The USA’s build-up using a midfield box and wide area 1v1s

During the group-stage phase of FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Poland 2026™, our Technical Study Group (TSG) were drawn to the build-up patterns in the USA’s 1-3-2-4-1 structure, particularly their use of a 2+2 box in centre-midfield, as well as the willingness of their wide players to create and maintain width and take on opposition defenders 1v1 to progress into the final third.

In this article, TSG expert and former Germany international Anja Mittag breaks down the principles of their build-up and highlights how the strategy brought the players’ individual strengths to the fore.

• Build in a three with a 2+2 centre-midfield box to create central overloads.

• Wide players provide width to receive the ball and take on the opposition full-back in a 1v1 in the final third.

• Multiple staggered runners to the penalty area for low crosses.

Creating midfield overloads using a 2+2 box
Building in a three, the USA look to draw in the first line of their opponents’ press before playing through the line to one of their midfielders. As they have a 2+2 in the centre, with two players playing deep in a double pivot and two in attacking midfield positions ahead of them, they frequently have a central overload and actively look for the free player.

As Mittag explains, “Technically, their midfielders are at a high level. They have a good first touch to generate speed and tempo in how they move the ball. They do this before the opposition can get pressure applied, so they find the free player in the middle who often can release it wide early.”

In clip 1 below, we see a great example of the USA building in their 1-3-2-4-1 shape. The back three stay flat to draw out pressure from the first line of their opponent’s defence, while using a 2+2 box to overload the midfield. Once the line is broken, Italy’s defensive structure becomes distorted as the USA use their midfield players and back three to progress the ball. Once the ball is released to wide-left forward Emeri Adames (11), she initiates a 1v1 before releasing a low, push cross across the face of goal, with opposite-side wide forward Micayla Johnson (17) scoring at the back post.

Using 1v1 situations to access the final third
Following the group phase of FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2026, the USA were ranked sixth overall for take-ons leading to crosses, with 6.2 per 30 minutes in possession. Largely owing to her performance against New Zealand, where she actively overlapped and underlapped, right-back Hope Munson (14) was the highest-ranked player of all players across the group stage for ball carries into the penalty area, with 9.6 per 60 minutes ball-in-play time.

According to Mittag, “The USA’s wide players have power, athleticism and speed, so once they get into 1v1 situations, they are very hard to stop. Their ball control is excellent; they take that first touch to attract the opponent with confidence and then can change direction explosively, going left or right. They do it with changes of speed also, knowing when to accelerate and decelerate, making it very difficult for defenders to predict or defend against what they are going to do. So often, across their three games, they used the pace of Munson (14), Johnson (17) and Adames (11) in the wide areas to exploit the 1v1 opportunities.”

A key feature of the USA’s competency in this pattern of play is the familiarity that all players had with it, including their substitutes. In clip 2 below, two subs combine in the penalty area to complete a goalscoring move. Building in their 1-3-2-4-1 structure, and using their 2+2 box midfield, the USA’s left-sided attacking midfielder pulls slightly wide to get free and receive before releasing her wide-left forward into a 1v1. Sealey Strawn (19) cuts inside into the penalty area, plays a 1-2 combination with centre-forward Nyanya Touray (18), and scores.

In clip 3, we see another build-up using the same structure, culminating in wide-left forward Adames (11) slowing down after receiving the ball to draw in her opponent before accelerating into the penalty area and striking at goal.

Low crosses and staggered attacking runs
The USA actively targeted final-third entries from their wide players using 1v1 take-ons. Once their opposing defender was beaten, they frequently played low, push crosses into or across the penalty area. After the group stage of this tournament, the USA were the top-ranked team for push crosses, with 6.2 per 30 minutes in possession.

As Mittag notes, “It’s not just about the 1v1; it’s also about the low cross, and they are very clever with how their runners get into the penalty area. As we saw in all three clips so far, they have staggered runners; one to the front post (centre-forward), one to the back post (opposite-side wide forward), one to cover the penalty area (ball-side attacking midfielder), and one to the edge of the penalty area (second attacking midfielder).

“As a former centre-forward, it was good to see the appetite of their centre-forwards to make positive, attacking runs. Low, push crosses can be hard to defend because defenders will fear putting the ball into their own net when recovering at speed, but these are great balls for forwards coming in at pace. Clip 4 below is a great example of a centre-forward benefitting from a fast, low, push cross.”

The USA had a clear understanding of their build-up structure and how different players could fulfil the roles within it. Players took responsibility and could perform different functions because they understood the mechanics of the strategy and where the opportunities would lie. The game plan also played to the strengths of the individual players, particularly those in wide areas who were comfortable and competent in attacking 1v1s, while the midfielders were comfortable covering the central ground from the build-up phase to the final third.