Rodrigo Acosta – Lanus Reserva’s managerial prodigy

Rodrigo Acosta could be the most underrated young coach in Argentina as he coaches Lanus’ second-team but has been crucial in 26 players moving from his youth team to the first-team during Luis Zubeldia’s tenure. He employs a progressive system, utilizing heavy goalkeeper involvement in build-up play as well as inverted fullbacks in transition as his style and development of players makes him an intriguing managerial prospect at 35. He has won a Reserva trophy and been crucial to one of the Argentine sides punching above their weight in domestic and continental competition over the recent years as the muscle-bound figure patrolling the Lanus Reserva touchline could become a highly sought-after Head Coach in the future.

Build-up

Lanus Reserva prefer to utilize a 2+3 build-up shape with a few tactical tweaks and variations that allow them to evade pressure as Rodrigo Acosta prefers that his side attract pressure with short passing circulations before evading pressure with interchanges in the second-line as well as deep passing sequences and stretching the pitch. One of the most essential tenets of Rodrigo Acosta’s Lanus Reserva side is utilizing the width of the pitch to evade pressure as the centre-backs will play the ball to one of their fullbacks and if they face pressure on that flank, the fullback will play the ball back to his centre-back who can play the ball back to the goalkeeper to switch possession to the opposite fullback or he could play the ball to his centre-back to drive the ball forward or switch possession to his fullback.

In the situation above, Lanus are in a 2+3 build-up shape as in build-up, they normally prefer to utilize a 2-3-2-3 shape with the wingers stretching the pitch while the 8s are positioned in the third line, creating a triangle with the deepest-lying midfielder in the six-space. In certain situations, in build-up, one of the 8s will push up into the attacking line to facilitate the striker, normally Lucas Varaldo, dropping deep to receive possession or for a fullback to tuck into the 8 space to receive possession. Acosta utilizes inverted fullbacks intelligently from a situational standpoint as you can see in the situation above as the opposition are in a medium block and are not pushing up to apply pressure. The right-sided centre-back is holding possession and pushing up with the ball, the left-sided 8 has pushed into the attacking line, leaving a vacated area in the eight space, allowing the left-back to tuck inside to the eight space for the right sided centre-back to push up and play the ball to the left-back occupying the eight space.

A key tenet of Lanus Reserva’s build-up phase is to attract high pressure from the opposition in order to evade pressure with the fashion in which the stretch the opposition defence from one side to another or with deeper passes in between the lines for the striker to lay-off for the 8s who will push into the attacking line or occupy the 10 space. In the early build-up phase, Lanus Reserva will usually attract pressure with short passes amongst the back-four and goalkeeper as the centre-backs will hold possession for a few extra seconds to attract pressure from their markers before playing the ball to their centre-back partner, goalkeeper and fullback. The centre-backs will also drive the ball forward to attract markers if they are in a deeper position as Acosta’s side can also work press resistant sequences where they shift the ball to one of the fullbacks for a midfielder to drop into the six-space and play a one-touch line-breaking pass to the nine-space or ten space or switch a pass to the ball-far fullback to evade pressure.

This is an essential sequence for Lanus Reserva’s press resistance as this allows them to manipulate medium blocks, especially 4-4-2 and 5-3-2 medium blocks as with the 8 pushing up to create the space, the fullback can move into the half-space to receive possession, allowing Lanus to play a shorter and higher quality switch across zones while this move can facilitate vertical connections in the opposition half with the 8 and fullback creating an overload in the attacking line that could allow Varaldo to drop deep and receive possession with the 8 moving into the nine-space. Acosta’s side work this move frequently as utilizing an inverted fullback also allows his team to drag a marker out of position and open a passing lane to the winger while in certain situations, when Lanus have the ball on one flank and have evaded pressure, the ball-far fullback will move into the 8 space to receive possession and facilitate a switch to the opposite flank for the winger to have a 1v1 situation.

