If the regular season is all about evolution - you have to be better and more flexible in Week 34 than you were in Week 1 - the playoffs are about execution. You have to make what you do best the defining factor of the game, limit space for your opposition and make certain not to concede any soft goals.
So far in the 2014 MLS Cup Playoffs, presented by AT&T, we've seen flawless execution from New England's attack and RSL's defense. We saw San Penedo hang on to a point for the Galaxy, and a late panenka give Columbus a shadow of a chance in Leg 2 of their Eastern Conference semifinal against the Revs.
Now the champs are up. Yeah, the Seattle Sounders are already champs twice-over, having won the US Open Cup and Supporters' Shield over the last two months. The one they really want, though, is the MLS Cup.
They'll have to go through FC Dallas - a team that dropped six goals on Seattle in three games this season - to get there.
Here's what to expect on Sunday night (9 pm ET; ESPN2):
Back to the track meet for the hosts
Dallas will be without Mauro Diaz, who's suspended for this one after leaving the bench near the end of last Wednesday's 2-1 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps. That kind of "red mist" indiscipline has plagued FCD all year, so let's not rule out an early red card that would drop them down to 10 and make everything you're about to read moot.
While the Diaz loss is painful because he does stuff like THIS, Dallas are actually equipped to deal with it well against Seattle because of the presence of David Texeira. The Uruguayan DP has not, by any measure, had a good season. But when he sees Rave Green he gets goals, and he does so by using the cracks caused by the speed of the Dallas wide players:
First off: this is going to be FCD's primary method of attack in this game. They'll pull the fullbacks up and try to go at the Seattle fullbacks in two-man games, rather than trying to mess with the middle of the field at all. It's how they coped without Diaz for most of the year, so it will be familiar.
Second: Notice that Je-Vaughn Watsonunderlaps instead of overlapping. Usually when fullbacks push up, they hug the touchline and let the midfield player pinch in. But Watson is a converted midfielder - a playmaker at one time - who's good on the ball and understands how to do more than just north-south stuff.
This little wrinkle gives Andres Escobar a wider starting point and confuses the hell out of poor Leo Gonzalez, who gets on the wrong side and stays there throughout. That forces an early rotation from Osvaldo Alonso, and the rest of the dominoes go with him.
And thus there, at the back post, is the crack for Texeira to exploit.
Dallas will try to do this all day. In between, they'll try to play through Blas Perez and earn free kicks for Michel's deadly left foot.
Tactical Outlook: 4-4-2 with lightning-fast wingers carrying the creative load
X-factor: We could see Tesho Akindele start in a wide midfield spot as a target winger. That would give Dallas one more guy to aim for on set pieces - an area in which they have a pronounced advantage
Same as it ever was for Seattle
Get into transition. Force them to collapse. Rip them apart.
The Sounders have won two titles this year. Here's the goal that got them the first:
And here's the goal that clinched the second:
Obafemi Martins had 13 assists this season, and so many of them came like that. You have to double him because he has the speed, technique and finishing ability to go right past a lone defender and score (club-record 17 goals this season), but if you leave him a gap he will then slip Clint Dempsey (15g, 10a) or Marco Pappa (6g, 5a) or any number of other attackers in.
This is Seattle's attacking strategy. They don't hit many through balls, they don't hold a ton of possession, and they don't whip in many crosses. They can do a bit of all of the above if they need to - especially the crossing part, as Yedlin has become much, much more precise and is actually underrated in some circles - but that's always Plan B.
Plan A is to let the Hydra run wild with Martins as its brain.
It's worked against Dallas this year as the Sounders took two of three.
Tactical Outlook: 4-4-2 amoeba that runs through Martins
X-factor: Lamar Neagle had 9 goals and 9 assists this year, and has been one of the most effective wide attackers in the league. He scored a bomb against Dallas the last time these teams met.
One more reason to watch: Fabian Castillo in the open field. If the Sounders allow this, it's a quick, merciless death:
