Tactical Analysis - Recent posts

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Leg One Learnings

Sounder at Heart - Soccer From the Heart of the Sound 01 November @ 09:11 PM EST
There are a few things we learned from the frustrating result Thursday. In ways they will influence how we watch and appreciate the Sounders performance on the road next Sunday. In other ways, they may be the same learnings that Sigi had in watching the film twice before an 11:30AM practice Friday. Click to continue reading...

… if this is a dream I want to stay asleep

Sounder at Heart - Soccer From the Heart of the Sound 25 October @ 02:40 PM EST
That line is from Sigi Schmid, but I think it relates to so many of us after this first season. I know it personally feels that way. Last night, with all of the pomp, with the win, it was one of my favorite days of my young life that didn't involve family (yes, [...] Click to continue reading...

Keys to Beating the Cunningham Effect

Sounder at Heart - Soccer From the Heart of the Sound 23 October @ 11:08 PM EST
If form matters, then Dallas is the one team that the Sounders don't want to face. Since September 1st they earned 16 points, best in the league. Sounders though are tied for 3rd with 10 points over that same stretch. Much of their success has been credited to one Jeff Cunningham, who [...] Click to continue reading...

Playoffs?! Don’t talk about playoffs! Are you kidding me?

Sounder at Heart - Soccer From the Heart of the Sound 17 October @ 09:48 PM EST
Thank you Jim Mora. He was right. No team wants to talk about the Playoffs. They just want to win more games. Now, for the Sounders that includes a Playoff game, preferably at least three. This match was another where the Sounders played well enough to double their goal scoring total, and also played maybe the [. Click to continue reading...

Unfit for 90 in KC

Sounder at Heart - Soccer From the Heart of the Sound 17 October @ 11:33 AM EST
Sometimes people pass things on that I have missed. In this case it isn't a minor detail, but a rather disturbing statement from the KC interim coach Peter Vermes. Thanks Leo. He admits in public that his team is unfit. "The thing that is hard for me to swallow is when we lose the game [...] Click to continue reading...

Keys to Sounders at Wizards

Sounder at Heart - Soccer From the Heart of the Sound 16 October @ 02:49 PM EST
Everyone that reads this site knows how important this match is for the Sounders and their ability to make the MLS Cup Playoffs. It is even more important for Kansas City, would be eliminated with a loss. KC was so poor early in the season that they fired their coach, and it hasn't [...] Click to continue reading...

This Week in The Bundesliga: The Rise of the Bridesmaid!

Bundesliga Talk 05 October @ 02:53 PM EST

Another week, another victory! This week was a 4-0 route of Nuremburg. Bayer 04 have become, along with HSV, one of the dominant teams in the Bundesliga. But it was only a year ago that Bayer, under Bruno Labbadia had a blistering start. But it wasn't anything comparable to this start, because the Werkself aren't just winning, their winning with panache and style.

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Missed opportunities – for everyone, but more for the Crew

Sounder at Heart - Soccer From the Heart of the Sound 03 October @ 08:52 PM EST
GBS misses a PK Gaven hits the post Marshall saves a certain goal Sure Alonso nearly scored as well (Or Montero could have slid that in after). But the fact is that the Crew had more opportunities and did not capitalize. Their moments of strength were stronger, and this was a match where luck, Tyrone Marshall [. Click to continue reading...

Going back to C-Bus

Sounder at Heart - Soccer From the Heart of the Sound 02 October @ 09:12 PM EST
Ah, Columbus Ohio land of great sushi? While this is a home coming for Sigi, Ezra and Brad. It is also in ways a homecoming for myself. While I did not travel, I have some Ohio roots, but more importantly my MLS roots are with the Crew and Brian McBride. During MLS [...] Click to continue reading...

Ending the Revolution – Keys to Victory

Sounder at Heart - Soccer From the Heart of the Sound 25 September @ 11:47 AM EST
New England represents so many of the problems with MLS 1.0. They are treated like step-brother by their NFL partners, a minor tenant in a stadium that should be beautiful. This game though will feature a team that on the pitch has scraped together through adversity and managed to teeter on the edge [. Click to continue reading...

Is Ljungberg worth it?

Sounder at Heart - Soccer From the Heart of the Sound 20 September @ 01:59 PM EST
That's the question that Steve Davis asks in his latest post at Daily Soccer Fix. It really comes down to a few main topics where Freddie has been struggling 1- Adjusting to MLS Referees 2- Injury History 3- Statistical performance 4- His nature as a "tweener" compared to the Sounders roster Adjusting to MLS Referees I absolutely agree with Davis on Freddie's [. Click to continue reading...

