{"id":5996,"date":"2017-04-11T07:00:58","date_gmt":"2017-04-11T11:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsoccer.com\/?p=5996"},"modified":"2017-04-11T01:32:42","modified_gmt":"2017-04-11T05:32:42","slug":"orlando-minnesota-more-mls-week-six","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/2017\/04\/11\/orlando-minnesota-more-mls-week-six\/","title":{"rendered":"Orlando Debut the Diamond, Minnesota Find Progress, and More From MLS Week Six"},"content":{"rendered":"

Another week of Major League Soccer is in the books. What were the major storylines to emerge out of the 2017 season’s sixth week of action?<\/p>\n

Orlando City Debut the Diamond<\/h2>\n

For years, Jason Kreis\u2019s Real Salt Lake played a 4-4-2 diamond formation. It helped them win an MLS Cup, appear in another, and make the playoffs every full season Kreis coached. When he left RSL to take over NYCFC, he never brought the diamond to the Bronx and was let go after one season.<\/p>\n

Kreis went a half-year with Orlando City, who he took over in July of 2016, without using his signature formation. But, to bury the lede, it returned to a Kreis-coached team on Sunday in OCSC\u2019s home win over the Red Bulls.<\/p>\n

There were positives to build on and kinks to work out, but for the most part, it can be deemed a success. A 1-0 home victory against a good team like New York is always a solid result.<\/p>\n

The problems with the formation start with Orlando\u2019s ability to create attacking production from places outside of the strikers. Cyle Larin and Carlos Rivas are great together, and they don\u2019t necessarily need the support of a dedicated central creator, but Orlando\u2019s lack of secondary options \u2014 i.e. overlapping full backs or attacking midfielders \u2014 can make their attacking patterns too predictable.<\/p>\n

Matias Perez Garcia was the only other player in the starting lineup with any real attacking intent, and he is never going to make much of a difference by himself. Besides the occasional cross from overlapping right back Scott Sutter, there wasn\u2019t much production going forward from places other than Larin and Rivas.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re wondering why they only scored once, that would be why.<\/p>\n

Larin and Rivas produced solid scoring chances mostly on their own, and forced Luis Robles to make a couple of crucial saves. But they\u2019ve arguably been better this season when they have played with players on the wings. Eventually, Kreis put Giles Barnes on as a true winger and switched the formation to a flat 4-4-2, intending to add penetration in different areas of the field.<\/p>\n

Defensively, it was better. Antonio Nocerino, playing at the base of the diamond, was injured midway through the first half and had to be replaced by Servando Carrasco, who played well in his absence. Will Johnson, a veteran MLSer with significant experience playing as a midfield shuttler in various diamonds, started with Cristian Higuita behind MPG in the forwards, and they formed a designated defensive shape:<\/p>\n

\"football<\/a>
\nAt times, it resembled a narrow 4-3-1-2, with \u2018outside\u2019 central midfielders shuttling between the wing and the middle. Sacha Kljestan was ineffective, and they finally helped convince Jesse Marsch to switch back to the 4-2-3-1, so you could say they were effective.<\/p>\n

The issues here stem from their ability to defend the wings. It\u2019s not hard for clever teams to create odd-man situations on the flanks by pushing and pulling Higuita and Johnson so much. That\u2019s another reason for the Barnes sub and formation switch.<\/p>\n

I also see concern at the full back position, where Orlando don\u2019t have either elite defenders or threatening attackers, which can hurt playing a formation that basically requires more reserved wing backs given their midfield personnel. There is no Justin Morrow or Chris Tierney flying up and down the sideline.<\/p>\n

Still, there were plenty of positives to take from this contest, and, don\u2019t forget, Kaka is still on the roster. Put him in Perez-Garcia\u2019s position and see what happens.<\/p>\n

Minnesota\u00a0Find Stability, but Not Goals<\/h2>\n

The chaotic nature of Minnesota United matches so far this season necessitated their blockbuster deal with the Colorado Rapids last week. They acquired d-mid Sam Cronin and right back Marc Burch, both key factors of the Rapids\u2019 record-breaking defense last year, and each of them got the start in Minnesota\u2019s 2-0 loss in Dallas on Saturday.<\/p>\n

That loss was considerably less hectic for the Loons, who managed to hold an angry FC Dallas side just coming off a heartbreaking loss in midweek. They held FCD to only two goals and could have had multiple goals of their own if not for an incredible performance from Jesse Gonzalez.<\/p>\n

Starting Christian Ramirez up top and Johan Venegas in free role just behind him, Adrian Heath let his team move into a look that resembled a 4-2-2-2, and it helped them gain more numbers in the box without giving up too much on the other end. They threatened the goal numerous times in the second half by playing off of Ramirez\u2019s hold-up play and clever movement from the wing. Gonzalez had to make a number of full-extension saves:<\/p>\n