Seattle v Colorado (2-1) – Sounders Break Winless Streak

 Rapid’s comeback falls short in Steve Zakuani’s return to the pitch after being injured against Colorado 15 months ago.

Sounder’s Setup

     Sigi Schmid decided to place Freddie Montero on the bench and start Eddie Johnson as a lone striker. This resulted in a very fluid midfield five behind Johnson. Osvaldo Alonso was the holding midfielder and Andy Rose played as a box to box shuttling player working hard in the center of the pitch. Alex Caskey started on the right with Alvaro Fernandez on the left and Mauro Rosales as the playmaker between the Rapids lines.

Rapid’s Setup

     Oscar Pareja countered with a 4-1-4-1. Without Pablo Mastroeni, Jeff Larentowicz operated as the lone holding player with Jaime Castrillon as a midfielder in front of him. Brian Mullan and Jamie Smith played on the flanks with Martin Rivero tucked in behind Conor Casey up front.

                  Seattle Starts Fast

    The Sounders midfield five combined well and had a fluid style of play from the outset of the match. Fernandez and Rosales were getting forward to feed the ball to Johnson who was working the right side of the pitch and finding space between Moor and Zapata. Rose was effective in helping Alonso recover the ball and also spring attacks, mostly by distributing the ball out wide.

Rose Interceptions & Distribution

  

       For the opening half hour, Colorado had a broken formation consisting of an attacking five and a defensive five. Larentowicz was the only midfielder helping protect the back four while the fullbacks struggled to get up the pitch to provide crosses for Casey. Smith and Mullan struggled out wide taking on defenders and supplying crosses to Casey. This lack of penetration from the flanks allowed the Sounders to squeeze the space in the middle to nullify Rivero and Castrillon. Pareja adjusted his formation by moving Castrillon deeper to play more as a box to box player which helped, but he was less effective than Rose at recovering the ball.

Castrillon Drops Deep to Help but Not as Effective Defending

    

      Martin Rivero operated as the playmaker but he could not find a way to influence the game. Alonso cut off his supply line. When he managed to find the ball most of his passes forward were intercepted and resorted to playing the ball wide or backwards.

Rivero Not Creating Enough Chances

     While dominating the run of play, Seattle was unable to take the lead in the opening half. Fernandez had a chance saved from Pickens after Eddie Johnson played a cross field ball from the right touchline and later Johnson put a volley wide after Birch played an inch perfect early cross. The crowd was growing a bit restless and Seattle panicked a little and lost patience in the final third. Instead of trying to pass their way through the defense, they opted for earlier balls in behind which were ineffective. Colorado almost took the lead after a misplaced Alonso was taken by Casey who found Rivero who hit the side netting.

Second Half Goals Open up the Match

     Seattle finally broke through in the 51st minute from a set piece. Rosales sent in a swinging near post corner kick which was headed in by unmarked Fernandez. The DP has taken heat recently, and was even challenged by his head coach and responded with a goal. Three minutes later Johnson sent Fernandez through on goal and the Uruguayan sent his chip over Pickens but wide of the target. The Sounders were bursting with confidence after the opening goal and nearly won a penalty after Eddie Johnson skipped between two defenders and was taken down in the area, but the official ruled Zapata took the ball fairly. Finally, Seattle added a second after Rosales planted a perfect cross into the back post which was headed back across goal by Eddie Johnson from six yards out.

     Down two goals and looking defeated, Pareja brought on Omar Cummings and Edu for Conor Casey and Jamie Smith. The change ignited the Rapids. Adding to this was the lack of initiative by the Sounders after earning a two goal lead. Instead of maintaining their style of play, the home side dropped deeper, deemphasized possession and allowed the Rapids to find a way back into the game. We often see teams take a lead and employ this strategy and it often comes back to hurt them. Well, the Sounders almost threw away the lead after Zapata swung in a perfect cross to the back post and Cummings lost Ianni and finished past Meredith. Cummings actually added a second via a lovely back heel, but was ruled offside. Rivero had a 90^th minute chance to equalize but put his effort over the bar after a nice layoff by Edu.