How to cook a Goat

Sounder at Heart - Soccer From the Heart of the Sound 17 September @ 10:59 PM EST
Ah, the stretch run. Many pundits and fans tend to focus on the final few games as if they are more important than any other. Time skews our perception of the game, but honestly, in the Sounders case those first five matches matter just as much as the last five. Without those [...] Click to continue reading...

This is not groundhog day – United host Sounders

Sounder at Heart - Soccer From the Heart of the Sound 10 September @ 11:54 PM EST
Sure, it feels like we've all been here before, maybe because of that great US Open Cup Win! But it is not Groundhog Day. This is a league match against an opponent that is ahead of the Sounders on the current table and are now pacing for 5th and 45 points. A win would also [...] Click to continue reading...

Tradition Doesn’t Win

Sounder at Heart - Soccer From the Heart of the Sound 03 September @ 09:27 PM EST
DC United proudly display the word "tradition" on their back collars. There isn't another MLS club that could do so. They have earned it. There was an idea that they carry 12 trophies means that they deserve the 13th and that expansion franchises will never deserve respect propagated on the net, somewhat [. Click to continue reading...

US Open Cup Final – filling holes

Sounder at Heart - Soccer From the Heart of the Sound 01 September @ 11:08 PM EST
Hurtado is out due to his Card situation. Now today we find out that Marshall and Graham are out as well. So the Sounders in their quest for their first Cup in year one MLS have a significant situation. Three of their four CB are out, the central midfield has passing issues and the [...] Click to continue reading...

The Interchange – Solution or Problem

Sounder at Heart - Soccer From the Heart of the Sound 31 August @ 07:56 PM EST
Remember back in the giddy days? The days of 4-2-0 and 12 points in six? The days of Nine Goals in 6, only 3 sacrificed and none of those by Keller! Remember the days when the Supporter Shield was a goal, and not a dream? Remember the days of Sigi's Game, that nice [...] Click to continue reading...

S before T – Hosting Toronto Keys to Game

Sounder at Heart - Soccer From the Heart of the Sound 28 August @ 08:33 PM EST
If you've been reading this site you know this match has significant playoff implications. This is basically the 7th seed v the 10th seed. It is in essence a must win (remember those from early in the season?). A win could bump Seattle to 6th and a loss dropping them potentially to [...] Click to continue reading...

On the Diamond

Sounder at Heart - Soccer From the Heart of the Sound 27 August @ 03:00 AM EST
Not baseball, but the 4-3-1-2 or 4-1-3-2(Sounders sometimes in this variant), and how it developed and is used in Europe. This is a great read on tactics. What is notable is that while Sounders FC use a formation that could be described this way, they actually abandoned the #10 concept for which Ljungberg was initially slotted. Click to continue reading...

No Tougher Test – SSFC @ Houston Dynamo

Sounder at Heart - Soccer From the Heart of the Sound 22 August @ 12:53 PM EST
Let's test something this week. Sounders FC has a recent (last 5) form of 0-4-1 (0/8) and Houston has a 2-2-1 (7/7) form in the same stretch of league play. Recent form would make you think that Houston is a mid-table team and Sounders a bottom of the barrel expansion club. Recent form would be [... Click to continue reading...

The Set: Hamburg 4 – 1 Borussia Dortmund

Bundesliga Talk 20 August @ 04:06 PM EST

Hamburg shook off their early season funk and tore apart Dortmund at the Nordbank Arena. It was the 4th straight victory for the Dinosaurs at home against BVB. A series of early goals seemed to settle the match by the 12th minute. Guy Demel pushed the first over the line after a massive keeper error in the 4th.

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Revolution comes to Seattle

Sounder at Heart - Soccer From the Heart of the Sound 19 August @ 07:58 PM EST
I'm not talking the political revolution where an incumbent mayor can't even make it past the top two primary. I'm not talking web 2.0, or "hidden" Starbucks (Starbucks not really hidden). Its the New England Revolution here, and yet the revolution they will be seeing is a pure partnership between both Vulcan properties the [. Click to continue reading...

The Galaxy You Know

Sounder at Heart - Soccer From the Heart of the Sound 13 August @ 08:12 PM EST
Earlier we opened up the pregame analysis with a look at the defensive five in Bruce Arena's current 4-1-3-2 system. Those five have been quite effective defensively, limiting their opposition to the second fewest shots and second best goals against average in the league. But this match is a marquee crusher because of the Galaxy [. Click to continue reading...

The Galaxy You Don’t Know

Sounder at Heart - Soccer From the Heart of the Sound 11 August @ 11:17 PM EST
The front five get all the attention in Galaxy-land. They are pretty, they are fast and they score in bunches. They also aren't the only story down in Carson at the Home Depot Center. Arena recently switched to the 4-1-3-2, and that back five has been better than solid, and they are the Galaxy [... Click to continue reading...

