The New RSL Game Model Explained and How New Signings Could Fit in
Let’s take a look at a few statements, shall we? And examine some of the facts.
- Real Salt Lake is currently enjoying its best campaign, and best-ever start to a new season in a decade, with an impressive 47-point haul accumulated from 27 games played so far - fact.
- RSL also currently rank as the joint-second top goalscorers in the West, and joint-third in the entire League, with a total of 53 goals scored in its 27 regular season matches in 2024 - fact.
- Pablo Mastroeni’s men achieved an unprecedented 15-game MLS unbeaten streak this season between March 9 and June 22, going 103 days without tasting defeat and in the process matching the second-longest undefeated run in MLS history. The team also maintained its stranglehold atop the West standings for four months between mid-March and mid-July - fact.
All truths, and all compelling, perpetual confirmations of RSL’s heroics this season. The Claret-and-Cobalt have, by all accounts, enjoyed a relatively prosperous 2024 MLS campaign thus far distinctly marked as a season of measured growth and undeniable progress from years gone by, which rewardingly culminated in the Club’s best start to a new campaign in an entire decade.
The reasons behind this aren’t so subtle at all either and are doubtlessly wide-ranging. So much so, in fact, that glorifying just any singular one of them would almost certainly feel like a disrespectful and unfair disservice to the others. Nevertheless, as purists would rightly attest, amidst the collective contributors to RSL’s undeniable on-field progress this year, what most conspicuously stands out - and most directly translates to performances and results on the pitch - is the effort and application of the players themselves. But even more importantly, such progress and endeavor have been led and molded by the expertise, instruction, and, most notably, the tactical innovation introduced at the start of the season by Pablo and his coaching staff.
At the end of 2023, Real Salt Lake and Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni made the significant decision, working throughout preseason, on adopting a brand new and more advanced game model. Implementing a more controlled, possession-oriented style of play with an emphasis on dictating more of the ball, having greater numbers in central areas, and, with that, attacking more frequently via central zones and channels, a systematic evolution from years past.
A new tactical identity.
Now tactics, in and of themselves, are the mutual resolution of various spontaneous game-state scenarios and situations through a principled, fundamental, and rehearsed set of preset plans and patterns that guide and inform the movements, actions, and decisions made by the individuals out on the football pitch.
The reason for all this? It’s simple really, football in its contemporary era has shown that the consistently best teams - the key word being 'consistently' - are those fully able to exert control and maximize their influence across multiple zones, phases, and facets of a match.
Simply put, managers want more control, and implementing distinct, holistic tactical systems and models throughout a team is often the best and most efficient way of achieving it.
Although purists would again contend that control itself, or at least the feeling of it, might perhaps exist as no more than an illusion and achieving continuous, unlimited control remains a categorical impossibility, especially in a sport as spontaneous and often individualistic as football can be.
Still, though, the more influence you can exert in a game, the higher your chances of winning, modern football has so consistently evidenced this. That being said, under RSL’s new tactical game model, the team aims to establish its control on the pitch with a strong emphasis on increased ball possession compared to seasons past, creating more interior penetration through numerical superiority in central areas as well as in all zones on the pitch, and generating quick, more efficient transition opportunities.
A truly exciting tactical prospect. Allow us to break it down a bit.
Base Formation and In-Possession Shape
So what are the basics of Real Salt Lake’s new tactical blueprint? Let’s take a closer look here, shall we?
As you might have observed in previous games and various other Club articles this year, since the start of the season, RSL have generally lined up and stuck rigidly to a base 4-2-3-1 starting defensive formation going into its games. However, player movement and occupation of select space and zones throughout the pitch see this starting formational shape often morph and adapt at various points throughout a game when in and out of possession of the ball.
In possession, this 4-2-3-1 base morphs into something more akin to a 3-2-4-1 shape, also known as the “Christmas Tree” formation.
To facilitate this, the starting left winger, typically Diego Luna, tucks more inside centrally into the left half-space, thus operating as a second attacking midfielder, alongside the actual starting attacking midfielder, typically Diogo Gonçalves or Matt Crooks, who then would simply shift over to the right attacking half-space to accommodate the inversion of their equally creative teammate. On the far right, the starting right winger, previously Andrés Gómez and now, most recently Lachlan Brook, stays high up on the wide flank providing width in attack.
