This match pitted two-first year (and first time MLS head coaches) vs. one another. Both coaches were up in their technical area most of the match, still trying to get their ideas across. New York's offseason was turbulent with Mike Petke, the former MLS'er, only being appointed on a full term basis 2 weeks prior to preseason. An unusual interview with the NYRB boss can be viewed here Mike Petke Interview. My impression of Petke appears to be a touch inexperienced, but interesting as he hasn't adopted the 'typical' coaching postures. Whether this relates to on field success will be interesting, but he does appear to have more of 2nd or 3rd assistant mentality than an imposing, demanding presence. Important to note as well that NY's 2nd longest serving player is Thierry Henry (starting his 4th year in MLS) meaning instability and change is a constant theme in NY with some big name bosses (and players) having tried their hand in MLS and ultimately failing.
Former Notable Head coaches
Carlos Queiroz (July 1996–Dec 1996)
Carlos Alberto Parreira (Jan 1997–Dec 1997)
Alfonso Mondelo (1998)
Bora Milutinović (1998–1999)
Octavio Zambrano (Jan 2000–Oct 2002)
Bob Bradley (Oct 2002–Oct 2005)
Mo Johnston (Feb 2005–June 2006)
Juan Carlos Osorio (Dec 2007–Aug 2009)
Hans Backe (Jan 2010–Nov 2012)
Tactically speaking, this match presented Portland with something different than what they faced in preseason. NY came out in a low pressure 4-2-3-1 that really clogged and compacted the space with their initial pressure starting around the top half of the circle. Essentially, this meant NY had nearly 11 men behind the ball at all times. NY also ran a three man midfield with Dax McCarthy and Juninho (former Lyon star, now 38 years old) at the base with Tim Cahill as the attacking point of the triangle. Henry occupied the space wide on the left; needless to say, for MLS standards NY has some class in the side, albeit on the tail end of their careers. Much the same to Portland, NY's preseason was riddled with defensive lapses and mistakes. Petke did not settle on a first choice back 4 thru any of their preseason matches. An injury in goal meant reserve GK Robles was getting the nod for NY, as well.
Portland pressing
Portland made their impressions known from the opening kick off. Portland's game plan was to press from the off with their initial pressure causing a turnover within 11 seconds. Offensively, Portland was making simple errors in possession, and even worse errors, in defense. Both CB's for Portland had a shockingly poor 1st half, on both sides of the ball. Silvestre, in particular, was very poor positionally, mentally, and lacking any kind of mobility. Technically speaking, his passing was errant and leaving much to be desired. Thoughts of substituting the former Manchester United man had to have been circulating throughout Jeld-Win Field. Baptiste also looked clumsy and poor with possession (his play in the 2nd was much improved, however). To compound this, Rickets had a very unconvincing first half. Even prior to his part in the clanger on New York's first and third goals, he looked shaky on some early routine saves. 2nd half adjustments led to a better time for the both Center Backs and GK relieving pressure on the backline, yet the jury is still well and truly out on this defensive trio.
First Portland Chance
Off a corner, a neat little movement where Valeri's bounced service found a curling run of W. Johnson who got a look at frame from around 14 yards. Johnson scuffed his shot into a NY defender where the ensuing effort fell at the feet of Silvestre. Silvestre snatched at it and spurned his opportunity unconvincingly wide, which would have be an ideal remedy to his catastrophic role he played in conceding the early lead.
Portland Opening Goal
Portland's first goal of the year came off a 10 pass combination spanning 80 yards ending with a well timed 1-touch ball to a 3rd man run that ended with some individual brilliance by Diego Valeri. Will Johnson, opening his hips, found Alhassan just outside the area. Diego Valeri's well timed clever movement of checking towards Will Johnson before moving away to create space for himself and in turn, creating a larger passing lane allowed Alhassan to slide him in. Valeri finished the moved off with some individual class as he calmly side-stepped the flat-footed NY defense.
2nd Half Adjustments
The 2nd half had a much different feel to it. Portland seemed to be placing a much greater emphasis on ball possession and circulating the attack from side to side. Whether this is fully down to Portland's quality, or NY's mindset to sit off even further is hard to tell. The truth is, probably a combination of both factors. Portland seemed more focused on building from the back and NY was fully content to concede more ground as they played the majority of the 2nd half on the back foot. The unfortunate side-effect to this for NY was this allowed Portland to gain time, territory, and most importantly, confidence going forward. Portland's strong suit is always going to be on the attack. If you can go at their weakness, and stifle their attacks where they originate (by pressing Silvestre and Baptiste) you are going to really soften their ability to move the game into dangerous areas.
Portland's tactical shift saw them push Ryan Miller and Michael Harrington further into the attack. Harrington impressed in their final preseason match working in great harmony with Nagbe out wide where he was able to finish off a well worked move with Nagbe. The main benefit this adjustment made was this gave Portland better field spacing (and more time on the ball), natural width, and allowed Nagbe freedom to drift inside to run at defenders.
Will Johnson
The importance Will Johnson has on the team cannot be understated. Instrumental in building the game from the defensive third, he also looks to spray passes east and west while also joining the attack as a late runner. His finishing has not been up to scratch as of yet, but he is putting himself in dangerous positions as well as giving Portland a late-late runner behind R. Johnson and Valeri who have been drawing the primary attention in central positions. A 2nd half tactical shift saw Harrington and Ryan Miller pushing higher meaning Portland was finding more success in wide areas. This allowed Will Johnson to continue to switch the play, now looking further up the pitch. A minor detail that allows Johnson to exert control over the game is that he is constantly opening his first touch meaning he does not restrict his possibilities in possession. Essentially, this technique and tactic creates an outside looking 'numbers plus' situation every time he's on the ball as he has more possibilities than several other less 'clever thinking' players.
Nagbe and Harrington
Nagbe's influence grew as he got more touches on the ball and in turn gained confidence. He may be poised for a break out year if he can continue to take the game to opponents. He has a unique ability to glide and ride challenges. He is best suited as a creator than as an out-and-out #9, which means his role is ideal. Portland's team is constructed in a manner that fits his game with personal and tactics. Harrington seems happy to provide support and supply to Nagbe, while still making efforts to join the attack. Not blessed with tremendous pace, Harrington is the yang to Nagbe's yang and could prove to be a good fit on the left side of the field as this relationship continues to grow further into the MLS campaign.
In summary, this was a match that featured some comedy of errors mistakes in the back, some individual class going forward, and some promising adjustments for Portland. Portland were at their best when the moved the ball in one-touch as they entered the attacking third. Their movement is sharp, they just need to continue to build the quality.
The biggest take away from this game for Portland is that they need to firmly believe in their identity. Teams that attempt to play positive football thru a patient build-up need technical players all over the pitch. If Portland is caught in between a Progressive Possession style and a team with an inability to build from the back, they will fail and be a frustrating team to watch as they will be elusively close to what it takes, but will fall short time and time again. However, if Portland can stick to their identity and move the ball with a higher pass-completion percentage they will continue to create chances and make opposing MLS teams tire and chase the game. This small caveat could prove crucial over the course of a ten month season where the travel demands are like no other league in the world and the bulk of play takes place during the American summer. A thinking approach could revolution MLS with a focus on higher possession statistics and a greater emphasis on tactics as opposed to the out-and-out physical attributes often on show in MLS.
