. Lindsay had not yet reached the mountaintop, but he felt like he’d taken a shortcut to a high altitude base camp. If he did well enough, he might just follow his predecessor and leap to a truly top club. Lindsay takes over a club used to domestic success, especially lately under Van Nistelrooij, who’d won two of the last three Eredivisie titles, including the 2025/2026 season. They were predicted to place 2nd or 3rd in the coming season, and would enter the Champions League at the league phase. They had the 44k seater Phillips Stadium, superb training facilities, and an excellent youth set up. The expectations were high. The board allowed for one season for Lindsay to get used to life in the Netherlands. He would merely have to challenge for the title. After that, the board were expecting the Eredivisie title full stop. The board and fans demanded possession football over all else. While Lindsay had switched away from his previous shape and philosophy in the World Cup, he’d spent most of his time at Austin leading a side that controlled possession, and found that this PSV side were well suited to his Coiled Spring. It was a club positively bursting with attacking talent. The club appeared to be a landing spot for talented players who just needed a chance to reach their potential. There was a theme of massively talented players that hadn’t quite been able to break into the first teams of truly top clubs. Former Chelsea man Noni Madueke was a great talent on the right, full of skill and pace, if lacking a bit of toughness and aggression. Pablo Torres was a creative, technical player heading towards his prime, and could play in midfield or anywhere along the attacking midfield strata. He’d never quite made it at Barcelona but was blossoming at PSV. Then there was Dutch international Xavi Simons, who was already a complete player at 23 and still could improve. After coming up through the Barcelona youth system and spending time at PSG, Simons had found a home at PSV. The scary thing was that these players were 24 or under and had not yet fully realized their potential. Beyond the young attacking talent, Sebastián Haller was aging (32) but still a handful. Nao Lang, an excellent Ajax product who defected to PSV after a few years at Club Brugge, was in his prime. Emerging talents The defense, while perfectly decent, was far less talented than the forward line. The biggest issue, though, was a lack of defensive minded midfielders. DM Eden Kartsev was solid enough - hardworking and aggressive but technically limited, though with the attacking talent around him he didn’t need to be a creative force. The problem was that he was the only defensive minded midfielder at the club. Dani Cellabos, one time Arsenal bright spot when on loan from Real Madrid, was decent defensively but not comfortable as a DM, unfortunately. Apart from that, he was a very solid all around footballer. Keeper Walter Benitez was solid and well suited to Lindsay’s desired SK role, with a commanding presence in the box. He was 33, though, and being scouted by Ajax. Lindsay would hope to both look for a long term replacement and to come up with a contingency plan. The other area that was of slight concern for Lindsay was that there was no backup for Haller up front that could impose themselves physically in the box. One of the first things Lindsay checked on was some of his former players at Austin. Unfortunately, both players in positions of need had left Austin. GK Antonio Sivera had joined Brentford for a mere €7.5m, and his value had shot up, while BBM/DM Tommy Doyle had been traded so wasn’t looking for a move. Lindsay considered bringing Danny Levya back to PSV, but he wasn’t quite what was needed, with PSV lacking aggression and strength - neither of which Levya possessed.

Sorry, but Ajax had their chance, they said no. They didn't even interview Lindsay!

