tactical-analysis Stories - Sounder At Heart
Do Sounders Need More Creativity From Central Midfield?
One of the most hotly debated roster topics this off season has been whether the Seattle Sounders need to upgrade or add tactical depth to the roster at the more attack-oriented central midfield position. The discussion has often gotten bogged down in traditional soccer semantics. Many of us have...
Fitting Roles Into Crowded Sounders Midfield
It is a good problem to have, namely more starting-calibre talent than starting spots, and this is the problem that the Sounders already appear to have in their crowded midfield for 2012. With Mauro Rosales, Alvaro Fernandez, and Osvaldo Alonso all seeming to be virtual locks in any "best XI",...
Michael Gspurning Offers New Dimensions To Sounders
As Sigi Schmid said several times today, "there is no replacing Kasey Keller." Instead Michael Gspurning is just the Seattle Soundersnext keeper. The Austrian Keeper is younger, taller and offers something that Keller didn't have. While he will need to make the saves and learn to command the...
Sounders Defense Strong, But Area In Most Need Of Improvement
It isn't that Seattle Sounders FC's defense was poor, in fact is was quite good. The team gave up only 50 goals in all 48 competitive games for a 1.04 Goals Against Average. But there were two chronic issues - a weakness on the counter and probably merely average against set-pieces. Underlying the...
Sounders Midfield Depth Provides Opportunity For Tactical Rotation, Role Shifting
If there is one thing learned in 2011 it is that the Seattle Sounders staff knows how to find and utilize midfielders. From a defensive midfielder who grew into more, to MVP quality play from a minimum salary player who bought into the phrase "trust us" the team is stacked with talent in central...
MLS Playoffs: Sounders at Salt Lake Leg One - Tactical Breakdown
With the red cards, penalties and an own goal in the last two matches there isn't much that can be taken from the previous two meetings between these sides. Even the issue with the 2010 contests has been addressed, as the Seattle Sounders substitution patterns have dramatically improved in 2011...
Sammy Ochoa v Mike Fucito Tactical Decision - Case Study Real Salt Lake
After Sammy Ochoa's Pemco goal against Chivas USA last week it seems like the Seattle Sounders have a bit of a battle for that second forward role. Just a week ago the case was made that their roles are different enough that the start v sub decision should be more about tactical options than one...
Using Forward Rotations To Achieve Tactical Dominance
Forwards are meant to score. Sometimes it is that simple. Sure there's so much other stuff that they can do, but in the end they are the scorers. In order for top forwards to accomplish this goal they need space to receive the ball and then space enough to shoot it effectively. In these parts we've...
Without Three Best Technical Players Seattle Fails To Create
Sigi Schmid's side lacked its best three technical and creative force in the game Saturday night. Forced to use the natural central midfielders (Brad Evans and Erik Friberg) at the same time and deploying Pat Noonan as a withdrawn man the Seattle Sounders did not threaten the Philadelphia Union...
Osvaldo Alonso - Defensive Or Box-to-Box Midfielder
When Osvaldo Alonso signed with the Seattle Sounders back in the fall of 2008 it was coming off a season with the Charleston Battery that wasn't just impressive, but amazing. He was the team Player of Year, led the team to a US Open Cup Final appearance (after beating Seattle in the semis), USL-1...
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