Vieira commented today at training that he thinks a 3-3-4 works when you have two players playing the 9 role. He said the team has been working on three different formations that they all need to be comfortable with depending on the opponent.
Formation Speculation
- Thread starter sbrylski
- Start date
It's a long shot, but maybe he's molding Poku into a secret weapon up front and the paint just isn't dry yet.
Other options for the other 9 are Mullins and Mendoza, who they actually gave #9.
So excited just to see how we line up each week. This is fun.
This!
What a difference a year makes. I know we were optimistic this time last year. But I just don't see PV's tenure devolving into weekly dread about what crap lineup he'll send out.
It will be interesting to see how it is deployed. I have a feeling it won't play like 4 forwards though. That sounds like it would only work against a vastly inferior opponent, of which there are none in MLS.
Or teams that just want to sit back and counter -- of which there are a few in MLS.
I think you're making a lot of assumptions simply based on the numbers 3, 3, and 4.
As I said somewhere else, I think Vieira's system just starts with a 3-3-3 and he adds the final player wherever he thinks we can get a tactical advantage. Plus, however we line up on paper matters less than how the players move on the pitch.
A 3-3-4 on paper could play more like a 4-2-3-1 if only one of the forwards hold the line (Villa), and one of the midfielders plays deep and defensively (Bravo). Or it could play like a 3-5-2 if the wingers move up and down the entire line.
Shane1988
Registered
Your on about a fluid formation that could transition from one formation to a other depending on the situation ie attacking and defending, Barcelona did it a bit with Mascherano, something like that takes time and the right types of players to execute the roles well, tbh I dont think formations matters much these days, it's more getting the style of play right and the players to execute the plays correctly (attacking and defending), the MLS is more end to end football, I like the fluid football Vieira is brining it's now about consistently playing it for 90 mins now
This is a very important point. Our wings play so far back in defense, that I would think this formation would look more like a 5-3-2 in defense.
Rewatching the game last night, when attacking, we were definitely in a 3-4-3, but when we were back in defense, it played a lot more like a 5-4-1 (you could probably get more creative with layering here, I decided not to).
This is actually part of the reason why I'm not completely certain Poku could play on the wing in PV's system. PV requires a ton of tracking back from the wings, and I'm not certain Poku is completely cut out for that.
That's where we differ - If Vieira is confident enough to play that formation, then it's safe to assume he has dissected something in the opposing team's style that leaves them vulnerable to 4 forwards, and I think he'll be successful with it. MLS is very, very homogeneous with a league-wide style of play, and when a new system is introduced - like RB last year or even when Kreis went to a 433 for one game - then the opposing coaches/teams do not have the knowledge-base to correctly adapt their tactics on the fly during the game. I think the 334 will be most effective at the beginning of a game when it's brand-new to the opponent, or if we've already used it in another game, the opponent is left wondering what each position's marking instructions are if we choose to use the 334 or the 343 or the 433.
Insta-reaction from Orlando, go with this:
Shelton out for Mendoza. Saunders out for Johansen.
Hernandez played well enough to keep the spot for now, but would not be upset to see Brillant back in, or Mena get his first opportunity.
Code:
---------------Villa----------------
--Mendoza------------------Taylor---
------------------------------------
--------McNamara-------Mix----------
------------------------------------
---------Pirlo--------Bravo---------
------------------------------------
-Matarrita-----------------Iraola---
-------------Hernandez--------------
------------------------------------
--------------Johansen--------------Shelton out for Mendoza. Saunders out for Johansen.
Hernandez played well enough to keep the spot for now, but would not be upset to see Brillant back in, or Mena get his first opportunity.
--------------Johansen--------------
----Iraola----Brillant-----Mena----
----------Pirlo---Bravo--------------
---------------Mix---------------------
-Mendoza-Villa-Taylor-Mataritta-
You need Mata as a lockdown Defender.
Looks like Orlando exposed a major weakness in our 343. They clogged the middle and forced us to go out to the wings. Without overlapping fullbacks, our wings were stranded with no one to combine with. None of them are very good crossers, and we have no one to get on the end of a cross.
I think we would have been better suited to switch to a 433 once Orlando decided to bunker. Put Brillant in for Bravo. Orlando was not trying to attack with numbers, to avoid leaving holes to exploit, so the extra DM was redundant. Brillant also might have made use of some of the corners we were getting. The players played very hard tonight and created chances against a packed defense. I'm blaming this one on the coach.
I think we would have been better suited to switch to a 433 once Orlando decided to bunker. Put Brillant in for Bravo. Orlando was not trying to attack with numbers, to avoid leaving holes to exploit, so the extra DM was redundant. Brillant also might have made use of some of the corners we were getting. The players played very hard tonight and created chances against a packed defense. I'm blaming this one on the coach.
On the coach? Really?
We had a shit-ton of shots and half were on goal, plus about 12 corners. Vieira's tactics put the players in position with real opportunities. Having wingers overlap wasn't going to help any more than what was playing on the field - and Mata and Iraola did push up many times from the back 3. Our problem was allowing a tremendously soft goal coupled with no aerial play and no finishing. Brillant may have helped on corners, but I'm not sure the trade off would have been worth it the way we were bossing the midfield and we still managed two beautiful basketball style set pieces on corners (that were flubbed).
I agree Tom. This is the first time I've had reason to question Vieira. He didn't adapt to Orlando's game plan and I was less than thrilled with the Ballouchy/Mullins substitutions. Ballouchy because that move really gives us nothing and the Mullins sub was much too late.
I like Tom's analysis too, but c'mon, we earned like 5-6 amazing looks at goal and the players failed to convert. Mix all alone, Taylor on the back post, Matarrita skied a free shot from the PK on a set piece, and Mendoza put one off the post, to name a few.
We can nitpick Vieira's game plan, and I liked Tom's post because I think it's a good take, but what Vieira rolled out was solid. Players just didn't convert.
I understand that -- I was there too after all. However, as Tom said, there were other things we could have done to combat Orlando's tactic of parking the bus. I just hope other teams don't emulate that strategy against us at home this season. Could make for a lot of frustrating nights in the Bronx. Other than Mix's couple of chances, Bendik didn't have to do a whole lot (I can only recall one tough save that he had to make actually). His defense cleared the ball like 35 times and that's not really an exaggeration. I know Orlando had 21 clearances at halftime. I haven't looked up their total for the entire match.
Edit: just like young players have to learn and develop, so to do young managers. Vieira only has 3 games in MLS under his belt. He will figure things out and keep getting better as will the team.
Last edited:
Similar threads
