Breakdown: Seattle finds the right blend to stake Supporters' Shield claim
Seattle manager Sigi Schmid faced a rather difficult conundrum heading into Sunday’s 2-2 draw with LA Galaxy. He needed his swashbuckling side to tame its expansive instincts in order to provide a firm foundation to cope with the potent Galaxy attack at the outset. Only then could Sounders FC locate the space necessary to break quickly and muster its own menace going forward.
Evans’ poor clearing header on the stroke of halftime changed the dynamic. Baggio Husidic thrashed home the poor clearance to give the Galaxy the lead just before the interval. Marcelo Sarvas doubled the advantage early in the second half to scupper the initial plan and shepherd the Sounders into a more aggressive deportment after the hour.
Schmid chucked Marco Pappa into the fray for Evans on the right and told Yedlin to push further up the field to pin Donovan back inside his own half and test Robbie Rogers’ defensive acumen. The gambit allowed Seattle to create more space for Obafemi Martins to check off the line and dart forward with the Galaxy exposed. It proved a necessary gamble to transform a game where the Galaxy never looked particularly steady in its own end given its penchant for pushing its fullbacks into advanced positions.
By returning to their aggressive roots, Sounders FC produced a furious response to claim a point. Pappa’s presence allowed Seattle to stretch the field horizontally. Martins, in particularly, used the space well to isolate Omar Gonzalez and A.J. DeLaGarza and pull apart the Galaxy back four. Dempsey thrashed home opener after Yedlin exploited Donovan on the right before Lamar Neagle used the Galaxy’s penchant to rotate en masse to snatch the equalizer in short order.
Seattle could have sealed the Supporters’ Shield with a late goal, but the approach displayed in this affair may prove more useful than the victory in the long run. Sounders FC will need dexterity to cope with several different approaches as the postseason unfolds. Its ability to hold out defensively for much of the first half and then shift into a more aggressive deportment bodes well for the tasks ahead.
Five Points -- Week 33
1. Toronto FC faces difficult decisions after missing postseason yet again: Montréal confirmed the inevitable disappointment in Toronto by securing a 1-1 draw at BMO Field on Saturday. TFC promised plenty after splashing $100 million or so during the offseason, but the Reds delivered little. Now this group must somehow pick up the pieces yet again.
Gilberto is just one of a nunber of Toronto FC players with question marks surrounding his future. Will the Reds maintain some sense of stability after another season without a playoff berth?
For once, the focus should fall on stability and steady construction. There is some evidence of a framework in place with Michael Bradley in the fold as a projected long-term linchpin, but the potential departures of Jermain Defoe and Gilberto pave the way for even more upheaval. It is down to general manager Tim Bezbatchenko and head coach Greg Vanney to strike the right balance to ensure the pain of this season leads to genuine promise heading into 2015.
2. Discord rises to the fore as clubs and supporters grapple with missing out on the postseason: Several Toronto FC fans created a banner mocking the Bloody Big Deal with a more appropriate tag line. Philadelphia supporters expressed their disgust with the Nick Sakiewicz regime after the Union missed out on the playoffs again. One intrepid Colorado fan even got in the mix by hiring a plane to carry this banner over Dick’s Sporting Goods Park during the insipid 1-0 defeat to FC Dallas.
3. Portland might pay the ultimate price for its slow start: Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando prevented the Timbers for claiming all three points in the 0-0 draw between the sides on Friday. The result allowed Vancouver to play for a mind-numbing stalemate in San Jose the following night and retain the inside track to the fifth and final playoff spot. If the Whitecaps defeat sputtering Colorado at B.C. Place on Saturday, then they will seal a place in the Knockout Round.
Portland can blame Rimando or any other number of breaks for its predicament at the moment, but its poor start may ultimately prove its undoing. It took Portland nine matches to procure its first victory. That sort of early form left the Timbers with scant latitude to stray off course. They have responded well (they have not lost consecutive matches since March), but their recurring frailty at the back ensured they dropped just enough points to prevent a more sweeping resurgence.
Plane flying over #Rapids96 game: "You have wrecked our club. KSE & Hinchey out" #colvfcd pic.twitter.com/cGGINRLA6C
— Daniel Boniface (@danielboniface) October 18, 2014
4. Columbus comes of age with impressive display at New York: Few teams have enjoyed success at Red Bull Arena, but the Crew brushed aside the Red Bulls on Sunday en route to a 3-1 victory. Their cadence in midfield – Federico Higuain buzzing about during a relatively quiet day, Tony Tchani revealing his improvement with another influential display and Wil Trapp serving as the reliable, deep-lying fulcrum to everything in possession – provides chance after chance. Ethan Finlay’s incisive runs supplied the necessary thrust in the final third. Aaron Schoenfeld – often willing, yet perhaps not as sharp as preferred – even finished twice to cap a wonderful display. On this sort of form, the Crew will prove a tough out for any Eastern Conference opponent.
5. Red Bulls, Sporting Kansas City must locate firm footing to avoid Knockout Round: The sputtering form for both teams leaves them in a rather difficult spot heading into their meeting at Sporting Park on Sunday. Sporting might need to produce its third victory in 10 outings in order to stay in third place. New York could need the same result to avoid finishing as the fifth seed if results break the wrong way. It is a scenario both teams could hardly imagine even a few weeks ago, but their inability to take care of business – Sporting’s 2-1 defeat at eliminated Philadelphia on Saturday stings, for example – places them in a spot where the postseason might in fact start a few days early.