Lanus Reserva facilitate interchange in the six-space through positioning their deepest-lying midfielder in the six-space while their 8s occupy the half-spaces in the line in front of him, creating a triangle with the deepest-lying midfielder and the centre-backs as well as the deepest-lying midfielder and the 8s. When the centre-backs move possession to the wide areas, the ball-near 8 will drop deep to receive possession which allow the deepest-lying midfielder to push up into space and receive possession while the ball-far 8 will either push up into the attacking line while the ball-far fullback will tuck into the 8 space to receive possession or the ball-near 8 will play the ball back to the centre-back for a wall-pass to facilitate a deep pass in between the lines. Acosta’s side could also utilize midfield rotation when the centre-backs or goalkeeper is in possession as if Lanus Reserva are under pressure, their midfielders will rotate positions with triangular movements as one of the 8s will drop into the six-space, allowing the deepest-lying midfielder to move into the 8 space while the other midfielder will occupy the ten space. Acosta’s side will even work rotations where the deepest-lying midfielder will move into the 10 space to receive possession in between the lines.

One of the more integral facets of Lanus Reserva’s build-up scheme is the way that they utilize a staggered midfield as this is crucial as they work passing routines where they circulate the ball amongst the back-line and the goalkeeper to attract pressure before playing a deep pass in between the lines. Another reason that Acosta prefers to utilize a staggered triangular shaped midfield is to work sequences where he drops all the midfielders into the deeper areas to attract opposition press before switching the ball to the winger on the flank or working a deep pass in between the lines which can instigate an attacking move where all their players push forward. The player spacing, movement and interchange in the Lanus Reserva build-up shape can also be quite exceptional in certain situations as this allows for quick connections in tight spaces, especially as the opposition are applying pressure before they switch the ball or work a pass in between the lines.

Acosta’s Lanus Reserva use the goalkeeper more aggressively and actively than most other teams as the volume of their goalkeeper use is akin to Miguel Angel Ramirez’ Independiente Del Valle side. They involve their goalkeeper greatly in the build-up phase to switch the ball, create overloads to play the ball to the ball-far centre-back who has space to push the ball forward as well as in the attacking phase to have an extra player in order to manipulate the opposition medium block. In certain situations, they can push the goalkeeper to as far as the halfway line while centre-backs are constantly encouraged to use the goalkeeper as an extra man and play the ball back to him.

When their goalkeeper is in possession, Lanus Reserva will employ in a 2-3-2-3 shape with the midfielders positioned in a staggered diamond shape as whether he is in the box or outside the box, the goalkeeper will work shorter passes to the centre-backs either side of him to attract opposition pressure. If the opposition strikers are pressing as a front two as shown in the image above, the goalkeeper will play the ball to one centre-back to attract the attention of both attackers before playing the ball to the ball-free centre-back who will have the opportunity to push up. If the opposition strikers are disciplined in marking their centre-backs, the deepest-lying midfielder will drop deep to receive possession in between the strikers or the goalkeeper will lob an outball to one of the fullbacks on the flank.

The use of triangles is a key facet of Acosta’s tactical ideals as if the ball is moved to one flank, Lanus Reserva will form a triangle with the ball-near centre-back, fullback and deepest-lying midfielder in order to work short passing sequences to attract pressure for a deep pass into the half-space for the winger or striker, Lucas Varaldo who will regularly drop deep to receive possession in the channels. They will also attract pressure to play the ball to the goalkeeper who will then look to switch the ball to the opposite centre-back or play a deep line-breaking pass in between the lines or for one of the players to make a direct switch to the ball-far centre-back who will then begin to push up with possession. Acosta’s side regularly utilize the goalkeeper as an extra man in the build-up and attacking phase to evade the first wave of pressure as well as to recycle possession.

When the goalkeeper is in possession, Lanus Reserva will utilize interchange as when the goalkeeper and centre-back are circulating possession, the deepest-lying midfielder will drop in between the centre-backs to attract his marker as the two 8s will drop into the six-space in a 3+2 or 3+3 shape involving the goalkeeper. This will create an overload in the first line, stretching the opposition press as once the ball is moved to the ball-far centre-back in space to push the ball forward, the ball-far 8 will move into the ten space to attract his marker and create space for the ball-far fullback to tuck inside and receive possession in between the lines to manipulate the opposition defensive block and ease transition. When the goalkeeper is in possession and Lanus Reserva are under pressure, Acosta’s side will utilize interchange in the six-space as when the ball is moved to one centre-back, the ball-near 8 will drop deep to receive possession as the 6 will push up or the ball-near fullback or winger will tuck into the 8 space with the other player stretching the pitch.

