New England Soccer Today

Prioritizing possession

Although MLS may have stopped providing possession statistics long ago, you don’t have to be a math major to notice that the New England Revolution’s possession percentage fell well south of 50% for the majority of the 2010 season.

With the worst defense in MLS and the worst offense in team history in 2010, there’s plenty of blame to go around for the Revs disappointing year. And while it’s easy to fault the defenders and forwards for those shortcomings, the club’s biggest liability may have been its midfielders.

Shalrie Joseph has had more and more of the offensive burden placed on his shoulders each year since 2006. (Photo by CHRIS ADUAMA/aduama.com)

A look back at the Revs most successful season, 2005, reveals some stark contrasts to the team of 2010. The Revs five-man midfield in ’05 featured a starting cast of Steve Ralston, Clint Dempsey, Jose Cancela, Shalrie Joseph and Marshall Leonard.  With a midfield of seasoned veterans and a second-year Dempsey, who had already made his international debut, the Revs had a squad they could count on to maintain possession.

With Ralston, Dempsey, Cancela, and Joseph, the Revs had four solid performers who could be depended on to maintain possession, even in the tightest of spots. And while Leonard may not have been an all-star, he played within himself and, as a result, never became a liability on the field. In essence, the team had an entire set of midfielders that knew exactly when to take risks on the attack and, in some instances, when to pass back and reorganize. Simply put: they successively analyzed each situation as a unit, and on some nights, it was a sight to behold.

Cancela plotted attacks with precision passing from the middle of the field. Ralston consistently provided dangerous crosses and was also a threat when cutting inside. Dempsey often proved unmarkable with deep runs into the box, a number resulting in goals off diving headers. Joseph held the team together, breaking up opponents’ offensive forays and providing a link between the defense and the attack with smart passes.

The players understood their role and, as a result, forged a strong chemistry that carried them to an incredible 11-game unbeaten streak to start the season. Though injuries and line-up shuffling hurt the team a bit, the team had more than enough steam to carry them all the way to the 2005 MLS Cup Final.

The eventual transition to the stock 4-4-2 from the creative 3-5-2 in 2008 had an effect on the midfield by an obvious lessening of numbers, but it was the change of personnel that hurt more.  Dempsey and Cancela were lost in 2006, Leonard was gone in 2007, and Ralston, outside of an attempted return derailed by injury last season, was done with the Revs after 2009. Andy Dorman and Jeff Larentowicz, who adequately filled the void when those players left, are gone now as well.

To no one’s shock, all of those changes left a team that generally dominated possession and controlled the tempo in 2005 to one that was kept on their collective back foot for most of 2010. The midfield that ended last season as the first choice, Joseph, Sainey Nyassi, Pat Phelan, and Kenny Mansally unmistaklably paled in comparison to the 2005 edition.

The Revs still need more consistency out of Sainey Nyassi. (Photo by Art Donahue/artdonahue.com)

Nyassi and Mansally, though possessing speed unseen on the Revs prior to their tenure, haven’t displayed the consistency or offensive awareness of Ralston. The pair has shown steady improvement, especially on the defensive end, but both still struggle to put in dangerous crosses with regularity, provide a similar level of unpredictability, or show the same ability to keep possession in tight spaces.

Phelan, while filling in admirably for the hole left by Larentowicz, has yet to provide much of a threat offensively. Nor has he shown an ability to play dangerous passes to the wings or strikers to spark an attack. Larentowicz himself took time to develop a bit of that ability, though he was never the same threat of Dorman or Dempsey before him. To be fair, neither of them was developed to be that player.

Joseph, meanwhile, has developed into an even more dominant player than he was in 2005 as his role has continued to expand. While the imposing central midfielder is still the Revs key to breaking up attacks, he has also morphed into their primary creative force in the midfield, leading the team in assists two years in a row.

While Joseph can carry the team on his back for a few games, as was seen last year, it’s clear he can’t do it all season. He needs more help around him.

The changes have resulted in a team that’s become boringly predictable in the attack and embarrassingly stumbles on possession, putting extra pressure on their own defense, which of course, is nothing more than an invitation for their opponents to run all over them. As a result, the team has to compensate by scrapping the midfield altogether, launching long balls to the forwards, an unfathomable tactic back in 2005.

But the forecast in Foxboro isn’t completely bleak. At 21-years-old, Nyassi and Mansally should continue to develop. But, they need to exhibit more consistency for the Revs to succeed if they continue to start. The coaching staff needs to focus on developing their crossing and offensive awareness. Acquiring a veteran or two to push them for their starting spots could be of great benefit.

In the center, they need a two-way midfielder to partner Joseph. Finding someone who can create chances from the middle would help free up the often overburdened captain and keep defenses guessing.  At 25, Phelan may still improve, but seeing the Connecticut native progress even to the level of Larentowicz would hardly be a cure-all for the Revs problems.

If the Revs can find the right personnel and combination on defense, the team may still be best suited for a 3-5-2. Sticking with the 4-4-2 will require greater contributions not just from the midfield, but from the backline.

Speaking of the backline, the team will need their fullbacks to sharpen the offense. Kevin Alston likes to use his pace to get forward, but finds himself struggling with the same inconsistencies that have plagued as Nyassi and Mansally. Seth Sinovic has yet to prove himself an offensive threat from left back, while Chris Tierney lacks the speed to track back when he gets himself involved out of the back.

A lot of work needs to be done, but that doesn’t mean the Revs can’t pull it together. The final six games last season saw a marked improvement across the board as the team showed an ability to maintain possession and keep the pressure off the defense that was unseen earlier, even if there was little to play for but job security.

Across the midfield, Nyassi and Mansally looked more dangerous and unpredictable going forward, though the crossing was still lacking. Phelan had a pair of the best games of his career.

Up top, Marko Perovic and Ilija Stolica proved capable of holding the ball up and keeping control when the team was on the attack, an area the club has struggled with since Taylor Twellman missed nearly all of the past two seasons and subsequently retired.

If those players can maintain, and improve upon, their end of season form, the team’s outlook will already have brightened heading into 2011. Still, it will take considerable improvement on the part of the players already on the roster, along with the addition of more proven talent across the field, and maybe even a switch of tactics if the Revs are to contend for the MLS Cup this year.

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