Seeing as FC Cincinnati's latest match was a win, the conversation of the club this week shifted away from the club's on-field inadequacies to how FCC pulled off its first victory of 2021 and how the club might replicate that feat.
As has been widely discussed by local and national outlets, FC Cincinnati deployed a 3-5-2 formation in Saturday's 2-1 win against CF Montreal in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Saturday.
The formation was a deviation from the club's usual 4-3-3 formation and, dating back to a few moments during the 2020 season, the 3-5-2 look has been a steady source of positive results for FC Cincinnati.
Both the 4-3-3 and 3-5-2 as FC Cincinnati interprets them are influenced by the Dutch style of playing and the 3-5-2 has been applied at the club successfully previously.
The foremost examples of the club's successful use of 3-5-2 were during Stam's early days at FC Cincinnati at the MLS Is Back Tournament in the Orlando region last summer.
All of this has some observers now wondering if the 3-5-2 formation should be the go-to setup for FC Cincinnati in the days and weeks to come, or until the clubs steadies itself in the Eastern Conference table after beginning the season on an 0-3-1 record prior to the win against Montreal.
Even inside the club, there's an acknowledgement of the upside of the 3-5-2 formation.
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FC Cincinnati's Caleb Stanko, who started as one of three center backs in the "3" portion of the 3-5-2, acknowledged the system's utility during a Thursday news conference.
"I don't know if it's my place to speak because of course the coaches know more than me, so they're gonna make calls but I personally think this (formation) fits our player profile better," Stanko said. "I think our outside back are able to get forward more in this system. We have super-fast outside backs. We have 'Mata' (Ronald Matarrita). We have Joe (Gyau), who can get up and down really well, and I really like that. It also gives us more security at the back. So, of course, yeah, I played, so I want it to stay that way but even if I was playing center-mid, I think this system fits us better in my opinion. Doesn't mean we can't play other systems but it seems like going back to – OK, not supposed to talk about last season but last season, that's where we had success when we played five at the back. In Orlando we played five at the back and we did really well."
Stanko's start against Montreal was his seventh under Stam and his first since Sept. 12.
Naturally, Stam wouldn't going to tip his hand regarding tactical plans for Saturday's visit to TQL Stadium by the New England Revolution.
Just as he did following Saturday's win, Stam indicated on Thursday that the 3-5-2 formation is one he recruited players for and that it's a tool that remains at FCC's disposal.
"We've done it last season several times. Started with that eventually as well and it is a very interesting system to play because you can defend in a certain way," Stam said. "And I mentioned it before, if you go forward and you can attack and you're comfortable, then it's even more attacking than a 4-3-3 because then your wing backs go up, you've got two strikers up front and you've for four and you've got your midfield players joining in as well so you've got five or six players in front of goal, and with a 4-3-3 it's a different system. You can still do it but then you've got like (one-versus-one) at the back, which makes it a little bit more different. Now you've got three, so that's what we're aiming for. If we're gonna be playing this system, then of course we're looking for a way to go forward, to be very offensive and create a lot of danger. But it can also give you something of like being solid."
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