In build-up, fluidity in the 8 space is crucial for Lanus Reserva as well as clearing the 8 space in certain situation or sequences as if they evade pressure with wide combinations on one side of the pitch for the centre-back to push up, the player in the 8 space will move inside to take up a more narrow central position while dragging his marker out of position while Varaldo will move towards into the zone to receive possession and lay-off to the 8 who cleared the zone for him to facilitate a switch to the opposite flank. When Lanus Reserva have combination in the deeper wide areas, they will work tight space vertical passing sequences with one touch passes amongst the ball-near centre-back, deepest-lying fullback and deep-lying midfielder to attract pressure for a pass down the line into the wide zone for a flick-on to a teammate in the half-space to lay-off the ball to one of the 8s to facilitate a switch or to the half-space for a lay-off to the central spaces to facilitate another switching situation. The pass into the half-spaces can also be utilized for a flick in behind to the wide zone to create a crossing situation in transition.

There are other positional rotations that Lanus Reserva utilize in build-up play during the goalkeeper involvement sequences as the goalkeeper can play the ball to his centre-back who will play the ball to the fullback. The fullback will have the ball-near 8 positioned in the half-space while the winger will drop deep in the wide zone as the 8 can push up or move wider to drag his marker out of position, allowing his fullback to drive inside with the ball, playing the ball to a teammate and then continuing his movement into the centre to occupy the six-space and allowing his side to establish an overload in the central spaces. Once the ball-far centre-back receives the ball and pushes up, he will have a plethora of options but his first choice will be a pass to the half-space which can lead to the ball being spread to the flank for a 1v1 situation or a cross or to create a switching situation.

Acosta’s use of inverted fullbacks as auxiliary midfielders, specifically as auxiliary 8s, provides a great deal of flexibility in build-up as in certain situations, one of the 8s will drop next to the six-space to create a 2+4 build-up shape for Lanus Reserva to circulate possession before the fullback tucks into the 8 space to receive possession in between the lines. This creates a quandary for the opposition as once the 8 drops deep, a marker can track him for the fullback to move into the vacated space to receive possession or the opposition defender can hold his position and allow the 8 to drop deep and receive possession. When the ball is one flank, the midfield three is tucked towards the ball-centric flank, when the ball is switched to the ball far midfielder, the fullback can make a run inside or outside the midfielder to receive possession or create a passing lane to the flank. The use of inverted fullbacks is not just limited to the build-up phase but is also a crucial facet of Lanus Reserva’s attacking play.

Positional Play

In the opposition half, Acosta utilizes established positional play routines such as stretching the pitch, interchange of positions with blind-sided movement sequences to create space. However, there is an element of verticality in the way that Lanus Reserva circulate possession in the opposition with quick triangular passing sequences and movement to weave into the box or to switch possession to the weak side as Acosta’s side love to create 1v1 situations in the wide areas for crosses and shooting opportunities. The use and occupation of space to manipulate the opposition defence is intriguing as well as the use of the inverted fullbacks in the 8 space allow the 8s to move into the attacking line which allows Varaldo to move out of the nine-space and combine play as these specific rotations are integral in disorienting the opposition defence from crossing situations.

In the build-up phase and attacking phase, Lanus Reserva utilize central overloads to disorient the opposition defence and create space for passes in between the lines. In the situation above, Lanus Reserva’s deepest-lying midfielder has received possession and is pushing forward with possession, the ball-far 8 from the left has tucked into the ten space while the ball-near 8 is holding his position in the right half-space. The left-back is moving into the left-half-space to receive possession in the midfield zone as the left 8 has dragged his marker out of position to open a passing lane to the left half-space as the deepest-lying midfielder can play a reverse pass into that area to hit his teammate in stride or can turn and play the ball to the left-sided centre-back who will push the ball forward to play the ball to the fullback who is acting as an auxiliary midfielder. If the ball is played to the left-sided centre-back to push up then the fullback and winger will interchange positions to create space for one to receive possession in the half-space.

