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MLS Cup Notebook: Points To Ponder Ahead Of Sunday's Big Kickoff
The wait is finally over as Los Angeles and Real Salt Lake enter the final hours prior to Sunday night's MLS Cup final. Kyle McCarthy shares a few keys to the clash in his MLS Cup Notebook.
Nov 21, 2009 11:50:20 PM
By Kyle McCarthy
SEATTLE – After a season's worth of anticipation and a couple of days' worth of preparation, the wait is over.
Los Angeles and Real Salt Lake will take the pitch at Qwest Field in less than 24 hours to figure who who will end the campaign as MLS Cup champions.
In lieu of a full preview – check out the Friday MLS Forecast for a lengthier evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of both sides – and bearing in mind the shrinking time frame between now and the opening whistle, here is a starting XI of points to keep in mind once the match starts.
1. Who wins the possession battle? Both teams thrive in the center of the park. RSL's midfield group may not have the cachet of the Galaxy's four midfielders, but it can certainly go toe for toe with them for 90 minutes. If RSL wants to confound the prevailing wisdom and win the title, it will have to win that battle and keep the ball. Los Angeles can win by soaking up pressure, playing on the counter and causing problems on set pieces. RSL likely can't. “We have to be able to possess the ball,” RSL striker Robbie Findley said.
2. How is Beckham's ankle? Between the slick turf, the sizable bag of ice adorning his right ankle on Saturday and the will-he-or-won't-he-inject saga looming all week, I'm less certain than I was in yesterday's Notebook that Beckham will be able to shake off the bone bruising and be a difference maker in this game. Then again, Beckham's a big game player and this is most assuredly the most significant game in his Galaxy career. Will the grittiness and the determination mask the lingering pain and allow him to roam as much as he would like?
3. RSL's ability to avoid conceding set pieces. Even at less than full strength, Beckham can still serve in a dangerous ball. Beckham's presence means the RSL back four can't afford to give away needless fouls in its own half, a fact that RSL centerback Nat Borchers certainly understands. “He's the best free kick taker in the world,” Borchers said. “I think we should be a little bit more wary then we usually are. He did it to us in Salt Lake a year or so ago and he made it look effortless. We'll have to be careful about fouling and what we do to them in our half of the field.”
4. L.A.'s willingness or reticence to pressure in its own half. Chicago sat back and allowed RSL to have most of the ball in last Saturday's Eastern Conference final. The tactic kinda sorta worked because RSL couldn't finish its chances, but it isn't one that Galaxy defender Todd Donovan believes the Galaxy should repeat. “The big thing is that we can't give them such an easy time,” Dunivant said. “I think Chicago did that a bit and gave them an opportunity to really come at them and go into space. You want to get a little bit higher up the field and put some pressure on them so they don't have time to turn and run at you. If they're doing that, then that's going to be a problem for us.”
5. L.A.'s fullbacks adapting to RSL's narrow midfield. Galaxy defenders Sean Franklin and Todd Dunivant (who should get the nod at left back in place of A.J. DeLaGarza after missing the Western Conference final with an illness) will have to adjust their games to cope with the peculiar threat posed by RSL's lack of true wide players. “We, as the outside backs, will have to do a good job of tucking in while at the same time not leaving our position,” Dunivant said. “If we're getting pulled all over the place, there are going to be a lot of gaps for them to run in behind.”
6. Coping with RSL's speed up front. Findley and likely Yura Movsisyan (the best bet to start with Fabian Espindola as a reserve option) can beat the Galaxy defenders for pace time and again with the proper service. “Those guys are definitely quick and fast,” Los Angeles defender Omar Gonzalez said. “Our backline just has to have good communication, stay tight and drop when we have to keep them in front of us.”
7. Restricting space in front of the Galaxy back four. If Findley and Movsisyan can stretch the game vertically, it should create some room in front of the Galaxy defense for Morales and Williams to exploit in possession. Galaxy defensive midfielder Dema Kovalenko will have to cover a ton of ground in order to make sure those gaps get filled.
8. Landon Donovan's location on the field. Donovan may start out up front or wide left, but he'll consistently drop into midfield to latch onto the ball and run at defenders. RSL coach Jason Kreis said his side will deal with Donovan as best it can in either spot. “I don't think it really does (matter),” Kreis said. “If he lines up on the front line, we know he's a guy who drops into the midfield. What happens if he plays outside midfield is that (Mike) Magee drops in and he takes the forward position. He does very similar things, so it doesn't change our tactics.” No amount of tactical planning can compensate if Donovan has one of those special games and carries the Galaxy to the title by himself, however.
