Phoenix Rising have been one of the top teams in the USL Championship for the past couple of years. Their success has seen them have to bid adieu to players who move on to places like MLS. Last year, centre-forward Adam Jahn left Rising to join Atlanta United. In order to replace him, Phoenix Rising signed Rufat Dadashov. The Azerbaijan international joined the club and his impact on the squad was felt immediately.
This tactical analysis will provide a scout report on how Dadashov works under Rick Schantz at Phoenix Rising. The analysis will examine how he fits into Rising’s tactics by looking at his role as a player, his positioning, and the runs he makes in support of his teammates.
Player overview
Prior to his arrival in Arizona, Dadashov spent time in the lower leagues of the Bundesliga, featuring mostly in the third division of German football or lower, playing against the likes of Bayern Munich‘s second team. Dadashov has made a total of 18 appearances for Phoenix Rising this season, each of them as the club’s centre-forward in a 4-3-3 formation.
As seen in his average heat map, Dadashov is a player who likes to occupy the space between the two centre-backs when Rising attack. While he does do that, Dadashov also drops down consistently off of the opponent’s backline in order to support his teammates in the build-up. This hold-up play is a strong aspect of Dadashov’s game that makes him an integral part of Phoenix’s free-flowing attack.
So far, through his first 18 matches, Dadashov has scored a total of 11 goals, putting him second on Phoenix’s goal-scoring list behind Junior Flemmings. While second on the team, this also puts (at the time of writing) Dadashov tied for second with one other player in the entire USL. His contributions to Phoenix’s attack have been immense, so let’s dig into his success.
Checking ‘down’ off of defensive line
Dadashov’s ability to drop into the midfield on occasion and support teammates in possession make him a wonderful option when Phoenix are in attack. Oftentimes, Dadashov will come down and use his first touch to flick the ball to his teammates. This simple touch can often freeze defenders for a split-second, which is more than enough time for the likes of Junior Flemmings and Solomon Asante to get in-behind the opponents. Dadashov also does well to hold the play up and allow his teammates to play off of him. He especially becomes a target off of throw-ins.
In the image above, Dadashov demonstrated his ability to hold play up and maintain possession. While this is off of a throw-in, he is able to do this consistently in open play. In the image above, Dadashov came from behind the defender’s right shoulder. As he made his run in, Dadashov recognised the space available, and so he was able to receive the ball on his right foot and then turn. From there, he used his large frame and strength to hold off the defender as he looked to pick out a teammate to whom he could pass.
When Rising are not in possession, Dadashov is still working on creating some distance between himself and his defenders. This often results in him being able to be first to the ball when defenders start a step or two behind him. Dadashov’s vision also allows him to excel; in the image above, he has a head start on the San Diego Loyal defender, which allows him to arrive at the ball first.
Having already recognised teammate Santi Moar in space, Dadashov used his first touch to send the ball overhead to Moar, who played an early forward cross to Flemmings, who was unable to finish the opportunity. While it was an unconventional first touch, Dadashov was able to both recognise the opportunity and disguise his pass, getting his teammate in-behind the defence in the process.
Here’s another example of Dadashov creating space for himself. The opposing centre-backs can’t afford to step up and pressure him where he is currently standing. If they press before the ball is played to him, a large gap opens up behind them. A gap which is perfect for the likes of Asante and Flemmings to run into. Therefore, defenders must wait until the ball is played.
This allows Dadashov to react to their movement and exploit the space they leave. Above, the left centre-back presses Dadashov while the right one takes an initial step forward as well. Dadashov laid the ball off to his midfielder and then ran directly into the space the left centre-back had just left.
Positioning to confuse defenders
Another way in which Dadashov toys with the opponent’s centre-backs is through his positioning when Rising are attacking. When defending, players are most successful when they are able to have two reference points: their closest opponent and the ball. Dadashov works hard to position himself so that the defender loses him as a reference. When he’s able to do that, defensive chaos ensues.
One of the ways he creates room for himself is by starting in an offside position. In this case, defenders are essentially required to lose him as a reference because they need to watch the ball. Turning and watching him would require them to turn their backs, which they simply are not going to do. In the image above, Dadashov is already a yard or two offside when Asante receives the ball.
As Asante controlled the ball and turned up the pitch, Dadashov slowed his run to make sure he was on the same line as the man marking Asante. Dadashov’s defender never managed to get back, as he assumed he was offside. Instead, Asante crossed the ball and Dadashov, unopposed, completed his hat-trick in his first competitive match for Phoenix.
Another example of his excellent positioning and awareness is highlighted above. Obviously late in the match, Las Vegas were looking to send the ball high up the pitch from a goal kick. Unfortunately, the ball returned with just about the same speed it left their defensive third as Jordan Schweitzer found Dadashov’s feet. Dadashov’s starting position allowed him to score on this opportunity.
He recognised that Las Vegas’ defence was not organised and positioned himself away from the centre of the park, where the opponents were. Staying as high as possible without being offside, Dadashov had all the time in the world to receive the pass, turn, and bury the chance in the back of the net, securing the win for Rising in the process.
Dadashov’s movement is highlighted perfectly in the moment above. After an initial cross that saw him start in-between the two centre-backs (his location marked with the red circle), Dadashov peeled off into the space between the right centre-back and right-back. Asante again had the ball at his feet, and Dadashov saw him begin to dribble.
Knowing Asante would likely go around the defender, Dadashov had his head up and watched to make sure he was even with the last defender. He held that line and waited for the cross, once again finishing off the chance seemingly unopposed.
Runs in the box & finishing
Dadashov’s ability to recognise space and time his runs into it make him a wonderful teammate to Asante, who is a player that can beat opponents with both his passing and his dribbling. Asante is excellent when it comes to executing forward crosses, so it’s not surprising that Dadashov’s second goal of the season came from one.
As Asante received the ball on the right wing, Dadashov was initially behind his defender. When his defender turned and checked his shoulder to see where he was, Dadashov slowed down. He did this for two reasons: he wanted his man to lose him as a reference, and he wanted to still be onside. Simultaneously, Dadashov was watching Asante and reacting accordingly.
While it’s not possible to confirm eye-contact, Dadashov’s ability to read Asante’s movement and get in-behind with the proper timing allowed this goal to happen. With the defender unaware of his new location, Dadashov was able to accelerate and get in-behind the defender, using his first touch to finish off Asante’s forward cross.
Even when he is pressing, Dadashov is always looking to create space for himself and take advantage of an opponent not paying attention. Phoenix play a very quick game that often looks to exploit opponents during their transitions, and Dadashov is more than able to contribute to that exploitation. An example from their match against Reno is shown below, where Rising were pressing before they forced a bad pass into the centre of the pitch.
As soon as the pass was played, it was clear that it would be a 50/50 ball. Dadashov’s first steps were back towards the centre of the park, away from his defender. This creation of space would be key to him scoring during this sequence. As Lambert rushed toward the ball, Dadashov began his run into the space between the two centre-backs.
Lambert’s first touch found Dadashov, who had the time to control with his back foot, take an additional touch and bury the shot in the back of the net. While it was an excellent ball into his feet, Dadashov’s reaction to the potential change in possession allowed him to find enough space for himself to receive the ball and finish the chance.
Dadashov’s movement in tight spaces is also quite good. Above is an image taken from a corner kick goal that saw him redirect a Kevon Lambert header on goal. While the redirection allowed him to beat the Las Vegas goalkeeper, the movement to get open provided him with the opportunity to head the ball. Almost all of the Rising players started on the edge of the six yard box and checked away from it as the ball came in (ball movement marked as the white arrow for visibility).
As they did so, Dadashov moved in the opposite direction of his teammates, and consequently, the opposite direction of his opponents as well. This separation that he created allowed him enough room to get his head on the ball without a real challenge from a defender, resulting in Rising’s first goal of the evening.
Weaknesses
One of Dadashov’s weaknesses is his lack of speed and agility. While he can use his intelligence to outsmart opponents and dismark from them, he will not be able to beat anyone in a race. His less-than-agile movements also mean that he isn’t going to be dribbling past too many defenders in a 1v1 situation. This lack of speed and agility are likely the reason he never truly excelled at a higher level in Europe.
Dadashov also runs the risk of getting caught offside with his positioning. If his timing isn’t correct and the opponent’s backline is organised, he can get caught offside multiple times per match if he isn’t careful. These are the two main weaknesses in his game relative to the USL’s pace and quality of play. It’s no surprise then that he finds himself near the top of the goal scoring list in his first season at Phoenix.
Conclusion
Dadashov is a core part of Phoenix Rising’s attack. His relationship with Rising’s attack is mutually beneficial: his ability to manipulate space and opponents creates more opportunities for his teammates (specifically Moar and Asante) to use their qualitative advantages in more isolated scenarios; likewise, their qualitative excellence allows him more space in which to operate. Phoenix certainly aim to take advantage of their front three as they look to finish off a successful run at the USL Championship.
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