 It is also notable that the right-back is still in the picture as he provides a more direct passing option in the deeper areas as if he receives possession, he will drive the ball forward to attempt to switch the ball for the fullback occupying the 8 space with a lobbed pass. However, he will more likely receive possession, drive possession into the central spaces to attract a marker before releasing the ball to the midfielder in the half-space as he will continue his run to receive a lay-off before playing the ball to the ten-space to receive another lay-off before switching the ball to the opposite flank. He can also play the ball to the ball-near midfielder who will play the ball to the winger occupying the flank before the midfielder will attack the central spaces clearing a running lane for the fullback to make a run into the half-space to receive possession or for the winger to cut inside and for his fullback to make a timed run around him to receive possession or drag a marker away for the ball.

If one of Lanus Reserva’s fullbacks receives possession after pressure is evaded, they will normally make a run inside towards the centre of the pitch and more vertically as this can allow them to play direct passes to the ten space or 9 space while giving Lanus Reserva a better opportunity to switch possession to the opposite flank. Another facet of Acosta having his fullbacks placed centrally is because it allows the wingers to occupy the wide areas to have 1v1 opportunities while it also facilitates higher quality switching sequences from flank to flank as instead of playing a direct long switch from one flank to another, Lanus Reserva can have situations where they lay-off the ball and play shorter switches to the half-space where the fullback or midfielder can then spread the ball to the flank as the winger will have a higher quality 1v1 opportunity with his fullback dragging a marker out of position with runs in the half-space.

Another facet of Lanus Reserva’s winger and fullback connections in the attacking line is when the winger is stretching in the wide positions allowing the fullback to maintain a deeper position or a more inverted position, Lanus will switch the ball to the flank for the winger to drive inside with his first touch as the fullback will make a move from the central positions to the wide zone or make an overlapping run. This allows the winger to drive the ball inside and work connections to facilitate a switch to the opposite flank or to create a shooting opportunity for himself. When the fullback moves to the wide zone and the winger is driving the ball inside, the ball-near 8 will make a movement into the half-space to receive possession and lob a pass to the flank for the fullback to have a 1v1 situation and crossing opportunity or he will make a run into the box to drag a marker out of position. This set-up also allows the ball-near centre-back to play early passes into the channels in the build-up phase with the winger dragging the fullback towards the halfway line while the striker occupies the opposition centre-back, allowing the ball-near 8 to make a run into the half-space to receive possession as the winger will then make a movement into the half-space to receive possession and drag a marker out of position while the fullback makes an overlapping run on the flank.

Lanus Reserva look to overload the centre of the pitch while utilizing movement and interchange to create space for ball circulation while stretching the pitch, constantly moving the ball from flank to flank to create 1v1 situations and stretch the opposition. Acosta’s side will even constantly use the goalkeeper in positional play sequences to attract the opposition into a higher defensive block, allowing more space and movement in between the lines as the inclusion of the goalkeeper creates a numerical superiority in the first line. The interchange and staggering of the midfielders in a triangular shape is another facet of Acosta’s build-up ideals that translate into the attacking game as this movement and interchange can stifle the opposition’s midfield block.

In the picture above, Acosta side have evacuated the six-space, allowing the centre-back the space on the ball to push as in the ball-near central zone, one midfielder is dropping deep to receive possession while another midfielder is pushing up to drag a marker out of position in order to create a direct and deep vertical passing angle to the midfielder. The opposition’s deepest-lying midfielder is holding his position while the ball-far midfielder is occupying the same vertical line as the deeper-lying midfielder, attracting his winger towards the centre of the pitch. The ball-far fullback is making a movement to occupy the half-space as the centre-back can work the ball to the deepest-lying midfielder, allowing him to turn and thread a pass through the lines to the centrally positioned fullback. Acosta seeks to shift the fullback into the zone in between the opposition winger and midfielder in build-up as he also utilizes this ploy in the positional play phase as he has disrupted a 4-4-2 defensive block with positioning and movement.

