Managerial Nirvana (Lots of [R]'s from around the globe)

[Matrim55]

One of the more spectacularly pleasant surprises of the early MLS season has been the coaching. I previously touched on the intensity of play, the reckless fouls, and the general overall improvement in passion that's been on display in this, MLS v.12. But it's also worth noting that there has been a nearly across the board improvement in tactics and game-management this year that is... pick a positive adjective. I almost went with "refreshing", but it's more than that. It's "refreshing", "intrigueing", and "enlightening." It gives me the hope that I'll see something in an MLS match that I maybe haven't seen before.

Just two years ago MLS was a coaching wasteland. Dom Kinnear had potential but botched his 2005 team badly down the stretch. Petr Nowak, who is a good coach, was already burning out. Bob Bradley, another good coach, was hampered equally by his own inadequacies and by a GM (Lalas) whose asshole and mouth are unaccountably similar. Steve Nicol had established himself as a master talent evaluator and - sorry Revs fans - not much more.

Now Bradley and Nowak are gone to run the Nats, where their strengths and weaknesses have canceled each other out so far and produced some good results and one great performance. Kinnear has probably established himself as someone who can now plan for both a season and a game, and has hardware from both to prove it. Nicol has totally reinvented himself and his team, and the Revs look like they might end up being better this year than in any of their MLS Cup Runners-Up versions.

Elsewhere blights on MLS Greg Andrulis, Colin Clarke and Thomas Rongen have been given their walking papers to be replaced by old hand Sigi Schmid (another good coach), and two of this season's early stars, Steve Morrow and Preki. (Ok, Preki replaced Bradley who replaced Rongen, but it's still symmetrical).

Schmid has Columbus playing attacking, creative soccer and they're one of those teams that's fun to watch even if they don't score. Morrow, god bless him, has thrown caution to the wind and installed three of the most exciting young midfielders in the league - Toja, Nunez and McCarty - as starters. Schmid's done the same thing with Gaven and Grababoy. The 90 minutes of consistency hasn't been there for either side yet, moments of brilliance have been. More than that is the fact that both these sides have shown a cohesion and a willingness to play highly technical soccer that previous incarnations have not.

As for Preki... there's only one team in the western conference with a positive goal differential right now, and they're a whopping +5 after 3 games. Preki's Chivas have picked up where Bradley's left off, but are doing it with an unlikely cast of personnel. Gone are Paco Palencia and JP Garcia, to be replaced by Cuban Maykael Galindo and ex-Metro Amado Guevara. I predicted Guevara would kill this team by slowing the attack down - and he still might - but that hasn't been the case so far. Preki has him playing the ball quickly and switching fields of attack, while Galindo stretches the defense with his speed both on and off the ball. Throw in Razov, knuckles Klestjan, and the midgets attacking down the left hand side, and Chivas have the potential to be one of the most fun teams to watch since the 2001 Fusion.

Curt Onalfo is another new coach who deserves credit for breathing life and entertainment into a team that, to this point, was only marginally more interesting to watch than a spelling bee. The Wizards' dismantling of DC United in week 2 is the performance of the season so far, and they did it in so many different ways (1v1, high pressure, deep midfield pressure, quick combinations, etc etc) that you get the feeling they're just scratching the surface. Onalfo's counterpart in that game, Tom Soehn, is also a rookie, but unlike the others here hasn't exactly covered himself in glory in league play. Thus far, however, he gets a pass since DC put up such a good fight against Chivas in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, and their abysmal April could be the inevitable hangover.

And - this is probably the big one - within the past year the two best coaches in MLS history, Bruce Arena and Frank Yallop, have returned to the league. And are in the two biggest markets. Both these guys are getting everyone's best shot every time out, and though LA have struggled out of the gate, both are clearly up to the challenge.

In short that's 9 of 13 MLS coaches who are good or better, though admittedly it's too early to tell for certain with four of those. No other professional sports league in the US comes close to that. In the past 20 years of the NBA, only six different coaches have won championships (Riley, Daly, Jackson, Tomjanovich, Popavich, Brown), and an argument can be made that those are six of only 10 good or better coaches who've been in the league during that time (the others being Avery Johnson, Mike D'Antoni, Don Nelson and Larry Bird) in a 30 team league. While that's an indictment of the NBA as much as it is praise of MLS, it's clear that the NFL isn't much better. And Major League Baseball, the only arena in which Tony LaRussa could be considered a genius, is a complete joke.

