Technically Speaking: #NYvNE
- Updated: July 14, 2015
Photo credit: Kari Heistad/capturedimages.biz
Welcome back to another edition of “Technically Speaking,” where our very own resident coach and former pro Rick Sewall takes a deeper look into the Revolution’s latest performance.
Have any questions you’d like Rick to address? Feel free to ask away in the comments section below.
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From your own experience, when a team starts as poorly as the Revolution did on Saturday, who’s typically at fault: the players for not being mentally locked in, or the coach for not getting his players motivated?
Rick: If the poor start was a question of mental focus, the onus is on the players. I’ve never been a great fan of pre-game pep talks. From a purely motivational standpoint, it is fundamentally up to the players themselves, especially at the professional level, to prepare themselves mentally for a match. Especially because of the length of the season and the large number of games, pre-game hype by the coach can seem artificial and fall flat.
Self-and team-motivation should have been easy for the Revs in this game, as they were playing an important game against a big rival. At the end of the game, Jay Heaps assumed responsibility for the loss on the grounds that he had failed to give the team the needed “edge” to compete successfully. My first response to this was that that’s not his job – the players themselves are responsible for their focus or “edge.” But in another sense maybe he was right, given that the Revs’ fundamental execution in this game, particularly on defense, was seriously lacking. The best way a coach can “motivate” his team is to make sure they enter the game confident in both their offensive and defensive preparation. In other words, sound fundamentals will make it a lot easier to acquire their “edge.” And all the edge in the world won’t hold if the fundamentals break down.
What can a coach really do after watching his team concede three times in the first 12 minutes?
Rick: He can guide them to several winning attitudes. First, play as hard and as cleanly as they can, doing their best to avoid being carded. They should make every effort to show good sportsmanship to the opponent and referees (never complaining about bad calls, perceived or real, to any official on the field), in order to maintain their focus on catching up. Second, do not ever vent frustration. Doing so is, if nothing else, a sign of mental weakness. Third, never give up. For a team to recover from a three-goal deficits difficult, but it can happen.
If a team plays this way when a game is more or less out of reach, they will gain the respect of the opposition, the referees, and the fans and (probably most importantly) can leave the field with heads held high.
I might add that I would behave as a coach the same way I would expect my players to behave. If you coach long enough,you’re very likely to find yourself in a position like this, so it’s best to be ready for the possibility.
After the game, Red Bulls winger Lloyd Sam was surprised by the amount of space he was given during the game. Do you think that this was a byproduct of something you’ve pointed out in the past—the Revolution’s lack of speed on the wings?
Rick: Lloyd Sam is just the type of winger Chris Tierney is going to have trouble with: he is faster than Tierney, has good moves, and plays a smart game. To answer the question directly: Yes, Tierney’s lack of speed contributes to the room Sam had to operate. Backs instinctively give space – and should – to a faster opponent.
Another factor that may hurt Tierney’s and London Woodberry’s ability to mark opposing wingers effectively is the team formation, the 4-2-3-1. Because there are only four dedicated attacking players, the left and right backs are asked to make big contributions to the offense, and they often do so with their very effective crosses. As a result, they end up spending a lot of time in the offensive half of the field, which makes it more difficult for them to do their primary job of playing defense. In other words, if an advancement fails, it can easily be turned into a counterattack problem because both wingbacks are stuck up front, putting a lot of pressure on the defensive midfielders (who may also be committed to the attack) and the center backs.
The coaching staff might consider changing the team formation – or at least its own wing-play strategy – when an opposing team(like Dallas or the Red Bulls) has speedy and skillful forwards.
Given what you saw during Saturday’s game, if you were leading Revolution training this week, what would you have the players work on?
Rick: First, I would make absolutely clear what every player’s defensive responsibility is, from center forward to keeper, both during the run of play and on free kicks. Overall, the Red Bull team was given too much freedom. I would discuss the dangerous players NYC FC will have, especially David Villa. I would also stress the importance of body positioning when using the offside trap (a strategy I would like them to rely on less). Instead of having their backs to the endline, they should face the sideline, so that if the trap is beaten by a wily forward, a defender has a better chance of catching him because he doesn’t have to turn before giving chase.
Second, I would dissect the three first goals vs the Red Bulls, pointing out that the defense was fundamentally unsound on all three. How can any player, especially of the quality of Bradley Wright-Phillips, be left totally unmarked while standing practically inside the six-yard box? Farrell was in front of Wright-Phillips, paying him no attention. Woodberry was casually approaching him, but seemingly not too concerned. Only when the perfect cross came across from Sam did the Revolution defense show some awareness and urgency, but by then it was far too late.
To defend properly, a defender has to stand between his mark and the middle of the goal. He should face neither the ball nor the mark directly, but has to turn his body so he can see both. This takes concentration, but can be done if the defender shifts his eyes almost constantly from the ball to his mark and back. A clever forward will try to cut in front of or behind a defender and will always attack the ball, but if the defender stays between the mark and the center of the goal and attacks the ball from that vantage point, he will win the battle every time.
I don’t ever recall seeing a Revolution player defend this way. They generally do attack the ball very well, but they don’t do so from proper defensive positioning – they ball-watch far too much. Their obliviousness to proper defensive positioning before the real danger arrives (the ball) is hard to fathom and is costing the Revs preventable goals.
Jose Goncalves looked very heavy-footed before the Sam cross to Wright-Phillips. He could have blocked it if he had been more on his toes and had his feet closer together. Largely because of his body position, he lacked the agility to block the shot when he should have.
Scott Caldwell was aimlessly wandering around the field before the cross, looking unsure about what he should do. He should have fallen back to give Goncalves immediate support considering what a threat Sam can be.
On the second goal, Sam was left wide open before receiving the pass and scoring. The Revs appeared mesmerized by the Red Bull passing.
Wright-Phillips ran by Andrew Farrell too easily for the third. Farrell has got to learn how to track.
The Revs seem to have a basic lack of knowledge when defending in the penalty area. This can look like a lack of urgency, but I suspect they are simply confused.
Third, no matter how the Revs choose to shoot at goal – with the inside, with the inside of the big toe, the instep, or just a toe poke – they absolutely need to shoot low. That way, at least the ball won’t go over the crossbar. The Red Bull fourth goal– important at the time – went in because of a low shot and a deflection. Shoot for luck,I say.
Having a certain “edge” over an opposing team is something all coaches work for, but if your fundamentals are not 100% sound, your “edge,”if you ever had it,will quickly dissipate.Same is true in all sports.
What stood out the most to you about Saturday’s game?
Rick: The three goals the Red Bulls got in the first 12 minutes, and their several excellent ensuing chances (even excluding the penalty, which could have made the score even more lopsided). Goncalves’ red card so late in the game was a self-indulgent display of frustration.
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