The Dynamo haven’t won in league play since May 17th and managed to go on a five game scoreless streak in the process. The return of Brad Davis from World Cup duty with the American national team was enough to spark their offense against the Red Bulls in the Dynamo’s last match but they could still only manage a 2-2 draw.
For Toronto, the return of Michael Bradley, after a contentious World Cup performance for the United States, has created unlikely questions over how to adjust the team’s shape to best accommodate the rampaging midfielder.
With Bradley a surprise starter versus DC United the Reds looked solid, and seemed to be in control of the game in the first half, with Nelsen trying Bradley ahead of two holding midfielders in a 4-2-3-1 formation. It was a position similar to the role American national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann had Bradley playing after an injury to Jozy Altidore in their first match hindered the United States’ ability to play with two strikers.
The removal of Bradley Orr at halftime, and a switch back to the 4-4-2 formation favoured through most of the season, disrupted the control that Toronto had maintained in midfield. Bradley was removed shortly before United scored the winning goal but it was clear from comments after the match that DC players recognized that extra space had been offered to them in midfield in the second half.
It’s possible that the question of formation, and where best to employ Bradley, could be decided by the availability of Gilberto. The Brazilian forward notched his long awaited first goal in New York two weeks ago but has suffered a recurrence of a hip flexor injury that has prevented involvement since then. Should he be unavailable it makes it far more likely that Nelsen will once again opt for the 4-2-3-1 the Reds opened with last week rather than playing with two out-and-out strikers.
That said, the contributions of in-season acquisitions Luke Moore and Dominic Oduro, both of whom can be played on the wing or as centre forwards, highlight the increasing tactical and personnel options Nelsen has at his disposal. Oduro has been playing a substitutes role to date while Moore is emerging as a respectable second scoring threat for Toronto’s Jermaine Defoe reliant offense.
As is so often the case in MLS, getting the most out of the entire squad is essential and the trade-offs incumbent when selecting between players in that tier of the squad will probably be the most important decisions Ryan Nelsen makes. Make them correctly, against a waning Dynamo, and the Reds have every chance of getting back to the winning form they enjoyed before the World Cup.