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McCarthy's Musings: Luiz Camargo and Adam Moffat form effective partnership in Houston's engine room
The new central midfield duo allowed Geoff Cameron to slide back into central defense in September, but it will face its most difficult test against Los Angeles on Sunday.
Nov 19, 2011 7:49:00 AM
By Kyle McCarthy
Getty Images
CARSON, Calif. – All of the deserved buzz surrounding Geoff Cameron's return to center back and Houston's corresponding nine-match unbeaten run has obscured one vital point.
Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear could not have made the move without placing his faith in Luiz Camargo and Adam Moffat to fill the void in central midfield.
The two midseason acquisitions – Camargo arrived on loan in August from Paraná Clube in Brazil, while Moffat came over from Portland in July as part of the mutually beneficial trade to send Mike Chabala and Lovel Palmer to Oregon – have repaid Kinnear's confidence by establishing a productive partnership in the Houston engine room.
“This has worked out great for us,” Kinnear said on Friday. “They're two totally different players. Adam's all blood and guts, but he's not afraid to get in there and keep the ball simple. Luiz is a little bit more calm on the ball, but both guys work well together. They're never too far apart, which is something I think you need in the middle of midfield.”
Although Camargo and Moffat function in close proximity, they do not operate similarly. Moffat holds in front of the back four to blunt opposing midfielders and cover for Cameron's occasional attacking forays, while Camargo plays a little higher and searches for ways to influence the match going forward.
“He's got great ability,” Moffat said about his current central midfield partner. “He can pick the passes. I can just get the ball to him, so I can just do a little bit of the dirty work. But he gets stuck in as well, he really does.”
While the balance and the shape has worked well across the board, the success of the distribution through midfield has varied depending on the objective.
Moffat has enjoyed a fine run of form over the past three months (including a tidy 79.8 percent passing rate in the past nine games) and has seen more of the ball than any of his teammates during that stretch.
The former Columbus midfielder's steady presence allows the Dynamo to keep the ball fairly well, but his tendency to play safe passes (he most frequently targets his defenders when he looks to distribute, according to Opta statistics) places the onus on Camargo and others to create opportunities from the run of play. He will, however, likely provide most of the service from set pieces with Brad Davis ruled out of the final through injury and can threaten the opposition with his ability to uncork dangerous efforts from long range.
Camargo – a defensive midfielder by trade who embraced Kinnear's inquiry about pushing further forward to secure a spot in the lineup – has provided three assists during his spell in the side without wholly convincing in his attacking duties. His indifferent accuracy with the more difficult passes he plays through midfield (a 72.2 percent passing rate during the same nine-game stretch and a 65.9 percent mark in the past four matches) can disrupt the attacking rhythm and heap the burden on others to find alternative routes to goal.
The inconsistent service from projected wingers Corey Ashe and Danny Cruz places additional pressure on Camargo to provide a telling pass or two into dangerous areas – like his killer feed to Carlo Costly to seal the Dynamo's place in the final in the 2-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City in the Eastern Conference final on Nov. 6 – to replace Davis' incisiveness.
Although Camargo will retain his attacking responsibilities against Los Angeles, he and Moffat will likely spend much of Sunday night trying to frustrate Galaxy central midfielders David Beckham and Juninho. Beckham's movement – the former England captain will drop deep and float wide to find space and time on the ball – and Juninho's proclivity to shoot from distance create tactical problems for most sides. Those tendencies mean Camargo and Moffat will have to close down both players in atypical spots without stretching themselves too far out of shape.
In addition to addressing those matchup concerns, Camargo and Moffat will also play a key role in limiting the Galaxy's effectiveness on the counter. Los Angeles' willingness to send numbers forward on the break will require Camargo and Moffat to close down the passing lanes and impair Beckham's ability to hit long diagonal balls to spark those brisk attacking moves.
“We talked about that this week,” Kinnear said. “When they get the ball and they move it forward, they're not afraid – (Mike) Magee, Landon (Donovan), Robbie Keane and we'll see who plays the other forward – and they're looking to go. If Beckham gets time on the ball, they all go one way and it's in behind the defense. You have to be really careful of that.”
Camargo and Moffat will have to mix application, awareness and quality to fulfill their tasks in the biggest match of their brief partnership. It's fair to say that the match isn't beyond their capabilities if the duo continues to shows why it permitted Kinnear to slide Cameron into defense nine games ago.
