Gus: I am told his product was more or less consistent with the quality I've come to expect.
Walter: More or less? More or less, really? Wow. Boy this... Talk about setting the bar low. Except you don't do that, set the bar low. Therefore, what conclusion am I left to draw? That you believe I have some proprietary kind of selfishness about my own formula? Some sort of overweening pride that you think simply overwhelms me, clouds my judgment?
Gus: But it doesn't?
Walter: Absolutely not. I simply respect the chemistry. The chemistry must be respected.
Portland, after that 2-0 home loss to RBNY, have broken bad. Three of their next four are against playoff teams, and the fourth -- at RSL -- is below the red line but truly on the march.
First off, that's just a beautiful and inventive pass, and I'm sure if there were any Canadians who could do that they'd be mainstays in the national team.
Second and more important in the long run is what Osorio operating in that pocket of space means for TFC. Greg Vanney has tinkered with formations and personnel as much as anyone this year before finally settling into a pretty standard 4-4-2 this weekend. Notice how deep Michael Bradley was to start the highlight? Haven't seen much of him there this season at all, even though I think that's his best spot.
The problem with playing him there, though, is that the 4-4-2 often leaves teams lacking that central creator who can play just underneath the forwards and unlock defenses.
Enter Osorio, who actually starts on the wing, but still cuts inside to get into dangerous spots and combine.
It's TFC's best look, because it gives Sebastian Giovinco one more instinctive attacker to play with; it keeps Giovinco and Jozy Altidore both up top together; it puts Bradley in a spot where he can get into the attack late but still be influential with his deep distribution; and it offers extra protection for the center defense, provided Bradley and Benoit Cheyrou get 100% on the same page.
It does give up a lot of the flank when the ball is turned over, so we should expect to see teams attack down that side for as long as they stick with the 4-4-2. No formation is perfect, and all tactical choices have consequences.
But this is the one that gives TFC their best shot at winning when it really matters.