So when you're watching FCD v. RBNY tonight, you'll want to watch the coaching match-ups as well. Watch how Arena tries to exploit McCarty's youth by having Kovalenko make early runs through the midfield, thus exposing Dallas's weak central defense. Watch how Morrow have Cooper play much closer to Ruiz than he did two weeks ago, trying to take advantage of their ability to work in tight spaces. And watch as most of the other guys in the league - the good coaches - scout, and learn how to take down the early conference leaders.

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Congrats to Pachuca and its fans. I hesitate to call you deserving CONCACAF Champs because you needed such egregious home-cooking to beat the Dynamo, but hey, you've got the best trophy your money could buy.

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I talked a lot about good coaches. Now it's time to talk just a bit about bad coaches, specifically John Ellinger and Mo Johnston. I said in my season preview that TFC would be better than 2005's Chivas, but holy crap was that wrong. That Chivas side would just about name the score on MoJo's boys. Last night's game was a disgrace.

Ellinger is doing no better in Utah, and as MM10S said in his blog, the deathwatch is officially on. He's had 3 years to build a team now and has put together a group that couldn't be less complimentary of each other. And he acquired Nick Rimando, right now the worst keeper in the league, twice during the same offseason. Twice! Good lord.
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Nice win yesterday by Chelsea, who are simply a different team with Joe Cole in the line-up. I didn't think it would be possible for an England play to be underrated, but he's somehow managed it. There aren't many wingers in the world better than he.
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Week 4 Predictions:

FCD v. RBNY: I think the Hoops will start off strong tonight and maybe catch RB on the back foot. An early goal will break the scoreless streak, but Jozy will equalize just before the half. It ends 1-1

TFC v. KC: I just don't see MoJo as being capable of making the necessary adjustments to win the home leg after last night's stinkbomb in the midwest. Marinelli gets his first and EJ gets his 3rd as the Wiz cruise. 2-0

Columbus v. DC: Tough one to call. Both teams need a win, and DC's experience should serve them well. But it should have served them well against the Wizards two weeks ago, too. Cows get the full three points, 2-1, and DC goes into crisis mode.

Galaxy v. CD Chivas Carson: This one should be loud and good. The Galaxy are legit underdogs here, something they've never been to their housemates, and Chivas are in good enough form to put a hurting on. My money, however, is on Yallop and Donovan to come through. 2-1 Galaxy.

FDC v. Revs: Dallas are on track to be the first MLS team to play its entire schedule before the All-Star game. Tired legs catch up to them, and New England steal 3 points on the road with a late goal from Dorman. 1-0.

Houston v. Chicago: Houston have been indifferent at best after coming off their Champions Cup run, while Chicago are grinding out results behind the "other" young US forward we should all be excited about, Chad Barret. I think the Dynamo break their slump here. 3-1 behind a brace from Ching.

RSL v. Colorado: This is actually week 5 because it's Monday night, but I'd never remember to get my prediction in on time otherwise. Clavijo's teams always play for the draw on the road, and at this point RSL would be happy with that much even though they're hosting. 2-2.

[Khan]

I respectfully disagree WRT the coaching in the US:

Wasn't Dom Kinnear the coach of the team that lost to a 10-man opponent? Strike that: Wasn't Dom Kinnear the coach of the talented, defending Champs that LOST to a 10 man opponent? [Though Dom has won a MLS Cup, so has Rongen...]

What about Dave Sarachan, whose in-game management neutralized a FIRE man advantage @ the Crapids for 84 minutes?

Your points about Ellinger and Johnston are cogent. But the fact that these two clowns have jobs in the league is an indictment against the quality of the coaching in MLS. And before the season is up, I'd wager that one or more of the purportedly "good" coaches will f******** some team up royally, and get fired...





...Only to be re-hired by some other myopic team. [Johnston and Clavijo are two such examples.]