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.comand follow him on Twitter by clicking here.
Follow Goal.com on
to get the latest soccer news directly. Check out Goal.com's 
page; be part of the best soccer fan community in the world!
Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear could not have made the move without placing his faith in Luiz Camargo and Adam Moffat to fill the void in central midfield.
The two midseason acquisitions – Camargo arrived on loan in August from Paraná Clube in Brazil, while Moffat came over from Portland in July as part of the mutually beneficial trade to send Mike Chabala and Lovel Palmer to Oregon – have repaid Kinnear's confidence by establishing a productive partnership in the Houston engine room.
“This has worked out great for us,” Kinnear said on Friday. “They're two totally different players. Adam's all blood and guts, but he's not afraid to get in there and keep the ball simple. Luiz is a little bit more calm on the ball, but both guys work well together. They're never too far apart, which is something I think you need in the middle of midfield.”
Although Camargo and Moffat function in close proximity, they do not operate similarly. Moffat holds in front of the back four to blunt opposing midfielders and cover for Cameron's occasional attacking forays, while Camargo plays a little higher and searches for ways to influence the match going forward.
“He's got great ability,” Moffat said about his current central midfield partner. “He can pick the passes. I can just get the ball to him, so I can just do a little bit of the dirty work. But he gets stuck in as well, he really does.”
While the balance and the shape has worked well across the board, the success of the distribution through midfield has varied depending on the objective.
Moffat has enjoyed a fine run of form over the past three months (including a tidy 79.8 percent passing rate in the past nine games) and has seen more of the ball than any of his teammates during that stretch.
The former Columbus midfielder's steady presence allows the Dynamo to keep the ball fairly well, but his tendency to play safe passes (he most frequently targets his defenders when he looks to distribute, according to Opta statistics) places the onus on Camargo and others to create opportunities from the run of play. He will, however, likely provide most of the service from set pieces with Brad Davis ruled out of the final through injury and can threaten the opposition with his ability to uncork dangerous efforts from long range.
Camargo – a defensive midfielder by trade who embraced Kinnear's inquiry about pushing further forward to secure a spot in the lineup – has provided three assists during his spell in the side without wholly convincing in his attacking duties. His indifferent accuracy with the more difficult passes he plays through midfield (a 72.2 percent passing rate during the same nine-game stretch and a 65.9 percent mark in the past four matches) can disrupt the attacking rhythm and heap the burden on others to find alternative routes to goal.
The inconsistent service from projected wingers Corey Ashe and Danny Cruz places additional pressure on Camargo to provide a telling pass or two into dangerous areas – like his killer feed to Carlo Costly to seal the Dynamo's place in the final in the 2-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City in the Eastern Conference final on Nov. 6 – to replace Davis' incisiveness.
Although Camargo will retain his attacking responsibilities against Los Angeles, he and Moffat will likely spend much of Sunday night trying to frustrate Galaxy central midfielders David Beckham and Juninho. Beckham's movement – the former England captain will drop deep and float wide to find space and time on the ball – and Juninho's proclivity to shoot from distance create tactical problems for most sides. Those tendencies mean Camargo and Moffat will have to close down both players in atypical spots without stretching themselves too far out of shape.
In addition to addressing those matchup concerns, Camargo and Moffat will also play a key role in limiting the Galaxy's effectiveness on the counter. Los Angeles' willingness to send numbers forward on the break will require Camargo and Moffat to close down the passing lanes and impair Beckham's ability to hit long diagonal balls to spark those brisk attacking moves.
“We talked about that this week,” Kinnear said. “When they get the ball and they move it forward, they're not afraid – (Mike) Magee, Landon (Donovan), Robbie Keane and we'll see who plays the other forward – and they're looking to go. If Beckham gets time on the ball, they all go one way and it's in behind the defense. You have to be really careful of that.”
Camargo and Moffat will have to mix application, awareness and quality to fulfill their tasks in the biggest match of their brief partnership. It's fair to say that the match isn't beyond their capabilities if the duo continues to shows why it permitted Kinnear to slide Cameron into defense nine games ago.
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.comand follow him on Twitter by clicking here.
Follow Goal.com on
to get the latest soccer news directly. Check out Goal.com's page; be part of the best soccer fan community in the world!
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