Four matches into Devin Rensing’s tenure as Lights head coach, we explore the defining aspects of his style of play that are slowly coming to life.
Devin Rensing’s tactics have been a breath of fresh air for the Lights. After struggling for months to get positive results and define a coherent playing style, the team seems to be back on track and ready to put up a fight for the last playoff qualification spots.
Here, we explore how and why the team has changed so much under Devin Rensing.
Formation
Under Devin Rensing, the Lights have played a 4-2-3-1 formation in their four matches. Contrary to Antonio Nocerino’s preferred 3-4-3 (or 5-4-1) formation, Rensing plays with only two center backs and uses wingers instead of inside forwards to offer the team width in attack.
Rensing’s team has also shown a lot more tactical flexibility than in the past, with Johnny Rodriguez playing as a second forward/attacking midfielder while often acting as a striker in key moments of the match, left back Gennaro Nigro drifting inward to offer numerical superiority in midfield as the team moves into the attacking phase, and both wingers switching lanes to confuse the opposition’s defense.
Press
The main difference between Antonio Nocerino and Devin Rensing’s Lights is the high press. While Nocerino preferred a team that sat in a low block and counter-attacked after regaining possession, Devin favors a high press that forces turnovers close to the opponent’s box.
The goal is to prevent rivals from building out of the back, gaining possession in high-danger zones of the pitch to generate high-quality scoring chances.
This is a perfect example of the Lights’ more aggressive press.
Patrick Leal detaches from the double pivot and moves forward to press North Carolina’s defense as they attempt to build up from the back.
His marking triggers a turnover as the defender misses his pass, sending it directly to an open and highly positioned Anthony Herbert who’s ready to send the team back into the attacking phase.
The press still needs better coordination from all the parties involved, but it is an element of Devin Rensing’s philosophy that is non-negotiable and will be a recognizable pattern within the Lights playing style for the foreseeable future.
Compactness
Soccer is a sport of time and space.
Winning teams are, more often than not, compact teams that deny space to their opponents while quickly exploiting open space within their opponent’s setup.
For the most part, the Lights were failing in this department. The distance between the team’s attacking and defensive players was too wide, offering the opposition space to roam and generate big opportunities by getting in between the lines.
This also complicated any attacking efforts, as the forwards were so isolated from the rest of the team that any of their efforts were quickly annulled by zonal or man-marking from the opposition.
But now, under Devin Rensing, the Lights look like a more compact unit from defender to forward. The defense plays a high line, which is risky because of the space left behind them. However, Rensing simply trusts his center backs – Anthony Herbert and Elias Gartig – to win their one-on-one duels and chase down long balls.
You can see in the example below just how compact and high the team is. Coleman Gannon presses the New Mexico right center back (circled in blue) while the rest of the team provides numbers (with Herbert the deepest player at the halfway line) to try to generate a turnover close to the New Mexico goal and prevent them from building out.
The high line and compactness come with two main advantages: it allows more players to quickly join in on attacking efforts after turnovers, and it keeps the opposition’s attack pinned in their own half, unable to find pockets of space to pass through the Lights’ formation.
The Future is Bright
With every match that goes by, the Lights slowly become what Devin Rensing wants them to be. It will take time to see this team in its final form, but the tweaks are noticeable.
It will be exciting to see Vegas make a final push in their hunt for the playoffs. Now, the club has a squad that has proven that it has what it takes, and a technical staff that has put in the work to make those aspirations into a reality.