Penn State men’s soccer notched its first conference victory of the season Sunday against Ohio State, defeating the Buckeyes 3-1 in a dominant performance at Jeffrey Field.

The match was an attacking renaissance for a side that, before Sunday, conceded six goals while only scoring three. Penn State dominated possession, played lockdown defense, and scored several stylish and deliberate goals.

Jeff Cook’s tactical knowledge was on full display against the Buckeyes, and his decision to move his team into an organized 4-2-3-1 formation was crucial to Penn State’s success.

EA Sports FIFA fans, Real Madrid supporters, and counter-attack aficionados are familiar with one of the most popular formations in the modern collegiate and professional game. When deployed correctly, four defenders, two holding midfielders, two wingers, an attacking midfielder, and a target forward provide defensive security as well as space out wide.

The formation relies on its two defensive midfielders — in Penn State’s case, Mitchel Bringolf and Aaron Molloy — to break up opposing attacks while helping to maintain possession. Sunday’s match saw Bringolf occupy the traditional defensive midfielder role, making tackles and slotting into the defense when Ryan Gallagher or Brennan Ireland were overwhelmed in the wide spaces. This assurance gave Molloy the freedom to dictate his team’s passing tempo and move into the attack with Pilato when Penn State had the ball. He scored a goal and assisted another against the Buckeyes, and helped defend when necessary.

“We’ve been trying to focus on controlling the middle area of the field,” Cook said after the match. He praised Molloy and Bringolf’s positional discipline, citing their efforts in midfield as a key component of Penn State’s victory. 

This solid midfield base gave wingers Beckford and Maloney the opportunity to stay wide and create chances without dropping inside to support an overrun midfield. Both players are keen dribblers, and their inside runs created problems for Ohio State. They drew several fouls and corner kicks that produced dangerous attacking chances for the Nittany Lions, including the free kick that resulted in Stephen Kenney’s winning goal.

“We thought that Ohio State pressured the ball really well, and if we could get out of pressure and go to the other side of the field we might have some opportunities, and I think that produced a lot of our corner kicks,” Cook said.

The formation will offer another effective dynamic when the Nittany Lions face Michigan Friday. The No. 22 Wolverines are 5-1, and have scored fourteen goals this season while only conceding four.

Cook’s team will likely be forced to spend most of the match defending, and will need to capitalize on set-pieces and pick the right moment for a quick counterattack, as Watford expertly demonstrated against Leicester City in the 2013 Championship Playoff semi-finals:

The 4-2-3-1 will serve the Nittany Lions well again, allowing their four athletic, fast attackers to break forward quickly while Molloy and Bringolf maintain defensive shape behind them. Target forward Jeremy Rafanello will be tasked with keeping the ball as his team gets forward. He will also need to make deep runs behind Michigan’s defense when the Wolverines inevitably commit too many players forward.

Jeff Cook will need to turn to his bench to maintain the level of organization and energy required to earn points in Ann Arbor. Center forward Mac Curran and attacking midfielder Callum Pritchatt contributed a goal and assist respectively against Ohio State, and will be called upon to produce again this week.

Penn State’s backline will also be tested. Both Mason Deeds and Stephen Kenney left the field injured Sunday, but if the Nittany Lions can master the counterattacking nuance of their new formation and recreate last weekend’s offensive productivity, an upset on the road is a sure possibility.