It is also crucial to recognize the player spacing of the players as despite the movement and positional interchange, there is the potential for circulating possession in the opposition half through quick vertical triangular interchanges. Even if the centre-back played the ball to the deepest-lying midfielder, the fullback and winger on the ball-near flank would interchange to create space for the player in the half-space to receive possession while the 8 makes a run into the half-space to clear a passing lane to the nine-space for the striker to drop deep and receive possession, to lay-off to the ball-far 8 or inverted fullback to facilitate a switch ball where the striker can attack the near post, the 8 can attack the central zone with the winger attacking the back-post for a cross. With the movement of the striker and the 8 filling his space, this allows Lanus Reserva to disorient the opposition before the crossing situation.

Lanus Reserva stretch the pitch and move the ball from flank to flank as this allows them to create crossing situations. Acosta’s side will look to work low crossing situations by moving the ball to the wide zone and utilizing an underlapping run for a teammate to receive possession and square a cross into the box from the by-line or for an attacker to receive possession, drive to the by-line and look to dribble into the box to square a cross into the box. However, Lanus Reserva will not always wait for the cross as the focus is not the crossing position but rather the direction and shape of the cross as they will look to play flat crosses into the zone in between the goalkeeper and last defender in the six-yard area for attackers to have high quality goalscoring opportunities from a wider variety of crossing areas, even deeper crosses from the flank. There will be constant movement in the box due to the interchange in the nine-space as in situations where the ball is being moved on the flank, the player positioned at the near post and the player positioned in the centre can switch positions to disorient the opposition as well as utilizing late runs to the back-post. Acosta’s side will normally cross to this central area or to the near post in low crossing situations.

It is also important to recognize the use of diverging runs and movement to create space for the player in possession in the final third as in the photo above, if the ball-far fullback receives possession, his ball-near midfielder positioned under him will make a circular movement under him to create a passing option for him on the flank if he drives inside while the ball-far central midfielder will move into the ball-far half-space to drag his marker with him, allowing the striker to drop deep to receive possession and switch to the wide zone as the ball-far 8 will then move into the nine-space with the striker attacking the near post for a crossing opportunity. In this same game, in a similar situation, Lanus Reserva were in a similar situation with the right-sided centre-back pushing the ball forward to work a pass for the striker who had moved towards the right half-space to receive possession and create an overload in the right half-space with the inverted winger and 8 for the striker to lay-off the ball to the winger to switch the ball to the fullback on the flank for a cross into the box that went to the opposite flank and was played into the centre for the 8 to have a tap-in.

In both pictures of Lanus Reserva’s positional play phase, it is apparent that the wide zone near the striker has been evacuated as that is a crucial facet of the team’s blind-sided movement. It has been previously mentioned that Acosta’s side will utilize fluidity and movement in the 8 space, especially when the ball is on one flank and the ball-far 8 will make a run into the 10 space to clear a passing lane for the inverted fullback. There are situations where the 8 will move towards the ten-space and drop deep to receive possession, vacating the 8 space and allowing him to drop deep while the 8 closest to the nine-space will then move into that area as the striker can receive possession to connect play and facilitate a switch ball. At times when the ball is moved to the wide areas with the fullback looking to drive the ball inside, the ball-near 8 could drop deep and act as a direct passing option.

Lanus Reserva had a sequence that perfectly encapsulated their blind-sided movement as well as their evacuation and occupation of space to create passing options for the man in possession. A throw-in from the left would be played to the six-space for the ball to be played to the left-sided centre-back, as the keeper pushed up to receive the ball while the ball-far centre-back dropped deep to receive possession. The ball was played back to the six-space for the ball to be played to the left eight-space as the ball was played to the left-sided centre-back who played the ball to the right-sided centre-back. The ball was then played to the right-back who had moved into the half-space to drive the ball into the centre as the striker made a run into the channels, the ball-far 8 dropped out of the nine-space to receive possession, vacating the area to lay-off to the six-space while the left-back made a run into the nine-space to receive the ball. At the end of the sequence, both fullbacks were positioned in box with the striker positioned in the 10 space in a move where at least four players occupied the nine-space.

