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Atlanta's 2-0 win over Toronto FC was a continuation of what we've seen in the Five Stripes in recent weeks: a solid and consistent defense, as well as a more energetic Josef Martinez at the top to give shape and function to the attack.
No, Josef did not score. But he did not need to set the tone. His work outside the ball and his network play have been remarkable, even if his final touch escapes him. The simple fact is that when Josef moves, the rest of the attack will find spots:
He's got the support here, but take a look at the hard and easy race he's doing after making the pass to Julian Gressel. This opened up the space that Gressel needed to cut in and tear one apart.
This game also showed some of the problems with the Toronto FC playing a "pulley system", or "double pivot" instead of a single, pure # 6. The idea of double pivot is for two players (in this case Michael Bradley and Liam Fraser) to equally share everything that a defensive midfielder must do: destroy the opposing game, win 50/50, distribute from the depth, advance with innings late and protect the bottom line.
When a player prepares to attack, the other one falls in deep and becomes a central element to orchestrate. When one of the players gets up to chase the ball, the other is supposed to give up to protect the place in front of the baseline. This can happen on one side and then on the other – hence the "pulley" effect.
When it is well executed, a double pivot theoretically covers more ground and dictates more play than a mere No. 6 can handle, while being more difficult to play or simply because 2> 1 When that is not done well, you get to play it above.
Both players of the pivot as well as the strong group CB must work in tandem. If they do not, the double pivot usually causes the exact problem that it is supposed to solve: it opens huge expanses of land in the central midfield, just in front of the background.
Fraser recognized the problematic defensive form of the TFC fairly quickly:
Atlanta has exploited this little dislocation and hesitation in Toronto's defensive rotations. They were not perfect – Josef's races were a little too early three or four times, and Pity Martinez still does not know what his role is – but the Five Stripes were mostly in the places they were supposed to to be, things that they were supposed to do.
It's more mechanical than it was, but this machine now has four wins in five games.
The nightmarish departure really looks like a thing of the past and, for the first time of the year, they can sleep in the relaxed and un dreamed sleep of a team resting at home. above the playoff line.
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