The Maryland women’s soccer team had practiced formations with five players on its backline, though it hadn’t used the strategy during a game.
But coach Ray Leone decided to alter his squad’s rotation Sunday at Michigan after Michigan State midfielder Hannah Jones scored three times against the Terps last Thursday.
With forward Chelsea Jackson out of the starting lineup because Leone said she wasn’t “100 percent,” the Terps emphasized their defensive scheme.
Midfielder Darby Moore and forward Jarena Harmon said the Terps used five players on defense, and Leone said the bunch on the backline tried to play with an attacking mentality.
“You’re basically being aggressive and whoever gets the ball becomes a fourth midfielder,” Leone said. “I mean, it wasn’t that fancy. It helped a little bit with less serves that we’re trying to deal with.”
For the first 20 minutes of the game, the tactic proved beneficial. While the Wolverines maintained possession and challenged Maryland’s defense, goalkeeper Rachel Egyed either saved their shots or watched them sail wide.
But in the 22nd minute, Michigan midfielder Jackie White scored off a pass from forward Nicky Waldeck, who had dribbled between two defenders. The extra player in the backfield didn’t help the Terps slow the Wolverines’ potent attack.
“Especially in the women’s game, not many teams switch up the formations a lot,” Harmon said. “You know where to go but you’re not accustomed to playing the same types of balls and playing the same people. When you’re in the midfield, you have a different kind of defensive responsibility.”
Leone said he hoped the change would limit Michigan’s serve and throw-in opportunities, but the Wolverines still tallied 10 corner kicks. Because the Wolverines tout three players who could “whip the ball into the near post on a throw in,” Leone said the Terps’ tactics had little effect on their prowess.
After Wolverines midfielder Emma Groffsky scored Michigan’s second goal about two-and-a-half minutes before halftime, Maryland turned to the 4-3-3 formation it’s used all season.
Moore said any time the formation changes, it increases the likelihood players get confused about who they have to cover.
“When you change formations very quickly, there’s always the uncertainty of whose man is whose or if you’re allowed to step in a spot,” Moore said. “It’s different with every formation. I think it was smart to start off with a 5-4-1 just to see how the Michigan team is because we knew they were a more formidable opponent than some other teams.”
Michigan’s offense took control of the game, and Maryland didn’t score until the 78th minute. The Terps manage two shots in each half, while the Wolverines racked up 26 total. Still, Maryland didn’t attribute its lack of offense to the lineup change.
“I feel like we actually did well for a new formation,” Harmon said. “We kept the ball in front of us for the most part. I feel like attacking-wise we could have been sharper. [It’s just] having the confidence to shoot the ball.”
As Maryland prepares for home contests against Ohio State and Penn State, respectively, it will continue to consider different formations as Leone experiments with ways to help the Terps control possession.
“The last two weeks we really have been stressing the possession part,” Leone said. “It dipped a little bit this weekend. We hope to continue to improve with possession. We have to. You can’t play like this back-to-back.”
