Analytics

It's something of a transition year for Sporting KC, as they commit a little more fully to building chances from possession, rather than forcing chances via turnover.

That said, forcing midfield turnovers is still a huge part of their game, their high pressure still works, and someone still needs to do the dirty work in the midfield. Uri Rosell, the Barcelona product, has been more than happy to do that particular job:

Leading the league in recoveries is no small thing – Ozzie Alonso's done it each of the last two years, and is rightly regarded as one of the two best d-mids in the league. But Rosell could push himself into that conversation if he keeps playing at this level.

Dax McCarty, by the way, probably already belongs in that conversation. He was second in recoveries to Alonso last season, and would be leading the league this year if he hadn't missed the past couple of games through injury. It's fairly amazing that the Red Bulls have coped so well without him.

You've probably noticed that the Portland Timbers are pretty tough to beat. They're one of only two teams in the league with just a single loss, and it's not because they're bunkering.

On the contrary, they'll holding the ball higher up the pitch, and defending from the front better than anyone in the leauge:

That's what coach Caleb Porter has instilled from Day 1: Defend the ball, not the goal. And his team has taken to it with aplomb thus far.

If you want to understand what "Porterball" really is, that's where you need to start.

P.S. We'll get to that outrageous 2012 number for Chivas USA at a later date. Statistics, remember, can often be damned, dirty lies.

It took two games for Roy Miller to become a punchline this season, but since his return to the lineup in mid-April, the New York Red Bulls have gone 4-1-0. Here's a chart that should give you some idea as to why:

This is not to say that Miller, alone, is the cause for New York's crossing prowess. In fact, he rates significantly lower than Heath Pearce – the "other" left back in Mike Petke's rotation – by Opta's count.

But one of the best aspects of Thierry Henry's game is his ability to drop deep on the left, find space, then curl in a right-footed cross to the penalty spot – usually aiming for the head of Tim Cahill, who still excels at making those delayed runs from central midfield.

The reason Henry has all that space? Because Miller overlaps as relentlessly as any fullback in the league, dragging defenders away from the Frenchman, creating new passing lanes, and just making it harder to defend that side of the field.

Choisissez trois joueurs de MLS autour desquels vous bâtiriez votre nouvelle équipe : la question lancée par Frédéric Lord a inspiré l’équipe, à nouveau renforcée par Olivier Brett, pour la thématique de l’émission Coup Franc de cette semaine (à écouter ici).

Pensez-y bien… et écoutez l’émission pour vous rendre compte que nos spécialistes ont des visions très différentes. L’un choisit un joueur par ligne, l’autre se concentre sur la colonne vertébrale dans l’axe du jeu, un autre encore choisit trois joueurs d’un même secteur pour définir un modèle de jeu déjà précis. Et aucun nom ne fait l’unanimité. Nous sommes très curieux d’avoir votre opinion !

Autre débat très animé de cette émission : la Ligue des champions. Comment la MLS se compare au championnat du Mexique. La priorité que devraient lui accorder les entraîneurs. Le rayonnement qu’elle apporte à la MLS, qui veut à moyen terme entrer dans le top mondial. La discussion bifurque (évidemment) sur la compétition qui permet au représentant canadien de s’y qualifier et le fonctionnement du soccer au Canada. Là encore, des avis divergents de nos spécialistes : nous aimerions avoir les vôtres.

Enfin, on revient sur le match entre Montréal et Columbus. L’Impact retombe-t-il dans certains de ses travers de 2012 ? Le jeu sur les flancs reste problématique et les pistes de solution ne semblent pas nombreuses. Faut-il être inquiet ou confiant en vue de l’affrontement contre Toronto ?

L'émission Coup Franc est disponible sur Stitcher et iTunes. Vous pouvez nous joindre par courriel (coup.franc@MLSsoccer.com), sur Facebook ou sur Twitter (@CoupFrancMLS).

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