The only thing I would add to some of the very solid commentary is that the 4-3-3 has been VERY effective for RSL defensively. Not giving up many goals (except for the flukes from the Philly game) and really not giving up many decent chances. Arguably, the system may be the right one for RSL if the coaching staff and players can figure out how to maximize the offensive abilities of the parts. Of course, the same could be said of any system being played by any team in the world. Although the system change may be a knee-jerk reaction to LA hammering RSL in the playoff last year, that doesn't mean it is wrong. (Unless, of course, you figure that one key assumption was that Jaime would be a lynchpin...then the assumptions may be just a little bit off.) Makes for some very entertaining Monday morning quarterbacking though.
The adjustment to the 4-3-3 wasn't a knee jerk to the LA game. The adjustment was a long time coming. In fact, under Cassar last year, we played a much different diamond (tactically speaking) than we did under Kreis. Another important thing to point out is that the 4-3-3 has loads of variations. RSL looks to be implementing one in which the middle three players don't have much structure. I don't like the approach as I think the best 4-3-3 is actually a 4-2-3-1, but it's not my decision. All in all, we really haven't seen that much of this formation to know what is the plan with it exactly. Too many missing players. Too many games where we are looking to get a draw (at SKC, for example) and too many game situations where we don't get to see RSL stick to their approach from the start through the whole game.
it should be "but it's not my decision, I'm talking out of my ass, and I'm spending other people's money"
I'm happy that the defensive side is already clicking. As the players get even more comfortable on the defensive side, it'll free them up to think more about the offensive side of things. I'd much rather have a lot of ties or shaky wins early on, instead of getting buried with a bunch of losses that we can't pull ourselves out of as the season goes on. I think as we get more of a regular 11 playing, and everyone gets more comfortable, we'll start to see the runs and movement that will make the 4-3-3 more deadly on offense. For now I'm happy we're still getting some results instead of trying to go all out on offense and wind up losing because the defense can't cope with it.
True - a red car in and of itself is no guarantee, but a red card in the 5th minute of the game is pretty much a death sentence. I think if this game was 50/50 before kick, odds would have moved 90/10 in RSL's favor with a red card that early. Not a guarantee, but next best thing. Barcelona is a very different beast, and the 4-3-3 can look very different based on who is playing. They are so technical and so dominant through the middle that they play much more through the center of the pitch than is typical with a 4-3-3. They also play with a false 9, and the strategy of wide play with crosses into the box is less effective for them. As I've watched RSL with the 4-3-3, it appears to be me that they are attempting to get 3 men in the box. Sabo in the middle, the opposite winger, and either the winger or fullback on the side with the ball - whichever one of those isn't in the box is trying to make the entry pass or cross. Then you have the central midfielders (Gil/Mulholland and Javi) for support as either an outlet when the dribbler is pressured or to change the angle of attack. Obviously it often doesn't work as planned. It appears to me that there have been a few struggles: lack of understanding of each other - with the new faces and new formation, we've seen more missed connections with passing in final 3rd than we've seen previously lack of creativity from attacking 3 - Barcelona's 4-3-3 is so effective because ALL of the attacking players bring alot of creativity to the table. RSL relies on Javi and Plata (when he's healthy). That's something that has been VERY disappointing to me about Jaime. I don't care that he hasn't scored, but he also hasn't brought any creativity to the table. predictable runs/stagnant in final 3rd - diagonal runs are under-utilized across the board in MLS, and IMO these can be especially effective in a 4-3-3 where you have defenders stretched out across the backline.
One thing I've noticed, and we did the same with the diamond, is that half the time it feels like a player runs to a spot and does nothing else. It's like they were scripted to run to that spot, and after that they just stand there and don't do anything else to try and show for the ball. Sometimes you'll see the person with the ball have to kick it back to the defense because everyone else is just standing in place marked out of the play.
Obviously RSL players aren't as technically gifted as the Barcelona players, and they can't be expected to play with the same quality as Barcelona, but I do believe they have the potential to be Barcelona-esque. Plata and Olmes are pretty good with their feet and are fast players who shouldn't have a problem getting behind the opposing defense. I just don't know how Sabo fits in. Maybe plays the roll of a poacher, and of course continues to get his head on the ball. If Plata gets healthy, Olmes continues to develop, and Gil becomes the creative force that we've been told he can be then RSL has a pretty formidable offense. Of course that's a lot of "ifs." I just don't see this team finding much success lobbing balls into the box all season long.
One thing I guarantee you'll hear me yell at least 5 times while watching an RSL game is "MOVE OFF THE BALL" This has been a problem for RSL for a long long time. There is preserving energy, and then there is occupying the same 10 yards of space for more than a minute.
Crazy talk! Possession, possession, possession! Don't they say "possession is 9/10's of the law"? Of course possession can also get you locked up...
After some additional time thinking about the game, I wonder if sometimes the fans actually do the team a disservice. I can't imagine any referee responding positively after a "ref you suck" chant. In fact, I think it far more likely that he would give fans the proverbial finger in the form of red/yellow cards. A similar "punishing" response may also be in the ref's mind with throwing stuff on the field and the forbidden "you suck ***hole" cheer. Just a random thought because the decisions seemed awfully lopsided.
I've always thought this. It always seems to me that when the fans get negative with the ref it only escalates the issue. Also, getting after the refs seems to be a Utah sports fan specialty.
Is this really more of a Utah thing? I'm just asking and honestly don't know, having not been to a ton of out-of-state games in any sport, or not noticing the fans' reactions when a call goes against the home team.
It obviously isn't going to help. I've ranted on this before, but the lack of respect for officials in this state/country is baffling. For some reason we as a society have decided it's okay to berate an official no matter the level/importance of the game.
I don't think it's strictly a Utah thing. I've heard it during broadcasts of other games. I don't pay enough attention to know if it's on the same level, but other teams surely do it. And honestly if the ref is allowing fans yelling at them to influence their decisions, then they should probably seek other employment. While it'd be nice if there was respect all around, it's one of those things that you have to expect as a ref.
Agreed. But, just because it shouldn't influence them doesn't mean it doesn't influence them. I mean, there are still small vestigial traces of humanity in them....somewhere.
Yes, but in America soccer-dom, RSL fans surely through more stuff on the field in protest and more often than fans of other teams.
You should hear Tiger Stadium (LSU football) break out in the "bullshit" chant against the refs. Quite nice.
I don't know, TFC fans can give us a run for our money. Remember the game where they handed out frisbees at the gate? Most ended up on the field.
Many years ago, like 1978, 1981, something like that, Atlanta Braves gave out cheap seat cushions with the Braves logo. The game had a delay, thinning the already sparse crowd, many leaving behind the cushions and Atlanta was rallying, which was really weird, late in the game. So, the few (mostly drunk) fans there gathered cushions and started slapping them together making an almighty horror of a racket as rhythmic clapping. I was there, I was doing it, too. Players were peeking out of the dugout to see what the hell was making the noise. Then, Atlanta blew the rally and the seats started flying onto the field, I mean, they were apparently aerodynamically stable, because some made it to between 1st and 2nd base/between 3rd and 2nd base... I didn't throw my cushion... I wasn't that drunk. The dozens and dozens of cushions that kept flying out there delayed the game quite a bit. And, that should be the last of such promotions... but nothing is remembered, I'm sure someone will do something similar... like, Frisbees!
I should feel bad that people were throwing their cushions on to the field, but the image in my head seems fantastic.