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Monday MLS Breakdown: Defensive Work Critical To Chicago's Aspirations
Kyle McCarthy explains why the Fire's road to success starts with a solid defensive core and shares other notes from Week 13.
Jun 28, 2010 4:49:00 AM
By Kyle McCarthy
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – When Chicago coach Carlos de los Cobos installed his 4-1-4-1 formation upon his arrival earlier this year, he probably hoped it would provide the resolute foundation it did on Sunday night.
Some teams play ambitiously and expansively. Others, like the Fire, prefer a more measured and reactive approach.
“If you win 1-0, it's good because you have done good work defensively,” de los Cobos said after Chicago notched its first win of the campaign by that scoreline at New England.
Everything Chicago wants to accomplish requires a firm defensive core. By its construction and by its tactical deportment, the Fire wants to soak up pressure and break quickly on the counter. Given the attacking tools at de los Cobos' disposal – speedy wingers Patrick Nyarko and Marco Pappa plus venerable target man Brian McBride – and the increasing popularity of the five-man midfield around the league, it is an approach with plenty of merit.
“It is very important,” de los Cobos said. “If we want to be competitive, this team needs to start with a very solid defense. This is our objective. For the guys, it's very good because they showed themselves that if they play with high concentration on the field, it's possible to have a very good defense.”
Problems emerge when the traditionally stout Fire rearguard leaks goals like it has at points this season. Defending requires a unified team effort, but the Fire is considerably hampered by John Thorrington's increasingly troubling battle with a persistent left quadriceps strain. Thorrington's grit and industry ties together the midfield and his absence – the former U.S. international still hasn't returned to training – has occasionally heaped more pressure on a Fire back four that hasn't always coped well with it.
A lack of coherence and consistency in defense led to a meager two shutouts in the 11 matches played prior to the World Cup break. Dasan Robinson and Tim Ward have split time at right back, while Krzysztof Krol hasn't entirely convinced on the left side. Wilman Conde should have the class and the pace to compensate for C.J. Brown when he gets caught out in central defense, but the Colombian's form has fallen far short of his lofty standards with his pending contractual freedom at the end of the year perhaps serving as a distraction. The switch between the sticks – young goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra in, veteran stalwart Jon Busch off to San Jose – probably hasn't helped matters either.
All of those factors contributed to a rather indifferent start to the campaign. Pegged as perhaps the second-best side in the Eastern Conference despite losing a raft of influential players – Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Chris Rolfe and Gonzalo Segares – during the close season, Chicago is currently mired in the middle of the pack as it adjusts to the changes.
In order to improve its standing and meet those expectations, the Fire harped on the need to shore up its defensive work during the interlude. The hard work paid off with a shutout against a Revolution side that generated its fair share of chances, but lacked the decisive touch in the final third. Focusing on its defensive work in training and against the Revolution allowed the Fire to erase its penchant for conceding late goals and seal all three points, according to de los Cobos.
“In the last week, we trained with all of the concepts about how to defend [well],” de los Cobos said. “For that reason, we lost points in the last minutes. Today, all of the players were trying to help each other. This is the reason why we won tonight.”
Future success will hinge on how well Chicago combines defensive miserliness with menacing counterattacks. Nyarko and Pappa have caused teams fits all season, while McBride continues to pose aerial problems for opposing defenses. The counter didn't quite hit its stride against the Revs, though Pappa decided the match with a stunning strike from distance after weaving his way into space after a half an hour.
Even with the counter not at peak effectiveness, the Fire can take heart from this performance. If Chicago can ally a reinvigorated defensive core with its ability to punish teams on the counter, then de los Cobos' vision may yet lead to the level of success anticipated upon his arrival.
“We call this a new season for us after the break,” Nyarko said. “It started really well and hopefully we can keep it up throughout the remainder of the games. If we play like we played tonight, we’ll be among the best in the league.”
Week 13 – Quick Hits
– The inevitable rust after a two-week layoff and the sweltering conditions in several cities led to a weekend filled with rather underwhelming contests. Too many errors, too few moments of real quality.
– As outlandish as this may sound at first blush, the severity of Terry Vaughn's error in Columbus' 2-0 victory over D.C. United probably surpasses the two notable gaffes by assistant referees at the World Cup on Sunday. Vaughn positioned himself relatively well to make a call on the play and still somehow managed to miss Guillermo Barros Schelotto's blatant move to corral the ball with his arm before scoring the Crew's opener. At least those reviled adjudicators in South Africa can blame their shoddy judgment on an inability to slide into the correct position to make the call.
