The route one revolution: decoding the Philadelphia Union’s play style

In their return to MLS play on Saturday, the Union picked up right where they left off, defeating D.C. United 3-1 in Washington. Right out of the gate, the Boys in Blue were rolling. A high press deep in D.C.’s half saw the front three of Daniel Gazdag, Julian Carranza, and Mikael Uhre all connecting for the U’s first goal in the fifth minute.

Less than ten minutes later, a quick counter from a DCU set piece featured a magnificent box-to-box run by Jose Martinez, finding Jack McGlynn at the back post to double the Union’s lead. Additionally, Daniel Gazdag went on to slot a penalty home just before halftime to put the U in cruise control for the remainder of the game.

After the match, Jim Curtin spoke on the team’s performance, saying, “I thought that we started the game proactive rather than reactive, which is important to us.” The Union’s high press was crucial to taking an early lead, and Curtin commented on how vital early goals are to Philadelphia’s play style.

To build upon Curtin’s insights regarding the U’s proactive approach, we should delve deeper into what defines the Union’s unique style of play. This involves analyzing their on-field strategies and player dynamics.

Over the last three years, the Philadelphia Union has put a spin on the classic “Route One” approach, but what is Route One football?

It is not that complex. The goal is simple: transition from the back line to the opposition’s box as fast as possible. No nonsense. Just getting results by streamlining play to the forwards efficiently.

This style is often used as a reactionary tactic, where teams that lack quality dodge the high pressure of their opponents by keeping the ball out of their defensive zone. It is straight to the point and based on ball movement. Typically, a club playing this style will have a target man who can hold the ball long enough for support to continue the attack. This way, players can sit back, defend, and quickly release, breaking down the field on a counter. These tactics can be extremely effective when executed correctly, but one of the biggest issues with a Route One game plan derives from its predictability.

However, that is where Philly makes this style their own. It starts with Curtin’s remark about proactivity. The Boys in Blue apply a great deal of pressure to their opponents while simultaneously embracing pressure. In their 4-4-2 formation, four midfielders pack centrally to clog a counter down the middle. Additionally, the combination of Jack Elliott and Jakob Glesnes, arguably (and yes, I’ll argue) the best wing-back in the league, Kai Wagner, and, most importantly, three-time MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Andre Blake allows the Union to pressure with insurance that they can halt the opposition’s attack.

Offensively, these same players are crucial to hitting the long ball to relieve the pressure. Kai Wagner, who led defenders in assists last season, is free to move through the wide space created by a condensed midfield to provide service to central players. Elliott and Glesnes relieve pressure by finding feet in the midfield or passing over the top into the wide spaces.

With so many possibilities to move the ball forward quickly, the midfielders and forwards get creative freedom in their attack. A vital aspect of Route One is movement off the ball. Players must move consistently to meet quick services from the back and support forwards when they receive the ball. Constant movement takes great fitness and depth from teams, which Curtin spoke about after the D.C. match.

“We need guys to be fresh and stay healthy… We rotate players in and out of the midfield and have good depth up top… we don’t have a superstar like some of these other clubs, but our guys embrace that, and it motivates them.”

Route One exchanges the importance of quality individual pieces for a simplified and collective team effort, where all of its components work together to ensure the final product is at its best.

“The margins are tight…” Curtin explained, “Everyone has to be at their best for this to work, and they know that.”

When analyzing the Union’s schedule this season, an entirely new dimension emerges to team depth. Curtin alluded to the D.C. match being their 38th of the season. During the 2022 season, the Philadelphia Union played 38 matches, including their run to the MLS Cup. Intertwining the MLS regular season, Leagues Cup, Champions League, and U.S. Open Cup has not only drastically increased the amount of games in a season for the U, but also increased the frequency of matches.

The Leagues Cup brought about matches every three to four days. However, the team’s return to MLS play does not change their loaded schedule. The Union will play mid-week at Toronto and return to Chester to take on the Red Bulls next Saturday.

But Curtin seemed unphased at the frequency of games because of his squad’s depth. “There’s not a lot of drop-off at any position.”

This is attributed to the “next man up” culture the Union created with their players. Tai Baribo, Chris Donovan, and Quinn Sullivan compete for minutes with Uhre and Caranza up top, and Jesus Bueno, Jack McGlynn, Leon Flach, Joaquin Torres, Alejandro Bedoya, Jose Martinez, and Daniel Gazdag rotate to keep fresh legs within a crowded midfield.

Another key component of Philadelphia’s Route One style is their flexibility. This style of play can become redundant, making it easy for teams to acclimate and defend balls over the top. In turn, opponents tend to drop in and take away space behind them, creating difficulty with long services.

The Union use these opportunities to break away from Route One, showcasing their quality with quick movements on and off the ball. Their style of play is still very direct with the packed midfield, but players are forced to hold onto the ball more and work in a more possessive style. This multifaceted approach to the game makes the Philadelphia Union extremely dangerous on the attack, resulting in many high-scoring matches over the last three years.

It is not always perfect, and because of the tight margins described by Curtin, it is not always pretty, but the Philadelphia Union created a system that embraces their club culture. The U spend less than most clubs in their league, and their response was to create a system where every player is crucial to their success, and with that, the individual accolades follow.

As the team grows, it consistently adds high-quality players while maintaining its tradition of developing talent from within – a Philadelphia hallmark and a recipe for success for the Boys in Blue.