Counter-pressing

Lanus Reserva have close player spacing in build-up but also look to play deep passes in between the lines and deeper vertical passes to the opposite flank which could lead to turnovers in the build-up phase as their counter-pressing is not only crucial in the attacking phase and the build-up phase as well. Their close player spacing in both phases allows them to transition into the counter-press quickly to close down the areas and force a turnover before the opposition can establish a counter-attack. Once Lanus Reserva regain possession, they look to stretch the pitch immediately against a disoriented opposition defence in order to create goalscoring opportunities.

If Lanus Reserva lose possession in their own half during the build-up phase, they will look to constrain the space with the player closest to the opposition player in possession immediately engaging him while other players in the zone close down the space and mark the most direct passing options to force an immediate turnover, long ball or back-pass where they will transition into a higher press. The Lanus Reserva players closest to the situations will step ahead of their marker in order to regain possession with an interception as either the ball-far winger or fullback will tuck inside to support the counter-press. One of the ball-far players will remain wider as once, Lanus Reserva regain possession, they will search for the outball on the flank, so they can burst forward on the counter-attack while the opposition defence is disorganized.

Lanus Reserva will counter-press aggressively when they lose possession on the flank with the player who lost possession or the closest player leading the press on the opposition player in possession, two more players will then push up to mark the opposition players in the zone to force a pass to the goalkeeper for Lanus Reserva to switch to a higher press or to force a long ball so they can regain possession in the opposition half. If one of the fullbacks or the winger is tucked into the half-space, they will engage the opposition after the turnover while the player occupying the wide zone drops deep to cover the fullback zone as the centre-backs also push up to intercept deep passes. If the central striker is one of the closest players to the turnovers, he will move into the wide areas to participate in the counter pressing situation while either the ball-far winger or central midfielder will lead the pressure phase from the nine-space if the ball is played back to the goalkeeper as if it is the latter, the striker will move into the second-line of the press to close down passing access to the six-space.

Pressing

Lanus Reserva implement a high-press with man-orientated marking responsibilities as they are fluid with their pressing shapes and the positioning of their players in the press. They look to force turnovers to regain possession in the opposition half as well as forcing long balls to regain possession near the half-way line to start attacking moves. Their most frequent pressing shape is a diamond 4-4-2 pressing shape while they will also regularly employ a 4-2-3-1 and nominally a 4-3-3 pressing shape. Their pressing shape is tailored to specific triggers and situations as well as the positioning of the opposition to create coverage and be able to properly man-mark opposition players in order to implement a more effective high-press.

Lanus Reserva will normally press the opposition in a diamond shape, looking to engage the opposition player in possession from opposition goal-kicks with immediacy and intensity as if the goalkeeper plays a sideways pass to the centre-back, the ball-near striker will immediately push up to engage the centre-back. In their diamond pressing structure, the central striker who will normally be Varaldo will drop deeper to close down the passing lane to the six-space, acting as an attacking midfielder while the two wingers will converge in front of him, leading the pressing phase as the first line of press, directly engaging the goalkeeper and rarely pressing the goalkeeper. If one of the opposition midfielders drops deep to receive possession then the ball-near Lanus Reserva midfielder will push up to mark him as if the opposition fullback drops to receive possession, Lanus Reserva will make a late push forward to engage him. 

In this shape, Acosta’s side will normally look to force loose passes as the defensive shape will shift across to the ball-near flank while the defensive midfielder will be positioned in the six-space to make interceptions and regain possession. When the opposition play the ball to the centre-back before shifting the ball to the right-back, if the fullback is positioned close to the centre-back, the ball-near attacker will move to the flank to engage the fullback while the fullback and ball-near midfielder will push up to close down space on the flank as if the ball is played to the centre-back then the attacker will close down the centre-back with the Lanus Reserva fullback engaging the opposition fullback if he receives possession again. There are certain pressing sequences where Acosta will leave his position to engage the opposition fullback while covering the passing lane to the six-space but if it is a longer distance, he will normally maintain his position in closing down the six-space.

