KaCS All-Star XVIII & Tactical Shape

On Wednesday, the MLS All-Stars will play Manchester United looking for revenge after the humiliating defeat they suffered last year. The team of 32 was picked by the fans, players, Hans Backe and Don Garber. Only 22 will be available to play and Keeping a Clean Sheet feels that the most deserving squad will not be on display.
    Therefore, instead of previewing the match, we have selected our own squad to face the Red Devils.
Starting XI
    Commanding from the back will be the experienced Colombian Faryd Mondragon. He has spear headed the stingiest defense in MLS, leading them to top in the East. Mondragon will bring experience which will help organize an unfamiliar back four.
    In front of Mondragon will be fellow Spanish speakers Jamison Olave and Carlos Valdes. Olave is a big physical defender who is not afraid to use his size in the air and his strength to muscle strikers off the ball. Often under looked is his speed in catching up to attackers in the clear. Valdes will be more of the Pique to Olave's Puyol. He loves to get forward during open play and set pieces which could provide a different element in attack.
    Lacking quality options, the left back spot was wide open.  Heath Pearce earns the nod over Bobby Convey who has been injured and played midfield. Pearce offers European experience to combat United's dangerous wingers. On the other side, the selection of Jan Gunnar Solli was an easier one. Solli's arsenal includes a great passing range, which has propelled him to the top of the assist chart.
    The most influential player in the side and arguably the best player in MLS this year has been Ozzy Alonso. Alonso plays as a lone holding midfielder for Seattle and covers touchline to touchline. Also, he is great at starting the attack from his deep lying position.
    Slightly in front of Alonso will be Juninho and Brad Davis. Juninho normally plays deeper for the Galaxy but we want to use his creative qualities and his long range striking capabilities. Brad Davis has had another strong season for Houston. He plays more as a box to box midfielder for Dominic Kinnear, having the ability to create chances and harass opposing central midfielders.
    In regards to our three man strike force, a unique shape has been utilized. Brek Shea is an obvious candidate to start at left wing. His midweek golazo v Toronto has arguably propelled him to MVP front runner. Currently tied for second in goal scoring, Shea has carried the Dallas attack after the injury to David Ferreira. On the right side, Landon Donovan was the obvious choice. He is the face of the league and one of the leading goal scorers despite missing a month at the Gold Cup. Despite the poor form of Juan Pablo Angel, the Galaxy are in contention for the Supporters Shield because of Donovan’s goal scoring.
    Centering the front three will be Thierry Henry. Henry is leading the MLS golden boot chase with 11 goals. More impressively, he has played in a deeper position than he did at Arsenal and Barcelona. Henry has been asked to move between the midfield and attack to create chances for New York. This has resulted in four assists and him making deep runs from midfield to find shooting positions.
Bench
     Backing up Mondragon would be Nick Rimando from Salt Lake. There were plenty of candidates for this role, but we went with consistency. Rimando is one of the most steady MLS goalkeepers, which is why he was called into the Gold Cup roster in May.

     At center back, Omar Gonzalez just missed out on a starting bid, mainly because of his absences due to injury. There is no doubt he is rounding out into one of the best center backs in MLS. Gonalez has partnered well with DeLaGarza to form the strongest defensive pairing in MLS. George John from FC Dallas has become a household name this season. He was great last season leading Dallas to the MLS Cup and has followed up that season with another stellar campaign. With Dallas struggling at times to score, John has had to rally the troops in defense to stifle the opposition. Similarly to John, Chad Marshall has had to forge a strong defensive team to try and make up for a poor attack in Columbus. The Crew are tied atop the Eastern Conference after losing their best player, Guillermo Schelloto, in the offseason. Marshall is a towering presence and would have seen action for the US in the Gold Cup if not for injuries.

     In the midfield, we went with another holding player in Kyle Beckerman. He captained Real Salt Lake to the Concacaf Champions League Final and is undoubtedly their team leader. Beckerman provides a calming influence on the ball and is known for his intensity, often seen in his verbal disputes with the opposing players and referees.

     As far as super subs, we have two different striker options on the bench. Eric Hassli came to Vancouver as a little known French target man. He has been the lone bright spot for the Whitecaps and has scored the best goal in MLS this season. Hassli is a great back to goal center forward but also makes clever runs in the channels, as seen last week v San Jose. Our other option is Freddy Montero from Seattle. Montero had a slow start to the season and many wrote him off as not being able to carry a team. Well, he answered the critics and is leading the line for the most exciting MLS team this season. Freddy has the ability to score from a free kick and he likes to drop behind a strike partner to pick up the ball.
Man Utd Setup
    Sir Alex Ferguson will most likely use his preferred 4-4-2 formation. We know that Chicharito will be rested by Ferguson, but other than that, we are not sure how much time the starters will see. For this articles sake, we will assume United will begin one of the halves with their best lineup. Rooney will play in his #10 position and will rely on his wingers to try and create. Many criticize United’s central midfield of Carrick and Giggs, which is what we believe is the weakest point, but the weakest point of a great team is still quite strong. For this we will pack the midfield to try and stifle their attack before it can get started.
Tactical Approach v Man Utd

     As manager of this imaginary match, KaCS will employ a hybrid 4-4-2 diamond formation. However, Brek Shea and Landon Donovan will be the wide players and wingers. The two can make runs from their wide positions to try and find space in the channels. Henry, Juninho and Davis have the ability to find the two forwards. Henry would play as a withdrawn striker to try and find space between the United midfield and defense. If he found space, Ferdinand or Vidic would be required to close him down leaving space open for a diagonal run from Shea or Donovan.

