Steve Davis of MLSnet.com had an interesting column that addressed a number of issues from a tactical standpoint from this past weekend, as well as how head coaches are working carefully to manage minutes of their 30+ year old stars.
Key points included:
* The idea of MLS managers, in addition to everything else on their plates, carefully managing minutes of essential players - talented 30-something stars like Jaime Moreno, Brian McBride, Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Guillermo Barros Schelotto. Getting into the playoffs is tougher than ever in MLS in 2009, so the ability to make accurate assessments and plot sustainable solutions is more pressing than ever.
In this case, it looks like Denis Hamlett's ability to manage Blanco's minutes earlier this year, when he was carrying a slight injury and less than 100 percent fit, is paying off. Instead of risking further injury, Hamlett brought Blanco off the bench (or didn't use him at all) in Chicago's opening foursome of matches.
* The tactical chessmatch between New York's Juan Carlos Osorio and Los Angeles' Bruce Arena, which pitted two teams that line up without a true creator between them - and the road side aligns itself in a defensive-minded 4-5-1?
MLS records might be in jeopardy in a match that is sure to be hard on the eyes.
Los Angeles and New York totaled just nine shots between them at The Home Depot Center on Saturday, matching an all-time league low for combined shots in a match.
Jorge Rojas performed ostensibly as the playmaker in the Red Bulls alignment, but couldn't get much going and never truly linked with stranded and lonely forward Juan Pablo Angel. Los Angeles, meanwhile, had Dema Kovalenko and Josh Tudela in the central spots of a 4-4-2.
Neither is a passing and possession specialist, so the game lacked substantially for fancy and flair.
* Personnel changes that looked to have a youth infusion in New England (Mike Videira), Colorado (Nick LaBrocca) and Columbus (Robbie Rogers) were all met with mixed reviews and results.
* The yin and yang of Real Salt Lake's Jamison Olave, who can prove to be a key contributor and liability in a 5-minute span.
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