In all of Lanus Reserva’s pressing shapes under Acosta, they look to force the opposition into pressing traps in the wide areas where they can win turnovers with numerical or spacial superiority to regain possession and launch quick attacking moves to create opportunities. When they regain possession in their diamond pressing shape, they have the opportunity to immediately play the ball to Varaldo in the ten space to hold possession up to facilitate a quick vertical passing connection or a switch ball for a high-quality crossing opportunity. In this specific shape, their main focus is applying pressure on the centre-backs but they will also situationally apply pressure on the goalkeeper when he receives possession but there is a risk to this as if one of the attackers presses the goalkeeper, he can lob a pass to the flank for the fullback who will be in space as the opposition will have an avenue out of pressure.

In their 4-3-3 pressing shape, Lanus Reserva are more likely press the goalkeeper as instead of Varaldo being positioned in a deeper position, he will lead the press from the front with two wingers either side of him. A sequence of play that will trigger Lanus Reserva’s 4-3-3 press is the opposition’s deepest-lying midfielder dropping in between the two centre-backs that will allow Varaldo to push forward and engage his marker with his two wide attackers pressing the two centre-backs as the ball-far winger will be in a deeper position to cover passing lanes to the central areas and two tease a pass to the centre-back as once his marker receives possession, he will push up to engage him with the fullback pushing up and the ball-near midfielder behind him as the deepest-lying midfielder will also veer closer to the flank with the ball-far midfielder tucking inside to create a rigid defensive shape. Lanus Reserva will also press as a 4-3-3 situationally as Varaldo will be closing down the six-space as the opposition will play the ball back to the keeper for the striker to lead the press by applying pressure on the goalkeeper with the two wingers either side of him to force a turnover.

Lanus Reserva will also press in a 4-2-3-1 shape with Varaldo leading the pressure phase from the nine-space and an increased focus on winning possession in the wide areas in the lateral pressing phase. The ball-far winger will tuck inside with the attacking midfielder in the ten-space marking the opposition’s deepest-lying midfielder with both deep-lying midfielders tucking inside as the ball-near midfielder will push forward to engage the man in possession while his midfield partner will remain in the six-space. The ball-near fullback will also push up as the defensive line shifts across to the ball-near flank as Acosta’s side will have a numerical superiority on the flank to regain possession and force a turnover as they could look to stretch the pitch in possession with a switch to the ball-far fullback. Acosta’s ability to utilize flexibility to create solutions to situations in and out of possession is one of his strongest traits as a young manager.

Defensive Shape

Lanus Reserva will normally operate in a tight 4-1-4-1 defensive shape as they will also switch to a back five once the opposition drive deeper and deeper into their own half. They look to win turnovers with pressure on the player in possession and tight player spacing to force turnovers and regain possession. When the ball is moved to the flank, Acosta will switch to the flank to create numerical superiorities to regain possession or force the opposition into a back-pass where Varaldo will lead the pressure phase from the nine-space in order to regain possession.

In the photo above, Lanus Reserva are in their 4-1-4-1 defensive shape as the opposition have looked to move the ball to the flanks as Acosta’s side have shifted their defensive block to the flank as once they do this, the ball-near central midfielder will push up to apply pressure alongside the central striker with the defensive midfielder pushing up into the midfield zone to create a 4-4-2 defensive shape. As the ball-near central midfielder has pushed up, the winger has also tucked inside to cover the passing lane to the central spaces as if the ball is played to the wide areas, the fullback will engage the opposition player in possession while the winger will cover him by tucking inside if the fullback moves into the wide area to engage his marker or providing support in the wide areas to create a 2v2 situation against the opposition wide players.