With Luna tucked in more centrally to the left interior, therefore leaving the left flank partially vacated, the starting left back, typically Alex Katranis, then pushes up and lodges higher upfield, functioning practically as a left winger/wide left attacking midfielder when the team is in possession, giving him the full freedom of the left flank with the primary responsibility of holding width and offering wide offensive support from the left.
Such movements and occupations of space then create a line of four players behind the central striker, and an overall line of five in attack with the left back pushed higher up, the left winger in the left half-space, the starting attacking midfielder in the right half-space, and the right winger out on the right, all behind the central striker.
With the left back pushed upfield, and with such overwhelming numbers in attack, to create balance in midfield and defense, the starting right back tucks inside as an inverted fullback acting as an auxiliary third center back alongside the other two regular starting center backs for a line of three in rest defense. The two holding/pivot midfielders are tasked with holding their positions in front of them to help guard against quick transitions and counterattacks in the event of a loss of possession, ensuring overall defensive balance and solidity, thus a 3-2-4-1 shape in possession is formed, as shown below.
4-2-3-1 base formation
3-2-4-1 in-possession shape
\All graphics from lineup-builder.co.uk**
Recent Historical Context
A system made popular by famed Manchester City manager Josep Guardiola during the Citizens’ historic 2022/23 European football season during which the Premier League champions went on to achieve a landmark treble of the Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League, the strategy has since now been adopted and variated by other top football coaches all across the world.
Shape Overview and Basic Tenets
The 3-2-4-1 is characterized by having three central defenders, two central midfield pivots, and four attacking midfielders operating behind a lone striker for a front line of five in attack when the team is in possession. Crucially it is worth mentioning again, certainly in RSL’s case, that the 3-2-4-1 is not a starting formation but is instead an attacking shape generated from the offensive movement and play derived from its 4-2-3-1 base formation.
Now there are several crucial benefits to this. Through player inversion and continuous vacation and new occupation of space and zones all across the pitch, the “Christmas Tree” variation helps facilitate better fluidity in movement, allows for versatility, and creates numerous passing angles and options which then further allows for effective ball movement and circulation - a crucial tenet for possession-oriented teams. It also helps aid in ball retention, particularly in advanced areas with so many players pushed up higher engaging in an immediate press in the event of a loss of possession. But perhaps the biggest and most fundamental advantage of the 3-2-4-1 shape is that it provides numerical superiority in all areas of the pitch, further explained below, and in light of this realization also comes the need to address a minor common misconception.
Firstly, the three central defenders help provide defensive efficiency and solidity, allowing for effective man-marking and reducing the teams’ vulnerability to counterattacks or opposition transition moments. The middle center-back is typically tasked with covering central defensive zones usually occupied by the opposition striker, while his colleagues on either side cover the wide spaces.
In midfield, the two deepest operators play critical roles in both defense and offense, providing a protective screen for the back three in defensive situations whilst simultaneously possessing the creativity to control and dictate the flow of games. Crucially, the presence of the double pivot also helps generate a numerical advantage in midfield alongside the two most central attacking midfielders thus creating a four-man “box-midfield” and outnumbering the opposition’s own midfield personnel.
Having this numerical benefit in the middle of the pitch helps the team dominate possession and launch effective transitions and counterattacks. The double-pivot personnel, as we have consistently witnessed with Emeka Eneli, Braian Ojeda, Nelson Palacio, and Pablo Ruiz at different points this season, are therefore required to possess outstanding positional and defensive nous and awareness, and must be equally adept with the ball at their feet for effective distribution. This consequently allows the more creative midfielders the security to showcase their own vision, technique, and playmaking abilities with the assurance of the reliability and ability of their teammates behind them.
Box-midfield
Further up, the line of five in attack consisting of the two wingers/wide attacking midfielders, two central attacking midfielders, and the lone striker create additional numerical advantages that help outnumber opposition defensive personnel in the attacking third. Having more players in higher-attacking zones in this manner in the final third helps create time and space for the attackers to operate by combining with one another to exploit gaps and create goal-scoring opportunities.
Horizontal line of five in attack
Now herein lies the minor prevailing fallacy - that the two wide players in the system operate as wingbacks in possession, not particularly.
