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McCarthy's Musings: The Friday Five Visits Chivas USA Training Camp
The Friday Five stopped into to see Chivas USA on a trip to southern California and discovered a renewed commitment to attack under new coach Martin Vasquez.
Mar 12, 2010 3:15:00 AM
By Kyle McCarthy
CARSON, Calif. – No team looks more prepared for a philosophical shift in 2010 than Chivas USA.
When Preki bolted to Toronto FC after the 2009 campaign, he left a side intent on disruption in his wake. Playing football usually fell below playing to frustrate on the former American international's list of priorities. The possession-based tenets of a Mexican-style team still lingered, but an inherent desire to avoid defeat at all costs and a persistently lengthy injury list turned Chivas USA into a pressure-oriented side designed to destroy attacks rather than create them.
Those days, at least from the early signs of Martin Vasquez's tenure, have passed. Drawing specific observations from one half of a friendly against an overmatched and out-of-season college team – Chivas USA blasted U.C.L.A. 5-0 on Wednesday – represents a fool's errand, but it's hard not to notice the alterations Vasquez has implemented. In its nascent stages under Vasquez's guidance, Chivas USA has transformed into a side that wants to break into the attack quickly and join with numbers when it can.
An attacking deportment only yields dividends when meshed with the proper results. The previous incarnation – ably marshaled and propelled by departed midfielders Jesse Marsch (retired) and Paulo Nagamura (Tigres), but lacking in creativity and flair – may not have captivated, but it achieved results. Only time will tell if the new, more attractive approach will attain the same level of success and supplement it with postseason glory.
In addition to noting Chivas USA's newly discovered ambition going forward, The Friday Five jotted down a few other notes to share:
1. New coach, new leaders. Vasquez ushered in a new era in the dugout with his offseason arrival and hopes to do the same in the locker room. With a host of veterans out the door ahead of 2010, Vasquez said he's looking to U.S. internationals Jonathan Bornstein and Sacha Kljestan to assume much of the leadership burden, rather than considering experienced campaigners Ante Jazic and Carey Talley as possible options for the captaincy.
“I feel that these two guys (have been) paying their dues to put themselves in good positions to be our leaders,” Vasquez said. “We have high expectations of them and from them. The rest of their teammates respond to them. They are very positive and they look up to them. For any coach, those are the qualities he wants in his captain and co-captain. We're leaning (towards making) that decision for both of them.”
2. Bornstein's positional quandary. The U.S. international played center back and left back for Chivas USA in 2009, but the 25-year-old retains a vested interest in spending his time primarily on the outside in 2010. Although Bornstein featured in central defense for the Americans in a friendly win over El Salvador last month, his World Cup chances rest on dismissing the lingering effects of a poor showing against the Netherlands and performing consistently at left back when the MLS campaign starts. Bornstein said on Wednesday he felt comfortable in either spot, but said it was too early to tell where he might fit into Vasquez's plans after spending most of training camp in U.S. national team camp. Vasquez can turn to a couple of other options in the middle – former Galaxy short-timer Michael Umana signed a permanent deal on Thursday after a successful trial, while Carlos Borja, Yamith Cuesta and on-trial hopeful Emilio Viades (Cruz Azul) will attempt to vie for time as well – but Bornstein may help his club most in the middle with Jazic in the fold to play left back.
3. Osael Romero could spark the Red-and-White's lackluster offense. Chivas USA signed the Salvadoran international midfielder on loan last month to provide Kljestan with some incisive help to boost a languid attack. The 23-year-old displayed his ingenuity against the Bruins with a clever little feed to spring Maykel Galindo for one of his three goals on Wednesday, but his movement – incessant with a willingness to find open spaces between the lines – represented the best sign for his MLS future. Romero's desire to float could prove particularly crucial to avoid the physical punishment usually meted out by MLS defensive midfielders to similarly diminutive attacking threats. During the previous era, a creative central player like Romero would represent a luxury rather than a need, but Vasquez appears ready to hand the promising young talent the opportunity to spark the attack if he can adapt to the rigors of the American top flight quickly.