@DavidBeckham @karanhsingh @LUFCspeni Thanks all! As to where next… Baby we were born to ruuun After leading the US to a World Cup semifinal, Lindsay set his sights on his long awaited move to Europe. He had been sure that he would quit the national team post when the World Cup was over, but for now, he decided to stay on and see if he could juggle club and national commitments. He felt that he had more to give and that he hadn’t fully developed the system to its best possible iteration. There was also the possibility of actually winning a trophy in a years time at the 2027 Gold Cup. If at first you don’t succeed… Just before the start of the tournament, Ajax had declined to interview Lindsay despite a lot of supporter interest in his application. The Ajax board did let him know that he would have been a good fit…he just didn’t quite make the shortlist. Lindsay wasn’t surprised, though he was a bit disappointed. Then the Leeds United job opened up, and he applied there as well - along with the club’s American connections, the prospect of leading a promotion challenge and possible return to the Premier League was intriguing… …but Leeds went with Roberto De Zerbi. They probably feared supporter riots if another American was hired after Jesse Marsch’s less than inspiring tenure [which lasted a year longer than it did in real life, but without much more success]. Europe, however, began to take notice. Before the Spain game, Sampdoria reached out for an interview, having they avoided relegation in Serie A. They went with a domestic manager, but also said they were impressed by Lindsay. The job hadn’t come yet, but things were beginning to look promising. Two very interesting offers arrived just after the World Cup ended, with one of the top Austrian clubs in SK Sturm Graz and La Liga side Levante both reaching out to Lindsay. Both seemed desperate to land him. Sturm Graz offered the possibility of Champions League football while Levante were a top flight club in a top 5 nation. Then things got truly insane/mental. Brazil and the Netherlands both offered jobs to Lindsay on the same day. He’d been considering his future, whether he wanted to stay on as the manager of the US national team. Both offers were incredibly tempting, and would possibly give Lindsay that chance to go one step further and actually win the World Cup…but that would mean surviving four years at either nation. Upon further reflection, he also realized he wasn't interested in managing the national team of a country with which he had no personal connection. Sturm Graz and Levante were both in the midst of asking Lindsay for desired staffing changes. He was torn between which one to pick. That’s when a chain of events set in motion a perfect landing spot for Lindsay. It was meant to be Erik ten Hag had left Manchester United at the end of the 25/26 season to take over at Newcastle. The vacancy hadn’t really been on Lindsay’s radar - he knew he didn’t have the resume for it - so he was only vaguely aware of the opening. Until a certain Ruud Van Nistelrooij was brought back to his old club, leaving his old post open… The managerial post at none other than PSV Eindhoven - a club officially affiliated with Austin FC, so were already very familiar with Lindsay…

A perfect send off The iconic Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California (basically Los Angeles) would host the 3rd place playoff. When the USA plays Mexico, it is almost always an away match, even when it’s played in the US. There’s a huge Mexican population in the US, and in areas like LA, the concentration is huge, with hispanic people making up 49% of the population. [Not all of those are from Mexico, of course, but a large portion are]. As passionate as some USA fans are, Mexico and its diaspora in the US is far bigger and far more passionate. For once, however, the stands are a mix of green and red, white and blue with the US’s run in the World Cup having awoken a huge swelling of support across the country. There really couldn’t be a more perfect 3rd place playoff. Normally a glorified friendly, this match would not only cap off an amazing World Cup for both hosts, but it would be a clash of fierce rivals. It would be the final that everyone wanted, but everyone knew wasn’t realistic. Pre-match Lindsay rotated a lot of players, with those like Pulisic and Balogun barely able to stand, and others exhausted. He also put in 22 year old Gabriel Slonina in goal, giving the young man who looked set to take on the mantle of US #1 in the next World Cup. Steffen would go down as a legend in the US, and Lindsay wanted to make sure some silly howler didn’t blemish that, along with, of course, giving the young keeper a taste of World Cup action. The Match The first half was a disaster in every way other than that the US somehow managed not to concede. Mexico dominated possession nearly 3 to 1, and bombarded the box with an incredible 9 corners in the first half alone. Slonina looked very solid in goal, but was forced into action more often than Lindsay would have liked. At halftime, Lindsay made two changes and the side went back out in the 4-3-3 Coiled Spring. Mexico were left reeling and one of the two chances, CM(a) Djordje Mihailovic, scored within a minute of kickoff. The rest of the half was far more even than the first, and the US managed to see out the game to end their World Cup on a high - 3rd place and with a victory over their bitter rivals! The World Cup final France raised their second World Cup in three attempts as the dynasty of Mbappe lived on. Unsurprisingly, the biggest overachievers were the US, with Mexico right behind.

Love the assman getting the cup! Giving Kolo a good resume builder. Hopefully, next season you'll get a bit more going in the league

Pretty decent start even with the setbacks - in 9th but only 3 back from the leaders in terms of points! Steady the defense and you'll be challenging for the CL places.