     Defensively, the team would drop into a 4-5-1 shell. We would keep the pressure low until the United attack reached the center circle. Shea or Donovan would be the point man on defense harassing Vidic and Ferdinand. Henry would drop back, teaming up with Juninho to try and cut off the supply to Carrick and Giggs. Davis and Shea/Donovan would drop to provide cover to the falnks. Alonso would be directly responsible for marking Rooney out of the match, since he so often dropped into a playmaker position last season. Olave and Valdes could handle the movements of Berbatov. The biggest danger though would come from the flanks. Young and Nani would cause problems for Pearce and Solli.

     Look out for a review of the actual match and send us your thoughts on the game via twitter @kpngacleansheet and Facebook.

Sporting Kansas City Thumps New-Look Toronto FC 4-2:

Sporting Kansas City Setup:

      Coach Peter Vermes was able to put to use his new playmaker Jefferson, on loan from Vasco de Gama. He patrolled the middle of the pitch and made several nice passes, including one assist to Omar Bravo. Bravo set up wide left but was often found more inside and up top. He made many dangerous runs behind the TFC defense on both of his goals. Rookie CJ Sapong started up top and was hardly involved. He was substituted out early in the second half for Teal Bunbury, who showed a better ability to hold the ball up than Sapong. Kamara played wide right but could often be found drifting inside and even at times on the left. He proved to be very dangerous for SKC, demonstrated by his two goals.

      Espinoza and Cesar patrolled the holding midfield in front of the back line. Espinoza particularly got forward, pushing the ball up the middle and made several nice passes, most notably his assist that led to Kamara’s second goal. They both proved to be aggressive ball winners.

     The back four played fairly well, with right back Myers torturing the TFC substitute left back Morgan in the second half down the right wing. Collin was injured and replaced by Cyrus, who had a rough go, and single handedly gave up one of the TFC goals.

Toronto FC Setup

      TFC coach Aron Winter set up in an interesting formation after making several changes in their home loss Wednesday night to FC Dallas. He played four at the back, with Eckersley getting the nod at right center back to pair with Andy Iro. At Left back, Yourassowsky started after having played left midfield Wednesday. He got forward quite a bit, but at the cost of Kamara getting in behind him and causing trouble for TFC. Frings sat in his accustomed position in the hole in front of the back four. He looked to distribute, but he still did not seem comfortable with his new team yet.

      Santos played in the middle behind lone striker Koevermans. He made no positive impact in the match, often holding onto the ball too long before making up his mind where to go with it. He was dispossessed too many times for his coach’s liking, as he was subbed off just before halftime. Zavarise played on the left side of midfield with the speedy Johnson in front of him at left wing. On the right, Soolsma played alone in front of the right back Viator, who pushed far up the wing in support of Soolsma.

TFC Still Looking for the Right Combination:

      It is clear that TFC is still experimenting at who their best players are after all of their recent transactions. Hopefully management and ownership give coach Aron Winter another season at the helm, as all of this roster change is not conducive to winning. Also it seems that it is not their strategy (variations of the 4-3-3) that is failing them, but the players who are trying to implement it. Now, not playing to his player's strengths may be the fault of Winter, but if he is given time to find more players that fit his style of play, one can see his style being a breath of fresh air to MLS, where the vast majority of teams set up in some variation of a 4-4-2.

     As for the game, TFC looked incredibly dangerous in the first 10 minutes, with Koevermans having 2 clear goal scoring opportunities, but he was not able to convert either one of them. This seemed to take some of the wind out of TFC’s sails, as they went on to concede 3 goals in a less than 10-minute stretch. Kamara was responsible for the first 2 for SKC, the first he biked in off of a deflection of an Espinoza corner, and the second he headed in another ball from Espinoza after beating Zavarise to the back post. TFC was getting torched down their left side, partially because Yourassowsky was pushed too far forward, and partially because they were giving SKC too much space in the center of the field. Santos in particular did not look to track back enough, and with Frings not in his younger days, he was unable to cover the entire midfield by himself. SKC’s 3^rd goal came after a bad Santos turnover that led to Jefferson playing a dynamite through ball to Bravo, who had gotten in behind Viator and Eckersley after some dreadful defending and an apparent lack of communication. Bravo then rounded the keeper to give SKC a 3-0 lead at halftime.

