Long before Tony Amato was hired by Arizona, he enjoyed a Hall of Fame career at Rollins College as a scrappy forward who could pop up with a goal at any moment.
“I was the little runt out there running around against 6-foot-4 center backs, so it was either get scrappy or not be on the field,” he said. “So I had to press to be scrappy.”
Now, that philosophy bleeds into the team he coaches. Amato’s Arizona Wildcats are well known for their high press, a defensive system that places an emphasis on limiting time and space by pressuring the ball at all times, on all parts of the field (though preferably in the opponent’s half).