Many thanks. Really enjoyed the deep dives into tactics for each match. When doing international management, each match is so important, even more so at at a WC!

Fairy Tales It has truly been a storybook tournament so far, and this is epitomized by two of the three host countries progressing to the semi finals, an historic best for both. Mexico’s best run before this has been the quarterfinals all the way back in 1986! It was also the first time that any country outside of Europe or South America had reached this stage since South Korea made it to the semis when they hosted in 2002. Not to be outdone for drama by their northern rivals, Mexico waited until ET stoppage time before they too scored a winning goal and progressed to the semi finals. Mexico, however, was on the opposite side of the bracket from the US, so the rivals could not face each other until either the final - if both won - or the 3rd place play off if both lost. In the way of a truly fairytale finale were two European giants. Mexico would face a France team with prime Mbappe and a host of other superstars. The USA would face off with an Italy squad which didn’t quite have the star power, but had depth to the point where they could rotate freely without any drop off in quality. Preparations - Scouting and Tactics Italy 2 - 0 Morocco Watching the Italy v Morocco quarter final, Lindsay saw a classic tactical battle. Neither team was willing to press high and hard or push men forward. Italy kept a high line, but did not press high and hard. The other difference was that while Morocco would simply look to clear their lines and hope to catch Italy out, when Italy smelled a chance, they attacked with lightning fast, incisive and precise moves between the front four of their 4-2-3-1. Morocco defended quite well, with the only decent chance of the first half coming when the Morocco right back took too long to make a choice after an interception facing his own goal. The way Italy swarmed forward the instant they recovered possession was terrifying, though. The ball was zipped across the front 4 and forced a great save from the Moroccan keeper. Italy got their first goal in a moment of chaos following a long goal kick. Again, Italy’s pace of both movement and passing left Morocco chasing shadows and Italy engineered a one on one chance that Mattia Zaccagini tucked away. A corner goal finished off a simple 2-0 victory. Along with their efficiency in transition, Lindsay noticed that their 4-2-3-1 attacked quite narrow, overloading the central areas. While sometimes this would make a team easier to defend, they were able to overwhelm the opposition with varied movement and levels of attack. Especially after their first goal, they were able to get in behind and create chances through cutbacks and through balls. The interchange between the DLF and the AM was especially effective at creating difficult decisions for the Morocco CBs, while the varied penetrating runs of the IF and IW created even more problems. Finally, the Segundo Volante or the CWB would act as that late runner or an outlet. This was a vintage Italian team. Organized, tactically astute and incisive and precise going forward. In fact, they played in a style that could also be described as a coiled spring. It was quite different in practice from Lindsay’s tactics at Austin FC, but it had the same method of inviting the opposition onto them before winning the ball back and attacking with pace and precision. USA Preparations In preparing for the match Lindsay’s goal was to not let Italy play to their strengths. He would sit deep, clog the middle of the pitch and see if he could force Italy to feel the weight of expectation and start to attack, leaving themselves open. He didn’t want to make a drastic change, but he also saw Italy targeting one major possible hole in the 3-4-1-2 system behind the CMs. To counter this, Lindsay decided to instruct Musah and Adams to drop deeper and clog the holes, allowing the US to still outnumber Italy’s front 4 and, hopefully, force them to commit more men forward if they wanted to break through. He didn’t want to be too reactive, though, so asked Musah to play as a Segundo Volante and charge forward in support when possible. The WBs too would be given the license to attack the flanks and provide an outlet as Lindsay had noticed a large gap between the Italy wingers and fullbacks in transition. With Palmer-Brown suspended after his two yellows against Spain, Carter-Vickers returns to the starting lineup. Dest again takes the place of Bello, who’d played the full 90 against Spain. Key players for the US were reaching the point of exhaustion, but that's just how it goes at this stage. Unless you're Italy... Italy is able to make seven changes to the side that beat Morocco while putting a world class side on the teamsheet. The contrast in quality of depth is staggering, and the US would be facing a terrifyingly fresh Italy side. The match Metlife Stadium in (ok, near) New York City. It was the perfect place for this semifinal. It was right across the Hudson from the city where Lindsay grew up. It is where his dad still had season tickets to go spend hours on public transit to suffer through Jets games in the NFL [one of the sorriest franchises]. It was a city with a huge Italian American population. The stands, though, would be filled with red, white, and blue as a nation watched. 82,500 people were set to fill the stadium, thousands more would be watching outside. Times Square was closed off, packed as thousands gathered to watch there. Millions across the country would watch on TV in what would be the most watched soccer game in the nation’s history. Mexico had fallen 2-1 to mighty France the day before in the Rose Bowl in (basically) LA, California. Would they US be staying in New York to face the French or would they be flying to California to face their rivals in the 3rd place playoff?