Coaching in this or any other sport is an "old boys" network, and once you're in the club, you're in for life, if you want it. The only problem is that unlike most, if not ALL other sports in the US is that the coaching talent in Soccer is lightyears behind the playing talent, IMO.

[Matrim55]

I respectfully disagree WRT the coaching in the US:

Wasn't Dom Kinnear the coach of the team that lost to a 10-man opponent? Strike that: Wasn't Dom Kinnear the coach of the talented, defending Champs that LOST to a 10 man opponent? [Though Dom has won a MLS Cup, so has Rongen...]
Good doesn't mean infallible, especially against another quality coach. Nobody has their team playing at peak efficiency all the time, and Kinnear is no exception.

He was definitely outmaneuvered by Arena last week, but that was an extremely well coached game.

What about Dave Sarachan, whose in-game management neutralized a FIRE man advantage @ the Crapids for 84 minutes?
I thought it was quite obvious that Sarachan was left off my list of the 9 good coaches in the league. He's MLS's Jeff Van Gundy.

Your points about Ellinger and Johnston are cogent. But the fact that these two clowns have jobs in the league is an indictment against the quality of the coaching in MLS.
No, the fact that the two worst coaches in the league are getting horribly spanked is testament to the fact that you have to have some amount of tactical competence to win here.

And before the season is up, I'd wager that one or more of the purportedly "good" coaches will f******** some team up royally, and get fired...
I'll bet that none of the 9 on my list of good coaches gets fired (Soehn is the only one with a chance), though obviously at least one will miss the playoffs.

...Only to be re-hired by some other myopic team. [Johnston and Clavijo are two such examples.]
I think Clavijo is a lousy coach, but he gets his team to the playoffs every year. MoJo's employment is inexplicable.

Coaching in this or any other sport is an "old boys" network, and once you're in the club, you're in for life, if you want it.
Tell that to Ivo Wortmann, Octavio Zambrano or Lothar Osnaider.

The only problem is that unlike most, if not ALL other sports in the US is that the coaching talent in Soccer is lightyears behind the playing talent, IMO.
I disagree.

[Jasonma]

RSL v. Colorado: This is actually week 5 because it's Monday night, but I'd never remember to get my prediction in on time otherwise. Clavijo's teams always play for the draw on the road, and at this point RSL would be happy with that much even though they're hosting. 2-2.

Given the rivalry and the fast that FSL isn't even the quality of a USL team, the Rapids regularly play for the win in Salt Lake (Unlike every other road game). We're 2-1-1 in Salt Lake so far, and FSL needed a gift PK (Handball clearly outside the box by a good yard) to get the draw.

Now a draw may still be a good prediction, just your reasoning for making that prediction was flawed.

[cpwilson80]

Another point worth mentioning: MLS has done a good job of recruiting former players into the coaching ranks.

Yallop, Kinnear, Onalfo, Morrow, Preki...all have played in MLS and know what's expected in the regular season, the style of play that works in MLS, and potential roster limitations. These factors don't make a great coach, but it certainly doesn't hurt to have such familiarity with the competitive environment.

[Khan]

Good doesn't mean infallible, especially against another quality coach. Nobody has their team playing at peak efficiency all the time, and Kinnear is no exception.
But making such an obvious mistake [waiting 10 min before exploiting an opponent being a man down] is pretty bad, at ANY level. From U-12 house league and up to MLS, its one of the biggest blunders by a coach, IMO.

He was definitely outmaneuvered by Arena last week, but that was an extremely well coached game.
A well coached game by YOUR team/coach. Not by Kinnear. A team that is a man up should NEVER LOSE, unless it is horribly out-classed in talent. [i.e. Brasil v. USA '94] In this case, these two teams are more on a par, thus Kinnear blundered away points. Any man that gets out-maneuvered by "Mr. 4-5-1" should really get to work on improving his skill.

I thought it was quite obvious that Sarachan was left off my list of the 9 good coaches in the league. He's MLS's Jeff Van Gundy.
He's MLS' Terry Bevington. He's shyte. He's also MLS' Dean of Coaches, if I'm not mistaken. This is further evidence of the general craptitude of coaching in this league.