Conclusions

     Obviously, the introduction of Steve Zakuani back onto the pitch is the story of the week. It was fitting he returned against the Rapids after being injured in Colorado 15 months ago. He traded shirts with Brian Mullan afterwards marking a nice moment of closure and hopefully Zakuani can return to his old dynamic form.

     It will be interesting to see if Sigi continues to play with one striker. Eddie Johnson put in a fantastic performance and linked up well with the midfield. The starting XI looked comfortable playing with each other and everyone maintained proper spacing and movement.

     The Rapids will have to reconsider their approach. Oscar Pareja should be looking to add a flying winger to his lineup to offer a second approach to attacking. Colorado struggled to find to link up and pass through the Sounders defense.

     A final thought is on artificial turf and soccer. Playing on turf hinders the ability to play through balls over the top or on the ground past a high defensive line. The ball picks up speed allowing the keeper to play as a sweeper. I know turf will continue to be present in several MLS stadiums, but the Sounders could have scored a couple of more if they were playing on grass.

Seattle Through Balls Negated by the Turf

    

 Thoughts on the match or on the All Star selections? Or opinions on turf? 
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Chivas Fortunate to Tie Seattle at CenturyLink Field (0-0)

Seattle Setup:

     It was clear that Seattle’s goal was to control the possession and that they felt that by doing that they would be able to score a few goals. They created a plethora of chances, but unfortunately for them their finishing was lacking and they were unable to find the back of the net.

     Seattle set up in their usual 4-4-2 with a diamond midfield. Alonso played in the holding role with Friberg in front of him. Alonso made several dangerous runs forward, while Friberg did not play a major role in the Sounders’ attack and maybe Carrasco would have been a better option for Coach Sigi Schmid. Rosales was wide right and Fernandez was wide left. They were Seattle’s two most dangerous players in the match, and had Fernandez not hit his penalty kick off of the post, Seattle would have earned 3 points. Noonan joined Montero up top, with Montero having his usual freedom to roam to receive the ball. Riley at right back and Wahl at left back both got plenty forward and supplied lots of service into the box. Scott and Parke partnered at center back.

Chivas USA Setup:

     Chivas set up in a 4-4-2 with a diamond midfield, basically exactly the same as Seattle did. Elliot served as the holding midfielder and looked to send long distribution forward from his spot in front of the back four. Labrocca played in front of Elliot, and roamed about the pitch, wherever he felt like he needed to be in order to receive the ball. Gavin played wide right, Flores (and later Courtois) played wide left, and they played very fluidly, often switching positions and moving wherever there was available space to receive a pass. Despite this movement Chivas was lacking runs by their strikers that would have given them more chances to score. Moreno and Mondaini started up top, with Mondaini being replaced midway through the first half with what looked like an injury by Braun.  Flores (and Courtois) drifted significantly inside and Braun and Moreno would drift out wide to the wing to try and take their defender off the dribble. Seattle would often run a double team at the Chivas forward when they were in this position, which led to Chivas being unable to threaten the Seattle goal. Chivas never really adjusted to this tactic by Seattle and it led to Braun in particular being stifled all game.

Observations:

