Philadephia_union_-_asn_top_-_ec_trophy_-10-30-22
MLS Playoff thoughts

Takeaways from the Conference Finals as Philly and LAFC advance to MLS Cup

In the end, the best two teams have advanced to MLS Cup and each did so under the leadership of a promising American manager. Jim Curtin's Philadelphia Union fell behind NYCFC but had an epic response en route to a 3-1 win. Meanwhile, Steve Cherundolo's LAFC played Austin FC off the field in a 3-0 win. ASN's Brian Sciaretta breaks it down for you with his thoughts. 
BY Brian Sciaretta Posted
October 31, 2022
9:25 AM

THE CONFERENCE FINALS were held on Sunday and both the Los Angeles Football Club and the Philadelphia Union posted convincing wins to advance to MLS Cup which will be held on Saturday, November 5 at the Banc of America Stadium in Los Angeles.

MLS got its dream final as both Philadelphia and LAFC were easily the best teams in their respective conferences and both teams have charismatic and popular players and coaches. It will be too different teams with styles, images, and team cultures.

Thus far, the playoffs have been great as there have been no interruptions due to international windows and this has allowed for a steady flow of games. 

Here are some thoughts on the game

 

LAFC blows past Austin FC

 

LAFC easily got past Austin FC 3-0 in an impressive performance on Sunday in the Western Conference Final. From the opening kickoff, LAFC was carrying the play and had Austin FC pinned back. The second year Texas team struggled to hold the ball and get touches in the attacking third. Austin seemed to be sitting back and hoping LAFC would make mistakes, which never really came.

It was all LAFC. José Cifuentes hit the post in the 17th minute and then Dénis Bouanga rounded Brad Stuver in the 27th minute but Austin was bailed out by its defense on the shot.

Cristian Arango finally put the hosts on top in the 29th when he headed home a corner kick delivered by Carlos Vela. Austin’s marking was poor and Arango barely had to jump as he easily beat Stuver.

LAFC kept up the attack for the remainder of the half. Vela forced a huge save from Stuver in the 41st minute then  a minute later, Stuver again denied Cifuentes with a shot from just outside the box.

The second half was just a continuation. Ryan Hollingshead moved into the attack in the 57th and again Stuver denied a powerful shot from close range. Then in the 69th minute Arango had a shot that was saved by Stuber.

In the 62nd, LAFC finally moved ahead by 2-0 when Max Urruti sent the ball into his own net on a well-driven corner kick.

Then in the 81st minute, Kwadwo Opoku rounded out the scoring when he got on the end of a careless backpass from Diego Fagundez, collected the ball in the middle at the top of the box and beat Stuver with a low shot.

Here are some thoughts

 

LAFC’s intensity was tough to match

 

It didn’t take long after the opening whistle to realize that LAFC was going to win this game. They were in fifth gear from the onset and just never let up. You can see the difference in regular season games and postseason games just by watching how LAFC played this game compared to with a random game in July.

Austin had no response, and you could tell that most of their players are not used to a road playoff game against a talented team. Part of this is Austin’s lack of experience but a lot of this was the talent gap between the teams. Yes, Austin defeated LAFC in the regular season but again, postseason games are more about the talented difference makers (typically designated players) who have the ability to do things other players can’t do.

 
Route 1 worked

 

LAFC opened the game up playing a very direct Route 1 style that generated a lot of chances. Austin was not comfortable defending well-placed balls, often from deeper positions, directly into the forwards. But LAFC was passing really well in this game and their attackers have very good first touches that allow them to control the ball with this type of passing.

Austin was let down by its defense in this game and its inability to handle Route 1 soccer. While goals didn't directly result from Route 1 (two corners and a misplaced ball into the back), Austin's defense and gameplan were thrown off defending and conceding chance after chance in direct balls to the attack.



Credit to Cherundolo
 

Steve Cherundolo should get a ton of credit for a lot of reasons. First, his team played with a ton of intensity, and it reflects how he played as a player. He got his team to buy into the style and the mission and the players were all driven to not let up on Austin.

LAFC also hasn’t been an easy team to manage. The player-movement over the summer, both with players leaving and coming in, made it harder. The additions of Gareth Bale and Giorgio Chiellini created hype and expectations, but trouble for the former U.S. national team right back. LAFC was already the best team in the league when they arrived and more superstar players that compete for time with other superstar players isn’t always an easy thing.

This has led to the decision to essentially sit Bale, who has not played in these playoffs. Credit to Bale, he hasn’t been a problem or served as a distraction but his lack of time in the playoffs has certainly taken many by surprise (I, myself, had to go on the top UK radion station TalkSport to talk about Bale’s absence and most were completely surprised).

While it has a ton of talent, LAFC has not played below the sum of its parts and the ship has been sailing smoothly.

 

Austin’s strong season

Austin FC has to be very pleased with the season and where the organization sits. This was only the team’s second full season in the league and after missing the playoffs in the first season, now it is a conference finalist.

The team has a good core and Sebastian Driussi is one of the league’s best players. It’s not enough data to put them as a team that consistently play to this level (like it has been with Philadelphia) but Austin has a lot going for it. Josh Wolff has done a good job.

