Back 3 or Back 4? 2022 World Cup USMNT player explains the difference

When it comes to defensive strategy, back three or back four? A back three offers much more flexibility in attack – and it’s a strategy the US men’s national team will likely start with at the 2026 World Cup.

This formation makes a lot of sense when you have a couple of defenders who can cover a lot of ground, like Sergiño Dest and Antonee “Jedi” Robinson, maybe even a Tim Weah in certain situations.

When in possession, it allows the central defenders playing on the left and right sides to be a bit more aggressive. In the friendlies we saw Alex Freeman play on the right side of the back three and focus on one opponent.

There will be times when the back three really become a five. It’s when you sit in a low block and absorb pressure when the opponent really has their foot on the accelerator.

Mostly, though, the US will be in what I’ll refer to as a back three. It comes down to the attitude of the wing backs and I expect Dest and Robinson to be important parts of the US attack.

Here’s what to expect this summer and why the U.S. has changed formations from the last World Cup.

Why A Back Three For USA?

Another part of the USA’s decision to play with three center backs instead of two in a traditional back four is 38-year-old Tim Ream. The team captain started both friendlies against Senegal and Germany on the left of the back three. Having an extra center back gives him more support against some key attacking players the USA will face throughout the tournament.

We saw in the friendly against Germany that Tim was in some one-on-one situations against winger Leroy Sané, one of the fastest players to play in the World Cup this summer. I think Tim and head coach Mauricio Pochettino realize that you want the veteran on the pitch as a captain and with his experience. If so, the best way to feature him is as a left-sided central defender, so he has some support in those areas.

However, the potential downsides were evident on Senegal’s first goal against the USA in the May 31 friendly. Antonee lost the ball further up the box leaving the left side of our defense exposed with only Tim to cover a lot of space. The counterattack ended with Sadio Mané’s first of two goals in that match.

A back four is less chaotic, more structurally sound. You can cover the width of the field — whether in midfield or in attack — much easier because you have more numbers higher up the field. A back five requires more man-to-man tasks where you have to react quickly, while a back four is more organized. You shift and move around the field in a back fourer, but you play within a structure.

I don’t think there is a right answer, and it really depends on the personnel of a team. It can also depend on the matchup and what we are trying to do in a given match. I have played in teams that work better in a back-three or a back-four.

Why the change from 2022?

Specifically for the US men’s national team, having a player like Tyler Adams in the midfield makes a huge difference. He is able to cover a lot of ground and clean up a lot of problems. When you know you have a player like that, you’re more comfortable potentially stopping counter-attacks and holding the opposition back when they have the ball.

Tyler Adams, Antonee Robinson and Weston McKennie talk before the USA-Germany pre-World Cup friendly. (Photo by Michael Miller/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)

Although the USA seems ready to play with a back-three this year, it made sense for us to have a back-four in 2022. We played with a 4-3-3 formation because of the midfield, which featured Tyler, Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah. Together, these three were able to do a defensive job that would normally take four players to do.

Tyler was in the middle, while Wes and Yunus were able to handle the rest of the field all the way to the sidelines. In our opening game of that tournament, England couldn’t move the ball quickly enough to get past them.

Having three guys do the job of four in midfield almost feels like a cheat code, and it definitely affects how you organize the rest of your lineup given how much they move around the field and switch positions.

This time Antonee will be able to cover a lot of ground. He has an incredible engine and can cover any blade of grass. On the other right, Sergiño will be more comfortable when he is able to start higher up the pitch and stay up there. He will return to do the defensive work when needed. He makes 40-yard runs forward, as he did early against Germany when Christian Pulisic almost found him with a long ball, then beats it to come back and defend.