The group stage of the MLS is Back Tournament has concluded with all three Canadian teams reaching the round of 16 in somewhat surprising fashion.
Toronto FC won Group C and will face New York City FC as a result. The Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps, who finished third in their respective groups, take on Orlando City and Sporting Kansas City, respectively.
With the knockout stage looming, here’s one key for each Canadian team ahead of their round-of-16 clashes.
Vancouver Whitecaps
Key for round of 16: Don’t deploy a low defensive block
The Vancouver Whitecaps conceded a total of 59 shots in the group stage. Forty-nine of those attempts came in their opening loss to the San Jose Earthquakes and victory against the Chicago Fire. There was one common denominator in those matches: Vancouver’s low defensive block.
Sitting deep in the penalty area comes with many risks. Chief among them is the overwhelming pressure from the opponent. That, in turn, leads to a high volume of shots.
On top of that, it’s nearly impossible to retain the ball when the opposition presses. If a team drops that low, then the opponent will push further forward, making it difficult to sustain possession.
With no other option, Vancouver had to clear the ball for throw-ins and corners. The Whitecaps logged a total of 71 clearances in those San Jose and Seattle games, plus both teams recorded a combined 33 corners.
To coach Marc Dos Santos’s credit, he played with a higher line against the Seattle Sounders but there were so many gaps between the lines for the Sounders to exploit on the counter.
Jordan Morris @JmoSmooth13 blows by the defender & finishes a beauty from @NicolasLodeiro. #SEAvSJ pic.twitter.com/ESEz27b7yb
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 20, 2020
However, the centre-back partnership of Ranko Veselinovic and Derek Cornelius looked sturdy against Chicago. Both players are more comfortable playing in a higher line compared to Jasser Khmiri. Therefore, Dos Santos can utilize different shapes defensively.
The key is to not play so deep. Look at how the Sounders set up off the ball versus the Whitecaps. The entire shape was compact, but the defence wasn’t retreating into the box.
As long as the Whitecaps are organized, disciplined and have an outlet to counter effectively, then they have a decent chance of eliminating Sporting KC.
Montreal Impact
Key for round of 16: Stick with the 4-3-3
Like his Vancouver counterpart, Impact coach Thierry Henry tweaked his side a couple of times during the group stage, but he may have landed on the best formation for these players in the team’s finale against D.C. United.
The 4-3-3 with Victor Wanyama, Samuel Piette and Saphir Taider provided the right balance in midfield. Piette and Wanyama love to roam from their positions, so operating in a double pivot is beneficial for both players as one can stay deep while the other pushes up. That also frees Taider to contribute in the final third.
That trio also protects the defence. Montreal only allowed six shots while allowing 0.51 expected goals (xG), which signifies that D.C. didn’t muster any quality chances.
#MTLvDC xG. Not much here. pic.twitter.com/MYDHuMFi86
— Ben Baer (@BenBaer89) July 22, 2020
The only issue entering the round of 16 for the Impact is the attack. Against D.C., a lot of the team’s buildup was generated on the left flank. Eventually, the right side became more involved but 0.61 xG from seven shots is not acceptable.
Ensuring the right-back – whether it’s Zachary Brault-Guillard or another option – is involved is crucial. But the front three of Bojan, Maxi Urruti and Romell Quioto have to combine more often as well. The trio only completed a combined 13 passes versus D.C.
Even though they lost to Toronto FC, that was the Impact’s attacking display of the tournament. The forwards were connecting, the entire team was executing dangerous runs into the box and it led to three goals. The second half also saw a formation switch from three to four at the back, which coincided with an increase in shots.
Toronto FC
Key for round of 16: Utilize the Piatti-Pozuelo connection
It was less prevalent in the 0-0 draw with the New England Revolution, but the dynamic duo of Alejandro Pozuelo and Pablo Piatti is vital for Toronto FC.
They were outstanding in Toronto’s tournament opener against D.C. United and had their moments in the victory over the Impact. The partnership fizzled out in the Group C finale, although that was expected given the short turnaround between games.
Pozuelo leads all players in key passes (17) and shot-creating actions (30), with Piatti racking up six and 10, respectively. With Pozuelo operating as the central playmaker, he’ll rack up stronger stats but Piatti is still integral.
The majority of TFC’s attacks are generated on the right flank. With Piatti deployed as an inverted winger and Pozuelo drifting to that side, opponents have to be wary of their technique.
That also helps Ayo Akinola, who scored five goals in the group stage. The more Piatti and Pozuelo combine, the more it drags opponents out of position, which allows Akinola to execute runs off the defenders’ shoulder.
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