      Santos was replaced just before halftime, and after his dreadful performance, it would be a surprise to see him play in their next game. SKC did much of their damage in the middle of the field where they had wonderful off the ball movement, and Winter should consider playing Frings in behind Koevermans where his distribution would be helpful, or playing someone along side of him because he was not able to cover the middle alone. The energy and enthusiasm of Plata was sorely missed, and if he and Johnson are able to man the wings going forward, it would make TFC’s attack much more dangerous.

      Koevermans proved to be dangerous but he did not receive enough service to get into the match. He netted Toronto’s first goal on a header after he beat the all-star Besler, and that was one of the few opportunities he had one on one with a defender in the air. It seemed as though TFC was starting to build some momentum to get back in the game. Myers beat the young substitute at left back Morgan down the wing and played a grounded cross to Bravo, who was completely unmarked and gave SKC a 4-1 lead with his second goal of the match. It was a nice ball by Myers and a good run by Bravo, but it was some truly dreadful defending by the TFC center backs. Iro was too slowly jogging back and Eckersley amazingly was not even looking as Bravo ran right past him for the goal.

      The substitute center back Cyrus for SKC had a rough go, and it was his botched effort off of a Frei goal kick, that gave Johnson an easy goal to make the score line a more respectable 4-2.

Conclusion

     Toronto is clearly still looking at who they want to move forward with, and with all of their recent roster changes, games like this are not unexpected, especially in a hostile environment like the one at Livestrong Park on Saturday night. As for SKC, it was a dominating performance, and their fans can only hope that they can keep up this form moving forward as they push towards the playoffs.

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FC Dallas at New York Red Bulls: 2-2: Henry’s Strike Keeps Red Bulls from Walking Away Empty-Handed:

New York’s Setup:

      Hans Backe employed somewhat of a 4-4-2 but with Henry playing a little deeper than a traditional second striker in a 4-4-2. Henry would drop deeper often to receive the ball and played many threatening balls to Agudelo, whom he joined up top, and Dane Richards who patrolled the right flank. Henry displayed an excellent balance between setting up his teammates, while also making sure that he looked to get his own shots off as well. Agudelo looked as on form as at any point this season. He got off quite a few shots, covered a tremendous amount of ground tracking back frequently to assist the defense, and also showed an improved ability to hold up the ball and play it back for his teammates, which is something he needs to continue to improve on.

      Richards, who played wide right, put on quite a performance. He used his blazing speed to continuously test the Dallas back four, and even though he didn’t score; he notched an assist, struck a rocket off of the post in the second half, and had numerous other dangerous balls to Henry and Agudelo. The only negative was his second yellow card in the 80’ minute that led to his sending off. Otherwise it was a wonderful performance from Richards, and New York will need that effort more consistently from him for the remainder of the season to push for the MLS Cup.

      Lindpere and McCarty played in the center of midfield with McCarty playing in the hole and Lindpere playing mostly in left central midfield. Ballouchy played on the left and frequently dropped more central. Ream and Marquez were back together at center back and even though they struggled a bit in the second half, they played some excellent balls out of the back that sprung some of New York’s best attacks. Miller and Solli proved useful in that regard as well, as they both got deep into Dallas territory to help New York keep possession in the final third and set up their teammates.

Dallas Setup:

     Schellas Hyndman set up in his usual 4-5-1. Chavez played alone up top and put in his best performance of the season, netting two goals. He did much better being patient and looking for his teammates instead of attempting to take on multiple defenders like he had been doing previously. He also made many dangerous runs behind the defense, and was unusually patient to keep from being called offside. Brek Shea, who played mostly wide left, as usual drifted into the middle frequently, and showed glimpses of his form this season. I’m sure Dallas fans would have liked to see more from him. New York did a commendable job preventing him from dribbling through their back four, and much of that credit has to go to Solli, who troubled Shea all night. Even when Shea switched to the right at times, he was unable to get off any of his accustomed thunderbolt shots.

      Dallas played Villar just behind Chavez, and Hernandez and Alexander behind him in the center of midfield with Hernandez playing a little deeper than Alexander. Avila played wide right and put on a particularly unimpressive performance and was promptly substituted at half time for Guarda (more on his effort later). The Dallas back four played very well, especially John, who may be expecting a call up for the US Men’s National Team soon.

A Tale of Two Halves:

     The first half was entirely dominated by New York. They were aggressive early, particularly Henry, Agudelo, and Richards. They linked up well and were in dangerous positions but often times seemed to over pass and not get off a shot. Dallas was much too passive, never putting adequate pressure on New York when they had the ball, and failed to maintain possession themselves. Avila on the right particularly struggled to make an impact, and their central midfielders far too often made poor passes that gave away possession. They attempted to get Shea into the game but with their poor distribution were unable to.

     New York finally made a break through in the 39’ minute when Henry made a phenomenal effort two times to keep possession, played a ball to Agudelo who flicked on Richards. Richards played a low cross into the box back for Agudelo whose effort was deflected in past Hartman. It was a deserved goal for the Red Bulls as they had been the far better team in the first half.