I think Clavijo is a lousy coach, but he gets his team to the playoffs every year. MoJo's employment is inexplicable.
Yeah, but they've been "in the club" for awhile, and though they suck, they'll continue to get jobs.

That Andrulis wasn't blacklisted entirely (note that Greg "coached" in the combine) is another example of soccer coaching being an old-boys' network rather than a meritocracy.


Tell that to Ivo Wortmann, Octavio Zambrano or Lothar Osnaider.
In order:
IW: Last seen in Moscow/coached all of 2 years in this country,

OZ: Didn't coach @ the collegiate level, thus isn't really "In the soccer coaching club" in this country, and

LO: Now 68 years old, and likely senile.

These three really aren't the best examples of being left out of the coaching club.

[Oddly United]

A team that is a man up should NEVER LOSE, unless it is horribly out-classed in talent. [i.e. Brasil v. USA '94].

You're overstating your case here - pal. The best leagues in the world witness the occasional match where the lesser talented team playing a man down walks away with a win.

These three really aren't the best examples of being left out of the coaching club.

You forgot Ray Hudson - or does he have a free pass as well?

Such high standards for coaches seems better suited the boards of some lesser top flight clubs in South America - capable of hiring and firing multiple coaches in one season and wondering why they can't steal some hardware at season's end.

[Khan]

You're overstating your case here - pal. The best leagues in the world witness the occasional match where the lesser talented team playing a man down walks away with a win.
Let's see -pal:

Is this thread about the quality of the league?

Or is this thread about the quality of the coaching?


Think about it, then get back to us.


You forgot Ray Hudson - or does he have a free pass as well?
Think carefully:

Did I post those three names, or did someone else? Reading is a club, but reading is most definitely a skill. Use it to your advantage.

Such high standards for coaches seems better suited the boards of some lesser top flight clubs in South America - capable of hiring and firing multiple coaches in one season and wondering why they can't steal some hardware at season's end.
So in your world, its OK for a coach to piss away a man advantage in this league, right? [As Sarachan and Kinnear have already done.]


Look - pal:

There are a few, perhaps one to three "good" coaches in this league, IMO. [Yallop, and Nichol come to mind right away.] A good Coach at the professional level is one that could succeed in almost ANY league, and could possibly coach internationally.

There are a lot more ************ coaches in this league, such as Sarachan, Ellinger, Clavijo and Johnston. [Think about your reaction if any one of these clowns were hired to manage the US national team, or most national teams in CONCACAF.]

And there are a lot more ************ coaches in this league that are either currently out of a head coaching job, or have dropped down a level or two. [Andrulis is the epitome of this.] Look at the list of coaches in USL, and you'll see a few abject failures at the MLS level.


In the future, there will be better coaching in this league because [in part] more of these coaches will have played at a higher level than today's coaches. It WILL get better. But in today's MLS? Not a whole lot of quality, IMO.

[Matrim55]

But making such an obvious mistake [waiting 10 min before exploiting an opponent being a man down] is pretty bad, at ANY level. From U-12 house league and up to MLS, its one of the biggest blunders by a coach, IMO.
Oh please. Houston had been on the attack for the 10 minutes previous to Mathis getting sent off, and then did their damnedest to press the advantage through the rest of the first 45. Arena out-maneuvered Kinnear at halftime, and after, but that happens. Doesn't mean Kinnear's a bad coach.

A well coached game by YOUR team/coach. Not by Kinnear. A team that is a man up should NEVER LOSE, unless it is horribly out-classed in talent. [i.e. Brasil v. USA '94]
What a crock of shit. Is this your first year watching soccer?

In this case, these two teams are more on a par, thus Kinnear blundered away points. Any man that gets out-maneuvered by "Mr. 4-5-1" should really get to work on improving his skill.
Arena's been out-maneuvering folks for a long, long time - including the likes of Javier Aguirre (who he just destroyed on a regular basis), Bora Milutinovic, etc etc. BTW, did Lippi blunder badly last summer when Italy only walked away with a point even though they played a man up on the US for 45 minutes?

