This is a
really good read on the build up of play from this blog.
http://thebootroomblog.com/2012/03/2...-swiss-cheese/
All game long, it seemed like Sporting Kansas City would break through. The team’s perfect record was on the line, and FC Dallas’ opening goal was against the run of play at Livestrong Sporting Park. And even after he missed a penalty kick and a couple of other chances, Kei Kamara was always a likely candidate to provide the winner.
In the 88th minute, he capped a stunning team effort that included five one-touch passes in quick succession, taking the ball from Kansas City’s defensive third into Dallas’ goal in about 10 seconds. Check it out here.
The biggest key to Sporting’s build-up play is finding the open spaces that FC Dallas gives it. Let’s pick it up when Kamara receives the ball in his own half of the field. Dallas plays a 4-4-2 with two defensive midfielders and outside midfielders that like to press high to support the forwards. That leaves pockets of space on the outside of the field where overlapping outside backs in a 4-3-2-1 (such as Kansas City’s) can find the ball. Myers made this run all game long, and he was dangerous from this position a couple of times. Kamara sees the space and plays the ball to him.
Dallas left back Hernan Pertuz has to shift to pressure Myers, and that opens up a space more toward the middle of the field for attacking midfielder Graham Zusi to find the ball. Look at Dallas’ shape in this picture. The defenders are spread out by Kansas City’s passing, so when Zusi gets the ball, there will be one place they are vulnerable…
…and that’s in behind. Because Ugo Ihemelu steps to Zusi, that flattens out the Dallas defense. A back four that’s caught flat 40 yards from goal is always prime for a through ball. Myers sees the space open up, so he lays the ball off for Zusi and runs into it. More importantly, Kamara also sees the play develop and knows the space will be there for him to attack also. Check out his first move from a couple of screenshots ago; he doesn’t stop after he passes the ball — he keeps his run going, seeing the play develop.
So Kansas City has attacked the open spaces Dallas offered up to this point. Myers, Zusi and Kamara have shown great vision and field awareness that allows them to string together a good one-touch combination. Now comes a second factor in this goal: Hard work. Myers and Kamara don’t just jog into the open spaces; they attack them with sprinting runs, piercing Dallas’ defense, which is on its heels (look at Ihemelu’s body position in the above screenshot).
Kamara blows past Ihemelu, Myers gets a step on Pertuz and now, Dallas is in trouble. One last factor to watch in this play: Kevin Hartman’s positioning. As the ball goes through and Myers looks like he might get to it, Hartman has to take up the proper position to cut out the cutback cross, which is Myers’ only option with the speed at which he’s moving, the direction every player is facing (toward the goal) and where the ball is going to end up (endline). Hartman’s positioning here isn’t ideal. He may have been trying to split the difference between Kamara and C.J. Sapong, but a ball to Sapong is nowhere near as likely as a ball to Kamara in this situation, especially since Kamara has the inside track on his marker. Hartman should be closer to his near post; look at all the space he’s giving up on that side of the goal.
It’s still not too late to remedy the situation. If Hartman takes one giant step (or two small steps) toward the near post, he gives Kamara a smaller angle at the near post. Instead, Hartman takes a big step forward, which doesn’t help him out at all. Look at the difference here: If Hartman steps to the side (purple), his angle is much better than the one he gives himself by stepping forward (yellow).
That little bit of space makes a huge difference because Ihemelu is recovering to pressure Kamara, who feels the pressure on his back. He doesn’t have much time or space to get his shot off; it’s going to have to be one touch, and because of the direction from which Ihemelu is approaching, it’s going to have to go to the near post. Kamara did blow past Ihemelu initially, but because the ball takes some time to travel from Myers to Kamara, Ihemelu has time to recover and frame the shot properly for his goalkeeper. Even though Kamara is right on top of the six-yard box, if Hartman is covering the near post better, it’s a much tougher finish.
Look at where the ball crosses the line, and compare it to Hartman’s position (at the top of the triangle) if he takes a step sideways instead of forward a couple of frames ago. This shot doesn’t exactly squeak in at the near post. Hartman may have been able to stop Kamara again, and the Sporting forward may have ended up dreaming about Dallas’ goalkeeper and being robbed, if Hartman’s positioning is different.
I like this goal because of the myriad of lessons that can be taken away from it:
- How to find and exploit open spaces with good passing.
- The need for players to have their heads up to see these spaces.
- Working hard to win 1 v 1 battles in those spaces.
- One step being the difference between preventing a goal and losing in the last five minutes of a game that you once led.
In the end, this is a gem of a goal from Sporting Kansas City. The awareness, vision and work ethic the players display in making it happen puts it up as my early candidate for Team Goal of the Year. Further, it caps off a great performance that deserved a win. Finally, this goal shows what Kansas City brings to Major League Soccer this year — entertainment value.
Sporting is a young team with a lot of energy, passion and talent. It should win the Eastern Conference (although the Houston Dynamo will have something to say about that) and challenge for MLS Cup this year if it can keep this early form going.