• With Noonan getting the start up top, it was clear that part of Seattle’s game plan was to play balls in the air to him. It worked out ok for Seattle but Noonan was often their only option and had multiple defenders covering him.
• It seemed that after Fernandez hit his PK off of the post, Chivas got somewhat of a boost in confidence and they really picked up their play for the rest of the first half. They just could not get enough room to trouble Keller with a shot. Seattle’s back four played an exceptional game.
• With Labrocca moving freely around the field and left back Jazic pushing high up the pitch, the Chivas left midfielder (it started off as Flores and in the second half it was Courtois) was basically playing centrally for much of the match. It worked well for Chivas at times but because of Jazic’s position, it left them vulnerable down their left flank, and Rosales was able to make many dangerous runs as Jazic was left chasing him in recovery.
• As the halftime whistle blew, I marked in my notes that Seattle was playing too many balls blindly into the box. With a part of their strategy being to use Noonan’s aerial prowess, they were too often forcing crosses when Noonan was outnumbered or even when he was not in position to receive a cross. That led to them wasting their possessions too often.
• Seattle’s best chance at a goal from open play came early in the second half when Noonan had chance to bury a rebound off of a Friberg shot, but he was unable to get enough on it to get it past Kennedy. It was a play where Noonan should have done better, and it came to signify the type of day it was for the Sounders, and Noonan in particular. He struggled to hold the ball up and he probably should have been substituted for earlier than he was.
• With Courtois, and even Gavin playing much more centrally as the two Chivas forwards drifted wide, it left Chivas needing more width deeper on the field to help them relieve the pressure that Seattle was applying on their midfield. Their midfielders were too close together to make effective passes to one another and their two forwards were too often on an island with no one to play the ball back to.
• For the last 10 or 15 minutes of the match Sigi Schmid brought on Neagle, moving Rosales up top with Jaqua. Neagle looked just as dangerous as he did during the Sounders dramatic comeback victory against SKC, and clearly drew a penalty in the 89’ minute that wasn’t called. Neagle should have been brought on earlier in the match. With Seattle being unable to score it was clear a shakeup was needed and it came too late in the match. Neagle was unable to have adequate time to create a goal for Seattle.

Conclusion:

     Chivas had to feel like they stole a point on the road in such a hostile environment. Seattle dominated the match and just could not find the back of the net. I would look for Carrasco to start over Friberg next match, and another strike partner with Montero besides Noonan. Seattle played very well, and even though they lost two points from a winnable game at home, they have to feel good with the way they played, particularly their back four. The two center backs played very well, and will need to continue that form as they push for the supporters shield.

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Seattle Breaks Sporting Kansas City’s 14-Game Unbeaten Streak in Stunning Fashion 2-1

 

Seattle’s Setup:

     Seattle set up in their usual 4-4-2. Scott got the start at left center back, only his second career start at center back and had an up and down match. Carrasco played in the center of midfield mostly in front of the heat-seeking missile Ossie Alonso, who played in his usual holding midfield spot. Montero and Levesque partnered up top, with neither player proving to be effective. Rosales and Fernandez played wide right and left. Fernandez made little impact on the match, while Rosales was the key cog in both of Seattle’s late goals that gave them three points.

Sporting Kansas City’s Setup:

     Sapong’s start at striker came as a surprise, considering how well Teal Bunbury had been playing. Kamara and Bravo patrolled the wings, with both making many diagonal runs inside behind the defense. The only impact Bravo had on the match was his red card, while Kamara played an exceptional match. Jefferson played behind Sapong, with Zusi playing in a right central midfield role and Diop playing the holding midfield role in place of the suspended Espinoza.

The match, tactically, could be broken down into two parts, before the Bravo red card and after.

Before the Bravo Red Card:

     The first 20 minutes was somewhat back and forth until a long Besler throw into the box that Kamara headed in gave SKC a 1-0 lead. Kamara beat Scott for the header, and coach Sigi Schmid, in his first half interview, was displeased with the official because he felt Kamara ran out of bounds and came back in, which would have nullified the goal. It was an extremely physical game that saw a number of fouls and some chippiness from both sides. Seattle struggled with their passing out of the back, and with SKC putting some pressure on, Seattle was unable to relieve it in order to advance the ball upfield. Levesque often dropped very deep to try and help but his passing was off and he was ineffective. Montero could not get into the game and showed little movement and aggression that eventually led to him being substituted off early in they second half. It was a very disappointing performance from him and one wonders if he was showing the effects of their midweek Champions League game.

