USMNT: Weston McKennie continues to prove where he should play

Weston McKennie scored a diving header in Schalke’s 2-1 defeat to Fortuna Dusseldorf. With the goal and his overall poor performance, the USMNT continues to prove where he should — and shouldn’t — play.

Central midfield has changed as the modern game has progressed. 20 years ago, it was about energy, tackles, direct balls into the channels, and partnerships as the hustling anchor in a flat 4-4-2. This evolved into a midfield three which usually consisted of two holding players and an attacking midfielder, the number 10, as it is most commonly known.

But now, over the past five years or so, even the number 10 role is increasingly becoming extinct. The introduction of the high press which demands defensive effort from every player on the pitch has made creative-only attackers obsolete. They now have to run, dribble, carry the ball, build from deep, and press from the front. Pep Guardiola calls these ‘half-eights’.

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That is a very simplified summary of the evolution of central midfield tactics, but it helps to illustrate the massive changes at the position in recent years. This has led to both greater definition of central midfield roles, with certain players committing to very specific roles within a midfield, and confusion as the more versatile players slip between the cracks. Weston McKennie is currently a member of the latter group.

The U.S. Men’s National Team midfielder started once again for Schalke on Wednesday. He has started each of Schalke’s three matches since the Bundesliga returned, playing 90 minutes in both. He has been a regular starter when fit under David Wagner and has played the full 90 minutes in seven of the last nine Bundesliga matches.

In Wednesday’s 2-1 defeat to Fortuna Dusseldorf, McKennie did what he does best: found space in a tightly packed penalty area and scored. From a freekick, as defenders were caught under the ball, McKennie looped towards the back post and steered a lovely diving header back towards the near post. He now has two goals in his last four matches and his goalscoring knack from midfield is especially known in the USMNT with six goals in 19 matches.

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This speaks to the discomfort he feels with the role he is currently playing with Schalke. Wagner employs a 3-4-3 shape with McKennie as one of the two central midfielders. It is an extremely difficult position to play, having to cover vast amount of spaces, oftentimes simply chasing the ball against the many three-man central midfielders in the modern game.

In this match, McKennie may have scored, but overall, he struggled. He worked hard, as ever. Per FBREF, his 21 pressures were the joint-most in the team. He took more shots and had the joint-most shots on target than any other Schalke player, too. His six interceptions and two blocks are also team-leading figures.

But for the most part, McKennie, like the rest of his team, was left chasing the ball. He had just 30 touches, completed only 55% of his passes, which is a ghastly mark, and carried the ball ten times for a total progressive distance of 47 yards, both of which are lower than Schalke goalkeeper, Markus Schubert.

The USMNT midfielder is at his best when he could break forward, but here, he was repeatedly curtailed by the system he played in. He scored his goal by breaking into the penalty area, he had the second-highest expected goals in the team, and alongside Rabbi Matondo, looked like the most likely to make something happen, though that is a very low bar given Schalke’s overall performance.

Wagner plays McKennie in a more defensive-minded midfield role and is curtails him of his best skills. McKennie needs to be freed, to play without defensive shackles, as a true half-eight in a modern central midfield trio. That is his best role, and his recent struggles with Schalke prove it.