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It must have been difficult being Carlos Alberto Pereira back in 2006, during the FIFA World Cup held in Germany. The manager of the greatest roster (on paper) struggled to put together a winning combination, and Brazil famously crashed out before reaching the semi-finals.
The problem came in the spoil of wealth Brazil had in the 23-man team that travelled to Germany. Specifically, Pereira could not figure out how to make Kaká, then with A.C. Milan, and Ronaldinho, with FC Barcelona, work together on the field. Individually, the two were in direct contention for the title of best player in the world, Ronaldinho being the more popular.
Kaka and Ronaldinho: two very creative, very effective attacking midfielders on a field that could only tolerate the skill and talent of one. Poor Juninho (yes, the New York Red Bulls’ newest midfield acquisition) was in the prime of his career and couldn’t break into the starting XI, though he would have had no problem doing so in many other rosters in the 2006 World Cup.
How do you fit talent on the field? It’s a question Pereira couldn’t answer, and one that Ryan Nelsen needs to answer with Toronto FC. There are two players on the roster that play in similar positions – Kyle Bekker and Luis Silva. Picking one and benching the other is a waste of valuable talent on the field. Placing one out of position may neutralize their effectiveness, too. It’s a difficult question, but Nelsen has a few options he can consider.
If Toronto FC is going to continue playing in a 4-4-1-1, there’s really only one attacking midfield spot on the field. Luis Silva offers more going forward, it seems, but Kyle Bekker is more mobile, distributes better. Where Silva is a goalscoring threat in a line-up severely lacking forwards, Bekker is shaping up to be a bit of a midfield maestro. The key to unlocking the potential of both these players falls more on Bekker’s spot on the field than Silva’s.
Moving Luis Silva onto either of the wings or placing him further back as a central midfielder eliminates his goalscoring threat. Bekker’s strength is in his passing and crossing, and with his collegiate days played on the wings, moving him to the left or the right is definitely a possibility. However, taking a strong passer and moving him onto the shoulders eliminates an entire lane of passing, too. Bekker would be limited to passing or crossing in one direction, halving the potential of his output.
He is Boston College’s all-time assist leader; it’s clear that Bekker has the ability to be a strong distributor from the middle of the park.
Bekker could also play as a central midfielder, but with his build – five-feet-ten, about 165 pounds, and not quite as agile as other players – his performances defensively may not be up to scratch. The central-midfield role is also the most tiring role on the field, and Bekker’s stamina was one aspect that college scouts pointed out as needing improvement.
Perhaps a bit more far-fetched, but also a possibility, is to play Bekker in a very deep role in midfield, a la Xabi Alonso, and have him work on his long-passing and midfield-splitting through balls, as well as his crosses. Converting Bekker to a position like that, however, requires lots of defensive discipline. It also reduces Bekker’s offensive output.
It’s clear that, in order to get the most out of these two players, they need to play in the middle of the park, and they need to be a bit higher up. A strong core on the field is necessary, especially in a rebuilding year.
In a 4-1-2-1-2, Luis Silva can play as the second striker, partnered with Justin Braun or Robert Earnshaw (and, eventually, Danny Koevermans), with Bekker playing “in the hole.” The drawback here is that Silva may not be a full-fledged striker and his numbers may be lower than a natural forward. The combination of Earnshaw and Koevermans seems more potent than Silva-Koevermans or Silva-Earnshaw, and that’s something Nelsen needs to consider as well.
There is also an option to play the two together as central attacking midfielders, the way Pereira did for Brazil, and use a 4-2-2-2. Both Bekker and Silva would play as attacking midfielders and pseudo-wingers, with two forwards in front of them and two central midfielders behind them. However, that leaves no room for any natural wingers Toronto FC may be looking at, and also gives Hogan Ephraim nowhere to play.
Finally, Toronto FC can go back to the 4-3-3 – yes, Aron Winter’s 4-3-3 – and use Silva and Bekker in an upside-down triangle. This gives Hogan Ephraim room on the left-wing, gives Toronto FC an option on purchasing a strong right-winger, gives Danny Koevermans his preferred position on the field at centre-forward, and allows Bekker and Silva to play in their natural positions. It’s a win-win…win-win-win.
To play a 4-3-3 triangle midfield requires a third player, a defensive midfielder who can play the position by himself. Toronto FC needs to find a player who has experience playing as a defensive midfielder in Major League Soccer, with a strong passing foot, good defensive instincts, and can be an occasional goal-scoring threat off set pieces. And hey, with all these Brazil comparisons, he should be Brazilian, too.
But, where is Toronto FC going to find a Brazilian defensive midfielder who has played with a 4-3-3 MLS side before?
Bingo! Julio Cesar, formerly of Sporting Kansas City, a 4-3-3 outfit of the best kind in MLS.
Bekker-Silva-Cesar. That’s the trio right there. Terry Dunfield, Darel Russell and Matt Stinson can help plug the gaps if they arise. Every player on the field has a position they can call their own, in a natural role, and can move forward and backward as they please.
Could this be the combination that fixes Toronto FC’s midfield?
We’ll have to wait and see!
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