I'll have to watch the replay to study our build-up, but our domination in this match seemed to be all about how our fullbacks were essentially camped in their half, like a foot on their neck. Maybe RSL's midfield is weak, but Ofori and Maxi were able to keep the ball and work it forward almost at will.
Berget looked like a different player. His movement was just as tireless as it has been, but he actually looked like he wanted the ball. Tried and failed to get a "that's my barista" chant going. It helped that he wasn't as isolated as he has been in the past. Since Mata and Tinder were so far up the pitch, Medina and Shradi were able to push inside and overlap and mess with RSL's backline at will.
It's been so long since that we've seen that level of aggression from our fullbacks that I'd forgotten that it was possible for us (or anybody, really) to play that dominantly. And to think that we were pleased with White and Sweat. Like said above, the one thing I'm suspicious of is how easily we were able to give Mata and Tinder the time to get up the field. I'm not convinced that Atlanta will be that easy to keep the ball against, but it was fun to watch.
But yeah, we could be really fucking good this year. With Villa back, maybe we keep Berget and Shradi. I really liked the way Medina looked more centrally. Imagine playing him as the #10, Maxi as the #8 and Ring as the #6. I could also imagine Ofori replacing Herrera on the basis of his trajectory. Shradi is really starting to lock down a slot in the front three. Has he missed a shot on goal yet? As soon as I realized it was him at the top of the box, I expected a goal. Probably our best finisher, including Villa, on current form.
