In Wednesday night’s match, DC United came out determined to draw Philly out of the center then attack the middle with narrow wing play. Below, you can see United pull Borek Dockal and Ale Bedoya away from the left half-space so Paul Arriola — the left winger — can connect with Zoltan Stieber — the right winger — through a central diagonal.
DC used this tactic repeatedly in the first half with varying success. In this instance, Auston Trusty’s quick response forces Stieber to return the ball to the left. Trusty then makes a great recovery run, but the Union don’t hand off Arriola well, and the Union’s young central defender has to deflect a Wayne Rooney shot to keep the scoreline even.