YES!!! It's all rather tight, crazy how you can leap up/fall down in those new European leagues as it's the slimmest of margins that make the difference. It looks like you're in not even on GD, but on goals scored!

Hit the road Potts! Tough times indeed, steadying the ship though. May it turn into wins before too long. HA! Sorry about that. I'm also generally a good bit ahead of my write ups as well (sometimes I wish I wasn't, as I think up something that would have been helpful).

Don't get me wrong at all!!! Steffen was the absolute, unrivaled hero of that match - I'd just already done a bunch to highlight him!

Right??? I thought if anyone was going to be a hero it was Balogun (who’s been very good too) but Sargent has now scored 3 in his last two and 5 in the tournament overall! And as always, @keeper#1droping just the right gif in there.

Ouch! Is Jester going to try to stamp his authority on the squad? Or try and let it all burn off?

Yes!! Got to love a Paris FC challenge. Youth is going to be tricky so maybe try and get the board to focus on youth recruitment? Also, funny that your AMs wasn’t involved. I’ve had a lot of success with a similar set up, though with CMs rather than DMs. The player at AM was more of a CM playing higher, but I do wonder why it didn’t work on support for you.

With all the injuries and setbacks, it was not a bad season on the whole. Clearing out the deadwood…time to put Jester’s fingerprints on the club and mold it into his image (to mix metaphors and all that).

