Attack still on track with fewer crosses
A common criticism of Crew coach Gregg Berhalter during an 8-14-12 season in 2016 was that he was resistant to change.
As the losses and ties mounted, the Crew trudged onward with its 4-2-3-1 formation with fullbacks high and an attack building out of the back. A good portion of the team’s offense was generated through crosses from fullbacks and wingers.
The offense wasn’t a weakness — Crew SC scored 50 goals, which tied for ninth in MLS — but placed a burden on the back line. Turnovers against a press or with fullbacks high up the field gave opponents highpercentage chances on the counterattack.
This season, Berhalter and the Crew have been more flexible in several areas. The team transitioned to a 3-4-2-1 formation for a month and a half to give the defense more confidence and account for the absence of midfielder Federico Higuain and has slightly tweaked its offense, opting for fewer crosses to accommodate a more centrally-orientated attack.
“What I think we need to consider is that the opponents have grown and the teams are a lot better and the East is a tough conference,” Berhalter said. “Maybe some games we’re not going to be able to dominate in the way that we’re used to dominating, so how can we still be successful in other ways?”
What constitutes a cross is at times open to interpretation, but the consensus is they’re a smaller part of the Crew’s offense this season than in 2016. An MLSSoccer.com article this month indicated a decrease from 19.6 to 11 crosser per game, and WhoScored.com shows a drop from 22 to 17 per game.
That drop shows the Crew’s increased focus on playing centrally and reflects a few subtle changes. On a few occasions, the Crew has tucked a fullback closer to the middle of the field to help maintain possession and mitigate risk on defense.
The optics have changed slightly for Crew SC, but its goal remains the same: Possess, wear down opponents and score. With two games to play, Crew SC has matched its 2016 goal total.
“I think when we’re still playing our best, our fullbacks are involved and they’re active,” Berhalter said. “We want to keep scoring goals, we want to maintain that mark that we’ve set of being an attacking-orientated team and we’ll continue to score.”
Stadium switch
The Yankees’ win over the Indians in Game 5 of an American League Division Series will impact more than one Ohio sports franchise.
MLS announced Thursday that the Crew’s regular-season finale at New York City FC on Oct. 22 will be moved from Yankee Stadium — NYCFC’s regular home site — to Citi Field, home of the New York Mets.
The change reflects the Yankees advancing in the MLB playoffs. Should the Yankees advance beyond the American League Championship Series, which could end as late as Oct. 21, there will be “insufficient time” to convert Yankee Stadium, according to a press release.
The 4 p.m. kickoff time is unchanged.
OKLAHOMA CITY — Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony and Paul George have accomplished nearly everything in their basketball careers.
Westbrook is a two-time scoring champion, two-time All-Star MVP and the reigning league MVP. Anthony is a 10-time All-Star and threetime Olympic gold medalist. George is a four-time All-Star, former most improved player award winner and an Olympic gold medalist.
None of the new Oklahoma City Thunder teammates have an NBA title.
They say that is what drives this version of the NBA’s latest Big Three.
“It’s a different energy, a different focus, a different motivation that myself have, Paul has and Russ has, being that we haven’t won a championship yet in our careers,” Anthony said. “We see that, and that’s our ultimate goal.”
Westbrook averaged a triple-double last season and broke Oscar Robertson’s single-season record for triple-doubles in a season with 42. But he didn’t have much help offensively, and the Thunder lost to the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs.
Oklahoma City added George in an offseason trade with Indiana, then George helped talk Anthony into leaving New York and joining him and Westbrook in Oklahoma City.
“You know, it’s awesome to have guys that want to play alongside you and team up with you and share a mission with you, so we got right to it,” George said.
Heat’s McGruder needs surgery
Rodney McGruder, who started at small forward for the Miami Heat last season and was a strong candidate to open this season in the same role, will have surgery next week to repair a stress fracture in his leg.
The injury will likely keep him sidelined at least three months.