You want to see Austin continuing to invest in academies and develop a homegrown pipeline in the talent-rich market of Texas. That is a philosophy that has worked so well with Dallas and Philadelphia over the years. But we will see in the years ahead how Austin continues to build up the foundation of their organization.

On a secondary note, Austin qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League next season for the first time in its organization’s history. It is a deserved reward for a team that finished second in the Western Conference both in the regular season and in the playoffs.

 

Philadelphia downs NYCFC

 

The Philadelphia Union are heading to MLS Cup for the first time in the organization’s history thanks to a 3-1 win over New York.

In this game, Jim Curtin started his typical first choice best XI, which included the return of captain Alejandro Bedoya from groin injury. It was not known how much he would be able to give the team but he lasted just the first half before being replaced by U.S. U-20 mainstay Jack McGlynn.

From the start, the game was intense but very chippy and fouls were called in such regularity that the game lacked flow.

In the second half, the game started to pick up. Maxi Moralez put NYCFC up in the 57th minute after an impressive buildup that connected four different NYCFC players in quick succession. It ended with Moralez beating Andre Blake with a shot from the top of box.

The lead did not last long and Philadelphia made a big response.

The equalizer came in the 65th minute when NYCFC didn’t settle after a substitution. Newly crownded MLS Defender of the Year Jakob Glesnes sent perfect pass into the box for Julian Carranza who then beat Sean Johnson. NYCFC never recovered from this and Subaru Park was shaking from the raucous crowd.

Less than two minutes after the ensuing kickoff, Philadelphia moved in front when McGlynn sent a perfect left-footed ball into the box which found Carranza. Caranza then headed it onto Daniel Gazdag for a top-shelf finish.

The final goal happened in the 76th minute when Corey Burke collected a ball from a scramble and beat Johnson to the left side. From there it was simply playing out the stretch for Philadelphia.

Here are some thoughts.

 

Chanot’s injury was huge

 

NYCFC was not at full strength for this game. Key offensive substitute Talles Mango was missing and that hurt. But the injury to Maxime Chanot was a fatal blow. In his place was Justin Haak, the 21 year old homegrown who is typically a defensive midfielder. Haak struggled when Philly raised their game and his positioning was off on the first two Philadelphia goals.

But Philadelphia is the last team to be sympathetic to NYCFC being shorthanded after the 2021 Eastern Conference final after Philadelphia lost nine starters due to COVID.

 

Bedoya and McGlynn

 

The big story of this game ahead of kickoff was the return of Alejandro Bedoya. The captain was clearly playing hurt but wanted to be on the field for his team. The former U.S. national team midfielder is one of the best captains in the entire league. In the end he couldn’t go any further than the first half.

McGlynn continues to be one of the more intriguing young players in the league. His left footed passing is smooth and accurate. It helped to create the second goal and Philadelphia is a great place for him to develop while playing for a coach and team that has a culture of winning.

It begs the question over what the Union’s lineup will be for the final. If Bedoya can go, he starts because Philadelphia will need to settle the game down early playing away in Los Angeles. But what will be the threshold over whether or not he can play?

For McGlynn, Bedoya is a great player to learn from.

 

Curtin finally gets to a final

 

Jim Curtin is the Coach of the Year again in 2022 because his players would run through a brick wall for him. The connection he has between his players and with the city is very impressive. But tactically, he continues to build his team well and the system fits the players. The team’s commitment defensively is one of the best in league history.

This is not a big spending team, but the team has a long list of players who are extremely successful because of the system and the team culture.

I am sure Curtin would like to be playing his U.S. U-20 group more outside of McGlynn (Quinn Sullivan, Paxten Aaronson, and Brandon Craig also make up the U-20 group along with McGlynn) but it is a tough bridge to crack to get into this starting XI. But being around a team like this is also good for young players. These players are watching a team that is committed to a system and to each other.

Philadelphia’s response to the NYCFC’s goal was remarkable. It was a masterclass in not getting lost in the moment and instead, finding another level which NYCFC could not match.

Curtin has built an impressive team.

 

Looking to the final

 

MLS Cup this year is the dream final for the league and its fans. These are the two best team and the two most deserving champions. LAFC is the favorite given that they are playing at home and with the way they easily took apart Austin FC.

But Philadelphia has a special group of players that do not quit and will do anything for Curtin.

This sets up a matchup that will have two of the most promising young American managers in the game. Curtin has built a Philadelphia team that develops some of the best young American players in the game – some of Curtin’s first group of players will be in Qatar. He’s also getting the most out of players who are internationals for other countries. Players like Jackob Glesnes are finding new levels to their game that few expected.

Then you have Steve Cherundolo, the legendary U.S. national team veteran who is growing as a coach. He’s getting used to handling players, big egos, and making tough decisions.

Both these teams play with extreme intensity and until then, it has worked for both teams against opponents who have not been able to match it. In this game, both teams should be able to raise their games to high levels. It is going to be telling to see who prevails.

 

 

Post a comment