Sky Blue FC Vs OL Reign: 3 things we learned
By Drew Hubbard
2. Early bunker
Both teams were reluctant to get on the front foot early, which may be a result of playing under new managers or with new players for the first time in months.
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OL Reign’s first game of the tournament was also the first match for newly appointed head coach Farid Benstiti, who joined the club after coaching with Dalian Quanjian in the Chinese Women’s Super League. Benstiti is replacing current USWNT manager Vlatko Andonovski.
Because there is a new manager on the touchline, the team may still be learning his tactics and what exactly he expects from his side. This can lead to a more conservative overall approach, something that resembles a bunker, a deep line of defense designed to make it harder for the opposition to get in behind.
Meanwhile, although Sky Blue manager Freya Coombe has been with her side before, it was only for a small portion of last year. She was named the interim manager in September before being made the official head coach in December.
Still relatively new position, she has a new roster to learn how they play and what style suits them best. The early part of the match gave her the chance to stay compact and see how the game is going to play out. Because of this, the match was a steady, hands-off affair as two new teams felt one another — and themselves — out.