Sounders FC 2 returns to the Pacific Northwest this Sunday for a home match against Orange County SC at Starfire Stadium (2:00 p.m. PT, livestream on SoundersFC.com) The two sides faced off down in Southern California back on June 24, with S2 losing 4-3 after conceding three tallies in the first half. Given that the Rave Green only had 15 players available for the previous match against OCSC, a well-rested and fully stocked S2 side should lead to a better result.
OCSC, like a majority of teams in USL, operates in a pretty typical 4-2-3-1 system but with a few minor tactical tweaks. For starters, the central attacking midfielder, or No. 10, often pushes forward in possession, essentially operating as a withdrawn forward. The outside backs provide the width, but don’t necessarily provide a ton of service from the flanks. Instead, they offer an outlet in possession, or they free up space for the wingers by occupying defenders with overlapping runs.
The real danger that OCSC poses in attack is the stellar play of their two wingers, Carlos Alvarez and and Jerry van Ewijk. Both players are incredibly skilled dribblers that thrive on creating chaos in 1v1 situations.
The whole OCSC system is predicated on establishing possession in order to isolate their wingers 1v1 out on the flanks. From there, they can either cut inside and shoot or drive to the byline and whip in crosses. Both players are a nightmare to defend because of their versatility in the attack. Van Ewijk and Alvarez lead the team in chances created with 19 and 11, respectively. Van Ewijk and Alvarez also lead the team in goals scored with 2 and 3, respectively.
S2’s wide players will certainly have their hands full on Sunday. In order to restrict chance creation from the flanks, they’ll need to be incredibly disciplined in 1v1 situations, as both van Ewijk and Alvarez wait for defenders to initiate a tackle before dribbling past them and bursting into space.
Here are three things to watch for on Sunday.
Set Pieces
OCSC’s greatest strength is execution on attacking set pieces. In the last three matches alone they’ve scored a total of six goals from dead-ball situations, including penalty kicks. Roy Meeus has a lethal left foot, and is equally adept at assisting set-piece goals as he is at scoring them himself.
While scoring from set pieces is the team’s greatest strength, defending them is arguably their biggest weakness. Over that same three-game span, Orange County conceded a grand total of six goals, including penalty kicks.
Defensive Support On The Wings
As mentioned above, Alvarez and van Ewijk are lethal when isolated against defenders out on the flanks. In order to neutralize the threat they pose, S2’s wide players will need to track back and offer defensive support to the outside backs. Since OCSC tends to send their fullbacks forward to create 1v1 situations, S2’s two defensive midfielders, Ray Saari and Francisco Narbon, will need to slide across to create a man-advantage when defending.
Coach’s Take
“It’s good to finally get the core group of guys back. I think we have a much stronger team than when we played them a few weeks ago, so we think it’s going to be a more competitive match. We’re at home and the guys are just itching to be back on the pitch as a unit again. We’ve had a good week of training, so we’re looking forward to a good match. They’re a very good team, so we have to show up and really compete.” -- S2 Head Coach Ezra Hendrickson.