– Poor replay angles may save Kansas City captain Davy Arnaud from an extended ban for his shocking tackle on Joel Lindpere in second-half stoppage time of the Wizards' 3-0 home defeat to New York. Arnaud said he didn't make contact with the Red Bulls midfielder and there wasn't much video evidence to evaluate the validity of his claim. Contact or no contact, Arnaud can have little excuse for the ridiculous two-footed lunge in the first place considering the situation. His continued indiscipline – three red cards in ten matches – raises questions about whether he should continue to wear the armband.
- Then again, it's hard to blame Arnaud for expressing the frustration he must have felt after the Wizards' wretched second half showing. Even John Terry and Matthew Upson would have looked at the Kansas City display and chided the Wizards for schoolboy defending.
– PPL Park looks like a gem with its massive supporters' section and its stunning vistas, but one wonders why MLS and the Union opted to showcase the new digs during a weekend when most American soccer fans were focused solely on the events in South Africa.
– If Philly produces the type of performance it conjured up during the second half of its 3-1 win over flagging Seattle regularly, the Union may just field a team worthy of the new stadium. The current bunch, however, can play some decent football when they find their rhythm.
- The 12,000 or so Toronto FC fans marooned by the G20 carnage can probably count themselves lucky that they missed out on a dreadfully dull 0-0 draw between the Reds and Los Angeles. Thankfully, the two teams won't meet again this season because they had previously toiled through another snoozefest on May 15. On a match-related note, TFC management deserves top marks for its promise for a make-good later in the campaign for those fans who were unable to use their tickets.
- Wonder what kind of odds Vegas might have laid on the diminutive Osael Romero notching his first MLS goal with a header. Romero's shocking aerial contribution wasn't enough to overcome a nightmarish night from Ante Jazic – one own goal, one penalty conceded – in Chivas USA's 2-1 defeat to FC Dallas.
- Smart move by the Red-and-White to bring Paulo Nagamura back into the fold in mid-July, but his presence alone won't help a mistake-plagued side burdened by a suspect defense and a lack of potency up front.
- Two wise off-the-field decisions worth applauding: D.C. United coach Curt Onalfo's fiscally responsible choice to decline comment on Barros Schelotto's Henry moment and Philadelphia boss Peter Nowak's decision to apologize to Freddie Ljungberg for that unseemly kerfuffle earlier in the campaign.
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 MLSsoccer.com. Contact him with your questions or comments at kyle.mccarthy@goal.com and follow him on Twitter by clicking here.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – When Chicago coach Carlos de los Cobos installed his 4-1-4-1 formation upon his arrival earlier this year, he probably hoped it would provide the resolute foundation it did on Sunday night.
Some teams play ambitiously and expansively. Others, like the Fire, prefer a more measured and reactive approach.
“If you win 1-0, it's good because you have done good work defensively,” de los Cobos said after Chicago notched its first win of the campaign by that scoreline at New England.
Everything Chicago wants to accomplish requires a firm defensive core. By its construction and by its tactical deportment, the Fire wants to soak up pressure and break quickly on the counter. Given the attacking tools at de los Cobos' disposal – speedy wingers Patrick Nyarko and Marco Pappa plus venerable target man Brian McBride – and the increasing popularity of the five-man midfield around the league, it is an approach with plenty of merit.
“It is very important,” de los Cobos said. “If we want to be competitive, this team needs to start with a very solid defense. This is our objective. For the guys, it's very good because they showed themselves that if they play with high concentration on the field, it's possible to have a very good defense.”
Problems emerge when the traditionally stout Fire rearguard leaks goals like it has at points this season. Defending requires a unified team effort, but the Fire is considerably hampered by John Thorrington's increasingly troubling battle with a persistent left quadriceps strain. Thorrington's grit and industry ties together the midfield and his absence – the former U.S. international still hasn't returned to training – has occasionally heaped more pressure on a Fire back four that hasn't always coped well with it.
A lack of coherence and consistency in defense led to a meager two shutouts in the 11 matches played prior to the World Cup break. Dasan Robinson and Tim Ward have split time at right back, while Krzysztof Krol hasn't entirely convinced on the left side. Wilman Conde should have the class and the pace to compensate for C.J. Brown when he gets caught out in central defense, but the Colombian's form has fallen far short of his lofty standards with his pending contractual freedom at the end of the year perhaps serving as a distraction. The switch between the sticks – young goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra in, veteran stalwart Jon Busch off to San Jose – probably hasn't helped matters either.