He's MLS' Terry Bevington. He's shyte. He's also MLS' Dean of Coaches, if I'm not mistaken. This is further evidence of the general craptitude of coaching in this league.
Wow - how could you bust on the other guy for reading comprehension when you post crap like that?

The whole point of my blog is to say that the coaching has improved measurably in the past two years. The fact that Sarachan is the dean of MLS coaches is entirely irrelevant, champ.

Yeah, but they've been "in the club" for awhile, and though they suck, they'll continue to get jobs.
Four of the five coaches who were hired this offseason had never coached in MLS before.

Really, you have no point. None at all.

In order:
IW: Last seen in Moscow/coached all of 2 years in this country,
Exactly.

OZ: Didn't coach @ the collegiate level, thus isn't really "In the soccer coaching club" in this country, and
I thought the only way to get a MLS job in the first place was to be "in the soccer coaching club." Make up your mind.

LO: Now 68 years old, and likely senile.
And, perhaps, the author of your post?

These three really aren't the best examples of being left out of the coaching club.
Because they disprove your point?

[Sigil]

But making such an obvious mistake [waiting 10 min before exploiting an opponent being a man down] is pretty bad, at ANY level. From U-12 house league and up to MLS, its one of the biggest blunders by a coach, IMO.


A well coached game by YOUR team/coach. Not by Kinnear. A team that is a man up should NEVER LOSE, unless it is horribly out-classed in talent. [i.e. Brasil v. USA '94] In this case, these two teams are more on a par, thus Kinnear blundered away points. Any man that gets out-maneuvered by "Mr. 4-5-1" should really get to work on improving his skill.



I think Bruce may have won a few MLS cups, and had a little success with the national team.

You may be buying into the "Arena stinks" line a bit too strongly.

I miss the Bullwinkle icon Matrim.

[Khan]

Arena out-maneuvered Kinnear at halftime, and after, but that happens. Doesn't mean Kinnear's a bad coach.
At the same time, it doesn't make him look good, either. If I'm coaching, I'll take my chances with my team being up a man every day, and twice on match day. There are few advantages in soccer that are bigger to a team/coach than being a man [or more] up. Do you disagree?

BTW, did Lippi blunder badly last summer when Italy only walked away with a point even though they played a man up on the US for 45 minutes?
IMO, yes. That was a game that Italy had for the taking, but they didn't. Ask Lippi or Arena or ANY coach which situation they'd rather have:

Being up a man, or being down a man.

The whole point of my blog is to say that the coaching has improved measurably in the past two years.
Incorrect. You titled this thread, "Managerial Nirvana." You did NOT title the thread, "Coaching has improved measurably in the past two years" in MLS. Your title suggests that the coaching MLS is at an apex in the soccer world.

While I might agree that the coaching in this league has improved, it has improved from "mostly crappy" to "middling." In other words, a far cry from "Managerial Nirvana."

Any league that employs Sarachan, Ellinger, Clavijo, and Johnston can hardly claim "Managerial Nirvana."

Any league that uses Greg Andrulis in the scounting combine can absolutely NOT claim "Managerial Nirvana."

[Khan]

You may be buying into the "Arena stinks" line a bit too strongly.
No, I think he's a bit overrated at times. He's a good coach, I'll agree.

When compared to some of the outright dumbasses that are coaching in this league, he's a MENSA member. But he's not the greatest coach of all time. After watching the abject failure in Germany that was Bruce Arena getting out-coached and him blaming everyone but himself, IMO, he's certainly not a coach that can't be beaten.

[kronz21]

I think Bruce may have won a few MLS cups, and had a little success with the national team.

You may be buying into the "Arena stinks" line a bit too strongly.

I miss the Bullwinkle icon Matrim.agread arena only sucked during the world cup (and a few games leading up to it) and last year in mls. He seems to have got his "mojo" back this season

[Matrim55]

At the same time, it doesn't make him look good, either. If I'm coaching, I'll take my chances with my team being up a man every day, and twice on match day. There are few advantages in soccer that are bigger to a team/coach than being a man [or more] up. Do you disagree?
Your question is irrelevant because whatever happened last week is not the measuring stick for the sum total of a manager's skill. I'm sure Kinnear would rather have the full 3 points, but I'm also sure that no one could seriously say that he's a bad coach because of one game.

