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Indy Eleven formation shift proves inefficient against the Loons: Weekend Takeaway
A scoreline that would normally hit a painful note (3-1 in favour of Minnesota United FC) in the hearts of most supporters doesn’t depict what progress was made on the field. Indy implemented yet another new formation, working a 4-5-1 that lined up with all three forwards on the field for the first time this season. This was a shift from the normal formation that saw just two forwards up top with a central attacking midfielder. The new formation wasn’t terrible, as it got more from the offensive side of things than we had seen last week in Jacksonville.
“The changes for us were made to demand more from our guys. We wanted to see more movement and more activity in the attacking third of the field. Defensively we made some adjustments as well because we have a lot of guys knocking on the door and competing in training. We picked up some injuries with Kleberson and Dragan (Stojkov), and we’re giving guys chances to step up and fight for their place in the team. We wanted to be a little more aggressive tonight and come after them a bit. They did very well to absorb the pressure. Their goals forced us to do some things we didn’t want to do, but that’s what you have to do when you’re down a goal,” coach Jurgen Sommer said after the game.
Indy Eleven were beat on the attacking front 8-2 as Minnesota kept quality with their possession. It’s clear that the formation similarities between both clubs proved to be the benefit for Minnesota United as they showed their confidence was strong going into the match.
Indy has shifted formations frequently through the season which makes it a little more obvious they are still testing things out. While it’s fine to be tinkering and figuring out the best fit, you still need to play the game the best you can. Indy has struggled playing through the middle, so perhaps with the way that Charlie Rugg and Brian Brown played on the wings, which wasn’t unstoppable, can eventually turn into a more conceited effort to work in the wings.
The shift in formation also present a clear need for Indy Eleven. With the loss of Kleberson for possibly the entire 2015 campaign, the team will need to fill a void in the midfield, as there is now a clear need for leadership. What does it say about your midfield when you play two of your forwards on the outside of your formation instead of two midfielders who are used to that position? Nothing good for sure. A calming presence who can right the ship needs to stand up soon.
Cardona starts again:
One of the more interesting aspects as the continued start job of goalkeeper Keith Cardona. Cardona started last week, before Kristian Nicht resigned with Indy Eleven. Nicht’s resigning wasn’t a shock, but going into this week it seemed like all signs were leaning towards the tall German returning to his familiar position in front of the net. Cardona showed his strength and speed, getting into good spots, but with Minnesota the need for experience in the net was clear early on. “We were really pleased with what we saw from Keith when we brought him in. He’s a tremendous young goalkeeper who brings a lot to the table athletically. We relied on him down in Jacksonville and he played a great game with great composure. I thought he performed well again tonight too,” coach Sommer said. The move to keep Cardona in the net was seen more as choice to allow Nicht to get reacquainted after his resigning this week less than the tactical choice.
Playing for fall:
At this point, it’s a high mathematical improbability that Indy Eleven can salvage anything in regards to the playoffs during the Spring Season. In the position they are in, Indy would need a lot of dominos to fall into place and maybe jump through a few hoops in order to achieve success in the first part of the 2015 campaign. While it isn’t impossible, the likelihood that the Eleven qualify for the post season in the Spring is looking less and less certain which makes it more and more clear that the club should begin planning their attack on the Fall Season.
The need for the team to stick to one formation is becoming clear. While the experimentation and floating from position to position helps from a versatility standpoint, team cohesion is beginning to become an issue. When your backline can’t intelligently react to the frontline’s issues and your midfield can’t set up your forwards properly, you begin to understand the needs of the team and the need for the team to play better together. Like, you guessed it, a team!
In the end, the result wasn’t ideal. Another loss extends the losing streak for Indy to two while it extends the winning streak to a Minnesota team who up to the match had only secured one win. Indy now must travel to Ottawa Fury for their next match on Mat 23. Game starts at 3 pm on Saturday.