4. Forget about those negative tactics in central midfield. Former coach Preki preferred to deploy combative midfielders Marsch and Nagamura in central midfield in an attempt to stifle the opposition, but Vasquez said he's toying with the idea of playing Romero and Kljestan together in the middle to give his side more of an attacking thrust.
“They've played together already in Fresno and they were very good at times,” Vasquez said. “We need to find the balance with our outer midfielders so we have a good mixture and balance so we can afford to do that. We're looking to put them together on the field and expect them to be the creators and make things happen for us.”
If playing both creative players centrally destroys the balance of the side, Kljestan can always slide out to the wing to hand Romero freedom to roam through the middle and allow another flank option to create space and width going forward. With Kljestan and Romero occasionally reluctant to track players defensively, Vasquez may have to introduce Michael Lahoud or Marcelo Saragosa to hold in front of the back four to ensure his developing defense isn't exposed while the Red-and-White push forward. One attacking selection in central midfield, however, is a bold and necessary step for Chivas USA given the personnel available and the recent tendency to employ more defensive-minded players in the engine room.
5. Where does Jesus Padilla fit into Vasquez's plans? Padilla arrived to plenty of fanfare when he joined on loan from Chivas Guadalajara last August, but he couldn't pin down a regular place or station in Preki's starting XI after a series of indifferent performances. Padilla's best position – a right winger in a 4-3-3 – doesn't translate well to a four-man midfield. If deployed on the right side of midfield, Padilla needs to combine his preference to play in the wide areas with an increased commitment to defensive industry. Vasquez said Padilla also could feature at striker, though his tendency to drift outside could leave his partner – Galindo and Justin Braun are the best bets with Maicon Santos sidelined with a knee injury – isolated.
One lingering question: will Padilla will do the required work to ensure he remains in Vasquez's thoughts for a berth in the starting XI? Vasquez said Padilla showed up to camp in less-than-stellar physical shape, though his fitness has improved after a one-on-one talk between coach and manager.
“He has made very good progress,” Vasquez said. “When he came into preseason, he was behind the rest of the group. I sat with him and talked to him. I don't think we've seen Padilla at his best. I'm very fortunate to have seen Padilla at his best with Chivas Guadalajara. When I was talking with him and sitting with him, I told him that's the Padilla that is going to help us. Right now, he's a little bit behind the rest of the group, but he's catching up and we still have two weeks to go before our first game.”
CARSON, Calif. – No team looks more prepared for a philosophical shift in 2010 than Chivas USA.
When Preki bolted to Toronto FC after the 2009 campaign, he left a side intent on disruption in his wake. Playing football usually fell below playing to frustrate on the former American international's list of priorities. The possession-based tenets of a Mexican-style team still lingered, but an inherent desire to avoid defeat at all costs and a persistently lengthy injury list turned Chivas USA into a pressure-oriented side designed to destroy attacks rather than create them.
Those days, at least from the early signs of Martin Vasquez's tenure, have passed. Drawing specific observations from one half of a friendly against an overmatched and out-of-season college team – Chivas USA blasted U.C.L.A. 5-0 on Wednesday – represents a fool's errand, but it's hard not to notice the alterations Vasquez has implemented. In its nascent stages under Vasquez's guidance, Chivas USA has transformed into a side that wants to break into the attack quickly and join with numbers when it can.
An attacking deportment only yields dividends when meshed with the proper results. The previous incarnation – ably marshaled and propelled by departed midfielders Jesse Marsch (retired) and Paulo Nagamura (Tigres), but lacking in creativity and flair – may not have captivated, but it achieved results. Only time will tell if the new, more attractive approach will attain the same level of success and supplement it with postseason glory.
In addition to noting Chivas USA's newly discovered ambition going forward, The Friday Five jotted down a few other notes to share:
1. New coach, new leaders. Vasquez ushered in a new era in the dugout with his offseason arrival and hopes to do the same in the locker room. With a host of veterans out the door ahead of 2010, Vasquez said he's looking to U.S. internationals Jonathan Bornstein and Sacha Kljestan to assume much of the leadership burden, rather than considering experienced campaigners Ante Jazic and Carey Talley as possible options for the captaincy.
“I feel that these two guys (have been) paying their dues to put themselves in good positions to be our leaders,” Vasquez said. “We have high expectations of them and from them. The rest of their teammates respond to them. They are very positive and they look up to them. For any coach, those are the qualities he wants in his captain and co-captain. We're leaning (towards making) that decision for both of them.”
