Hello and welcome to another Film Friday. Today’s topic is Shaq Moore.
The USMNT right back is one of Nashville’s marquee signings, and has played every minute in 2023. Before we get started, let’s look into some stats.
Against Orlando, Moore led Nashville in touches of the ball, and was second to only Hany Mukhtar for most touches in the attacking third. He received the ball 32 times, which is the most of any Nashville player.
With that in mind, let’s break his game into two parts.
Defense
Nashville depends on Moore going forward, which means going back and defending requires speed, intelligence and good positioning. For the most part, Moore has that covered. He goes up and down the pitch and rarely looks tired. There are multiple examples in every game where Nashville loses the ball and Moore quickly recovers to his position.
The next phase in defense is eliminating threats. Against Orlando, Moore led both team with eight tackles. In comparison, the closest player from either side attempted only two tackles. Moore also had three blocks. This shows that Nashville rely on their right back on both sides of the ball.
When Nashville was defending, he was mainly tasked to keep Orlando winger Iván Angulo away from danger. For most of the match he succeeded. However, there were a couple of moments where Angulo got the best of him.
Attack
As mentioned before, Nashville uses Moore to progress the ball forward. He often plays a big part in linking up the different areas of the pitch. A lot of what Moore does depends on his partner on the right side. In the Orlando game, it was Luke Haakenson.
This allowed Moore to push higher forward and overlap a few times. Haakenson would tuck into the midfield or inside the penalty box, allowing Moore some space on the right. When Nashville switches to a back five, Moore becomes the sole player on the right side.
Regardless of the system, he relies on his passing and dribbling abilities to create something going forward. In the second goal, this perfectly weighted ball to Hany Mukhtar is a prime example of that.
Untapped potential
Before ending today’s video, I want to say that I don’t think Shaq Moore has reached his full potential with this team. While he has not been bad, it is clear that there is room for improvement. Better crossing, better communication, and chemistry with teammates would be a good place to start. I think having a consistent partner on the right side will also help. And lastly, I think Randall Leal’s return might effect Moore’s positioning on the field.
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