The two sides last saw each other in the NCAA tournament, where Clemson moved on with a 3-0 victory on November 19, 2023. Here’s how they initially lined up this time around:
With the 1-0 win, my three stars of the match were (1) Joran Gerbet, (2) Misei Yoshizawa and (3) Ransford Gyan.
Some of the takeaways from the Clemson side of the contest include:
Mike Noonan has plenty of options with the depth in this roster.
As a senior, Joran Gerbet might have his best season yet. After what feels like an MLS SuperDraft snub last December, the Frenchman will likely be out to prove that he’s one of the best defensive midfielders in the country and that he's worth an international slot in either MLS or USL Championship.
Virginia Tech transfer Misei Yoshizawa had quite the first outing with his new team as he was very active in each phase. The versatile midfielder will certainly come in handy as he can take up a variety of roles, whether he’s an attacking midfielder or roaming playmaker (10), box-to-box midfielder (8), or out on the wing as a wide playmaker.
Newcomer Ransford Gyan not only scored on his debut, but he showed a skill set and versatility that will also make him a valuable asset this season.
In the last draft, Charlotte FC look to have picked a good one in Nathan Richmond. Despite typically being lined up on the wing, his overall style and interior playmaking ability resembles or reminds me of midfielder Enzo Le Fée with his sharp movements and close control.
With such a deep roster filled with many players who can play a variety of roles, Noonan will be able to adjust the tactics depending on the situations while maintaining their principles. Whether it’s two center backs or three, a double or single pivot, two strikers with wing backs or one striker with wingers, there are a lot of things that can be done to give their opponents different problems to solve.
Joran Gerbet almost led all field players in minutes during last season’s conference and national championship winning campaign and even though a lot of people seem to only look at goals and assists in assessing the value of players, it’s clear how important he is to the success of the team.
International players at the college level will continue to have an added challenge when trying to find a professional opportunity in the United States if their plan is to stick around. Gerbet has stood out to some scouts throughout the years though. Apparently he had a very good MLS College Showcase appearance during his time with Oregon State when he was invited two years in a row (2021-22). With some of the recent international players that have made their way into MLS and USL Championship clubs, I don’t think he has to worry, especially if he can help lead Clemson in replicating the success of 2024.
How will they look going forward?
Like I said, the coaching staff will have options.
It almost seemed a little conservative as they started out with a 4-2-3-1 formation against Charlotte, but unless they go with a 3-5-2 or a 4-4-2 diamond which seems to have been gaining popularity, I can see them going more towards a 4-3-3 as well. The main reason I feel that way? The aforementioned Joran Gerbet. The guy is so solid that I don’t think he needs to be in a double pivot midfield and he’s arguably more influential on his own as the deep lying distributor. With several attacking minded midfielders who are still willing to get up and down the pitch, he provides the stability to allow for their creativity and interplay. The other reason would be the benefits of having two of what I call 8-10 hybrids and their effect on the offense.
In the early parts of the second half, there were glimpses of what I described. Clemson really overwhelmed Charlotte in these segments of the match, forcing them to drop all ten players behind the ball, and this is where I felt they were at their best.
With Gerbet hovering behind an advanced Mason Jimenez and Ransford Gyan in the center, the full backs were able to get higher and the center backs combined well with Gerbet which controlled the possession in what more so resembled a 3-4-3 with players checking in and out periodically. The advanced group of five (rather than the usual four) combined with the full backs to create a lot of combination play and control.
At the time of this example, it was Wahabu Musah up top as the only number 9 to play with Gerbet as a single pivot, so I hope to see what Tyler Trimnal looks like with that opportunity. I also want to note that wing back Arthur Duquenne and midfielder Jackson Wrobel combined well in the advanced areas of the left wing.
I like the idea of having the three forwards between Alex Meinhard, Tyler Trimnal and Wahabu Musah (or Ransford Gyan or James Kelly, etc.), with two 8-10 hybrids behind them. There are quite a few players that fit that mold whether it’s Nathan Richmond, Misei Yoshizawa, Ransford Gyan or Jackson Wrobel.
Watch Joran Gerbet’s orchestration from the deep lying position with the technical skill of Ransford Gyan, nearly resulting in a well-worked goal for Wahabu Musah…
Another sequence with Joran Gerbet serving as the base focal point of possession…
Concepts with the Attacking Midfielders and Wing Backs
There were segments of play that showed the concepts below. Though some of the players were different than what I have listed in the diagrams, the Tigers showed a few movement concepts that I like to see when it comes to making an attack more dynamic.
The advancement of the wing backs pushed the left and right forwards within the width of the 18 yard box and closer in proximity to the center forward, which allows for more combinations in dangerous areas and more scoring threats in front of goal.
Nathan Richmond was deployed on the wing, but I find his skill and influence to be amplified when he turns inside. If he were to occasionally play as a midfielder rather than a winger, he’d have the ability to overlap into the wide area or shoot through the gap as shown in the diagram on the right labeled ‘Advancing 8’. Misei Yoshizawa and Ransford Gyan were naturals in the interchange of positions between the wing and midfield spots. For the ‘Overlapping 8’ and ‘Advancing 8’ diagrams, the wing backs would invert and partner with Gerbet to secure support.
It’s easy to get excited for another year of Clemson soccer and the crowd was substantial despite only being an exhibition. Though ending the match with a 1-0 score line, the offense had plenty of chances and the defense hardly gave up any. I thought Charlotte played well and they aren’t a walkover by any means, so they’ll have some positives to take away as the 2023 American Athletic Conference title winners prepare for another go in 2024.
