Bradley Carnell’s toolbox grows larger every week.
On Saturday, the St. Louis CITY SC head coach reached inside and found a new lineup combination, inserting Indiana Vassilev as a wingback in CITY’s 1-1 draw with the Houston Dynamo. No lineup tweak this season has been more unorthodox—or more important.
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For Carnell, there wasn’t too much risk to the move. St. Louis was already down 1-0, and it needed more of an attacking presence on the pitch. A switch in formation, along with the additions of Tomáš Ostrák, Niko Gioacchini, and Nökkvi Thórisson, certainly added firepower to the CITY attack. But moving Vassilev to a new role proved to be the difference as St. Louis chased—and ultimately delivered—the equalizer.
Vassilev’s run down the left on João Klauss’ tying goal in the 87th minute was crucial to the development of the scoring opportunity, and his cross to Ostrák set the ball on a platter for Czech attacker. Ostrák’s shot was stopped, but the deflection went directly to Klauss, who knocked the ball into the net. Although Vassilev’s move might have seemed odd at first glance, Carnell’s logic was sound.
“The game gives you a different picture,” Carnell said. “I thought to force play over the outside channels, a fresh Indy will run the line, open up, get wide, and get good crosses in. Indy was very industrious. He played like a winger—he played like a left back—so I really enjoyed what I saw.”
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Carnell stopped short of calling it a desperate attempt to chase the match. Instead, he pointed to the club’s depth and flexibility as luxuries he enjoys in games like Saturday’s. Vassilev, meanwhile, admits that adjusting to a new position on the fly was a bit weird.
“I think that’s the first time that I played there in my life,” Vassilev said. “…I just tried to get forward as much as I could, just because of the state of the game.”
While Vassilev wrestled with the unfamiliar assignment, Carnell’s instructions to the 22-year-old were clear. “My mindset was just kind of go on and maybe forgo some of those defensive responsibilities in the hopes that we could grab a goal. Once we grabbed a goal, I guess I sat back a little bit more; I still didn’t really know with it. I had no idea what I was doing, to be honest with you.”
He could’ve fooled plenty of viewers. That might include Carnell, who walked away from the Houston match generally pleased with CITY’s individual performances across the board. As for Vassilev, beyond fulfilling his role on the field for one night, he once again demonstrated how the buy-in of St. Louis players has already made CITY one of the most successful expansion clubs in MLS history.
“I’m happy to help the team,” Vassilev said. “Good point away from home.”