Perhaps the biggest advantage and goal of the 3-2-4-1 shape is that it provides quantitative advantages all over the pitch with superiority in numbers. Again, managers want more control and the “Christmas Tree” system bestows this control primarily by providing greater numbers through the means of an extra man in every area of the pitch. Having an extra man in all zones and areas on the pitch provides an extra passing option in various situations which gives a team greater chances of retaining the ball even in difficult situations, thereby facilitating ball possession, and creating gaps and spaces through player movements and combinations that could help pull opposing players out of position.
So yes, whilst it is also true that the system enhances ball progression and possession, and creates passing angles and options through fluidity in movement, its fundamental provision of numerical superiority in all areas and phases is perhaps the biggest factor that facilitates the rest of its advantages in the first place.
In midfield, this is achieved with the box-midfield consisting of the two deepest midfielders, and two attacking midfielders outnumbering most teams who play with a three-man midfield. In attack, this is equally achieved with the two attacking midfielders, the two wingers, and the lone striker creating a horizontal line of five. For this to be effectively achieved the two wide attackers need to push high up in the same line as the attacking midfielders practically playing as wingers, when the team is in possession
In a traditional system facilitating it, the wingbacks would typically start deeper in possession and then advance up the pitch as the ball progresses through the lines of the opposition press. In the 3-2-4-1, however, the wide players would typically move high up on the flanks at the start of ball progression and from there drop deeper sometimes to aid its cause if the situation requires it, before then returning to their position high up to form the line of five and provide width.
The two wide attackers playing as wingbacks would effectively drop them deeper into almost the same line as the pivot players thus nullifying the numerical superiority the system offers in the final third which would defeat the entire purpose of the “Christmas Tree” system in the first place. Managers requiring more traditional wingback movement would use them in a traditional formation supporting wingbacks at the start of the match and then maintain that formation throughout. Something more like a 3-4-2-1, as opposed to a 3-2-4-1 which opts to take more risks and bravery in attack by positioning the widemen higher upfield.
Maximized to its fullest potential, this tactical versatility allows RSL to adapt to various game states and situations, exploit opponents’ weaknesses, and maintain control of matches as has been seen in several of its high-scoring games already this season. The 5-1 home victory against Austin, and 3-0 against Seattle stand as two model examples.
It also helps maximize the abilities of several of its players like Luna, who naturally works better in the halfspace, Katranis, a player with greater offensive proclivities anyway than defensive ones, Eneli, whose transition into midfield this season has been nothing short of phenomenal, Braian Ojeda, a typical midfield dictator, amongst a plethora of others.
RSL Utilization and How New Signings Could Fit In
With a heavy emphasis on control and influence, the 3-2-4-1, in the case of RSL’s utilization of it, centers heavily around possession of the ball and playing quick, attractive attacking football - something Pablo has consistently stressed this season.
The result of this? An impressive 53 goals scored in the team’s 27 games so far this season, which is already more than the 48 goals scored in 34 regular season games throughout last year, and the 43 in 34 the year before.
RSL’s coaching staff - with new voices Nate Miller, Anthony Pulis, Jason Olave & Mirza Harambasic - has consistently expressed a collective philosophy and desire for the team to play quick, sharp vertical passes to break the lines and pull apart teams or capitalize on disorganized and confused defenses.
In the team’s most recent game against New England, we saw this in full flow. RSL especially utilized quick, direct vertical passes during buildup from the back, moving the ball from back to front with relative speed which helped consistently catch out the visitors' defense. Players, especially in the first phase, made sharper and quicker decisions and passes between the lines which mitigated the potential for defensive errors and helped create quick transition opportunities, particularly during the first half.
The result of this as well was that by the end of the first 45 minutes, RSL had generated an impressive xG of 1.50 with six of its shots being on target, compared to the 0.15 xG and 1 shot on target created by New England throughout the same period, displaying an efficiency in defense and attack.
How New Signings Could Fit In
New Signings Javain Brown and Lachlan Brook were both also handed their first starts for the club, slotting seamlessly into the system - both on the right side - and largely impressing for the entirety of their time on the pitch. On defense, Brown consciously inverted into a back three whenever Katranis went higher up the pitch on the left, providing defensive cover as well as an effective build-up option, but would also push up with the rest of the defensive line in offensive situations where the team was comfortable in possession, even a few times overlapping on the right of Brook.
