There was only one MLS game on offer during this weekend's international break, but Saturday's showdown between the Houston Dynamo and Colorado Rapids – a 3-2 Colorado win – was pivotal to the Rapids' Supporters' Shield chances, in addition to securing them a top-two seed in the Western Conference side of the Audi 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs bracket.
So how did the Rapids – the West's worst team in 2015 – pick up such a vital win? A look at the highlights (above) will show you the goals and some of the very best chances.
But what about the deep dive? With MLS LIVE, fans eager to re-live the game – or simply go beyond the highlights – can get a better idea of the how and why of this electric game thanks to the condensed match, which contains about 20 minutes worth of game action that shows build-ups, more key plays and some of the other details you may have missed on first viewing.
MLS LIVE subscribers can find the condensed highlights by signing into their account, selecting the game they want the watch and then, at the bottom and to the right of the video controls, toggling the 'Video' button (highlighted below) and selecting 'Condensed' instead of 'Full Game':
Here are three observations from the condensed replay of Houston-Colorado – feel free to add your own!
Flexible Formations
The first thing you can catch in the condensed highlights is the set-up of the two teams. Both teams have their lineups listed as a 4-2-3-1, but in soccer formations are usually fluid. You can clearly see this in the first highlight after kickoff (0:52 in the replay, 2:20 on the game clock) that Houston are defending in more of a 4-4-2 formation, allowing them more even coverage of the field. On the other side, you see Rapids central attacking midfielder Dillon Powers doing exactly what is expected of him in that role, looking to receive the ball in between Houston’s two lines of four.
In the next image, you’ll see a brief Houston possession, with the team now in more of a 4-2-3-1 look, albeit shifted to the left with left back DaMarcus Beasley taking the throw-in in Colorado's half.
Under Pressure
The next thing to look at is Colorado’s goal. The four-minute highlights will show you it comes off a poor turnover from Dynamo defender Raul Rodriguez, but the condensed highlights start the replay a few seconds earlier. There, we see Colorado’s reaction to Rodriguez receiving the ball in a difficult spot. Powers hounds Rodriguez, while Sam Cronin and Dominique Badji do enough to make the Spaniard think twice about using his easiest outlets. He instead opts for a pass to Alex, far up the field on the left sideline, but hits it instead to Sebastien Le Toux to start a simple Rapids move that ends with Badji’s deft finish.
Analyze This
The condensed highlights not only allow us to take a closer look at the game — those of us who missed the 90 minutes can also hear more commentary from the broadcast team. This is especially evident in two clips towards the end of the first half. In the 33rd minute of the game (~3:22 on the replay), we see a fairly routine move down for Houston down the right-hand side that results in an overhit cross, but it affords the announcers an opportunity to talk about Colorado’s two defensive midfielders, Cronin and Micheal Azira, and their defensive positioning. We return to Colorado’s defensive shape – and what Houston need to do to attack it, in another clip at 43:46, with the Rapids broadcast team suggesting the Dynamo need to get more men wide. That is precisely what Houston do, and though that cross is cleared, the Dynamo attack the same flank with right back Sheanon Williams on the overlap 30 seconds later, and this time his cross finds Mauro Manotas for Houston’s first goal.
