Patrick Viera's W-M Against Orlando

Patrick Viera has met a wonky roster with an equally wonky formation. Given a squad with approximately 56 attacking midfielders and exactly zero defensives ones (until he secured Federico Bravo on loan) Viera didn’t try and fit square pegs into round holes. Instead, he took advantage of Yankee Stadium’s comically small field and abundance of attackers. For all intents and purposes, Viera employed the old school W-M formation popularized in the 1920s and seems he will continue using it as his default home formation.

Viera’s W-M - Applying the “number” system of naming formations doesn’t exactly apply here but the W-M could be classified loosely as a 3-2-2-3 or a 3-4-3 but neither tell the whole story. Preferring slow, possession-based play, NYCFC looked to build attacks Mix Diskerud and Tommy McNamara took turns dropping deep to receive passes from Pirlo. From there, the central attackers would either look to play give-and-gos with the wide attackers (Tony Taylor and Khiry Shelton) or look for David Villa to help make plays.

Taylor and Shelton (or Steven Mendoza in the second half) operated as sort-of wingbacks throughout the game. Either player was equally liable to attempt a dribble into the box or track back and form and act as a de facto outside back.

Match Analysis: Vancouver Whitecaps 2 - 1 Seattle Sounders

Saturday’s Cascadia showdown featured two teams adapting to new formations at different speeds: the Seattle Sounders still struggling to find chemistry in the 4-3-3 and the Vancouver Whitecaps who looked quite comfortable in a surprise 4-4-2. Though Seattle dominated the ball for most of the match, maintaining 60% possession, they failed to consistently create dangerous chances. Instead, they often left themselves vulnerable to counterattacks from Vancouver. The game was ultimately decided on two (questionable, depending on who you ask) penalty calls in favor of Vancouver but they weren’t total flukes. Both decisions came after strong build up play from the Whitecaps and, while potentially fortunate, were part of Carl Robinson’s counterattacking game plan.

Seattle Sounders - After opening the season with three straight losses, Sigi Schmid must be beginning to worry about how his team is gelling in their new 4-3-3. The three forwards have hardly shown the kind of attacking chemistry that the Clint Dempsey/Obafemi Martins duo thrived on. With three attackers typically used to playing center forward or striker roles, Seattle’s attack became intensely narrow, relying solely on fullbacks to provide width. The 4-3-3 didn't fare much better in defense, either. Midfielders and forwards consistently mixed up defensive assignments while others were consistently caught upfield.   

Match Analysis: Philadelphia Union @ FC Dallas

Sunday’s matchup in Frisco saw two teams at opposite ends of the development spectrum. On one side, the new look Union who returned only two starters from their opening day 2015 lineup find themselves in full rebuilding mode . Dallas, on the other hand, have been built. For now and for the foreseeable future  The gap between these two squads was apparent as Dallas comfortably handled Philadelphia, winning 2-0. Everything shouldn’t be doom and gloom for Jim Curtain’s side, however. The new system clearly still has some kinks to work out but the benefits of Ernie Stewart’s new system occasionally revealed themselves.

Match Analysis: Toronto FC @ New York Red Bulls

The opening game of the 2016 MLS season saw two self-styled Eastern Conference favorites battle for early leverage in the Supporters Shield standings. Though it’s foolish to place too much weight on Week 1 results, I will still look at the matchup and try to draw several conclusions about the upcoming season.

Toronto FC - For most of the match, Toronto elected sit deep and play direct balls to Sebastian Giovinco when they recovered possession. With Michael Bradley operating deeper in the midfield, the Italian forward often found himself isolated from the rest of his team. Giovinco didn’t try and hold the ball up and wait for support, either. His instinct was to turn up field immediately when the ball fell to him. Without another forward threat to deal with, New York’s centerbacks could easily key in on Giovinco and minimize his threat in transition. Though the Atomic Ant is frequently capable of brilliance, this kind of hoof-and-pray tactic was a little concerning from Toronto.  

This sequence shows just how aggressive Giovinco’s thinking was in the game. The reigning MVP pulls off an audacious dribble and, despite Lovitz and Endoh making runs on either side of him, decides to shoot from the center circle.

Tactical Shift in Seattle?

