Despite being the better team over the majority of their game with the Seattle Sounders, the New York Red Bulls really had to grind out a 1-0 victory on Saturday at Red Bull Arena. Both teams showed that they haven’t quite shaken off the pre-season rust when it comes to finishing, but as a whole, the quality of play in the game was exceptionally high. As part of what will become a weekly series here at The Allocation Order, I’ll be taking a specific look at the team selection and tactics of the Red Bulls. I’m going to take a look at a different team every week, and hopefully your team isn’t so boring that I skip them.

Hans Backe opted for a 4-4-2 wide diamond setup with Mehdi Ballouchy playing behind two strikers, Joel Lindpere and Dane Richards as wide players, and Teemu Tainio as a defensive midfielder, like so!

Ballouchy would occasionally play on the same level as Tainio when Red Bulls didn’t have the ball, but that didn’t happen a lot for a couple of reasons. One, because Seattle didn’t keep the ball that well, and two, because Ballouchy’s positional sense kind of sucks. More on that latter point in a bit.

Due to Ballouchy’s questionable competence, Hans Backe’s selection, Eric Friberg’s tendency to drift inside from left midfield, and Fredy Montero’s tendency to drop back from a forward role, Seattle had a major advantage in the center of the pitch. One would assume that this would lead them to control the game and have a great deal of possession. Rocky, what do you think about Seattle’s advantage in the center of the park?

Well I’m glad we have that sorted! Yes, Seattle’s advantage in the center mattered little, thanks to New York’s great positive qualities. Dane Richards was dangerous down the right, Joel Lindpere’s work ethic was awesome as always, both Thierry Henry and Juan Agudelo were great, and most importantly, Tim Ream and Rafael Marquez offered some stellar distribution from their central defense positions. Those two are possibly the best central defense pairing in MLS just when it comes to defending, but as far as technical and creative skills, there is no debate. They’re completely unmatched. Their passing ability allowed New York to create chances and keep the ball despite having an inherent tactical disadvantage in the middle.

How bad was it? Take a look.

This is the kind of thing that happened a lot in this game. Ballouchy would be god knows where and Tainio would just be one guy, so Ream or Marquez would send a pinpoint ball over the top of the Sounders midfield, right to one of the strikers or wingers. This exact event probably occurred 15 times in the first half. However, this shouldn’t absolve Hans Backe and Mehdi Ballouchy of any wrong-doing. This is absolutely not going to work every single week. Letting a team have that big of a midfield advantage over you is playing with fire. Well, against a team whose central striker is O’Brien White, it’s more like playing with sparklers, but you get the point.

Seattle were also playing pretty scared of New York, which is also not going to happen every week. The combination of Seattle packing guys behind the ball and White being really mediocre helped to cover up Backe’s questionable tactics and Ballouchy’s deficiencies.

New York was also bailed out of their curious selections by the fact that Seattle played a dangerously high line for parts of the game, including the part of the game where Juan Agudelo scored his goal. This seems understandable based on the fact that Seattle were trying to push hard for a goal, but it does not seem understandable when you think about the fact that New York have Marquez, Ream, and Tainio. If there’s any team who can absolutely annihilate your high line with an absolutely sick ball over the top of it, it’s New York. Oh, and those two strikers they have are pretty decent as well.

Though Seattle kind of gifted them success in a couple of areas, New York certainly earned their win and showed at times why they are the Eastern Conference favorites. However, the team looked considerably better when Tony Tchani came in for Ballouchy, a change that we can only hope is a permanent one. Tainio looked good at times, but also looks a little slight to be playing as a lone defensive midfield player in MLS. Jan Gunnar Solli was solid at right back, but had Steve Zakuani played, he likely would have been a defensive liability. If I’m Hans Backe, I’m going to adjust this lineup slightly. Play Tainio at right back, Solli at left midfield, Lindpere and Tchani in the middle. Both Lindpere and Tchani are fit, intelligent, and well-rounded enough to know when to go forward and when to stay back. They can provide for the strikers, and they can compete with a three man midfield by themselves.

My solution for the Red Bulls isn’t the only one, but for the love of god, Ballouchy as one of two central midfielders is something that has to stop.