9. The physical component. Beckham and Donovan will certainly get their share of calls, but will referee Kevin Stott protect Morales and Williams from Kovalenko in a similar manner?
10. Game changers off the bench. Kreis can turn to Espindola late in the second half if he needs a goal or Tony Beltran if he needs more of an attacking presence at fullback, while Arena can tab experienced campaigners Chris Birchall, Alan Gordon, Jovan Kirovski and Eddie Lewis depending on the situation and the need. Advantage goes to the Galaxy here.
11. The weather. Showers are in the forecast for Sunday and the additional moisture could make a slick surface even more treacherous. Adjusting to the conditions will prove vital if the weather turns sour. “There are going to be missed traps, missed traps and missed touches as a team,” Kreis said. “We have to move past that very quickly. Often times when the surface isn't great or the playing conditions aren't ideal like on small fields, it's the team that reacts quickest to those mistakes that succeeds.”
Movers and Shakers
- MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Seattle investor Drew Carey addressed the annual Supporters' Summit held at Qwest Field on Saturday. A robust gathering of supporters heard Garber espouse the merits of soccer in HD and weigh the idea of MLS Cup at a home site. Between the frank bits of the speech I heard and the assembled fans from all 15 teams, it appears the summit was a hit all the way around.
- Carey stopped by the press box afterward to hold court with the assembled media. The former Galaxy fan covered a number of points, but one common theme ran through his talk: Seattle will do what it takes to win games. I asked Carey whether that philosophy will influence fiscally conservative owners around the league to open their wallets to meet the Seattle standard. “That's how the free market is supposed to work,” Carey said. “I hope so. It depends on what you're happy with as an owner. That's the bottom line. … I can't speak to the other owners, but our goal is to win games.”
Kyle McCarthy writes the Monday MLS Breakdown and frequently writes opinion pieces during the week for Goal.com. He also covers the New England Revolution for the Boston Herald and MLSnet.com. Contact him with your questions or comments at kyle.mccarthy@goal.com and follow him on Twitter by clicking here.
SEATTLE – After a season's worth of anticipation and a couple of days' worth of preparation, the wait is over.
Los Angeles and Real Salt Lake will take the pitch at Qwest Field in less than 24 hours to figure who who will end the campaign as MLS Cup champions.
In lieu of a full preview – check out the Friday MLS Forecast for a lengthier evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of both sides – and bearing in mind the shrinking time frame between now and the opening whistle, here is a starting XI of points to keep in mind once the match starts.
1. Who wins the possession battle? Both teams thrive in the center of the park. RSL's midfield group may not have the cachet of the Galaxy's four midfielders, but it can certainly go toe for toe with them for 90 minutes. If RSL wants to confound the prevailing wisdom and win the title, it will have to win that battle and keep the ball. Los Angeles can win by soaking up pressure, playing on the counter and causing problems on set pieces. RSL likely can't. “We have to be able to possess the ball,” RSL striker Robbie Findley said.
2. How is Beckham's ankle? Between the slick turf, the sizable bag of ice adorning his right ankle on Saturday and the will-he-or-won't-he-inject saga looming all week, I'm less certain than I was in yesterday's Notebook that Beckham will be able to shake off the bone bruising and be a difference maker in this game. Then again, Beckham's a big game player and this is most assuredly the most significant game in his Galaxy career. Will the grittiness and the determination mask the lingering pain and allow him to roam as much as he would like?
3. RSL's ability to avoid conceding set pieces. Even at less than full strength, Beckham can still serve in a dangerous ball. Beckham's presence means the RSL back four can't afford to give away needless fouls in its own half, a fact that RSL centerback Nat Borchers certainly understands. “He's the best free kick taker in the world,” Borchers said. “I think we should be a little bit more wary then we usually are. He did it to us in Salt Lake a year or so ago and he made it look effortless. We'll have to be careful about fouling and what we do to them in our half of the field.”
