SHAPES OF MLS THE FORMATIONS: When Ryan Nelsen named his starting XI featuring
Michael Bradley, Jonathan Osorio and Kyle Bekker, it appeared we could be in for
a change of system.
Wholesale Air Max Shoes China . Osorio did
play a bit deeper than a normal forward, making the fluid system look, at times,
like a 4-2-3-1 but, in truth, this system wasnt much different to the one Nelsen
has trusted this season. A high-flying FC Dallas threw out no surprises in their
lineup, making just one change from their loss to Seattle the previous week with
the impressive young right back, Kellyn Acosta, coming back into the side. THE
GAME: The three goals all came directly, or indirectly, from set-pieces so the
game itself was not won or lost tactically, however, the style adopted by
Nelsens team once again threw out many questions about his system. On the
balance of play it was probably a game that no team deserved to win or lose,
although Toronto FC certainly should have had a chance to score a second goal
when, at 1-1, Gilberto was fouled in the box and a penalty was not given. It is
worth noting how the chance was created in the first place. By this stage the
visitors were sitting very deep, defending a set-piece, when Osorio picked up
the ball inside his own half and sent a fantastic pass for the Brazilian to rush
onto. The Canadian had a chance to send the ball forward seconds earlier but
couldnt connect, but then used his great vision soon after when he demanded the
ball get played back to him. Yes, he was deep because of the team was defending
the set play but it was another example of Osorios maturation and what he can do
when slotted deeper in midfield. (Click for bigger image) From that pass, the
referee was a long way behind the play and probably got some assistance from
Gilberto getting back up immediately, rather than staying down after the foul
was committed. If he had a number of goals scored already this season and wasnt
so eager, he probably would have lay on the floor flat out waiting for the call.
Osorio didnt come that deep many times in the game but it was interesting to see
how effective Toronto were when he did. In the first half, the closest he got to
the double pivot of Bekker and Bradley led Dallas to concede the corner that led
to Torontos opening goal. Once ahead, Toronto struggled to get a grip on the
game. With Osorio playing as an advanced central midfielder it was clear the
need to help Gilberto would have to come from the wide areas but this presented
several challenges for Nelsens system. Jackson is a worker. He runs a lot. He is
a poor mans Ramires. This is not a disrespectful comparison. His countryman has
been trusted in massive games to play that wide role to help defend the flank
(think Champions League semi final in Barcelona for Chelsea) and Jackson
certainly does well with that responsibility. In attack, however, he lacks the
creativity and that is fine providing it is available on the opposite flank.
Goalscorer Issey Nakajima-Farran had an interesting match. He likes to shoot and
get forward, as demonstrated on the goal, and that is something this team needs
at the moment but defensively he is a weak link in the system (see below). THE
TURNING POINT: Without question, the longer the game would have gone on at 1-0
the stronger Toronto FC would have gotten (as they showed in Columbus) but they
conceded a needless corner later in the first half and, subsequently, allowed a
simple header to be won to make it 1-1. With the goal, Dallas grew stronger and
were able to take advantage of the areas that they were superior, specifically
out wide. THE POSITIVES: Nelsens squad was down to the bare minimum with seven
players all missing through injuries. Of those seven, the most important were,
of course, Jermain Defoe, Doneil Henry and Rey and there is something to be said
for going toe-to-toe with a strong Western Conference side without them. Henry
would have helped significantly with the aerial battles they lost in the box,
while Defoes absence has robbed the club from a chance to really gel a
partnership with Gilberto, something that may not reach the heights until August
now, if the Englishman does go to the World Cup. Gilberto still has no goals and
the detractors will start talking louder this week but he did all he could with
what he has. It remains far too soon to jump to conclusions on him. THE
NEGATIVES: Despite missing those players, there is a clear concern developing
around the productivity, reliability and creativity of the wide players. Whether
Nelsen plays a 4-4-2, 4-4-1-1 or 4-2-3-1, it really is irrelevant. This team
does not keep the ball enough so they have to make sure they are better at
counter attacks and servicing whoever is playing up front. Jacksons