Starters, Rotationals, Substitutes and Reserves

Sounder at Heart - Soccer From the Heart of the Sound 09 August @ 10:33 PM EST
This is something that people have been asking me offline and via email "What is a Rotational player?" It made so much sense to me that I have answered it on a one off basis, but the question has come up often enough that I feel it is time to answer it here. As a [...] Click to continue reading...

Lessons from Barcelona

Sounder at Heart - Soccer From the Heart of the Sound 06 August @ 10:02 PM EST
I didn't expect to write anything from the Barcelona match. It was a friendly, which to me screams exhibition with a bigger price tag. But I think we actually learned a little bit about the Sounders and Sigi last night. Sure the crowd set a record, sure we saw Lionel Messi work his magic, [...] Click to continue reading...

How do you grill on uneven flame?

Sounder at Heart - Soccer From the Heart of the Sound 26 July @ 02:22 PM EST
The story will likely be focused on the Center Referee and Freddie Ljungberg's double yellow. The first was for Simulation, what we all know as diving and the second is not listed in the match report. While it was likely Dissent, the 2nd Yellow was so quick one could question. What I [...] Click to continue reading...

What to watch when hosting a Fire

Sounder at Heart - Soccer From the Heart of the Sound 25 July @ 10:46 AM EST
Today, the game features the best road team visiting the 2nd best home team. Chicago is dealing with some extensive losses (McBride, Pause, Soumare, Segares) while Seattle only deals with the loss of Brad Evans. While Fire fans have confidence from their home draw against Seattle early in the season, let us remember that good [. Click to continue reading...

Sometimes the referees screw the other guys

Sounder at Heart - Soccer From the Heart of the Sound 12 July @ 02:38 PM EST
Three points against the league leaders. Destiny in the hands of the Rave Green. A match where the depth of each side was tested, and it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who has followed this league for more than a few months that the two clubs at the top of the table [...] Click to continue reading...

Day Glo in the Daytime – Houston at Seattle

Sounder at Heart - Soccer From the Heart of the Sound 11 July @ 11:45 AM EST
The Rave Green and Safety Orange face off in an early Saturday match this week. More than 32,000 fans will be present when the #3 hosts the #1 team as Seattle fans and the team have had to travel a whopping 30 miles this week (Tukwila for the Open Cup) the Houston Dynamo put [...] Click to continue reading...

Zakuani on Portland and KC in Open Cup

Sounder at Heart - Soccer From the Heart of the Sound 05 July @ 04:08 PM EST
Afer the Wednesday win over Portland Sounders had a light recovery day with stretching and some jogging while the US Men prepared for their Gold Cup match. After practice Steve and I talked for two minutes about the Open Cup past and future matches. Dave Clark: How do you think that crowd in Portland was [. Click to continue reading...

Green – Blue – Green

Sounder at Heart - Soccer From the Heart of the Sound 29 June @ 12:09 AM EST
On a bright Sunday afternoon, while our National team rediscovered how powerful Brasil is, Seattle Sounders FC put forward their wills, their force and declared that this is a summer of soccer indeed. In front of the record setting crowd (thanks you last three people) Seattle showed that the new Dragon Army was in [. Click to continue reading...

Vickery’s tactical look at Brasil

Sounder at Heart - Soccer From the Heart of the Sound 22 June @ 09:02 AM EST
What struck me about this piece, a must read for any Sounders fan, is that currently Sounders are only using half of Dunga's tactics, but the descriptions of their play while grander in skill, seem similar in style. The thinking is as follows the physical development of the game has made it much harder for [. Click to continue reading...

Missed Opportunity

Sounder at Heart - Soccer From the Heart of the Sound 21 June @ 12:09 PM EST
Three matches in eight days starts to wear on fans, on media, but mostly on players. The effect on this team was not fully apparent, as there was plenty of energy in a lineup that saw a few changes, but those changes were not what determined this outcome. Most often followers of a [...] Click to continue reading...

Battling for points in the Swamp

Sounder at Heart - Soccer From the Heart of the Sound 20 June @ 12:52 PM EST
It seems odd to say, but on Match Day Fifteen I see a must win on the road. It isn't necessarily to stop the bleeding, 4 points in 2 at home is a great average. If Sounders do that over the season at home they would be 75% to the playoffs. This is a [...] Click to continue reading...

Last night we saw an expansion team

Sounder at Heart - Soccer From the Heart of the Sound 18 June @ 05:43 PM EST
If that match had happened in the first month, we would have been thrilled. If that match had happened in month two we would have been satisfied. But when it happens in the fourth match we get disappointed. And rightly so. Because last night Sounders FC played like an expansion team. There were moments [. Click to continue reading...