     To start the second half, Schellas Hyndman brought on Guarda for Avila. Guarda sat behind Chavez and Hernandez moved out wide right. He was the difference in the match for Dallas, as he showed a lot of off the ball movement that troubled New York, and this led to him playing an integral role in both of their goals. In the 51’ minute he made a nice run past Lindpere down the left channel, received a pass from Villar, and then he laid it off back to Villar who had made a run into the box. When Villar received the pass Marquez stepped up to him, which left Chavez unmarked, and he nicely stayed onside, received the pass from Villar, and netted the game-tying goal for Dallas. It was Guarda that sparked that attack with his initial run past Lindpere that left the New York defense scrambling to rotate unsuccessfully.

     After the goal Dallas mounted dangerous attack after dangerous attack and looked certain to score at least one more goal. Their second goal came in the 78’ minute off of a set piece. Hernandez played a side ways pass to Benitez just across midfield who then blasted a ball into the box. John flicked the ball across the box to Chavez, who was unmarked because Solli was caught ball watching, and he netted his second goal of the match.

     After taking the lead Dallas looked to be in control, especially after Richards was sent off in the 80’ minute. But Dallas became much too defensive after they went a man up and let New York dominate the possession. Henry netted the game tying goal, and his MLS leading 11^th, when he controlled a pass from McCarty in the 85’ minute at the top of the box on the left, faked a right footed shot, turned back to his left foot and hammered the equalizer. It was a sweet finish for the New York captain, MLS All-Star, and potential league MVP.

Conclusion:

     The key for Dallas was the substitution of Guarda into the match to start the second half. They also applied much more ball pressure in the second half, which faltered New York’s attacks and let them dominate the second half. New York needed a better performance from Lindpere, who did not play up to his usual standards. It was also highly questionable that Backe did not use any subs even though it was an extremely hot evening. After the match he said he didn’t feel his substitutes were good enough. If that is really the case New York better hope they stay injury free for the remainder of the season. It was a deserved point for each side, as New York outplayed Dallas in the first half and Dallas outplayed New York more the majority of the second half. With that being said, Dallas probably felt like they let two points slip away, especially after going a man up with the lead.

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LA v Columbus (1-0) – Beckham’s Bevy of Set Pieces Pays Off Late in the Match

Columbus’ Strategy

    Coach Roberto Warchyza employed the exact same 4-5-1 formation on Wednesday night that he used Saturday night in the Crew’s scoreless draw at home against the Earthquake. Gehrig and Ekpo both played centrally in the midfield. Gehrig sat deeper than Ekpo especially when the crew moved up the field in attack. Ekpo led many Crew ventures forward from the middle and got off several long-range shots. In defense they both sat side by side in the hole in front if the back line.
    Gaven and Rodgers were out wide. They switched sides often and both drifted inside to receive the ball. They would often even be on the same side of the field when the Crew was trying to break down LA’s defense. Because of this the Crew lacked width at times and it showed in their inability to provide any meaningful service in the air to Heineman.
Heineman came on for the injured Andres Mendoza in the first few minutes and looked to hold up the ball and give the Crew an aerial threat, since he had a size advantage due to the absence of Omar Gonzalez. Anor played in behind Heineman and received passes in all parts of the pitch. His first touch looked quite a bit better than it did Saturday night. One would like to see him be a bit more eager to play balls wide to Gaven and Rodgers especially, but for a young player he shows quite a bit of promise.

LA’s Strategy

    Bruce Arena employed a basic setup, but as always with Donovan and Beckham it was very free flowing with players moving all over the pitch. At left and right fullbacks, Dunivant and Franklin got forward with regularity. Donovan played inside left, especially with possession but he defended out wide left. Juninho played mostly in the hole in front of the back four but got forward on quite a few occasions. This allowed Beckham to drop very deep to set the LA attack in motion. Beckham mostly played in the right center of midfield but drifted out wide right frequently to provide service into the box.
    Kirovsky started playing out wide right but he was also all over the pitch, often drifting inside and even at times all the way over the left center of the middle of the field. Lopez played just a little deeper than Angel who was on the right.
Tactical Observations
         It was no surprise to see Columbus finish without a goal as their leading scorer and designated player Andres Mendoza went off in the opening minutes with a hamstring injury. Gaven and Rodgers are the Crew’s creative players, but it is clear that they miss their true playmaker from the last few years, Guillermo Barros Schelotto. He was the player who provided passes to spring Rodgers and Gaven in space which allowed them to create goal scoring opportunities. Without any real playmaker, the Crew has struggled mightily to fashion chances. Gaven and Rodgers would often be on the same side of the field with possession. This meant Anor, who was playing just behind Heineman, in a similar position to the one Schelotto played last season. The three attacking midfield players would be in such close proximity that they were unable to provide service into Heineman. This let the LA defense off easy as they were able to cover the Crew attack, even when they had a numerical advantage. The Crew needs more off ball movement in order to create more chances. Heineman did not make as many off ball runs as Mendoza would have. Also, it seems that Ekpo is too deep. Especially with Columbus struggling to score his dribbling skills and long range shoting could be very helpful, and one wonders if having him play wide and moving Gaven inside would make the Crew more dangerous.
    LA had the majority of the possession and Beckham took an extravagant amount of corner kicks. They were clearly the more dangerous side. However, their lone goal came in the 70^th minute from of a deflected Beckham free kick that Sean Franklin blasted in after a second deflection. The lead was warranted and it seemed like they would eventually find a way to put at least one goal in the entire night. LA did not put much pressure on the ball, which was surprising as it seemed as though it would have helped them shorten the field. Thus, when they finally recovered the ball they often started their attack deep in their own half of the pitch.

