Nothing gets most fans in a frothy lather like new stars. Or even the established stars, the “difference makers,” as I like to tag them.
But the hard business of wins and losses frequently comes down to more mundane matters. Front and center in these matters of the mundane, these boots-on-the-ground essentials that just aren’t as exciting to talk about over burgers and shakes: cohesiveness along the back line.
One of the big lessons from Major League Soccer’s opening weekend was just that: even when defenses are stacked with talented types, the back lines that has not played together is a problem waiting to happen.
In Portland, Mikael Silvestre (pictured) brought all those years at Manchester United and elsewhere in Europe. Ryan Miller, so determined to get forward in the new Caleb Porter way, looks like a find along the right side. Michael Harrington along the left has long been one of the league’s stronger one-on-one defenders (although his passing choices were always a sticky wicket.)
(MORE: analysis of Portland and New York from Richard Farley)
Still, the Jeld-Wen defense forces were dragged under by the same old bugaboos and boo-boos that helped take down the former coaching regime. A big reason was communication between four guys along the back and a goalkeeper who have never played together.
Same with New York, where Jamison Olave was large and in charge on a newly assembled back line – and yet there were mistakes here and there. Again, that was the first time together for this foursome.
Jeff Parke and Amobi Okugo as a central pairing in Philly? Both are quality players individually, but as a first-time center back pairing? Well, they’ll get better than what we saw in giving up three at home to Sporting KC.
Chivas is probably an outlier here because everything around the Goats new way is spanking new. So allowing three at home (to Columbus) was certainly a partial product of a new back line, but it would be a big over-simplification to pin all the blame there.
Meanwhile, a team like FC Dallas survived despite playing anywhere near conference contender form. A big reason: the back four starters were the very same as in the second half of 2012. Matt Hedges and George John were ball-clearing beasts as Dallas overcame a game Colorado effort in a 1-0 win.
(MORE: SKC goes on the road to down Philadelphia)
(MORE: Observations from the Chivas USA experiment, Match 1)
