IN THE 2025 USL CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYOFFS
TACTICAL TRENDS + QUALITY
IN THE 2025 USL CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYOFFS
LAZAR ŠOĆ Montenegro Coach, Scout and Analyst
The 2025 USL Championship Playoffs, held from November 1-22 and featuring 16 teams, proved to be an engaging and instructive watch from a tactical standpoint. The postseason showcased a healthy degree of variety, originality and modern tactical ideas, underlining the presence of coaches with clear identities and players capable of executing sophisticated game plans.
The matches were analyzed through three tactical lenses: system, style and selection. These elements form the foundation of any coach’ s football philosophy. As a result, the most used formations, their on-field interpretations and the individual players who delivered the highest level of quality were central to this analysis.
THE WINNING TEAM: PITTSBURGH RIVERHOUNDS SC
When Rob Vincent took over the Pittsburgh Riverhounds from longtime head coach Bob Lilley just three matches before the playoffs, he chose continuity over experimentation. As Vincent explained in a short interview for this article, the limited preparation time before the opening knockout match made sweeping tactical changes unrealistic.
Instead, he retained the familiar 5-4-1 structure and focused on two priorities: improving defensive organization and tailoring preparation to specific opponents.
A strong midfield quartet— Danny Griffin, Bradley Sample, Robbie Mertz, and Charles Ahl— was central to Pittsburgh’ s success. In particular, the advanced midfield pairing of Mertz and Ahl complemented each other effectively. As Vincent noted,“ on the blackboard” Ahl typically started on the right and Mertz on the left, but in match situations the two frequently interchanged positions. Both were granted freedom to roam across the midfield line, a tactical choice that proved highly effective throughout the postseason.
Unusually, Pittsburgh scored just once on their path to the championship. Vincent identified inefficiency of crosses as the team’ s primary attacking issue. In response, training sessions focused on moving initial crossing positions closer to the penalty area. While this adjustment did not translate directly into goals during the playoffs, it aligns closely with recent UEFA Champions League performance data and remains worthy of further tactical analysis.
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC’ s midfielders— particularly Mertz and Ahl— were given freedom to roam( v Detroit City)
FORMATIONS: FIVE AT THE BACK AS THE MOST COMMON CHOICE
From a formation standpoint, teams reaching the 2025 USL Championship postseason fell into two clear categories: those using a back five and those operating with a four-man defensive line.
In addition to champions Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC and finalists FC Tulsa, Rhode Island FC, Detroit City FC, Phoenix Rising FC, Louisville City FC, San Antonio FC, Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, Sacramento Republic FC, and Hartford Athletic all relied on what was basically a 5-4-1 structure. Four-at-theback systems served as the primary setup for North Carolina FC, Charleston Battery( 4-4-2), New Mexico United, Orange County SC, Loudoun United FC( 4-2-3-1), and El Paso Locomotive FC( 4-3-2-1). It is also worth noting that FC Tulsa alternated between a 5-4-1 and a 4-3-3.
The prevalence of the 5-4-1 can be attributed to two main factors. First, it reflects a broader trend in the modern game toward three-center-back formations. Second, it offers a balanced framework between attack and defense— though critics may argue that it encourages a more conservative approach. This raises an important question: did the dominance of this system contribute to the tournament average of only 1.07 goals per game?
STYLES OF PLAY: FLUIDITY, DIRECTNESS, AND RISK
Loudoun United stood out for their highly fluid 4-2-3-1, marked by constant off-the-ball movement and coordinated rotations. Attacking midfielder Florian Valot led the line covering large areas of the pitch with exceptional box-to-box movement. Although Ryan Martin’ s side exited in the conference quarterfinals, they demonstrated tactically the most advanced brand of soccer.
Loudoun United’ s fluid 4-2-3-1( v North Carolina)
26 | Soccer Journal