     Angel has had a splendid career but for LA to win MLS Cup they are either going to have to get more out of him or they are going to have to find an alternative solution at striker. This was never more evident than in the 30^th minute when Donovan put an ankle breaking move on Gehrig and laid off a perfect ball to Angel on the right side of the 18 yard box, and instead of blasting past Hesmer, Angel chipped it wide left. Chad Marshal had recovered and would have easily cleared the chip off the line. This display from Angel showed that he is not confident in front of goal, and the Angel from a few years ago would most likely have buried that chance.
Conclusion:
    It was a deserved 3 points for LA as they were the definitively more dangerous team. With that being said, and in the overall big picture of the race for the MLS Cup, LA was not that impressive and with their current striking duo of Angel and Lopez, they do not appear to have enough firepower to bring home the championship. Beckham provides great service but he needs someone to latch onto his crosses. In this regard, the Galaxy have yet to replace Edson Buddle. With Donovan looking a bit tired, LA is going to need him in form for the stretch run.
    Considering the sum of their parts, Columbus has done well to be near the top of the east. They have a staunch defense but are sorely lacking in creativity, and with Mendoza, their leading scorer likely out for quite some time, goals for the Crew are going to be few and far between. They are still likely to advance to the playoffs because of that reliable defense but anything more than a first round exit would be very surprising.

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San Jose v Vancouver (2-2) – Hassli’s Brace Cancels out Wondo’s

Entering the match, the two sides came in limping. Vancouver were on a four match losing streak and San Jose had gone winless in six.

San Jose’s Strategy

     Frank Yallop started with a 4-2-3-1 formation, using Wondolowski on the left side instead of as a strike partner for Lenhart. Lenhart’s job was to hold up the ball and he took quite a pummeling doing so. Dawkins operated as the playmaker between the forwards and midfield. Wondolowski played more as a left striker than a left winger and stayed high up the pitch. On the right side, Peterson played as a true winger and the midfield of Dawkins, Ring and Stephenson looked to find him in space.

Vancouver’s Strategy

     Tom Soehn had to forge a makeshift back four due to the absences of Jordan Harvey, Alain Rochat and Jay DeMerit. Jeb Brovsky went from midfield to left back and slide Greg Janicki into central defense. Also, Mustapha Jarju made his MLS debut and Vancouver went to a 4-4-2 instead of their usual 4-2-3-1. Camilo and Salinas played on the wings, swapping sides midway through the first half.

Quakes Score Early and Dominate

     The Earthquakes claimed the lead in the third minute of the match. Vancouver gave the ball away in their own half. Lenhart sent a return ball to Dawkins who delicately chipped a pass to Wondolowski out wide. Brovsky was caught out of position and Wondo was free to finish a right footed shot past Joe Cannon.

     San Jose remained the team on top for the majority of the first half. Lenhart was working hard to hold up the ball and draw fouls. Wondolowski looked dangerous in the left forward spot and Dawkins and Peterson were looking to find the two forwards.

     Vancouver started slow as Jarju and Hassli looked like strangers playing together. Salinas was active out wide and trying to swing in crosses but the two strikes were standing on top of each other a few times and made themselves easy to mark. Jarju did have a great chance to the right of goal but put it over. San Jose’s 4-4-2 defensive shell was proving difficult to breakdown.

Vancouver level Before Half and Carry Momentum

    Just before the half, Simon Dawkins was forced to leave the match with a hamstring injury and the rookie Rafael Baca was brought in. After this change, the match seemed to swing in Vancouver’s favor. One minute later, Hassli was able to equalize. San Jose lost possession on the left touchline and Salinas put Hassli through on goal through the left channel. This was possible because Bobby Burling was caught too high up the pitch and Hassli finished to the far post with Busch only able to get fingers to his shot.

     Due to the Dawkins injury, Yallop set his side in a 4-4-2 to start the second half, moving Baca wide left and Wondolowski up top. This tactical change did not seem to forge a cohesive attack. However, the Quakes were able to take the lead back in the 54^th minute. Peterson sent in a free kick from the right side that was comfortably finished by Wondolowski, for his second of the night. The free header a mere five yards from goal was made possible after Wondo’s marker had fallen down.

