Bob Bradley has plenty of options in central midfield for the 2019 season. But none are quite perfect. Here, I break down LAFC’s midfield options for the year ahead.
Thank you to Alicia Rodriguez of Angels on Parade for her time. You can find her at @soccermusings on Twitter.
It was a tremendous first season for Los Angeles FC. Playing with great verve and speed, the newly expanded MLS franchise came to set MLS alight with vivacious atmospheres and vicious attacking play.
But as they look to prepare for the tricky second album, Bob Bradley and his squad understand that evolution is necessary. The 68 goals they scored last season, more than anyone in MLS not named Atlanta, were wonderful. But the 52 they conceded at the other end were equally as problematic.
The defensive vulnerabilities of the team largely stemmed from a lack of protection by the midfield. Bradley persisted with a possession-orientated central midfield. That left holes on the backend, especially against the counter-attacks and from turnovers.
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So would Bradley shift his approach and adopt a more balanced, even-keeled game plan? ‘ I think Bradley will set up his midfield pretty much the same way he did last year,’ said Alicia Rodriguez, the Managing Editor of Angels on Parade when I spoke to her this week. ‘He seems committed to the style he’s pushing, and nothing he has said so far this year would indicate he will be changing tack. I think the expectation that LAFC would alter their midfield plan came more from the wishes of fans than from inside the team.’
It is clear, then, that the same possession-based style, according to Rodriguez, will continue at Banc of California Stadium. Whether that is the right one or not doesn’t really matter. It is what Bradley wants to implement.
But the style is only half of the problem. The question of personnel must also be answered, which is likely to be three — or two if Carlos Vela plays centrally, which Rodriguez told me she expects not to happen — from the following: Eduard Atuesta, Lee Nguyen, Mark-Anthony Kaye and Andre Horta.
Rodriguez continued, ‘For me, the question about which players start in midfield is one of the toughest coming into the season. I think Nguyen will pretty much be a regular, and I think the other three will be battling for two spots (assuming no other big-time midfielders are signed before the season). At the moment, I think it’s a toss-up, although I would imagine the team will expect Horta to show what he can do in MLS this year and grab a starting role once and for all.’
The problem for Bradley is Horta. He did not cheap. And yet his performances belied the qualities he displayed throughout this time in Portugal. So what went wrong? If Horta can play as his price demands, the LAFC midfield, with or without a true defensive midfielder, should flow nicely; if Horta again struggles, suddenly, options look a little light on the ground.
Central midfield is the biggest question mark entering the season for LAFC. Such are their riches, they could move in numerous directions, none of which are necessarily wrong. But as the 2019 season draws near, one thing is certain. If success is to come to L.A, then evolution is necessary, from Bradley, his system and his players.