Mile High To say the World Cup had been a success would be an understatement. The 3 team group stage had been a bit clunky, the stakes far too low, but even then there had been drama with Argentina crashing out. As the knockout rounds began, however, the tournament heated up. The second round was exciting enough. Even this early, there were several huge clashes of major teams. The biggest surprise, perhaps, was Mexico’s tight win over Portugal, but there was plenty of excitement to be had in Germany’s win over Belgium and another penalty shootout loss for England as they fell to Croatia. In the third round, however, was the round of the underdog. Enjoying their home advantage, both Mexico and the USA found a way to beat two of the pre-tournament favorites in front of their home crowds. Two days after USA’s win over the Netherlands, Mexico beat Brazil 1-0. Elsewhere, Morocco managed to force ET with a stoppage time goal and held on to beat Germany on penalties. Turkey even nearly pulled off a fourth upset of the round as they forced France all the way to penalties. Looking at it from a historical point of view, Spain’s 1-0 win over Norway shouldn’t be an upset, but it was. As Americans across the country found out as they tuned in with record numbers, this is not the Spain of yesteryear. This is not vintage, late 00s national team flavored Barcelona as they pass you into oblivion. It’s not entirely devoid of the influence of tiki-taka, but it’s definitely something else. They are 3rd in the world (after the US knocked the Netherlands off that spot) and coming off a 1-0 win over Norway as they enter the quarterfinals. Watching that game, though, gave Brian Lindsay a quiet confidence as he prepared. Norway were, by all measures other than goals, the better side. Norway had more possession, more shots, and consistently looked the better team. Spain won because of a soft penalty early - coming from a push in the area after a free kick. Otherwise, it was Norway that looked far more dangerous throughout. It was really only heroic goalkeeping from Unai Simon that kept Spain in the lead throughout the match. Spain’s only move, it seemed, was to try to spring Fati in behind. It worked well too, as Fati’s movement and pace was especially dangerous. As Norway pushed for the equalizer, Fati got on the end of a few balls and forced a good save from Norway’s keeper on one occasion. Lindsay would not allow Spain to get in behind. He would not allow them to spring Fati. He told cover CB Henry to keep Fati in front of him no matter what. [After taking this screenshot, the TIs changed to low DL] BBM Adams returns to the starting lineup after serving his suspension, though McKennie had done well in his absence. Lindsay strongly considered putting McKennie as the attacking midfielder to harass Spain's DM Rodri, but decided to keep that as a change he could make later. Spain’s narrow shape also led Lindsay to go with a WB instead of a IWB to attack the flanks and left footed Bello gets the nod. Dest also played both of the full 90 in both the Austria and Netherlands matches and wasn’t fully fit. The US would still look to build out from the back on average, but Lindsay had simplified everything. He wanted the players to play to their strengths, so he gave them roles that he felt suit them, tried to make a balanced teamsheet, and would let the players play. The Match Start Welcome to Mile-High stadium in Denver, at the foot of the mighty Rocky Mountains. The US is set to face 3rd ranked Spain. The US, unlike Spain, is not used to being at such high altitude in these kinds of tournaments. Will they be able to get past a Spain team that many say is overrated? 