     On the other hand SKC was showing excellent off ball movement, and started to take control of the game after the Kamara goal. They were trying to get the ball wide to play some balls into the box, mostly for Sapong and Kamara who had the advantage in the air against the Seattle center backs Scott and Parke. They continue to show that this formation works very well with their personnel, and Jefferson was making a real impact before he went off with an apparent muscle strain in the 39^th minute and was replace by Sassano.

     In the 55^th minute Seattle subbed Montero and Fernandez out for Noonan and Fucito.

After the Bravo Red Card:

     Bravo was sent off in the 59’ minute for a two-footed studs up challenge on Noonan. After the red card SKC moved Zusi wide left to replace Bravo, and kept Sassano and Diop in the middle as dual holding midfielders to protect the back four and their one to nothing lead. Schmid subbed on Neagle for Levesque and changed his shape. He moved Rosales into the middle of the midfield, behind Noonan and Fucito. He put Neagle wide to the right, and left Alonso as the holding midfielder. Carrasco stayed in the center between Rosales and Alonso. The left wing was wide open and the left back Wahl was able to push far up the field. Here is a diagram demonstrating the changes:

Now that SKC was down to 10 men Seattle was finally able to put pressure on them and possess the ball and create scoring chances. It seemed as the Seattle was too congested in the middle but with Rosales’ movement they were able to tie up the game in the 90^th minute. Rosales played a pass to Riley around midfield and then took off for goal. Riley played a pass down the right wing to Carrasco, who had run up the field to clear room for Rosales. Carrasco played a ball back to Rosales who avoided two SKC defenders who unwisely left their feet and put one off the post past Nielsen. It seemed as though it was some pretty lackadaisical defending from SKC at best. Then just two minutes later Rosales was at it again. In almost the exact same sequence he played it to Riley, blew past Diop who was man marking him, then this time Noonan played it back to Rosales who passed to his left to Fucito who was unable to get off a shot but the ball was deflected to Neagle who netted the game winning goal. It was an superb display from Seattle, and an incredible effort from Rosales who showed little effects of the Champions League Game midweek.

Conclusion:

     It was a blown game by SKC as they were the better team until Bravo’s foolish challenge that put them down a man. Despite that they still looked like a team riding a 14-0game unbeaten streak into the game, but we will have to wait and see what this game does to their psyche.

     Seattle’s Substitutions were no doubt the key components to their victory, and they showed what a true team is all about, picking up the starters when they are not at their best. Seattle needs more from Montero and Levesque however if they are going to challenge LA for the Supporters Shield. 

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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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Portland v Seattle (2-3) - Seattle Rallies Twice to Chop Down Rival Timbers

