New mens soccer formation brings success

Lucas Maier, Staff Writer

Whereas most school teams use the more standard 4-4-2 formation of play, Liberty’s Varsity soccer team could be said to be a bit of an outlier, using a less common 4-3-2-1 formation. This structure centers around midfield and defense, has distinct advantages over the standard formation, and has proved to be a great fit for the team.

“This year, it’s the perfect formation for the team and the guys we have,” head coach Darren Tremblay said. “Next year we might do something a little different when we lose and gain players, but for now this really works for us. We’ve got a great defense, great center mids that we rotate between, and our wings are really fast.”

According to Tremblay, the 4-3-2-1 formation allows for quick transitions.

“So far, this has given us a lot of chances to score,” Tremblay said. “Now we just need to translate that into goals. And with Michael DuVall coming back from injury, we have a good start for that.”

Tremblay listed seniors DuVall, Noah Anderson, Nate Steenis, Mitchell Thatcher, and Leoul Hancock as key players in the formation, saying that the midfield has been key to the formation this year.

“We’ve been really solid defensively,” Tremblay said. “We’ve had three shutouts, and we’ve only given up eight goals, which is the second least in the league.”

DuVall cites additional benefits of the 4-3-2-1 formation.

“It allows us to have a strong defense and move out of the back really quickly, and do so really strongly. So far, it’s worked well,” DuVall said.

And with the team’s record of 5-3-2, you can see why.