The Sounders' Transition to a 4-3-3

Coming off a rocky season plagued by injuries and international call-ups, Sigi Schmid is reportedly considering a tactical chance for 2016. Though the Sounders were among the most defensively sound in MLS - tying Vancouver for the least goals allowed - their attack sputtered. When lacking either member of their star strike duo, Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins, Seattle’s offense stalled. Even with the duo in the lineup, the team’s over reliance on the their combination play often came at the expense of their other attackers. Switching to a 4-3-3 - even on an occasional basis - could keep opponents on their toes

The Sounders’ 4-4-2 - With a full compliment of players to pick from, Sigi Schmid has lined his side up almost exclusively as a 4-4-2 over the past couple seasons. Only the injuries and international call-ups that plagued Seattle’s 2015 forced Schmid to consider alternate shapes. Rather than utilizing the direct, long-ball tactics commonly (and unfairly) associated with the 4-4-2, the Sounders employ the formation for a possession-based game.

4-4-2’s have a natural disadvantage in center midfield because of a man mismatch (3v2) versus 4-2-3-1’s and 4-3-3’s. Typically, this gives these formations an edge in the possession game against 4-4-2’s because the three center mids can knock the ball around while the opposing two are left to chase.

The Sounders, though, managed to play a short passing game with a two man central midfield because they relied on Dempsey and Martins to drop deep and provide additional outlets. Their clean first touch and passing ability allowed them to temporarily operate as attacking midfielders and contribute to buildup play. When either of that duo missed a game, though, Seattle’s attack fell apart. Seattle’s other striker options often lacked the versatility to aid in keeping the ball. In defense, the Sounders could stand up to three man midfields because of Ozzie Alonso’s insane range. Often, Alonso could cover enough ground he essentially did the work of two center midfielders. Alonso could push up high when the Sounders were in possession and still track back to break up a potential attack when his team lost the ball.

What the new 4-3-3 may look like - Using players on the current roster, here is how I believe Seattle would line up in their new formation:

Running Through the 6 With my Woes

Toronto FC's Defensive Troubles

Despite making the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, Toronto FC’s 2015 season can hardly be viewed as a success. In a league where 60% of teams qualify for the postseason, merely making it there doesn’t cut it. Their regular season record wasn't spectacular, either. TFC spent more on wages than any other MLS team and had a perfectly average record to show for it (15 wins, 15 losses, 4 draws and a goal differential of zero.) 

On the bright side, Toronto tied for second-most goals scored in MLS with 58. Unfortunately, TFC posted the joint-worst goals against total in the league, also with 58. Their defense clearly weighed down their prolific attack. Placing the blame solely on the Toronto’s back four, however, would be unfair. The unstable shape and composition of the midfield lead to as many conceded goals as the shaky backline. Individuals and Greg Vanney's fluctuating tactical plan are both to blame for the team's unsound midfield. Here I will look at some of the team's disorganization and what they can improve on heading into the 2016 season.

When operating as a 4-4-2 - TFC’s most common formation - the central midfield pairing of Michael Bradley and Benoit Cheyrou often left the back line exposed. Though a skillful passer and dribbler, Cheyrou lacks the athleticism to cover Bradley and the fullbacks while they’re pushed high up the field. Here’s the first goal in that began the rout in Toronto’s first ever playoff game:

Clearly Cheyrou isn’t exclusively at fault here but his indecision and lack of pace put his centerbacks in a nearly impossible situation. Miscommunication between Cheyrou and Jackson caused neither player to make a serious challenge on the ball or track their respective runners. Ultimately, they are both taken out of the play when Reo-Coker plays a simple pass out left to Piatti.

With how high up Toronto had pushed, Williams and Kantari shouldn’t have dropped so deep. Doing so left them disconnected from the midfield and allowed Piatti and Bernier ample room to operate. This is indicative of poor communication between the centerbacks and the rest of the team while in possession and left them vulnerable to a counterattack before they had even turned the ball over. Without a wider view of the field it’s impossible to tell where they were when the play started so this criticism may not be fair.

Collen Warner, Toronto FC’s other primary defensive midfield option, played as more of a prototypical #6 than Cheyrou. Warner was more willing to get stuck in a hard tackle or forcefully break up a potential counterattack. Despite playing only the ninth most minutes on the team, he lead Toronto with seven yellow cards. This is not to say Warner completely solidified TFC’s defense. His poor marking and positioning often lead to quality scoring chances for the opposition. Here, Warner loses Oduro when the striker simply holds up his run to open himself up for a cutback in the box from Romero: