David defeats Goliath: Seattle slays LAFC and advance to the MLS Cup Final
A brace from Raul Ruidiaz and a goal from Nico Lodeiro secured the 3-1 win for Seattle, knocking out LAFC and advancing to the MLS Cup Final. The remarkable and historic season for the Black and Gold comes to an end, and LAFC change their focus onto next season.
A brace from Raul Ruidiaz was more than enough to pull of the upset against LAFC and advance to the MLS Cup FInal for the third time in four years. Photo Courtesy of the Seattle Sounders via Instagram @soundersfc
What went wrong?
Lots of things, and I will not be brief nor minimal about it either. The referee was terrible, no doubt, but despite the lack of handball calls and hard challenges not being recorded, LAFC’s performance was not worthy of my praise. Let’s begin by picking on the attack. while observing last night’s match from the sideline, I noticed a few things that were huge factors in the loss.
Brad Smith was the Defensive MVP last night
LAFC played their usual 4-3-3 formation last night with Diego Rossi and Brian Rodriguez as wide as possible, standing exactly to the sideline. They do this so they can pull the wingback that is marking them away from the center, leaving Carlos Vela isolated with room to work in. But this only works if the wingback follows them towards the sideline. Sounders wingback Brad Smith did not follow, instead, he stayed exactly where he was and kept his eye on Rossi, and he only guarded him directly when Rossi received the ball. As soon as Rossi released, Smith went back to his position and just kept his head on a swivel, keeping an eye on Rossi’s positioning and the ball. I give high praise to Brad Smith for his defensive contribution in last night’s win for Seattle.
Carlos Vela meets with the North End supporters and shows his gratitude for their support throughout the season. Photo Courtesy of Carlos Vela via Instagram @carlosv11_
What change could have been made to counter Seattle’s defensive tactics?
Since Seattle’s defense was not cooperating with our offensive tactics, we can still disrupt their defense by tightening up all three forwards, forcing the defense to defend us as a bunch. Of course, that way it is harder for either side to win aerial duels. That’s when the “Second ball retrievements” and the midfielders come into play. A 50/50 ball in the air won or lost in the air, whether by a header or any other touch, needs to be claimed by the midfield (The Playmakers) so they can start up the play, and we go from there. With this, not only do we have possession of the ball, but we have more time to dictate the game (Ball Retention = More Time of Possession). Speaking of Ball Retention, this leads to my next observation…
Eduard Atuesta was named a part of the MLS Best XI before the stunning loss against the Sounders. Photo Courtesy of Eduard Atuesta via Instagram @eduard_atuesta
Atuesta and the vital points of the Attacking third
Even though he scored a stunning free-kick early in the game, Eduard Atuesta was not playing like a player who was voted on the MLS XI. He showed a lack of effort and intensity, and to all of us on the LAFC Universe team, seemed like he did not want to play anymore once LAFC lost the lead. He started forcing bad balls into pressure, giving passes with no intention, and was holding the ball to long in the vital points of the midfield.
Since Seattle had the defensive tactic set up the way they wanted to, it was extremely crucial for playmakers like Eduard Atuesta, Lee Nguyen, and Mark Anthony-Kaye to build up the plays in these parts of the field. To make it easier to understand, lets call this part of the field “nerves”. Having and Losing possession in the “nerves” is crucial because 1) Chances created here are more likely to convert than any other part of the field 2) Losing the ball here can lead to a dangerous counter attack from the opposition that can be very hard to transition into defensively. I give props for Seattle’s game plan, taking control of these crucial points meant that they took control of this game, and with all honesty, Brian Schmetzer was The Dictator.
A terrible depiction of what I mean of these vital points of the field (The Nerves) but it was the best I was able to do. Losing possession in these areas were costly for LAFC. Photo Courtesy of Google Images
So…. What Now?
LAFC can now turn their focus to next season, but first, the off-season. The Expansion draft is going to be crucial for every club in the league as every team can only protect eleven players, and the two new expansion teams (Inter Miami FC and Nashville SC) can add up to five players to their squad as a boost for their inaugural season.
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The final results of both Conference Final fixtures are in, and I got to say ladies and gentleman, we’re in for a treat. Seattle. Toronto. III. November 10. CenturyLink Field. (I know you guys are not as excited as I am, but championship football is championship football.) Who do you think will take the MLS Cup home? Let me know in the comments below! Catch Connor, I and the rest of the LAFC Universe team at the grand final as we look to bring you all the content you deserve! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter!
90 Minutes +. Photo Courtesy of The 3252 via Twitter @LAFC3252
It was very Heart-breaking. After the match, I was one of the last ones to leave the field because I was taking some time to cherish all of the amazing moments we had this season. From Dio’s game winner against SKC to Zimmerman’s screamer against RSL. From Vela’s amazing solo goal against SJ to Atuesta’s free kick in the Supporter’s Shield clincher against Houston. I felt like a girl had rejected me, and I do not know how that feels because I have never been rejected by a girl before. It hurt that bad, but I quickly lightened up. I thought to myself, “Wow. If all of that happened this season, I can’t wait to see what 2020 has in store for us.” We remain undefeated, no matter what because we do not lose, we learn. Through all of the good, and through all of the bad, We remain Forever Faithful. We remain Forever Black and Gold.
Written by Jerry Reynoso