Well, almost no one.

IMO, yes. That was a game that Italy had for the taking, but they didn't. Ask Lippi or Arena or ANY coach which situation they'd rather have:

Being up a man, or being down a man.
That's not the nature of our disagreement. You said that any coach who ever blows a man-up situation in which there's not an huge talent disparity is, thusly, a bad coach. Which is interesting because the current World Cup champion coach "blew it" in just such a situation last summer.

Actually, it wasn't just such a situation - Italy has an enormous advantage over the US in talent, and still only came away with a point. By your reasoning, either Arena's the greatest genius ever or Lippi's the worst dolt.

Incorrect. You titled this thread, "Managerial Nirvana."

You did NOT title the thread, "Coaching has improved measurably in the past two years" in MLS.
The first two paragraphs - which you've obviously read, but are ignoring now for the sake of keeping up a semantic argument that you lost long ago - address the issue of the MLS's nearly across-the-board coaching improvement.

Your title suggests that the coaching MLS is at an apex in the soccer world. While I might agree that the coaching in this league has improved, it has improved from "mostly crappy" to "middling."
Disagree, but at least this is a real subject to debate. Even dismissing the four newcomers, you still have Arena, Yallop, Schmid, Kinnear and Nicol who are better than middling. That's 40% of the league in the hands of quality managers. Other pro leagues in the US aren't within shouting distance of that.

In other words, a far cry from "Managerial Nirvana."
Protip: The title of a column or work of opinion in general quite often does not contain the entire argument/subject matter and is usually used as a tool to attract readership through the literary devices of hyperbole or, more basely, shock value.

Connecticut public schools covered that some time around 3rd grade.

Any league that employs Sarachan, Ellinger, Clavijo, and Johnston can hardly claim "Managerial Nirvana."

Any league that uses Greg Andrulis in the scounting combine can absolutely NOT claim "Managerial Nirvana."
Well, it's not the league claiming it; it's me. And judging by the fact that the teams with bad managers are largely foundering, and the teams with good managers are largely succeeding, it's as close as we're likely to get.

But if you're asking for a league where every team is run perfectly and every manager is a demonstrable genius, I think you're going to be disappointed no matter what.

[Vicious Lhasa Apso]

I'm going to have to beg to differ with the defenders of Kinnear and/or the notion that Arena outcoached Kinnear. Arena rode Altidore and Richards (while healthy) to that 3 points. It was a one goal game where Houston presented his team the personnel advantage and RBNY took it.

I understand that Houston was trying to score before and after the Mathis red, all night. Especially in MLS, few teams play to lose. But what I also understand is we sat two regular starters for the kickoff, plus new guy Mulrooney, to save their knees on turf, then predictably struggled to accomplish anything offensively (get the ball to the forwards, possess it, create chances, any measure you want to use) with Ching's lessers (as we had @ Puntarenas in Ching's absence), were gifted a Mathis red in the 36th minute, but waited more than half an hour, until the 69th minute, to put in subs and chase the game. By then, Altidore's inspired turn and blast had put the home team up 1-0 on a surface we don't usually play on.

It's my little theory that Kinnear had hoped to make it to about minute 70 with a 0-0 game and then put in Mulrooney and Ching and chase the "W". However, as with many times when Kinnear puts faith in our defense to hold a score (eg, the second leg in Pachuca w/ 10 minutes left), we gave up a goal before he could execute his plan.

He stuck to his plan despite the fact that Mathis had handed us the tactical advantage by his expulsion, and despite the fact his starting 11 was yielding little fruit (I mean, I'd understand it if they were going Man U v. Roma on NY, but they were more like Houston @ Puntarenas, spending most of our time playing defense and booting the ball clear, with little offense).

The most generous take on this is that we rested some players with some miles on them from an unforgiving surface, and were basically willing to risk the points to do so. Let's just hope we don't need 1-3 points later on, then.

And the less generous take is that Kinnear is so stuck to his players and pregame plans that he could not and did not adjust to a tactical advantage handed him by the other team. Instead of seizing the Bull by the horns and attacking a 10-man team who'd just lost half their front line, he stuck to his sub pattern, which with how the starting 11 was playing meant the finally-sub-enhanced last 20 minutes were played down a goal.