     Nevertheless, the Whitecaps responded well to again being down a goal. Through his excellent off the ball movement, Hassli began to find room in the channels and Jarju stayed up top. But, the Gambian’s night ended early in the second half and Vancouver sent in Chiumiento to play behind Hassli and shift to a 4-2-3-1.

     The Caps found success down the left hand side. Salinas was going by Chris Leitch like he was a turnstile. In the 61^st minute, Salinas provided his second assist to Hassli. He skipped past Leitch to the endline and squared the ball to Hassli who was unmarked ten yards from goal, and the French man finished for his second goal.

Wide Open Final 25 Minutes

     Both teams were in dire need of a win and they were desperately trying to score a third. This made the final quarter of the match entertaining. Salinas found space by Leitch again and set up Camilo who missed the target. Lenhart had a one v one after Janicki misplaced a header. The out of form striker missed the target and two minutes later had a header saved by Cannon. Camilo had another chance but took too many touches and Burling recovered to clear in the 86^th minute. Three minutes later, Koffie rattled the crossbar with a rocket off the crossbar. Wondolowski had two half chances in the 92^nd minute but was unable to get a shot away, the match ending in a draw.

Conclusion

     Neither manager will be happy to pick up a point, but they can take positives out of the match.  

     San Jose has now drawn seven matches in a row. Frank Yallop should consider shaking up his lineup to try and freshen up his team. Maybe he should drop Lenhart to the bench and start Wondolowski on his own up top to make room for an attacking midfielder. The system they started the match with (Dawkins in the center) seemed to work but he may have picked up an injury for a few weeks.

     Vancouver look to have a promising strike partnership. Hassli will be freer to work the channels and hold up the ball while Jarju will play off the shoulder of the center backs and try and win headers and make runs to get behind the defense. This partnership may take a few games to look cohesive as a few times the strikers got in each other’s way.

     For future matches, maybe Tom Soehn will consider moving Camilo into the middle where he seems more comfortable to try and create chances for the strikers. Camilo played out wide but always wants to cut inside and find the ball instead of playing a true wing. If they keep him on the right, the right back will have to get forward to provide width.

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Toronto FC v FC Dallas (0-1) – FCD Grind Out Road Win v New Look TFC

Toronto came into the match having scored the second fewest goals and conceded the most in MLS. However, they have been decent at home picking up 14 of 18 goals. Dallas has failed to score in the past two MLS matches.
Toronto's Strategy
    Off the back of two designated player signings and several trades, the side was almost unrecognizable. Aron Winter started with his preferred 4-3-3 setup. Andy Iro was brought in from Columbus and paired with Harden at central defense. Torsten Frings made his debut in midfield protecting the back four. Sturgis and Yourassowsky played in the center of midfield. Jaoa Plata and Ryan Johnson were on the wings with new Dutch striker Danny Koevermans playing as the central forward.
Dallas' Strategy
    Schellas Hyndman went with a similar 4-5-1 that he has utilized lately. One tactical change was pushing Brek Shea up the pitch as a left forward instead of his usual left wing. Also, Jackson moved from right wing to right back. Dallas used a right side trio of Avila, Villar and Jackson and they combined well to outnumber the left side of defense (Borman and Johnson).
First Half Tactics
    Toronto began the match looking like a new team. They were incapable of stringing passes and the back four could not get the ball to the midfield. Instead, they resorted to ineffective long balls.  The only few good moves started with Frings getting the ball and finding Ryan Johnson on the left. The Reds rare forays forward usually ended with a poor cross.
    Dallas started the match looking dangerous to score. Brek Shea was the lynchpin of the attack. Shea received much more service than his previous two outings; mainly receiving long passes from deep in midfield by Hernandez and short support balls from Alexander and Benitez. Viator was struggling to stay close to Shea and the overlapping of Benitez added a second element. This style occurred on the right with Jackson overlapping. This strategy was creating space out wide but Dallas had few chances because they had nobody in the box to latch onto the end of a cross.
Goal Worthy of Winning any Match
    Three minutes after halftime, Brek Shea provided a moment worth the price of admission. He poked the ball away in the center circle and Hernandez sent it straight back to him. The homegrown Texan blazed a trail down midfield and skipped past Frings and Sturgis. About 25 yards from goal he released a left foot rocket the caromed off the left post and bounced in. Toronto FC fans awed at the effort but will be disappointed with the midfield not closing down and the defense not stepping up to challenge Shea.
Goal Opens up Play
    Certainly, the match was dying for a goal and Shea's strike opened up the second half. Four minutes later Plata scored an goal, from an offside position. Then, Winter brought on Maicon Santos and Nick Solsma to liven the attack.
    The attacking substitutions helped, but also opened Toronto up to the counter. Dallas will be thankful that they kept a clean sheet because they missed some great chances towards the end of the match. Shea had a shot well saved by Frei and Jackson chipped the keeper and hit the crossbar. The substitute Guarda sent a volley from the penalty spit wide after a giveaway by Harden. Guarda pulled a shot from the right wide but Chavez deflected the effort but he was in an offside position.
    Toronto turned up the pressure though towards the end of the match sending in long balls and dangerous crosses. The Reds best chance came in the 87th minute from Maicon Santos. He blew an open header over the bar from five yards after a terrific cross by Soolsma. A minute later Iro swung a ball to Koevermans who was offside but still could not put it away.
Conclusion
     Looking at the chalkboards on mlssoccer.com, Dallas’ midfield was able to provide service to the forwards, while Toronto could not. While Frings had some effective long balls to Johnson, he misplaced almost as many passes as he completed. Also, Yourassowky and Sturgis were nonexistent in the match. The two combined to complete 18 passes, a stat that must change if Toronto is to score goals.