2. Bornstein's positional quandary. The U.S. international played center back and left back for Chivas USA in 2009, but the 25-year-old retains a vested interest in spending his time primarily on the outside in 2010. Although Bornstein featured in central defense for the Americans in a friendly win over El Salvador last month, his World Cup chances rest on dismissing the lingering effects of a poor showing against the Netherlands and performing consistently at left back when the MLS campaign starts. Bornstein said on Wednesday he felt comfortable in either spot, but said it was too early to tell where he might fit into Vasquez's plans after spending most of training camp in U.S. national team camp. Vasquez can turn to a couple of other options in the middle – former Galaxy short-timer Michael Umana signed a permanent deal on Thursday after a successful trial, while Carlos Borja, Yamith Cuesta and on-trial hopeful Emilio Viades (Cruz Azul) will attempt to vie for time as well – but Bornstein may help his club most in the middle with Jazic in the fold to play left back.
3. Osael Romero could spark the Red-and-White's lackluster offense. Chivas USA signed the Salvadoran international midfielder on loan last month to provide Kljestan with some incisive help to boost a languid attack. The 23-year-old displayed his ingenuity against the Bruins with a clever little feed to spring Maykel Galindo for one of his three goals on Wednesday, but his movement – incessant with a willingness to find open spaces between the lines – represented the best sign for his MLS future. Romero's desire to float could prove particularly crucial to avoid the physical punishment usually meted out by MLS defensive midfielders to similarly diminutive attacking threats. During the previous era, a creative central player like Romero would represent a luxury rather than a need, but Vasquez appears ready to hand the promising young talent the opportunity to spark the attack if he can adapt to the rigors of the American top flight quickly.
4. Forget about those negative tactics in central midfield. Former coach Preki preferred to deploy combative midfielders Marsch and Nagamura in central midfield in an attempt to stifle the opposition, but Vasquez said he's toying with the idea of playing Romero and Kljestan together in the middle to give his side more of an attacking thrust.
“They've played together already in Fresno and they were very good at times,” Vasquez said. “We need to find the balance with our outer midfielders so we have a good mixture and balance so we can afford to do that. We're looking to put them together on the field and expect them to be the creators and make things happen for us.”
If playing both creative players centrally destroys the balance of the side, Kljestan can always slide out to the wing to hand Romero freedom to roam through the middle and allow another flank option to create space and width going forward. With Kljestan and Romero occasionally reluctant to track players defensively, Vasquez may have to introduce Michael Lahoud or Marcelo Saragosa to hold in front of the back four to ensure his developing defense isn't exposed while the Red-and-White push forward. One attacking selection in central midfield, however, is a bold and necessary step for Chivas USA given the personnel available and the recent tendency to employ more defensive-minded players in the engine room.
5. Where does Jesus Padilla fit into Vasquez's plans? Padilla arrived to plenty of fanfare when he joined on loan from Chivas Guadalajara last August, but he couldn't pin down a regular place or station in Preki's starting XI after a series of indifferent performances. Padilla's best position – a right winger in a 4-3-3 – doesn't translate well to a four-man midfield. If deployed on the right side of midfield, Padilla needs to combine his preference to play in the wide areas with an increased commitment to defensive industry. Vasquez said Padilla also could feature at striker, though his tendency to drift outside could leave his partner – Galindo and Justin Braun are the best bets with Maicon Santos sidelined with a knee injury – isolated.
One lingering question: will Padilla will do the required work to ensure he remains in Vasquez's thoughts for a berth in the starting XI? Vasquez said Padilla showed up to camp in less-than-stellar physical shape, though his fitness has improved after a one-on-one talk between coach and manager.
“He has made very good progress,” Vasquez said. “When he came into preseason, he was behind the rest of the group. I sat with him and talked to him. I don't think we've seen Padilla at his best. I'm very fortunate to have seen Padilla at his best with Chivas Guadalajara. When I was talking with him and sitting with him, I told him that's the Padilla that is going to help us. Right now, he's a little bit behind the rest of the group, but he's catching up and we still have two weeks to go before our first game.”
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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