Strength In Numbers

As the playoffs near, a new task pops up for Arena that may determine the team’s ceiling in the postseason. While the starting eleven remains more or less set in stone, barring injuries, attention now turns to the bench rotation. In a way, Arena has been preparing for this moment all season.

One of the hallmarks of this Quakes side continues to be their strength in numbers. Having dealt with a litany of injuries and absences, the roster’s depth was tested all season.

Throughout the regular season, a multitude of different players saw gametime to varying levels of success. This ability to find solutions through combinations of substitutions gave them different looks whenever they encountered an issue. By finding new ways to stay afloat via their depth, they’ve set themselves well for the playoffs.

As in any other sport, choosing who supplements the starters makes or breaks postseason runs. Fortunately for the Quakes, they’ve essentially been playing a playoff style rotation since the start of the season. However, Arena’s trust in a few players may be the decider in the coming weeks. 

While situations in different games arise asking for different sub patterns, it feels that Arena is figuring out who will be in his rotation. Having already gotten themselves into the postseason, now begins the work to make sure they can at least get some sort of run going.

With the playoffs already secured, these final few weeks need to be about getting a good seed and seeing who can play in the playoffs. More or less slated to face one of Dallas or Houston, the main focus turns to Arena getting his rotations set.

Over the course of this season, the Quakes survived injuries to key players, tough transfers and dips in form that all threatened to derail their season. Ultimately saving them was their roster. Unlike in previous seasons where going to the bench drew sighs, this season saw a complete flip.

Coming into the season, the concerns with the roster surrounded the starters rather than their bench. Running back the same starting lineup that sank to the bottom of MLS last season. Under the hood, things were changing with the bench.

After a season with a roster that clearly didn’t suit him, Arena leaned into how he tends to like to build squads. MLS veteran heavy sides with a few promising talents and one DP caliber player to tie everything together. 

By the first week of the season, fans saw that build in action and this, in turn, helped the team. No longer seeing a massive drop in quality, Arena called on players of equal caliber to replace one another. Essentially no longer fielding a top heavy side, they balanced the roster by keeping almost everyone around MLS starter level. 

A balance like this allowed for the team to better rotate when it came to absences and injuries. With the drop off no longer being so stark, they no longer oscillated from an average MLS side to a good USL Championship one. As the season went on, the ability to trust the bench became something that Arena leaned on when things started to come apart.

Essentially playing this strength in numbers approach from the first game of the season, Arena had the team playing a system conducive to the playoff demands. From the opening kick onwards, the Quakes set themselves perfectly for this moment.

With a system so dependent on wingers, it’s clear that figuring out how to adjust the wider players in-game will be at the top of Arena’s list. Refreshing the team and throwing different looks at opponents allow for the team to avoid being stagnant.

The returns of Tsakiris and Werner, as well as Judd finding form again, pushed Bouda out of the starting lineup. Starting the season on the right before shifting to a striker in the 3-4-3, his versatility makes him the natural choice for the first player off the bench. Additionally, this allows for Arena to adjust his formation in the middle of the game rather than just being fresh legs. 

Unfortunately Bouda remains the only real option as a forward substitution, unless Arena changes his mind about Jovanovic. In recent weeks, the manager tried Nick Fernandez and Jack Skahan across the front three, but both players are more effective more centrally.

If Tskairis returns to full strength, another issue for Arena pops up, where to place Eduard Löwen? In order to build the best midfield, one would expect the German playmaker to play alongside Beau Leroux. However, Arena seems to prefer playing a defensive anchor, Ronaldo Vieira, to offer a safety blanket especially in transition.

While Arena has played Löwen in the middle, if Tsakiris is fully healthy, it’s expected that the German will come off the bench. Similar to Bouda, Lowen’s ability to either play centrally or on the wings gives them the ability to rotate across the front three without sacrificing too much. Given the injury history of both Tsakiris and Werner, having Löwen to call off the bench gives the team another safety blanket.

One of the most interesting dynamics of this season has come via the fullback position. Every week sees the position being rotated, while this impacts the team’s continuity, it inadvertently prepares fullbacks to play at any moment. Whether players like Vítor Costa or Jack Jasinski get the start or come off the bench, Arena possesses the ability to adjust for opponents’ wingers. 

The roster build not only fleshed out the roster with players who could stand on their own in MLS, but gave Arena a team built for the playoffs. Unlike in the two prior playoff appearances, there won’t be signs of a collapse the moment they turn to the bench.

When the season started, the seeming lack of depth promised to be what would sink the team. However, by prioritizing internal development and keeping players that possessed MLS experience, Arena built a team that could withstand any absence or run of poor form. The coming playoff run will ultimately test this roster, but finding the correct sub patterns may unlock this team’s full potential.

Featured image: San Jose Earthquakes