They aren’t there as a goal scoring threat but they are there to do the necessary dirty work – sweeping up danger, breaking the high press by passing through the lines and providing defensive cover when numbers are committed forward.Īfter Michael Boxall intercepted an attempted RSL through ball in the 20th minute, he laid the ball off to Alonso who had dropped deep to receive the ball. Often referred to as the double pivot, Osvaldo Alonso and Jan Gregus are Minnesota’s holding midfielders and they position themselves at the base of the midfield in front of the Minnesota defense.
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“We need them to be on the ball creating and being as lively as they were at times.”Īlthough Minnesota United conceded that early goal, Darwin Quintero’s equalizer and Ethan Finlay’s three-point-securing finish exemplified how defensively balanced a 4-2-3-1 can be.Īlong with three attacking midfielders, the 4-2-3-1 also features two holding midfielders who often dictate the success or failure of the formation. “I thought our combination play at times in the first half was excellent when we got Robin and Kevin and Darwin on the ball because as I said, they are three of our better footballers,” said Heath. With Lod and Molino switching flanks and often drifting in-field, space opened for Quintero to play more of a free role in the center of the field and wreak havoc through his passing and movement. The trio could be seen interchangeably moving in and out of their natural positions in a demonstration of the flexibility of the 4-2-3-1. A return from injury for Darwin Quintero meant that the Colombian spearheaded a versatile attacking midfield trio alongside Robin Lod and Kevin Molino.Īlthough the Loons went down 1-0 to an Albert Rusnak goal in 17th minute, Quintero, Molino and Lod had their fingerprints all over a slew of dangerous Minnesotan chances in the first 45 minutes. Lauded as one of the most balanced and flexible formations, the 4-2-3-1 has become a staple in modern soccer and with Adrian Heath’s Minnesota United.Īfter playing with a 4-3-3 in Minnesota’s disappointing 2-0 loss against the Houston Dynamo on Wednesday, Heath opted to change back to his favored 4-2-3-1 in his side’s crucial 3-1 win over Real Salt Lake.