All of those factors contributed to a rather indifferent start to the campaign. Pegged as perhaps the second-best side in the Eastern Conference despite losing a raft of influential players – Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Chris Rolfe and Gonzalo Segares – during the close season, Chicago is currently mired in the middle of the pack as it adjusts to the changes.
In order to improve its standing and meet those expectations, the Fire harped on the need to shore up its defensive work during the interlude. The hard work paid off with a shutout against a Revolution side that generated its fair share of chances, but lacked the decisive touch in the final third. Focusing on its defensive work in training and against the Revolution allowed the Fire to erase its penchant for conceding late goals and seal all three points, according to de los Cobos.
“In the last week, we trained with all of the concepts about how to defend [well],” de los Cobos said. “For that reason, we lost points in the last minutes. Today, all of the players were trying to help each other. This is the reason why we won tonight.”
Future success will hinge on how well Chicago combines defensive miserliness with menacing counterattacks. Nyarko and Pappa have caused teams fits all season, while McBride continues to pose aerial problems for opposing defenses. The counter didn't quite hit its stride against the Revs, though Pappa decided the match with a stunning strike from distance after weaving his way into space after a half an hour.
Even with the counter not at peak effectiveness, the Fire can take heart from this performance. If Chicago can ally a reinvigorated defensive core with its ability to punish teams on the counter, then de los Cobos' vision may yet lead to the level of success anticipated upon his arrival.
“We call this a new season for us after the break,” Nyarko said. “It started really well and hopefully we can keep it up throughout the remainder of the games. If we play like we played tonight, we’ll be among the best in the league.”
Week 13 – Quick Hits
– The inevitable rust after a two-week layoff and the sweltering conditions in several cities led to a weekend filled with rather underwhelming contests. Too many errors, too few moments of real quality.
– As outlandish as this may sound at first blush, the severity of Terry Vaughn's error in Columbus' 2-0 victory over D.C. United probably surpasses the two notable gaffes by assistant referees at the World Cup on Sunday. Vaughn positioned himself relatively well to make a call on the play and still somehow managed to miss Guillermo Barros Schelotto's blatant move to corral the ball with his arm before scoring the Crew's opener. At least those reviled adjudicators in South Africa can blame their shoddy judgment on an inability to slide into the correct position to make the call.
– Poor replay angles may save Kansas City captain Davy Arnaud from an extended ban for his shocking tackle on Joel Lindpere in second-half stoppage time of the Wizards' 3-0 home defeat to New York. Arnaud said he didn't make contact with the Red Bulls midfielder and there wasn't much video evidence to evaluate the validity of his claim. Contact or no contact, Arnaud can have little excuse for the ridiculous two-footed lunge in the first place considering the situation. His continued indiscipline – three red cards in ten matches – raises questions about whether he should continue to wear the armband.
- Then again, it's hard to blame Arnaud for expressing the frustration he must have felt after the Wizards' wretched second half showing. Even John Terry and Matthew Upson would have looked at the Kansas City display and chided the Wizards for schoolboy defending.
– PPL Park looks like a gem with its massive supporters' section and its stunning vistas, but one wonders why MLS and the Union opted to showcase the new digs during a weekend when most American soccer fans were focused solely on the events in South Africa.
– If Philly produces the type of performance it conjured up during the second half of its 3-1 win over flagging Seattle regularly, the Union may just field a team worthy of the new stadium. The current bunch, however, can play some decent football when they find their rhythm.
- The 12,000 or so Toronto FC fans marooned by the G20 carnage can probably count themselves lucky that they missed out on a dreadfully dull 0-0 draw between the Reds and Los Angeles. Thankfully, the two teams won't meet again this season because they had previously toiled through another snoozefest on May 15. On a match-related note, TFC management deserves top marks for its promise for a make-good later in the campaign for those fans who were unable to use their tickets.
- Wonder what kind of odds Vegas might have laid on the diminutive Osael Romero notching his first MLS goal with a header. Romero's shocking aerial contribution wasn't enough to overcome a nightmarish night from Ante Jazic – one own goal, one penalty conceded – in Chivas USA's 2-1 defeat to FC Dallas.
- Smart move by the Red-and-White to bring Paulo Nagamura back into the fold in mid-July, but his presence alone won't help a mistake-plagued side burdened by a suspect defense and a lack of potency up front.
- Two wise off-the-field decisions worth applauding: D.C. United coach Curt Onalfo's fiscally responsible choice to decline comment on Barros Schelotto's Henry moment and Philadelphia boss Peter Nowak's decision to apologize to Freddie Ljungberg for that unseemly kerfuffle earlier in the campaign.
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 MLSsoccer.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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