AZ Football Formation

Starting Lineup

28. De Busser
3. Goes
16. Schouten
23. van Duijl
22. Dijkstra
15. Chavez
6. Koopmeiners
21. Kwakman
7. Weslley
11. Daal
35. Meerdink

AZ focuses on high intensity and heavy pressing using a 3-4-3. This lineup aims to win the ball high up the pitch and use the width of the field to stretch the opposition. The formation relies on quick verticality to catch opponents out of position once the ball is recovered.

De Busser acts as the goalkeeper to command the area during defensive phases. The back line consists of a back three with van Duijl acting as the left centre back while Goes operates as the right centre back. Schouten sits in the middle to anchor the defense. This trio works to cover the space behind the wing backs and remains ready to step up to trigger a press. They defend zonally to maintain a compact unit when the team drops into a mid block.

The midfield works as a central pairing with Koopmeiners and Kwakman occupying the central spaces. Koopmeiers uses his passing range to progress through the thirds and connect the defense to the attack. Kwakman provides support to help win the second ball in the center of the park. On the flanks, Dijkstra and Chavez act as wide midfielders to provide width and support the back three. They are tasked to track back when defending and push up to support the front three in possession.

The attacking unit features three players working to pin the last defender. Meerdink operates as the lone striker to lead the press from the front and find the feet of the strikers. Daal plays on the left as an inverted winger to cut inside and create chances, while Weslley stays wide on the right to stretch the defense. The team builds attacks through combinations in tight spaces or by using the width to find an overlap from the wide midfielders.

One major strength of this AZ formation is the ability to press high in coordinated waves. The front three and the wide midfielders work together to squeeze the space and force a long ball from the opposition. Another advantage is the numerical superiority in the final third when the wingers and central midfielders combine to break the line. This creates many opportunities for runs in behind the defensive line.

AZ uses this 3-4-3 to dominate games through aggressive pressing and quick transitions. It is a formation best suited for facing teams that struggle to play out from the back under pressure.