Posted by

Michele Tossani ,

May 6, 2014 Twitter:

@MicheleTossani

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Nelsen shows flexibility with 4-4-2, but can't make adjustments for a result

Toronto FC lost their third consecutive game courtesy of a 2-1 home loss against the New England Revolution. TFC’s manager Ryan Nelsen fielded a proactive team with a midfield featuring Jackson, Kyle Bekker, Michael Bradley and Jonathan Osorio, and selecting Gilberto and a newly healthy Jermaine Defoe up front. TFC’s overall approach was more interesting than in their previous displays. It was a game they needed to win after two previous defeats and Nelsen opted to play extremely offensive compared to their usual identity. TFC began by employing a very flexible 4-4-2: when in possession, Toronto tried a build-up from the back with the centre backs splitting wide while Bradley was dropping deep keeping position in between the two centre backs.

At the same time, full backs Mark Bloom and Justin Morrow were pushing forward playing as wing backs. So, in the building-up, Nelsen deployed his side with a kind of 3-3-2-2, with the team attacking in four lines of depth: Steven Caldwell, Bradley and Doneil Henry forming the first line; Bloom, Bekker, and Morrow being the second one; Gilberto and Defoe acting up front with Jackson and Osorio just behind them. In fact, both wingers Jackson and Osorio started wide open, but then continuously drifted inside into the central area of the field. It became a compact 4-4-2 as they lost possession, especially in their own third of the pitch where the team was defending with two strict banks of four. When the Revs were operating through their own possession, Toronto’s 4-4-2 started defending in a 4-3-1-2 shape, with Bradley jumping ahead in the way to pressure the opponent’s playmaker, and it’s a familiar role for him this season.

See: Can Bradley be an effective trequartista for TFC?

Favoring this offensive approach, TFC started the game very quick and seemed able to create something both through the centre and the flanks. Unfortunately, Gilberto gave away two good scoring chances but Toronto were still able to capitalize on the initial good momentum with a 6th minute goal. But scoring the opening goal wasn’t crucial for Toronto as New England bounced back to equalize thanks to Patrick Mullins which beat goalkeeper Julio Cesar following an assist by Daigo Kobayashi who easily intercepted a bad pass from Doneil Henry. In the second half, Toronto tried to push forward but their offensive performance was highly ineffective as they failed to create scoring chances. Despite this, they took the initiative with a prolonged possession, but Toronto were unable to replicate the performance they showed in the first part of the first half, failing to create clear scoring opportunities. Obviously, the bad weather also contributed, with the pitch sodden and the ball circulation effected by the rain, forcing Nelsen’s team to play a very slow soccer. In addition, Toronto’s second half tactics were unconvincing as the Reds were attempting to go around a narrowed New England defence through the middle rather than do it with width. The result was that Toronto’s game became too predictable. Going through the game, Nelsen utilized two subs, inserting two offensive weapons in Alvaro Rey and Issey Nakajima-Farran in an attempt to made his team more dangerous up top, but it didn’t add variety to Toronto’s offense as their offensive players lacked incisiveness today. On the flipside, it was New England who took the decisive advantage in the 82nd minute when they capitalized on Jonathan Osorio’s defensive mistake that resulted in a penalty kick awarded to the Revs. In the end, New England defended effectively while Toronto barely created clear chances as the game continued marked by their attacking play being especially poor in the second half. With New England parking the bus in the second part of the match, Toronto was unable to demonstrate a clear strategy against this, forcing their players to receive the ball where the opposition was able to minimize space. The final result doesn’t suit Toronto but it was a consequence of a poor team performance. This was a shocking one for Toronto’s fans considering the team had its stars Bradley and Defoe back. There will certainly be concerns looming as to how the team could perform when both will be out due to World Cup hiatus next month – assuming the Englishmen will receive the call up from England manager Roy Hodgson. Finally, you can’t forget that the final score could have been different had Gilberto capitalized on the three scoring chances he had through the game. We defended him through the first games of the season but his display wasn’t good enough, as the Brazilian’s effort in key moments came up short and contributed to the disappointing result. Michele Tossani is a football tactician with a Ph.D. in History. Michele resides in Florence, Italy and is a tactical analyst for Futbol-Tactico.com