Kyle Duncan – The New York Red Bulls’ Electrifying Right-Back
The MLS has become a fertile breeding ground for high-level talent as there is an increase of American talent making inroads into European football in their teens and early 20s. MLS has seen an infusion of South American players and coaches while expansion clubs with differing ideals have enhanced the competitiveness of the league. Kyle Duncan was born in New York and joined the New York Red Bulls at academy level before making a move to France in his teens as he returned to his hometown club. With increased experience in the MLS, he has developed into an exhilarating modern-day right-back who will be better prepared and suited for the rigours of European football.
Kyle Duncan is such an interesting prospect because the 23-year-old is a gifted footballer from a technical aspect who happens to play at right-back. He is a fantastic dribbler as the ball can be glued to his feet as he weaves into the centre, he possesses a boundless resource of energy while his potential as a high-level vertical passer cannot be understated. After deploying midfielders at fullback in the early stages of his tenure, Gregg Berhalter will have a fantastic set of ball-playing right-backs for his system for years to come. Duncan returned from France and an ACL injury to become a high-level attacking conduit for the New York Red Bulls’ fast-paced vertical game as he played a variety of positions under three Head Coaches last season.
Duncan is a product of the Red Bull system of having well-rounded players at fullback to facilitate quick vertical transitions as he can connect play from the flank while also having the technical skillset to receive the ball in the centre and instigate attacking moves. He showed this at home to FC Cincinnati last year as he received possession in the six-space to spin past an opposition attacker with the ball glued to his stronger right foot before threading a pass to a teammate in between the lines to evade opposition pressure. He would then connect play on the flank when he received possession closer to the touchline to thread a pass for a teammate in the half-space who was closed down by two markers as he moved into the wide areas before Duncan moved into the half-space to facilitate another one-two with his teammate to evade pressure from three players on a congested flank and attempt to thread a pass into the channels for an attacker.
Duncan would then receive possession in a breaking situation on the right flank to drive the ball into the centre and play a switch pass to Daniel Royer making a run from the left flank to weave into the box and apply the finish for the 23-year-old to notch an assist. The Cincinnati performance was an exceptional outing for the New York native who managed to accrue a goal and an assist with his dominance from the flank. He would show his press resistance again when he received possession on the right flank to turn out of challenge with an opposition player pressing him to play the ball into the centre for his teammate to make a switch pass to the flank.
Duncan is such an intelligent and technically skilled footballer that he can receive possession and release the ball in quick connections on the flank as there have been many instances where he has received possession, allowed the ball to roll across his body to his stronger right foot to poke the ball to a teammate. The 23-year-old right-back is so quick and innate at interchanges that he can manoeuvre past pressure with a dribble to attract markers before releasing the ball to a teammate or he can swivel to dribble inside and facilitate connections from the centre. His vision for quick one-twos and press resistant vertical passing sequences is impeccable as he can work one-touch passing sequences before moving into space to receive possession again to string moves together from his flank.
After the sacking of Chris Armas, he began Bradley Carnell’s tenure by playing as a left-back in the absence of Jason Pendant as it may not be a position that he will feature in heavily as his career progresses. Against Inter Miami, he was extremely uncomfortable receiving possession with his left foot as receiving possession with the outside of his right boot proved to be a massive hindrance in evading pressure. He would have to twist and turn out of pressure or work back-passes as he seemed limited playing on the side of his weaker foot. His one strong move on the left flank would be receiving possession to prod the ball back to his own goal uncomfortably before suddenly swivelling and lobbing a pass to instigate an attacking move which resulted in Tom Barlow going through on goal to have his shot smothered by the keeper.
In the second-half, he would then swivel past a player to maintain his balance and work a one-two to cut inside and switch the ball to Mandela Egbo to instigate an attacking move. One of the reasons that Bradley Carnell played him on the left flank was due to his ability in receiving possession in the central areas when tucking in as well as working passing combinations from the centre. However, he was unable to do that effectively as it was obvious that he thrives playing on the flank of his stronger foot. In the latter stages of the game, he was switched to right-back and there was an increase on his ability to have an impact on the game.
In added time, the ball would be switched to him in a breaking situation as he skipped past one marker to drive inside and lay a pass for a teammate to be tackled as Duncan would regain possession with a tackle. However, before this sequence, he would execute a brilliant move that was a testament to his immense vertical passing ability. He would receive possession on the right flank but be devoid of any passing options in the centre, so he played a pass down the line to his winger who played the ball back to him, but the pass was behind him. Duncan had to turn his body with two opposition players moving forward to press him as he turned and poked a pass between the two players before receiving possession to play a pass down the line. In the final minute of added time, he would receive possession from the keeper with a player pressing him to prod the ball forward with his left foot before turning back and evading his marker to drive inside and switch a pass to the left back with his left foot.
Against Orlando City FC, he would be deployed as a right wing-back, receiving possession on the right flank to cut inside past two players and work a pass to a teammate in tight quarters. He would then show his dribbling ability and illuminating close control when he received possession in the centre of the pitch, rolling the ball away from two players to find Kaku in a pocket of space in the final third. He would then tuck inside to make a brilliant challenge on former Portugal and Manchester United winger, Nani to regain possession before connecting play with a pass to a teammate. He would then receive possession on the break as he did against Cincinnati to drive into the centre and await a teammate making an overlapping run on the weak side before he turned and looked to thread a slide-rule pass to a teammate who released Royer on the right flank for a brilliant cross which only needed a finish.
From a defensive standpoint, Duncan can be a terrific back-post defender as he has had instances where he has surged to make a well-timed last man sliding challenge to execute blocks and tackles after switch balls to the back-post. He also thrives when he is tucking inside on his marker to make tackles in the centre of the pitch or when the ball is switched to a marker who is tucked inside. However, he mostly thrives when he is regaining possession in the opposition half, pushing forward to make well-timed challenges to regain possession for his in the pressing phase as he has long legs and a strong and wiry physique to regain possession.
“Getting a player willing to do the hard yards, running the lines up and down. Kyle Duncan is a good example of that, Duncan is a player who can run for days, you put him through a series of drills and there will not be a drip of sweat. He’s a player who really likes to get forward when the ball turns over,” said former New York Red Bulls Interim Head Coach, Bradley Carnell in an interview with LeftBackFootball.
Duncan will prove to be an interesting and cost-effective acquisition for any club on the market for a right-back this summer as he would suit the fast-paced style of play in the Bundesliga while adding his press resistance to evade ferocious pressure within the league. He would also suit PSV Eindhoven under Roger Schmidt as back-up or replacement for Denzel Dumfries if he moves on after Euro 2020 in the summer. The 23-year-old could use a move to make inroads into Gregg Berhalter’s US Men’s National Team side as Barcelona’s Serginio Dest is currently the first-choice for the right-back position. It will be interesting to watch Duncan’s progress in the coming months.