characteristics have been identified but Nakajima-Farran is very different. Like
Alvaro Rey, he can be liability defending a flank. It is difficult to assign
blame in this area, depending on his instructions from Nelsen. In a 4-4-1-1, if
the man playing off the striker (in this case Osorio) is more naturally a
midfielder, rather than a forward, often you might want one of your wide men to
go centrally, when in possession, to make up an attacking duo. For this,
Nakajima-Farran is ideal. He did it on more than a couple of occasions but the
issue is when the opponents react with a quick transition. So far in all of
Torontos away matches, the home side have targeted their flanks. Seattle did it,
once they trailed 2-0, and Nelsen switched Jackson with Rey after 40 minutes to
counter it. Real Salt Lake did it very effectively, (with right-back Tony
Beltran winning a US call-up because of it) Columbus less so, and, once again,
FC Dallas excelled at it. With Nakajima-Farran not tracking back, left back Jair
Benitez has a field day in the first half creating numerous overlaps that,
often, looked like this with Nakajima-Farran (highlighted) not helping Mark
Bloom defensively. (Click for bigger image) Like in Seattle, Nelsen reacted to
this shortly before the 40th minute when he switched Jackson and put
Nakajima-Farran with Morrow and away from Benitez and Castillo. Both flanks were
still attacked throughout, and the home sides full-backs, between them, made a
combined 93 successful pass attempts (Torontos made 44) and although that number
is excellent, the chalkboard reveals just how many of them were in advanced
areas. It is clear that, no matter who is playing for Toronto, this is the
scouting report opponents will follow. It is up to Nelsens team to counter that
by improving the skills of those playing in those positions and/or getting more
of an attacking threat from central areas, forcing opponents to match them up
more centrally. THE STAR MAN: I am struggling to think of a better performance,
in the clubs history, from a Toronto FC full back than the one put in by Justin
Morrow. Is there anything that fazes him? Dallas attacked on the flanks all
night but it didnt have anywhere near as much impact down Morrows side as it did
on the opposite one. The left back is a supreme reader of the game, is more than
comfortable in one-on-one situations, is physical and moves centrally, when
necessary, to help narrow the space and cover for the centre-backs. Dallas,
themselves, had excellent performers such as Matt Hedges who won everything in
the air, but for the visitors, Morrow was outstanding. Simply put, he is the
best left-back this club has ever had by some margin.
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2017 China . Trailing 2-1 from the first leg, Fiorentina levelled
on aggregate in the 14th minute when Joaquin Sanchez Rodriguez headed back a
long ball from David Pizarro and Pasqual smashed home an angled volley.
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China .Y. - Joe Johnson hit six 3-pointers in his 27 points,
Mason Plumlee added 18 points, and the Brooklyn Nets won their 11th straight at
home, beating the Boston Celtics 114-98 Friday night.MONTREAL -- Marco Di Vaio
could only sit and watch as the Montreal Impact lost their first three games of
the Major League Soccer season. But now that Di Vaio and midfielder Andres
Romero have served their three-game suspensions for a melee in a 2013 playoff
game, the Italian striker is ready to get back to the business of scoring goals.
"Ill try to bring something more, some experience, to the field," Di Vaio said
Thursday. "I trained hard the last three weeks and I want to play." The scoring
touch that saw him amass 20 goals last season -- all in open play, no penalties
-- was clearly lacking as the Impact opened with losses of 3-2 in Dallas, 1-0 in
Houston and 2-0 to Seattle in their home opener at Olympic Stadium last week.
The 38-year-old, who will see his first action Saturday when the Impact play the
Union in Philadelphia, cautioned that he cant turn the clubs fortunes around on
his own. It will be his first competitive game in five months. "I hear that
people are expecting us to get points because me and Romero are returning, but
its not just two players that are going to change everything," he said. "I have
to do my job -- try to score and be dangerous -- but the most important thing is
that the team keeps its confidence because when you lose a game, sometimes you
think what youre doing on the field is no good. I see every day the team is
training really well, with a good attitude." Andrew Wenger filled in for Di Vaio
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