Boca Football Formation

Starting Lineup

E. Andrada · G. Gómez · A. Frías · L. Blanco · L. Blondel · W. Barrios · N. Nández · M. Merentiel · E. Zeballos · K. Zenón · S. Villa

Boca aims to win the ball back high up the pitch and strike quickly through the wide areas. This intent is reflected in their 5-2-3 formation. The lineup is built to sit in a mid-block and use the speed of wide players to hurt teams on the transition.

E. Andrada stays between the posts to manage the defensive line. The back five consists of W. Barrios, G. Gómez, and A. Frías acting as the central trio. Barrios acts as the main leader in the middle to win headers and clear the lines. To the sides, L. Blondel and L. Blanco act as attacking wing backs. They push high to provide width while the central three stay narrow to protect the middle. The defensive unit functions by squeezing the space between the lines and forcing the opposition to play wide.

The midfield uses a double pivot to control the central zone. N. Nández and K. Zenón work as the two central midfielders. N. Nández provides high pressing intensity to win the ball back in the middle, while K. Zenón acts as the carrier to move the ball forward. These two connect the defensive unit to the attack by recycling possession and finding the forwards. They must work hard to cover the spaces left behind by the wing backs as they push up the pitch.

Boca utilizes three attackers to stretch the defence. M. Merentiel acts as the lone striker, using his movement to pin the last defender and hold up the ball. E. Zeballos and S. Villa act as wide wingers who cut inside to create goalscoring chances. These wingers look to isolate defenders in one on one situations or receive the ball in the half spaces. The attack is built through quick combinations, with the wingers looking to receive the ball and drive at the opposition back line.

One major strength of this Boca lineup is the ability to create wide overloads. When L. Blondel and L. Blanco push up, they combine with S. Villa and E. Zeballos to overwhelm the opposition flanks. Another advantage is the compactness when defending. The five defenders and two midfielders can stay very close together to deny the turn and force a long ball.

This 5-2-3 formation is designed for a team that wants to be hard to beat defensively before hitting on the break. It is best suited for matches against possession based teams where Boca can sit deep and exploit space behind the defense.