Nov 16, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Spirit midfielder Hal Hershfelt (17) passes the ball towards NJ/NY Gotham FC throughout an NWSL playoff semifinal at Audi Discipline. Necessary Credit score: Geoff Burke-Imagn Pictures
Washington Spirit have reached the NWSL Championship remaining and have executed so deservedly.
Having completed second within the common season, the Spirit got here in 4 factors behind the Orlando Delight, who had been thought-about as the most effective group within the league. Regardless of having two managers (Jonatan Giráldez arrived on seventh July 2024 to switch interim head coach Adrián Gonzalez), the change in management didn’t appear to have an effect on the Spirit as they confirmed no indicators of slowing down.
Washington Spirit’s success as of late can largely be attributed to its midfield stability and skill to create area for forwards Ashley Hatch and Trinity Rodman. The 2 are key in delivering profitable assaults and, given this significance, opposition groups ceaselessly look to man-mark them, permitting the midfield an opportunity to affect the sport a bit extra. The Spirit’s current match towards Bay FC summed up this, with Rodman and Hatch consistently swarmed by gamers; regardless of this, they have been nonetheless receiving probabilities. In consequence, midfielders Leicy Santos, Andi Sullivan, and Hal Hershfelt had rather more area to maneuver the ball of their area.
Giráldez has made the Spirit a strong outfit with a definite model of play and shortly received the gamers to purchase into his philosophy. The group already had a number of key gamers together with Hatch, Rodman, and Esme Morgan, and the addition of Leicy Santos in the summertime window created a superb base for Giráldez to work with. Nevertheless, it was younger American midfielder Hal Hershfelt who impressed probably the most and has arguably been key within the midfield and one of many predominant causes for the group’s finals berth.
The Washington Spirit midfielder is a high-octane, defensive central participant presently serving because the deepest midfielder in Giráldez’s 4-3-3 or 4-1-4-1. She performs diligently between the strains and has a superb studying of the sport. She excels at screening the protection by intercepting passes and progressing play ahead along with her dribbling, however extra importantly, she thrives in choosing up the possession, turning, and recycling it. Her proactive strategy ensures the group is constantly trying to push the play ahead.
The Spirit’s main tactical strategy revolves round shortly transitioning the ball from again to entrance and leveraging the tempo of their wingers to create 1-v-1 alternatives. This tactic generates cutbacks and crossing conditions for center-forwards and late-arriving midfielders to capitalize on.
Gamers like Hatch, Rodman, Santos, Croix Bethune, and Rosemonde Kouassi are all integral to this technique, both by receiving the ball instantly or making incisive runs into the field to complete probabilities. Nevertheless, committing a number of gamers ahead necessitates a extra steady and conservative strategy in midfield, the place Hershfelt and her teammates have excelled.
For a lot of the season, Andi Sullivan and Hershfelt have shaped a dependable partnership, complementing one another to defend the backline whereas additionally initiating attacking sequences. Hershfelt specifically has stood out along with her dynamic, all-action shows, whereas Sullivan constantly gives cowl for any defensive gaps left behind by the rookie. Collectively, they kind a balanced and efficient duo essential to the Spirit’s success.
Hershfelt has been performed in a few completely different roles up to now, beginning as a part of a double-pivot alongside Sullivan earlier than transferring to a lone No. 6 function. In some matches, she was deployed alongside Heather Stainbrook however operated barely greater up the pitch in a 4-1-4-1 formation. This positional flexibility highlighted her tactical consciousness and her potential to contribute successfully in numerous setups.
Within the double pivot, Hershfelt turned a bit extra of the aggressor pushing ahead by urgent and main duels from the entrance. From right here, she’s in a position to cowl extra floor and may hold play busy within the center third to shortly transition possession in direction of the huge gamers. Giráldez’s predominant attacking threats come from the huge areas, specifically in Rodman. Whereas it’s no secret that Rodman is important to the way in which Washington Spirit play, it’s the build-up in direction of getting the ball to her that turns into extraordinarily essential.
Taking a more in-depth have a look at Hershfelt’s defensive information (FBREF) from the 2024 NWSL season, one can see a number of high-value inexperienced bars. What we are able to deduce from that is that Hershfelt has made her identify as a high-volume urgent midfielder. The excessive percentile of duels within the center third mixed with the proportion of dribblers tackled ranks her within the mid-80s and early 90s. Difficult high wingers within the NWSL with a close to 62% success fee is not any imply feat. It must be identified that her interceptions aren’t as spectacular and although it’s solely at 1.21 per 90 minutes, Hershfelt’s urgent forces errors and misplaced passes. All of this ensures the Spirit can counter-press and win again possession shortly.
Taking the above instance, Hershfelt follows the play and appears to stress Kiki Pickett after which Dorian Bailey. Whereas she doesn’t win the direct duel, she forces Bailey to play a faster go and quit possession straight again to the Spirit, and it will get performed again into Rodman on the suitable wing. This sequence of play was aggressive and precisely what Giráldez desires from his midfield. It’s not precisely paying homage to his Barcelona midfield, however there are shades of Patri Guijarro, who excelled at studying sport state and pressuring gamers to win again possession.
The above sort out from Hershfelt is the proper instance of her unwavering urgent potential and work ethic to trace again and win again possession with a crisp, clear sort out earlier than enjoying it ahead for the group to interrupt. This instantly led to Hatch scoring towards the Orlando Delight.
Additional ahead, Hershfelt’s obligations are comparatively easy, focusing totally on ball retention and sustaining possession. A composed and regular presence on the ball, her best strengths in assault lie in recycling possession effectively and positioning herself intelligently on the sting of the field to create capturing alternatives. One in all her standout moments in current weeks got here towards Bay FC, the place she unleashed a last-minute shot that rattled the crossbar, showcasing her potential to search out clever, free areas.
Hershfelt averaged 60.43 touches per 90 this season (eightieth percentile within the NWSL) and 35.59 carries per 90 (92nd percentile). Although she isn’t solely answerable for ball development, these numbers are extraordinarily helpful for highlighting the importance of the group’s deeper mendacity midfielders. She nearly typifies a distinct segment function named the “segundo volante”.
The segundo volante’s function is just like different defensive midfielders — specializing in restoration, holding their place, and looking for to intercept misplaced passes or beat their participant in particular person duels. Nevertheless, the function does have some offensive accountability, the place they don’t simply affect video games by passing but additionally deliver dynamic ahead runs, attacking the field and providing passing choices to their teammates with runs into area.
Hershfelt’s off-the-ball sport sees her make runs into area to maintain possession transferring but additionally discover positions on the high of the field to take pictures or provide one other passing possibility. That is Giráldez’s affect of wanting some possession-based traits in his group by having gamers across the field to offer completely different angles and choices to shoot or go.
Right here is the aforementioned shot from outdoors the field. Whereas this may not have precisely come from a full-fledged sequence, the positioning and gradual drive to the sting of the field from the set-piece highlighted her consciousness of the gamers round her and her attacking instincts.
For a lot of the season, Hershfelt hasn’t stood out as a key progressive passer, probability creator, or impactful participant within the attacking third. Nevertheless, this might shift subsequent season — particularly if her function evolves as a single or double pivot and her versatility has already demonstrated her potential to excel in a extra superior attacking place.
The upcoming remaining towards Orlando guarantees to be some of the fascinating matches of the season, with the Delight boasting an intense tactical setup and distinctive off-the-ball group. For the Spirit to face an opportunity, Hershfelt might want to ship a flawless efficiency, sustaining focus and excellence in each side of her sport.
