Two clubs in the Eastern Conference of MLS will do battle today in a league match between the New York Red Bulls and Chicago Fire. The first-division clash scheduled for 8 p.m. ET will be held at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois and can be live streamed here. Additional TV Coverage can be found on Univision Deportes.
Not known for his tactical prowess, head coach Mike Petke opened his mind to formation shift against the New England Revolution last Saturday. Taking the advice from his assistant head coach, Robin Fraser, the Red Bulls boss opted for a shift from a flat 4-4-2 to the diamond variety. Despite playing the second half down a man, the result followed.
"I thought it [the change] was brilliant," midfielder Dax McCarty said (via MLS's official website). "I thought we played some of the best soccer that we played. When you're playing in a diamond, you have a lot of options in the middle of the field, so when I get the ball I have a guy showing to my left, a guy to my right, Thierry buzzing in the middle."
"Sometimes when you play a flat 4-4-2, the roles aren't as defined," he added. "Sometimes in a flat 4-4-2, things can get stagnant. We haven't played up to our best in a flat 4-4-2."
With the depth at center-back dwindling, Petke will be forced to make another tactical decision: Stick with the diamond, or switch to a three-man back line?
Tactical Preview
Player to Watch: One of the outside backs charged with beating the Red Bulls this evening is right-back Lovel Palmer. The 29-year-old is known more for his defensive prowess, averaging less than a cross (0.6) and key pass (0.7) per match.
Chicago Fire's Projected Lineup (4-4-2): Johnson; Segares, Larentowicz, Ianni, Palmer; Alex, Ritter, Watson, Ward; Magee, Amarikwa
New York Red Bulls' Projected Lineup (4-4-2): Robles; Oyongo, Sekagya, Miller, Duvall; Alexander, McCarty, Cahill, Sam; Henry, Wright-Phillips
Note: Credit all statistics to officially licensed data from Opta Sports (via WhoScored).
Standings
| Rnk | Team | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | +/- | Pts | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sporting Kansas City | 22 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 32 | 20 | 12 | 39 | |||
| 2 | DC United | 21 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 32 | 21 | 11 | 37 | |||
| 3 | Toronto FC | 21 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 32 | 30 | 2 | 32 | |||
| 4 | New York Red Bulls | 22 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 35 | 33 | 2 | 28 | |||
| 5 | Philadelphia Union | 23 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 36 | 37 | -1 | 27 | |||
| 6 | Columbus Crew | 23 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 28 | 31 | -3 | 27 | |||
| 7 | New England Revolution | 22 | 8 | 2 | 12 | 29 | 35 | -6 | 26 | |||
| 8 | Chicago Fire | 21 | 3 | 13 | 5 | 28 | 34 | -6 | 22 | |||
| 9 | Houston Dynamo | 21 | 6 | 4 | 11 | 23 | 40 | -17 | 22 | |||
| 10 | Impact Montreal | 22 | 3 | 5 | 14 | 22 | 41 | -19 | 14 |
| Rnk | Team | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | +/- | Pts | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Real Salt Lake | 23 | 10 | 9 | 4 | 36 | 27 | 9 | 39 | |||
| 2 | Seattle Sounders | 20 | 12 | 2 | 6 | 35 | 28 | 7 | 38 | |||
| 3 | FC Dallas | 23 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 38 | 32 | 6 | 36 | |||
| 4 | LA Galaxy | 20 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 34 | 19 | 15 | 34 | |||
| 5 | Portland Timbers | 23 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 38 | 38 | 0 | 30 | |||
| 6 | Colorado Rapids | 23 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 32 | 31 | 1 | 30 | |||
| 7 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 21 | 6 | 11 | 4 | 31 | 29 | 2 | 29 | |||
| 8 | San Jose Earthquakes | 20 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 25 | 22 | 3 | 24 | |||
| 9 | Chivas USA | 22 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 21 | 36 | -15 | 23 |
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