4 min - Chance! The US wins a throw deep in Spain’s half. They work the ball into the box, but a low cross can’t find a white shirt as it fizzes across the box and Spain is able to clear. They recover through CB Palmer-Brown and work the ball across the backline to Richards on the right. Richards, with time and space, drives forward until he sees the run of Balogun. Through on goal, if under a bit of pressure, Balogun fires quickly. He beats Simon in goal, but is denied by the post!!!! 11 min - GOAL!!! USA 1 (Sargent 11) - 0 Spain AN EARLY GOAL FOR THE US!!!! After some tidy passing through the middle and a wonderful interchange between the front three, Sargent sends the ball wide left to Bello, who has acres of space. Spain quickly get out to him, but Bello charges towards the byline. It’s defended well, but Musah is there to support and a quick interchange of passes between the two frees up Musah to deliver a far post cross. Sargent is backpedaling, but manages to get just enough on the header to slip it past Simon for the opening goal!!! The US has been dominating the flanks this afternoon, with both Scally on the right and Bello on the left given free reign to charge forward [change to CWB(s) to put pressure on Spain’s WBs and pin them back]. 23 min - Chance! Pulisic takes a free kick on the edge of the area and though Simon is over with the save, he can’t hold it. Balogun is nearly onto it before Simon is able to smother the rebound. The US players claim the ball crossed the line - the technology shows that it very nearly did. It has been all USA so far! 31 min - Chance! The USA win a free kick just inside Spain’s half. Balogun keeps the ball up at the edge of the area and Richards is onto it. He has a free header from about 8 yards out, but Unai Simon is there with a good save to deny him! Half time The USA are in complete control of this match, though Spain have begun to show signs of life towards the end of the half. The US have had the better of the possession, the better chances, and could easily have been up by more than a single goal. Current favorite for player of the tournament Ansu Fati has been kept entirely quiet by the US defense. He’s been forced to try to fight for balls in the air as the US set up has cut off his lines of service, and come up second best every time. 69 min - PENALTY + Second yellow!!!! The match has been going exactly to Lindsay’s plan as the US have been in control and cruising even if Spain have been better in this second half. An absolutely perfect early cross from LB Galan, however, finally gets Spain behind the USA defense, putting Ferran Torres through on goal. CB Palmer-Brown is there to cover, but he’s a step too late and takes down the Spanish forward in the box. It’s a clear penalty and Palmer-Brown is sent off for a second bookable offense!!! 70 min - Substitution Lindsay is forced to pull Balogun to bring in NYCFC’s Otasowie in Palmer-Brown’s place, having already taken out right WCB Richards. He will surely be pulling back and hoping to survive after this upcoming penalty kick. [Looking to stay deep and compact while still giving a chance to get out and be a threat on the counter] 71 min - SAVED!!!! STEFFAN HAS KEPT THE DREAM ALIVE!!!! Fati’s penalty is high to Steffan’s left, but the US keeper guesses right and gets his fingertips to the ball. What a save and what a moment for the USA!!! The celebrations across the country are louder than for the first goal!!! 73 min - GOAL!!!!! USA 2 (Sargent 73) - 0 Spain SARGENT AGAIN!!!! Just minutes after saving a penalty, the US add a second goal!!!! Though they’ve stayed compact and disciplined in defense, the US has not given up on scoring, and they’ve been rewarded with another. After winning a throw on the left, Bello throws the ball in to Sargent, who gives it back and turned his mark as he sprints into the box. Bello lofts the ball up for him and Unai Simon rushes out to meet it. But he’s misjudged the ball and Sargent is able to volley it softly past him and into the net. The US might just escape this after all!!! FULL TIME USA 2 - Spain 0 The US have done it! The US are in the semi finals of the World Cup!! They’ve made it further than than any American side in World Cup history and they’ve turned a nation soccer crazy! A dominant early performance gives the US a more than deserved win over the mighty Spain as Lindsay’s tactical plan works perfectly to nullify Spain’s threat. Their one moment of brilliance is matched by Steffan in goal. Though only required to make three saves in this match, this one was much more crucial as it not only kept the match at 1-0, but gave the US the platform to defend the lead and get an insurance goal only two minutes later. Steffan deserves the MotM award, but Sargent’s two goals were also incredible.

Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee Another side favoring the 4-3-3, the Netherlands' fearsome forward 3 featured Barcelona’s Memphis Depay, and lots of pace, flair, technique and the ability to find the back of the net. The midfield had Barcelona’s Frenkie De Jong and PSV’s rising star Xavi Simmons and featured De Ligt in the center of their defense. The one thing they didn’t have, however, was height. This played into Lindsay’s plan to lean into his new 3-4-1-2, specifically its ability to absorb pressure, draw the opposition in, and hit them on the break. He had dreams of exacting revenge on the Netherlands by giving them a taste of the medicine they’d fed the US at the 2022 World Cup. He wanted to remain compact and force the Dutch to produce a moment of magic to beat them. Like Austria, the Netherlands were at their most dangerous in the channels and flanks. With the WCBs the US would have players there, and [as I forgot to mention last time] they’d have protection ahead of them with a BWM on the right and Dest as an IWB on the left. This would require perfect passes or balls in the air to bypass the screening players. Offensively, Balogun’s high positioning [see #13 above] had made him a thorn in Austria’s side. What’s also fascinating to see here is that #18 is IWB Dest, who found himself further forward, on average, than #7 BBM Musah as he often linked up with Balogun. DLF Sargent had been great at harassing the CBs and DM in their 4-3-3, and serving as another forward for the back two to deal with. They were able to play direct with the wing backs pushing forward in support, Pulisic occupying the DM and the fit and active midfield duo of McKennie [on for the suspended Adams] and Musah charging about. Of course, the Netherlands would be a massive test. They were the World Cup holders, ranked 3rd in the world, and they had scored 10 and conceded none in three matches at the World Cup so far. Yes, 7 of those goals had come against New Zealand and Australia, but they had been clinical in front of goal and tight at the back. Lindsay decided to pull back into a standard defensive line and a mid block to try and ensure that the Netherlands couldn’t get in behind. The Match The first 30 minutes, however, saw the Dutch still able to get in behind. The US was able to deal with each incursion, but it seemed only a matter of time before the Dutch found a way through to goal. Worse, the US was showing no ability to get the ball forward whatsoever. Lindsay pulled back the lines further, going into a low block and crowding the box. This both largely kept the Dutch at arms length and allowed the US to break a few times. 38 min The US put together a wonderful passing move down the right as the Netherlands retreated that saw Balogun sprung free in behind. He put the ball in the net…only for it to be called back for a very tight offsides. It was the closest either side had gotten to scoring. 45+1 In first half stoppage time, however, the US were caught out a bit. Midfielder Gravenberch manages to get forward and, though under heavy pressure, gets a shot off that forces a fingertip save from Steffen at full stretch. 50 min - GOAL!!! USA!!! The Netherlands probe the deep US defenses, and try a long lob to the far side. IWB Dest does his job as the screen for the channels, and nods it back to CB Palmer-Brown, who lays it off to Steffen. The US keeper hits it deep into the Dutch half, and Sargent is onto it as the Dutch defense scrambles back. Sargent gets hold of the ball, charges into the box, rounds the keeper and rolls the ball into the net. What a cool finish from the Leeds striker! 71 min - CHANCE!!! Dutch are pushing hard for the equalizer but the US are standing firm. Dest - now on the RB as Scally was exhausted - is caught in possession. The ball is put around the corner for Memphis, who attracts cover CB Henry before laying it back to midfielder Gravenberch just outside the area. The US are, for once, a bit unorganized, a massive hole in the center of their defense.. Gravenberch charges into the gap, he’s one v one…but fires just wide of goal. A massive let off for the US! Post match analysis The USA waste time, sit deep, and come away with a famous win. They were undoubtedly outplayed on the whole by the Dutch, but they had a plan and that plan worked. They didn’t let the Dutch use their speed or ability to get in behind. They didn’t let the Dutch use the channels or the flanks to get into dangerous positions. There was some luck involved - Gravenberch’s miss will replay in his nightmares for years to come - but Lindsay’s plan had worked, especially when he’d fully embraced the low block in the 30th minute. These were the Dutch key passes in the first 30 mins, when the US was merely in a mid block. The direction of these passes is far more lateral or cut backs into dangerous areas. After the change to a low block, the Dutch were forced to pass into a defensive mass of US players - lower percentage passes that allowed the US to stand up the Dutch and, often intercept or disrupt the passes. After a howler in the Denmark match, Steffen had stepped up in goal and won the man of the match award behind ten saves to keep a clean sheet for the US. The USA had been in dire straights after defeat against Denmark, and suddenly now they’d defeated the World Cup champions and reached the quarterfinal, equaling the USA’s best ever run in the competition back in 2002. There they would meet one of Manchester City’s star forwards. Would it be a Haaland powered Norway or Ansu Fati’s Spain?