The Timbers limped into the derby on a six match winless slide while the Sounders came in red hot unbeaten in seven.
Portland's Strategy
    For the second straight match, Kenny Cooper was left on the bench. John Spencer elected to play 4-1-4-1 to congest the midfield. Marcelin was brought on and played in a defensive midfield role for Portland. In front of him were Jewsbury and Chara. Operating on the flanks were Nagbe and Alhassan, often electing to switch sides to try and shake up the defense. Perlaza played as the lone striker and struggled to find space, often losing out physically.
Seattle's Strategy
    Sigi Schmid used his usual 4-1-3-2 formation for Seattle. The Sounders benefit by having to only employ one holding midfielder in Ozzy Alonso. He alone covers touchline to touchline and has a wide passing range to create chances. Friberg played in front of Alonso and he did a decent job linking up play between Montero and Alonso. Rosales and Fernandez played out wide. Fernandez was more successful of the two at finding space. Montero played in his usual second striker position and Levesque operated as his strike partner.
Seattle Dominates Possession But Cannot Create
    The opening 20 minutes were intense and cagey, which is typical in most big derby matches. Portland sat deep not wanting to concede an early goal. They let Seattle's back line keep the ball around the halfway line. Portland defended comfortably but were unable to string together a counter attack because of their deep defensive position.
    Seattle was able to craft a half chance in the 27th minute when Freddy Montero received the ball in the middle of the pitch and chipped a ball to the right where Rosales latched onto it but shot over the goal. Fernandez then came to life setting up Montero off of crosses from the left but they could not quite beat Troy Perkins. Repeatedly exploiting the right side of Portland's defense, Fernandez won the ball at the halfway line and sent Levesque through on goal. He never got a shot away and his cross to Montero yielded nothing. Alonso then found Friberg with a long ball in the 39th minute and the Swede did well to hold off a challenge a slid a pass behind Purdy. Fernandez had a chance but his first touch gave him a poor angle and Perkins saved well.
    Portland went to the locker room without ever troubling the back line of Seattle. Alonso sniffed out any play in the middle of the pitch and the narrow Jeld-Wen pitch made it difficult for Nagbe and Alhassan to find space.
Five Goal Second Half
    The opening goal in the first minute in the second half was the best thing that happened in the match. Alhassan found acres of space down the right side and slipped past Wahl into the box. He fired a low cross in to Perlaza at the near post. Parke got to the ball first but inadvertently poked the ball through Keller's legs, sending the Rose City into a tizzy.
    Portland almost controversially doubled their lead seven minutes later after Hurtado went down injured on the pitch and Wallace exploited his injury by crossing a ball low that was begging to be turned in by a charging Perlaza.
    Portland would rue this missed chance after Montero leveled the match off of a free kick that floated past Perkins into the low left hand corner.
    This goal sparked Seattle as Friberg and Montero started to link up well and caused Portland trouble.
    The attacking impetus by the Sounders was not rewarded as Portland took the lead back in the 69th minute. Chara picked up the ball after a clearance on a Sounders corner. He released Alhassan down the right hand side who stormed in the box. His speculative effort deflected in off of Wahl for the second Timber goal.
    Seattle was forced to ramp up the pressure to level the match. James Riley swung in a cross over the head of Montero in the 74th minute. However, the ball reached the substitute Lamar Neagle on the right side. He put a cross in to an unmarked Rosales on the back post. Rosales volleyed it in front of goal to Montero who stuck it past Perkins for his second goal of the game.
    John Spencer responded to the goal by bringing on out of favor Kenny Cooper to rescue a win. The switch did not pay off for the home side. Seven minutes later, Ozzy Alonso sent a ball over the top for Neagle to beat Brunner for pace. He latched onto the ball and Brunner used a high boot to knock Neagle and the ball away. Referee Jorge Gonzalez sent Brunner off and awarded a penalty for the denial of a goal scoring opportunity. Alonso stepped up and buried it past Perkins, sealing his man of the match performance. With ten men, Portland failed to challenge Keller an Seattle walked away with an away win and bragging rights.
Conclusion
    The first half was very cagey and defensive but the fans were rewarded by a barn storming second 45. Seattle deserved the road win as they created more chances and controlled play. Sigi’s formation has worked well and propelled Seattle to second in the west. Alonso is a talent that should be coveted by European side and Montero has slowly started to regain his old form. The addition of Friberg and the healthy Fernandez to midfield added a short passing game. The downsides are the Sounders remain vulnerable down the left side, where Tyson Wahl lacks pace and one on one defending. Also, they have not found a consistent goalscorer to pair alongside Montero. Levesque and Fucito work hard in chasing and pressuring the ball, but they lack the goal scorers instinct.

     Portland was opportunistic in scoring two economical goals. John Spencer will want to rethink his formation for the future because Perlaza struggled as a lone striker. He could not find space to operate, losing the ball 15 times while only completing seven passes and taking two shots. Being predictable in only being able to create out wide, the Timbers need Jewsbury and Chara to play the ball through the middle and make runs to support the lone striker.

     The Timbers Army was fantastic as expected. They will be disappointed with their team’s consistent inability to create chances.

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