     Additionally, this match exhibits that MLS as a whole lacks finishers. The two sides combined for 31 shots with more than half of them coming inside the box and only resulted in one goal. This profligacy in front of goal may explain why there are so many ties in the MLS this season. Dallas did not finish off the match with a second goal and Toronto had chances to equalize; a script we have seen throughout the regular season.

     Dallas will be happy with a road win. However, FCD fans will be mystified and frustrated with their sides inability to finish chances and score goals.

     For Toronto, they have played over 300 consecutive MLS minutes without scoring a goal. Aron Winter has a tough task to mold together a brand new side and get them playing well. The playoffs might be a long shot for them but maybe management made all these moves to prepare a unit for next season.

Thoughts on the match?

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DC United at FC Dallas: (0-0) - Dallas Heat Shows No Home Field Advantage

The extreme heat and humidity in Saturday night’s contest was extremely evident on the faces of the players of both teams. FC Dallas was coming off a disappointing effort on the road at Real Salt Lake that we profiled earlier this week. DC United was going into their third game with their new acquisition, MLS All-Star Dwayne DeRosario. They were coming off an impressive road win at New York that we also profiled earlier this week.

DC United Setup:

     Coach Ben Olsen employed the same strategy that he has employed since acquiring DeRosario. The only difference Saturday night from the first two games was that DeRosario played the playmaker role behind Davies and Ngwenya instead of Wolff. DeRosario seemed to be extremely exhausted by the heat and had a surprisingly miniscule impact on the match. He did not see very much of the ball at all. 

    Simms was once again heavily involved in collecting the ball from the defense and trying to distribute forward, but with Dallas applying some high pressure he was not very effective in doing so. Kitchen at right back did not get forward as much as he had in the previous two games and it showed in DC’s lack of attack and service into the Dallas box.

FC Dallas Setup:

     FC Dallas set up in a 4-5-1 again but looked to attack much more than they did on the road at the Rio Tinto. Brek Shea was prominently featured mostly on the left wing, but he did switch sides with Jackson several times. He was extremely aggressive in attack, often cutting inside and looking to lay the ball off for a quick one two after a run behind the defense. Other than Shea the FC Dallas was disappointing to say the least, with the absence of their injured playmaker David Ferreira never being more evident, as they lacked that final dangerous ball to create a quality scoring opportunity.

     Chavez played up top with Villar in behind him and neither created many chances. Chavez is blessed with top end speed, but unfortunately for Dallas he seems unsure of how to use it properly for the teams benefit. He demonstrated this by being offside on the majority of his off ball runs, resulting in him not being able to use his speed to test the DC back line.

Extreme Heat a Debilitating Factor on the Match:

     Both sides seemed to be lacking energy at times and one could only deduce it was due to the heat. Dallas dominated the match but failed to create enough quality scoring opportunities. They played far too many long balls, especially from their back four. When they did have the ball in the final third they were too impatient with it, never really troubling the United defense, settling for long shots outside the box far too often.

     In the second half there were two opportunities for Dallas with numbers, and both times they were too selfish and squandered their chance. The first chance saw Chavez being a bit too greedy while the other with Shea doing much of the same, even though the aggressiveness from Shea was much more warranted than the same from Chavez.

     DC failed to make any sort of real imprint on the match and were far too willing to sit back with little to no pressure on the ball. They did not get the ball to their playmaker DeRosario often enough and it showed as they failed to create any dangerous scoring opportunities. Also their two center backs in particular were devastatingly wasteful with possession, often turning the ball over right back to Dallas without their midfield ever getting the opportunity to have the ball. Because of this Najar, DeRosario, Davies and Ngwenya were never able to have enough possession to make a meaningful impact.     

Conclusion:

     FC Dallas were clearly the better side but seemed to get in their own way more than DC did. They were too impatient in the final third, and this was due to them being too selfish. They also are in need of a better striker, as Chavez has the speed to get in behind the defense but due to his lack of patience is offside far too often and lacks the finishing touch that Dallas needs to push for the Western Conference crown.