At minimum, an attacking Dynamo might have had a better chance at keeping one point, by putting NYRB on the defensive. At maximum, we'd have scored a goal or more while up a man, broken their spirits, and won going away.

And I don't think Arena deserves the credit for his team winning. As I just said, Kinnear left the game more in play by his approach to the period between minute 36, when Mathis was tossed, and minutes 69-73, when he sent in the reinforcements and the Dynamo started to attack more. It did not seem like Arena took risks or made choices that resulted in the W; after all, leaving Altidore as a lone striker was limiting NY's attacks somewhat, and it just so happened he scored. It struck me as a "draw" strategy that just worked out. Arena subbed out the injured Richards and the exhausted Altidore. Those were not tactical subs that helped his team win, they removed the two biggest threats he had, even if he had every reason to pull them.

What the game in the end came down to was Houston's inability to stop 2 dangerous players while they were on the field, and Kinnear's lousy game management. What an aggressive coach might have won, a cautious coach with a plan to stick to lost.

[Vicious Lhasa Apso]

Schmid was about 4 minutes from looking like an idiot and losing at home to a Revs team that doesn't have the same sharp teeth in it that it used to, the Hedjuk to Evans to Kamara quick burst down the field for the equalizer looked anything but like how Schmid has his team normally playing the game (I think they'd be much better if they attacked like that, but they don't usually, they often pass the ball aimlessly and dribble too much), and no adjustment looked to have been made in the soft backline marking between goal #1, where the Revs' wing player was all alone to cross the ball that eventually was tidily finished by Dorman, to goal #2 where Twellman took advantage of similar acres of space to dribble, shoot, and score.

[Eliezar]

No, I think he's a bit overrated at times. He's a good coach, I'll agree.

When compared to some of the outright dumbasses that are coaching in this league, he's a MENSA member. But he's not the greatest coach of all time. After watching the abject failure in Germany that was Bruce Arena getting out-coached and him blaming everyone but himself, IMO, he's certainly not a coach that can't be beaten.

Bruce's game plan was bad against the Czech's.

Arena's game plan was and management was good against the Italians.

And of course we should blame Bruce for Bocanegra skying a ball into our box against Ghana and then for the amount of shots the US skied over the bar.

Yeah, it was Arena being a terrible coach.

Perhaps as MLS gets better Big Soccer posters will get better?

[Wizardscharter]

I'll just add this thread to the "Time in my life I'll Never Get Back" file.

[Vicious Lhasa Apso]

Bruce's game plan was bad against the Czech's.

Arena's game plan was and management was good against the Italians.

And of course we should blame Bruce for Bocanegra skying a ball into our box against Ghana and then for the amount of shots the US skied over the bar.

Yeah, it was Arena being a terrible coach.

Perhaps as MLS gets better Big Soccer posters will get better?

You're not mentioning the awful formation he deployed all tournament (ie, one forward), his reliance on players who rarely showed anything like good form (eg, Donovan), and various other choices he made which led to the result, choices which he did not depart from all Germany, even though he had Ching and other forwards on the bench, could have used a more standard formation, and could have tried other players than ones who never showed any form in the tournament. You're also neglecting that Italy's "hang back and dare you to beat our defense" approach to the game suited us more than the other two teams that pressured us more (see the goal where Reyna got his pocket picked), and that that game was made highly unusual by its 10-v-9 nature.

It's also worth noting that MLS is a league where one can accomplish things with Seth Stammler and John Wolyniec as among your dependable tools; international play is more demanding and less forgiving.

[Khan]

The first two paragraphs - which you've obviously read, but are ignoring now for the sake of keeping up a semantic argument that you lost long ago - address the issue of the MLS's nearly across-the-board coaching improvement.
Here, I’ll go through your 1st post again, OK?

One of the more spectacularly pleasant surprises of the early MLS season has been the coaching.