The Jamaican international 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.
Able to operate either at right or center back, Brown certainly offers RSL a consistent, versatile, and quality option across different defensive positions on the field, and his immediate tactical adaptability should ensure that he is able to carry out the various needs and tasks associated with whichever position he might find himself in.
Australian attacker Brook started on the right of RSL’s three starting creative midfielders behind the striker against New England and impressed particularly with his wide array of technical abilities and work ethic. 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.
Primarily a left-footed player and so naturally prone to cutting inside, Brook showed good awareness to both cut infield and combine with teammates, and also go on the outside to try and put a ball into the box in good moments when the situation demanded it. Of the four times the 23-year-old had possession of the ball out on the right isolated and coming up against an opposition defender, he thrice came infield to either take a shot or combine with a teammate, and once tried to beat his defender by dribbling on the outside.
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. Interestingly, he also made two successful tackles - the second-most of any RSL player on the pitch, and three successful ball progressive carries up the pitch - the joint-most of any RSL player on the pitch at any point during the game.
In attacking midfield, new designated player Diogo Gonçalves also displayed his wide array of technical and passing abilities, most notably in the second half by delivering the ball from a freekick which eventually led to RSL’s second goal on the night.
RSL’s new Portuguese magnifico has shown consistent flashes of brilliance in both of his games this season evidencing his own seamless integration into Pablo’s tactical system. The 27-year-old proved adept at combining with Luna further up the pitch, as well as the rest of his attacking teammates, and very nearly got an assist against New England in the 36th minute with a low, driven ball across the face of goal which agonizingly missed the advancing feet of Anderson Julio for a tap in.
Without the ball, Gonçalves also showed great awareness and execution in the press alongside Julio, especially in pushing up alongside the Ecuadorean striker to form a 4-4-2 out-of-possession shape during high-press situations, which rewardingly led to the team’s opening goal. His pressure on Xavier Arreaga near the end of the first half forced the defender into committing an error allowing Julio to capitalize, rounding Aljaž Ivačič and tapping into an empty net.
Wingers Dominik Marczuk (pronounced mar - CHOOK), and Benji Michel also represent wide attacking options set to provide quality depth and challenge for places in the team. 20-year-old Marczuk recently arrived on the Wasatch Front this summer from Jagiellonia Bialystok, in the Polish top division, where he was the reigning Polish Ekstraklasa Young Player of the Season. Although a versatile attacker, Marczuk primarily operates from the right flank and is recognized best for his pace and acceleration, dribbling, agility, crossing, and dynamism. In addition to his impressive qualities, Marczuk has also proven adept with both feet, which is all evidence of the qualities he could provide on the right flank in terms of being able to either cut infield and combine with teammates, or dribble on the outside out opposing defenders to deliver dangerous balls into the box and create goal-scoring chances.
RSL’s newest number 11 made his first appearance coming on as a second-half substitute during the win against New England as he continues to develop and adapt to gradually his new teammates and Club but certainly represents another exciting prospect for the future.
26-year-old Michel represents the fifth and final RSL new signing being covered during this piece. The former Orlando City winger is also best known for his adaptability and versatility, being able to operate on both flanks as well as in a center-forward role, and will be expected to provide a quality option as well as competition for places within the team.
The former U.S. International made his debut during the 3-2 away loss to Colorado Rapids in the Rocky Mountain Cup final on July 20, before making his second appearance in the 0-2 home defeat to San Jose on Aug. 24. Being able to operate in a variety of positions and roles, Michel will be expected to adapt tactically and provide solutions across various positions and zones o the pitch.
In what has evidently been a profitable domestic campaign up until this point, RSL’s tactical and systemic innovations have already borne significant fruits this year, culminating in the Club’s best-ever start to a new season, and its policy of holistic adaptation and evolution in all fields in its dogged pursuit of excellence is surely one that will continue to bear good fruits for years to come.
But for now, sit back and enjoy the show brought to you by your swashbuckling, narrative-defying Real Salt Lake. So tune in on Saturday with the MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+ at 6:30 p.m. MT to find out what else the show has in store against recent nemesis Houston.
