Lessons Learned While Watching The Champions League Finals

By: Dave Martinez | May 28th, 2009

Lately, life has only afforded me the time to concentrate solely on the play of MLS teams, in particular, the Bulls. So taking a couple of hours out of my life to watch two of the best teams in the world go head to head was certainly a thrill and a privilege. But watching the game, it also became very apparent how far behind the MLS game is to the world class level of soccer on display.

I know that observation is like beating a dead horse, and it is also not right to compare these teams in any way. But that doesn’t mean you can’t learn a few things while watching, right?

And that is what I did. I watched the game and looked for tactical aspects of the game which the Bulls could actually do in order to be more competitive. And I kept it really simple. Check it:

Tactical Formation and Alignment.

Watching both of these teams, there was no question, on first glance, what formations were being implemented. That is because they have the discipline to follow their assignments, communicate with their partners, and move forward and back as a team. There are many times while watching a Red Bull match that one has to guess what formation is supposed to be played out there. Osorio needs to take the guys to task and work on alignment. The back four especially. Which leads me to . . .

The Offside Trap.

A simple, effective tool that can break an attack before it even nears the box. But you would have to go back to the previous point in order to get it done. If the team doesn’t hold its formations, the system most certainly collapses into mass hysteria.

A Condensed Field Is A Plus.

If you noticed, Barcelonas movement with the ball negated any attack by Manchester. They were able to pass their way out of danger time and again. This is not only because the players are world class, but it also has to do with the system, and in particular, the proximity of the pieces in said system. Barcelona condenses the field in their tactics. Why? Because the closer the players are in distance, the easier it is to telegraph a pass, and the more options become apparent in the process.

The Bulls line is almost always off, and their players are usually left in positions of vulnerability, desperately looking for a teammate to help out. Barca’s strategy nullifies that dead area, and in doing so, maximizes the precision of the passes, and movement of the attack.

4-5-1.

One of the best examples of how to effectively implement a defensive 4-5-1 strategy was on display in the second half of the game. Barcelona, with a comfortable 2 goal cushion, reverted to the defensive style in order to effectively close out the game. The results spoke for themselves.

Here is the difference between their 4-5-1 and the Bulls version; the lone striker isn’t 30 yards away from everyone else. Going back to the shortened field point, because the space between teammates is more confined, they are able to more easily pass the ball around, and when presented the opportunity, spring a near lying forward to the attack. The Bulls simply play the entire team 15-20 yards from the midfield stripe and let Angel jog 15 yards onto the other side of it. The result? A discombobulated mess, with one frustrated striker cursing under his breath.

Of course, all of this is just a lame excuse to put up a picture of Messi on the page. But that doesn’t discount the points I am making here. These are slight variants that I believe could realistically help this team.

Thoughts?