But it's also worth noting that there has been a nearly across the board improvement in tactics and game-management this year that is... pick a positive adjective. I almost went with "refreshing", but it's more than that. It's "refreshing", "intrigueing", and "enlightening."
Both Sarachan and Kinnear were beaten despite having man advantages; Sarachan continues to be slow to react to in-game situations, and was lucky to escape with a point. There has been a lot of whining and bitching like a little girl to the refs, and plenty of gamesmanship in the matches.

It may be better locally for YOUR team, as Johnston vs. Arena is akin to a pocket knife vs. a Marine Division. But "across the board" improvement? I'm not inclined to agree with you on this point.

Just two years ago MLS was a coaching wasteland.
I can agree with this.


…to be replaced by old hand Sigi Schmid (another good coach), and two of this season's early stars, Steve Morrow and Preki.
Here’s where you’re engaging in puffery, BEYOND the thread title, IMO. Are 3 weeks at the helm enough to declare a coach a “star?”

I can agree that the start is promising for Morrow. But “a star” already?

Or what of Preki? Chicas has beaten Johnston/the hapless TFC @ home, lost to Houston, and humiliated Ellinger for his signing of the diminutive Nick Rimando. So beating up on two of the dimmest lights in MLS coaching [Johnston and Ellinger] makes Preki “a star?” Isn’t that a BIT premature?


Curt Onalfo is another new coach who deserves credit for breathing life and entertainment into a team that, to this point, was only marginally more interesting to watch than a spelling bee.
Curt’s tenure has comprised of beating DCU [with an extra week to prepare], beating Johnston/hapless TFC, and losing to the great coaching mind of Dave Sarachan. Again, promising? Yes. A “star?” Not yet.

In short that's [B]9 of 13 MLS coaches who are good or better, though admittedly it's too early to tell for certain with four of those.
And this is the crux of what I see as your incorrect premise: That 9 of 13 managers in MLS are “good or better.” And if it is, as you posted "too early to tell for certain with four of those," why include them as being "good or better?"


IMO, 3 are “definitely” good: Arena, Yallop, and Nichol.

Two more are “probably” good: Schmid [I want to see him bring back Cowlumbus from the dead first] and Kinnear. The match v. RB gave me reason to pause, though he's done more than most in this league in terms of silverware.

For these four coaches, it is entirely too early to tell: Onalfo, Morrow, Preki, and Soehn. They may be great, or they may all be doppelgangers of Greg Andrulis.

For the last four, there is little doubt that they suck balls: Clavijo, Ellinger, Johnston, and Sarachan.

So is it “9 out of 13” that are good or better? IMO, no. More like “3 out of 13," and probably “5 out of 13” that are good or better. There are four that may or may not be “good or better," and there are 4 that outright suck.

“Managerial Nivana,” as you claim? Hardly, IMO.


Protip: The title of a column or work of opinion in general quite often does not contain the entire argument/subject matter and is usually used as a tool to attract readership through the literary devices of hyperbole or, more basely, shock value.
OK, so now you agree with me in that you’ve over-stated your position. Thanks!

You engaged in puffery in the title of your thread, and you’ve also extrapolated great things for Onalfo, Morrow, and Preki after 3 weeks of play. IMO, one season is not enough time to fully appreciate the effect of a coach. [See Rongen’s and Sarachan’s 1st & subsequent seasons as examples of this] For that matter, 3 weeks is entirely too early to predict greatness in a coach.

Well, it's not the league claiming it; it's me.
And IMO, you’d be wrong. It is entirely too early to state “9 out of 13” managers are good or better.

But if you're asking for a league where every team is run perfectly and every manager is a demonstrable genius, I think you're going to be disappointed no matter what.
Well, I’m not the one who wrote “Managerial Nirvana” and claimed that the rookie coaches are “good or better.” YOU were the one who made this judgement, remember? This is YOUR supposition, not mine. And it is a supposition with which I disagree.

Again: Is the coaching better? Sure. Anytime dolts like Andrulis, Clarke, and Rongen are launched, the entire league benefits. But Onalfo, Preki, Morrow, and Soehn should at least complete a season or two before we hold the coronation. Let's at least see if Schmid can resurrect the dead Cowlumbus franchise before we throw the ticker-tape parage. But “9 out of 13?” “Managerial Nirvana?” I disagree.