4. L.A.'s willingness or reticence to pressure in its own half. Chicago sat back and allowed RSL to have most of the ball in last Saturday's Eastern Conference final. The tactic kinda sorta worked because RSL couldn't finish its chances, but it isn't one that Galaxy defender Todd Donovan believes the Galaxy should repeat. “The big thing is that we can't give them such an easy time,” Dunivant said. “I think Chicago did that a bit and gave them an opportunity to really come at them and go into space. You want to get a little bit higher up the field and put some pressure on them so they don't have time to turn and run at you. If they're doing that, then that's going to be a problem for us.”
5. L.A.'s fullbacks adapting to RSL's narrow midfield. Galaxy defenders Sean Franklin and Todd Dunivant (who should get the nod at left back in place of A.J. DeLaGarza after missing the Western Conference final with an illness) will have to adjust their games to cope with the peculiar threat posed by RSL's lack of true wide players. “We, as the outside backs, will have to do a good job of tucking in while at the same time not leaving our position,” Dunivant said. “If we're getting pulled all over the place, there are going to be a lot of gaps for them to run in behind.”
6. Coping with RSL's speed up front. Findley and likely Yura Movsisyan (the best bet to start with Fabian Espindola as a reserve option) can beat the Galaxy defenders for pace time and again with the proper service. “Those guys are definitely quick and fast,” Los Angeles defender Omar Gonzalez said. “Our backline just has to have good communication, stay tight and drop when we have to keep them in front of us.”
7. Restricting space in front of the Galaxy back four. If Findley and Movsisyan can stretch the game vertically, it should create some room in front of the Galaxy defense for Morales and Williams to exploit in possession. Galaxy defensive midfielder Dema Kovalenko will have to cover a ton of ground in order to make sure those gaps get filled.
8. Landon Donovan's location on the field. Donovan may start out up front or wide left, but he'll consistently drop into midfield to latch onto the ball and run at defenders. RSL coach Jason Kreis said his side will deal with Donovan as best it can in either spot. “I don't think it really does (matter),” Kreis said. “If he lines up on the front line, we know he's a guy who drops into the midfield. What happens if he plays outside midfield is that (Mike) Magee drops in and he takes the forward position. He does very similar things, so it doesn't change our tactics.” No amount of tactical planning can compensate if Donovan has one of those special games and carries the Galaxy to the title by himself, however.
9. The physical component. Beckham and Donovan will certainly get their share of calls, but will referee Kevin Stott protect Morales and Williams from Kovalenko in a similar manner?
10. Game changers off the bench. Kreis can turn to Espindola late in the second half if he needs a goal or Tony Beltran if he needs more of an attacking presence at fullback, while Arena can tab experienced campaigners Chris Birchall, Alan Gordon, Jovan Kirovski and Eddie Lewis depending on the situation and the need. Advantage goes to the Galaxy here.
11. The weather. Showers are in the forecast for Sunday and the additional moisture could make a slick surface even more treacherous. Adjusting to the conditions will prove vital if the weather turns sour. “There are going to be missed traps, missed traps and missed touches as a team,” Kreis said. “We have to move past that very quickly. Often times when the surface isn't great or the playing conditions aren't ideal like on small fields, it's the team that reacts quickest to those mistakes that succeeds.”
Movers and Shakers
- MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Seattle investor Drew Carey addressed the annual Supporters' Summit held at Qwest Field on Saturday. A robust gathering of supporters heard Garber espouse the merits of soccer in HD and weigh the idea of MLS Cup at a home site. Between the frank bits of the speech I heard and the assembled fans from all 15 teams, it appears the summit was a hit all the way around.
- Carey stopped by the press box afterward to hold court with the assembled media. The former Galaxy fan covered a number of points, but one common theme ran through his talk: Seattle will do what it takes to win games. I asked Carey whether that philosophy will influence fiscally conservative owners around the league to open their wallets to meet the Seattle standard. “That's how the free market is supposed to work,” Carey said. “I hope so. It depends on what you're happy with as an owner. That's the bottom line. … I can't speak to the other owners, but our goal is to win games.”
Kyle McCarthy writes the Monday MLS Breakdown and frequently writes opinion pieces during the week for Goal.com. He also covers the New England Revolution for the Boston Herald and MLSnet.com. Contact him with your questions or comments at kyle.mccarthy@goal.com and follow him on Twitter by clicking here.
For more on Major League Soccer, visit Goal.com's MLS page.
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