Lyon pushed you to the finish with the league, and no joy in the CL just yet. Seems like it's the second season when Defoe heats up though...

Gonna Fly Now [Time for a cinematic interlude, skip down if you want to get right to the tactical stuff.] The first brass notes of “Gonna Fly Now” [aka the theme from Rocky] play as we fade into a shot of the Rocky statue at the top of the stairs to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. We only hear the first few notes before it stops, echoing a little, and we hear the roar of a crowd and an announcer, but we do not cut to the action. Announcer - “Balogun, on the turn…” The camera pulls back fast as the other trumpets join in, rising high into the air. Suddenly we’re flying across Philadelphia, down Benjamin Franklin Parkway and all the museums along the way. “He takes a touch…he’s unmarked…GOAL!!! What a finish!!! An unstoppable curler from just inside the box!!! The USA are back on level terms only minutes after going behind!!!” We pan around, soaring by city hall, flying down S. Broad Street until we see a large stadium in the distance, the stands filled with white and patches of red and blue. The music starts up again, this time the other trumpets come in. As we get closer we see players on the pitch, a match is in progress. The camera zooms at the players, we see a ball fly into the air from a goal kick. The jerseys in red retreat as the ball sails through the air. “[GK]Steffen with the kick, only seconds remaining before we are sent to extra time [USA forward] Dike wins the header…flicks it on behind the Austrian defense…Balogun is onto it!!! He’s one on one with the keeper…” The chord changes, the tension builds. The iconic low brass hits as we zoom in until we are behind Balogun. The ball leaves his foot, the keeper dives… The iconic melody blares as the ball hits the back of the net. “What a finish!!! In the fourth minute of stoppage time!!! In the birthplace of America, have we just witnessed the rebirth of the American national team? While a lot of eyebrows were raised when the team sheets were announced, Lindsay’s switch to the 3-4-1-2 had proved a masterstroke!” [I couldn’t help but add a bit of cinematic drama there, but now for the tactical breakdown of the mid-tournament change of shape.] After a bleak, dreary two matches against Angola and Denmark, Lindsay felt he needed a change if the US team was to get past a strong Austria team. From a personnel point of view, there were a lot of players underperforming. Weston McKennie and Giovanni Renya had both been anonymous as a BBM and LW respectively, and CB Carter-Vickers had been horribly error prone - giving away a penalty against Angola, was ball watching for Denmark’s first, and his lazy pass was completely responsible for Denmark’s second. He’d even been caught out for Portugal’s first in the warm up friendly. All three were dropped. This, at first, led Lindsay to think that he would just move Balogun back to the left IF(a) role and put Sargent back into the starting lineup. Watching Austria tear apart Uruguay on the wings, however, made Lindsay very nervous, as that’s exactly where the US seemed most vulnerable. While both Denmark goals came from individual errors, the danger had come from the wingers in their 3-4-3 wide system and even Angola had found some joy in the wide areas and channels. The first option was to pull back the WBs - but that would mean completely neutering the US’s best players in Joe Scally, Sergino Dest, and George Bello. This is when Lindsay returned to his early tactical musings, when he’d considered a 3atb system. The early argument against that system had been the quality of players like Renya and McKennie, both of whom had underperformed at the World Cup. Even BWM DM Adams had been poor overall. Then came the CB issue, especially when he felt the need to drop Carter-Vickers, but then he realized that he might have a perfect back three combination. Though most comfortable at CB, Erik Palmer-Brown was rightfooted but very comfortable at leftback, making him a perfect WCB. Former Austin target Chris Richards was the same but a natural righback and centerback. Strong Cameron Carter-Vickers would have been the choice to play the cover CB role, but he needed to be dropped. However, 22 year old Kobi Henry had been consistently excellent at CB for Burnley in the Championship, and was a composed, intelligent, player whose lack of aggression had been a knock for Lindsay previously, but would suit him well as a cover CB in a 3atb system. Defensively, the benefits would be that the US would have dedicated players guarding the channels while retaining a central presence through cover CB Henry. Offensively, this would also allow WBs Scally, Dest and Bello to rampage forward with more cover. The more Lindsay thought about it, the more he liked the idea. In fact, it would allow two of the US’s most consistent performers in forwards Balogun and Sargent to play in their best positions at center forward. This would put Pulisic either on the bench or at attacking midfielder where he wouldn’t be able to use his pace to the same effect, but overall, Lindsay decided it was worth it. He then simplified the team instructions, and let up on the focus on short passing - especially with both Sargent and Balogun ready to run in behind defenses. To say that it led to a complete domination would be a disservice to Austria. They fought hard and tough and gave the US a tough match. The side, however, looked much more solid defensively, with the goal being the only decent chance for Austria. Both goals too came from Balogun’s more central position and the midfield duo of Tyler Adams and Janus Musah was both solid and dynamic. As anticipated, Christian Pulisic struggled in the role and made way for McKennie late on, but overall the tactic had worked perfectly. Their reward for the win was a meeting with the World Cup holders and 3rd ranked Netherlands. The same side who’d knocked them out in the 2022 World Cup [in game as well]. They hadn’t especially been tested, playing thrashing Algeria and New Zealand in the group stages while drawing Australia in the second round, but they were in fearsome form with 10 goals scored and none conceded so far in the World Cup. Also running a 4-3-3 that focused on wide, skillful players, Lindsay anticipated using the new 3-4-1-2 system that had worked well against Austria. The Netherlands would be a massive test, though and Lindsay had no expectations of moving beyond them.

Austria were actually really good and maybe even scarier than Uruguay once Lindsay looked at their recent fixtures. As @LUFCspeni said, the supporters would probably riot if another American got put in charge. Time will tell if the board cares. LOVE the Austin shot. WE ARE GROOT. It's maybe not as awesome as the Portland Timbers cutting a huge log every time they score, but that's a nice image there.

Absolutely dominant in the league! Looks like you've got one hand on the league title!