     DC had to feel great to earn a point on the road. They clearly did not play their best match, and they will need much more from Najar, DeRosario and Davies going forward if they are to continue to make their push towards the playoffs.

  

Seattle v Colorado (4-3) – Open and Attacking Match Yields 7 Goals and a Sounders Win

Seattle’s Strategy

     Hurtado went off injured v Portland and Ianni was brought on to replace him at center back. Other than that, the starting XI seems to be the preferred lineup for Sigi Schmid. Alonso and Friberg paired in the center of midfield with Fernandez and Rosales out wide. Roger Levesque got the start as the central striker and Freddie Montero played his typical free role behind Levesque.

Colorado’s Strategy

     The Rapids went their usual 4-4-2 lineup. Coach Gary Smith chose to leave Brian Mullan at home in Colorado to not distract the fans and team with his presence after he controversially injured Steve Zakuani when the two sides last met. Jamie Smith pulled his hamstring in warmups which forced the Rapids to start Nyassi on the right wing. Larentowicz and Mastroeni paired in the middle and Casey and Cummings played up top. While in the game, Casey played more as a second forward, dropping deeper to hold up the ball to try and link up with Omar Cummings who was looking for space in the channels behind the Sounders back four.

The Goals

     Colorado were gifted a lead in the opening minute of the match. Kimura played a cross in that should not have troubled the Sounder’s defense. However, Jeff Parke made a mess of the clearance and the ball dropped to Thompson at the top of the 18. He silenced the crowd with a shot that went into the corner.

     Though, the Sounders were quick to respond. After nearly scoring in the previous minute, the Sounders leveled the match in the 7^th minute. Ozzy Alonso played a ball out wide left to Fernandez. He used his strength to cut inside of Kimura and finished with his right foot to the far post.

     With Casey off injured, the Rapids took the lead back at the end of the first half. Cummings drifted to the right and launched a cross to Thompson. He was sizing up Riley one v one, but Friberg came over to double. Larentowicz saw the double and ran to the edge of the 18 where he was open to receive the pass and smash a low strike off the post and in.

     Three minutes after halftime, Seattle was able to level the match. Alonso sprayed a long ball to Rosales down the right wing. Rosales played in a low near post cross to a charging Levesque who flicked the ball with his right foot beautifully into the far corner.

     Seattle kept up the attacking pressure but was only able to take the lead in the 82nd minute. Rosales and Alonso engineered a move down the right wing. However, the ball was cut off by Colorado but a poor touch by Larentowicz gave possession to Brad Evans a mere eight yards from goal. His cross from the right of goal to the back post was deflected by Pickens, but was still able to make it through to Montero who put it away with a diving header.

     A mere two minutes later, the Sounders added a much needed insurance goal. Montero dropped deep and Rosales made a run behind the defense. He found himself through on goal and slotted it past Pickens for the home teams fourth.

     Caleb Folan added the seven goal in the match in the 90th minute from a corner. Keller saved expertly after a great header by Marshall. Then, the ball dropped nicely to Folan who easily finished at the far post.

Tactical Observations

     Seattle was able to draw defenders to Montero when he dropped deep to collect the ball. This allowed for runs in behind from Rosales and Fernandez and a few times Friberg. FSC commentator Kyle Martino astutely mentioned that Seattle’s quick movement of the ball caused Colorado’s back four confusion. Additionally, the early distribution of Alonso and Friberg out wide gave Kimura and Moor little time to cover.

    For Colorado, the strike duo of Casey and Cummings linked up well until Casey picked up a non-contact leg injury that appeared serious. The Rapids will be blaming the shoddy temporary grass if the injury turns out to be significant. Casey dropped deep to hold up the ball while Cummings was working behind the back four in the channels. When Folan came in, he took up a target forward role and Cummings was left to drift wide. This lineup looked more out of sync.

     In central midfield, Larentowicz and Mastroeni were overrun by Alonso and Friberg. The Sounders denied the pair the ball and forced Colorado to attack out wide. On the bright side, Nyassi was able to find space cutting in from his right wing position. With Alonso and Friberg focusing on Mastroeni and Larentowicz, there was space to exploit in front of Seattle’s back four.

Conclusions

     Colorado’s back four was a disaster. They were not organized and out of position. If it were not for Wynne’s recovery speed, Seattle could have had 6 or 7. The Rapids high defensive line may have worked if they had played on the usual field turf of Century Link Field. With the match on the temporary grass, Seattle was able to play through balls without worrying that the ball would roll all the way to the keeper.

     For Seattle, Sigi seems to have found the perfect strike partnership. Levesque complements Montero well. Whilst Montero is given the free role to drop deep and be creative, Levesque works hard to press and occupies defenders to give the South American trio, Rosales, Fernandez and Montero, space.

     Credit Seattle for consistently playing free flowing attacking football. However, they seem to be prone to a miscue in the back. This error prone style particularly frustrated Keller when he was seen scolding his defense after they conceded a third goal. If the Sounders want to compete in the post season they must sure up the back line.

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