Issues on the Horizon - Bay Area Sports Nation

Two losses in a row put a damper on an otherwise positive start to the season. López’s extended absence threw this team into a tailspin they must escape.

The game against the Rapids further showed the limitations of this roster and setup.

Starting this season on such a good note put the team in a great position to have a positive year. Luckily for the team, so much time exists to get them back on the path, but it’ll be tough.

López needing surgery after having missed a game with a suspension highlighted the issues with this team’s depth. Without a dynamic number ten, the team struggles to create chances through the middle. Despite a good performance from their forwards, they resort to long shots or set pieces to get on goal.

Another absence also killed the Quakes against the Rapids. Rodrigues being out wouldn’t impact the team as much if they had another adequate center-back option on the bench. In his first start of the season, Lima proved to be the wrong choice to fill in for the Brazilian.

With a schedule starting to pick up, the Quakes can’t afford to be rudderless.

Arena needs to make some different choices with this team and be willing to experiment.

In Arena’s system, creation comes from the wings and a number ten that connects the midfield to the forwards. Without one, the system grinds to a halt.

While López remains one of the most talented players on this roster, his start to the season hasn’t been electrifying. However, his value comes from what he gives you positionally.

Playing in that more central creative role, he offers the team a chance to build into the box rather than from crosses. This added dimensionality makes the team more dangerous, which was true in the first matches of the season. In the first two games, the Quakes’ ability to play into the duo of Arango and Martinez kept opposing backlines on their feet.

Without that added threat, the team could not attack besides long shots or set pieces. Arango, Bouda, and Martinez all had good moments, but their shots came from too far out to really threaten the Rapids. To be fair to the coaching staff, the team remains incredibly dangerous on set pieces, but you can’t keep gambling on them.

To replace López’s production, Arena started Arango in that position with Bouda alongside Martinez. Having already attempted this setup last week, the issue remained, forcing Arango to play deeper, which nullifies him as a scorer. Both Bouda and Martinez played well, but Arango needs to be the main attacker, not the creator.

So far, in these early stages, Tsakiris has yet to really see any sort of extended run. Arena prefers to play more veteran players, but Tsakiris makes too much positionally sense not to play him. Giving him a chance in the López role allows Arena to fully understand if the youngster has a place in his plans.

With such a potent offense, the team can’t afford to waste any chances.

Since López’s absence, a strong attack fell back on weak chance creation, and that won’t work the deeper you go in the season.

Similar to López, Rodrigues’ absence didn’t need to sting like this. Most expected Romney to serve as the backup for the Brazilian, but with him starting, there is no real option off the bench.

Lima played some center back in college and was profiled to potentially play there as well in MLS. However, his skills better fit at right back, given his issues with tracking runners. The second goal highlighted this, as he left his marker wide open to crash into the goal.

Playing with three at the back makes sense for this team and did work, but the personnel has to change. If Rodrigues misses substantial time, they need to find someone to fill in better for him.

The issue presenting itself to the team is that they don’t have adequate enough proven talent to play in the backline. Leitch and the front office stacked this team with talent at the full-back position but neglected center-backs. This created the current issue where not all the fullbacks can play, yet they are so thin in the backline.

Additionally, other options that profile center-backs are too inexperienced at the MLS level. Munie showed flashes under Luchi but still made too many mistakes. However, compared to the rest of the options, Munie still brings the most experience.

If Arena chooses to play players out of his position to fill in the void, perhaps Mark Anthony Kaye fits in the best. Playing him centrally, covered by Romney and Wilson, would allow him to be almost an extra defensive mid. It gives the Quakes another ball-playing center back while still having an adequate enough defender.

Similar to their issues with their offense, the Quakes’ lack of depth in the back promises to be a real issue. If one of their defenders misses significant time, then the team is in real danger.