In the defensive shape, the ball-far central midfielder is also tucking inside next to the deepest-lying midfielder in the midfield zone to cover a passing lane to a marker in the centre while if the opposition switch the ball to opposite flank, the ball-near midfielder will push up to engage the opposition attacker next to the central striker, the ball-far midfielder will tuck into the six-space while the deepest-lying midfielder will shift across to the opposite flank to move into the same vertical line to recreate their 4-4-2 defensive shape. In the defensive shape, Lanus Reserva utilize a lot of scanning, especially with the ball-near midfielder ensuring that the deepest-lying midfielder is perfectly positioned to occupy the space he vacates before he pushed up to press. Even when Acosta’s side are transitioning from the defensive medium or low block to the pressure phase, the winger will scan if his midfielder and fullback are positioned close to him before moving up to press as a central attacker in their diamond pressing shape.

Above is a video where, Lanus Reserva are in their 4-1-4-1 medium block, switch to their 4-4-2 shape before triggering their diamond high press to force a long ball and a turnover. The situation is from an opposition goal-kick as the central striker Varaldo is not marking either of the centre-backs and is instead closing down passing access to the six-space by covering the opposition’s deepest-lying midfielder. The ball is played to one of the centre-backs and the ball-near midfielder is engaged to apply the press with the deepest-lying midfielder pushing into the same vertical line as the ball-far midfielder while the ball-near winger is covering the opposition fullback to deny the opposition passing access to that area. The opposition centre-back plays the ball to his defensive partner as the other ball-near midfielder pushes up to apply pressure and force a back-pass to the goalkeeper to trigger a higher press which he leads with a curved run towards the goalkeeper to apply pressure and deny him passing access to the centre-back. While he is pushing up, he scans to ensure Varaldo is still closing down the six-space, the ball-far winger also pushes up to close down the other centre-back as Lanus Reserva have worked a pressing trap where passing access is denied to both centre-backs and the deepest-lying midfielder. The fullback is pushing up to close down the opposition fullback after his winger shifted to apply pressure on the centre-back as the goalkeeper plays a long ball which is regained by the centre-back near the halfway line.

In the next video, we have video where the picture from above was taken from with Lanus Reserva operating in their 4-1-4-1 defensive shape. Acosta’s side have switched across to close down passing access to the opposition’s left flank with the ball-near winger, midfielder, deepest-lying midfielder and ball-far midfielder shifting across to close down that zone and deny the opposition progressive passing access in that zone, forcing a back-pass to the opposition’s deepest-lying midfielder who is engaged by Varaldo as a back-pass is played to the goalkeeper. However, Lanus Reserva do not push up to press due to the goalkeeper operating outside his box and the opposition having a numerical superiority whilst they are also in a winning position. Their remain in their 4-1-4-1/4-4-2 medium block as the ball is played to the centre-back who drives the ball forward as the ball-near Lanus Resera midfielder pushes up to engage him as the opposition centre-back attempts a pass which is intercepted by the winger and cleared by the Lanus Reserva centre-back. This sequence shows the mechanisms of their defensive block with the discipline in closing down passing lanes as well as the aggressive nature of the centre-backs pushing up against their markers to make interceptions and tackles.

Conclusion 

Acosta is the most underrated young manager in Argentina as despite having a playing career with Lanus, it may not have been as distinguished as some of the young Argentinean managers who have gotten Head Coaching opportunities in the Argentine Primera Division. Acosta is involved in our article on short corners as he is a manager who is intentional at planning set-piece sequences as his side have had success from set-pieces, especially short and long corners. Acosta would be a strong managerial candidate for teams in the Chilean Primera Division which has proven to be a developing ground for Argentine managerial talent as well as in the Ecuadorian Liga Pro where there is a culture of youth development and progressive young coaches. Acosta can coach for teams such as Colo Colo or Universidad de Chile if Santiago Escobar is not successful as their Technical Director, Luis Roggerio has worked with Miguel Angel Ramirez whose style is not dissimilar to Acosta. He could be successful at most clubs in Chile such as Audax Italiano, La Serena, Deportivo Antofagasta as his style would certainly suit that league while giving him a platform to develop as a manager.