Hello and welcome to another Film Friday. Nashville SC have been on an incredible run, with seven games unbeaten. In their last match, they beat Inter Miami 2-1, and one player who caught my eye is today’s topic: Aníbal Godoy.
Let’s start with his positioning. In the diamond midfield, Godoy has been playing as one of the shuttlers, primarily on the left side. However, against Miami, Godoy was tasked as the sole six, aka the base of the diamond.
This role has been primarily occupied by Dax McCarty and comes with different challenges. Let’s break them into three parts.
Defending
Part one is defending. As the number 6, the position is meant to provide coverage for the defenders and not allow much to go through to them. The number 6 battles are often fought in their own half, which makes mistakes very costly.
In this category, Godoy was able to perform to the highest level. He led both teams in tackles and provided solid coverage for the defense when Nashville didn’t have the ball.
Positioning & pressing
Part two is positioning and pressing. As the number 6, you have to know when to take the risk. If you chase every ball and push the team high up the pitch every time, you’ll leave your team in a vulnerable position. In Nashville’s new system, pressing is vital for their style of play. They press as a team and have been able to generate some dangerous chances.
For Godoy specifically, he was able to make things uncomfortable for Miami’s midfield and attack with his press. He was often able to stop attacks before they develop into anything dangerous, and he led both teams with four interceptions.
Playmaking
And lastly, part three is playmaking. As a deep lying midfielder, a lot of the play went through Godoy. He was second to only Dan Lovitz in touches, and he had more touches in midfield than any other player on the pitch by almost double.
Godoy also completed more passes than anyone else in the game. His quick linkup play helped Nashville build from the back, but something I that I was slightly surprised by was his ability to play the long ball. He was able to distribute great passes that opened up the field and created opportunities. We saw this displayed best during Nashville’s first goal.
Thanks for watching another Film Friday, and make sure to follow me on Instagram and Twitter for more analysis of the Boys in Gold.
Twitter