Disappointing results aside, even casual observers can see the improvement in Seattle’s offense over the past two games. With 27 shots recorded in the past two matches, Seattle believes that the goals—and the wins—will soon start to roll in.
The reason? According to midfielder Peter Vagenas, it’s a change in philosophy.
“We’ve done a good job of freeing up our dangerous players and giving them the opportunity and the energy and the space to do what they do best, which is create,” Vagenas said. “Everyone wants to talk about shifting formations but it’s more of a philosophical thing in my point. We want to give our guys that we rely on to create and score an opportunity to do that and to limit their defensive responsibilities.”
While that’s true, the modest Vagenas deserves some of the credit for the transformation, which started on the road against Toronto FC. Although defensive mistakes doomed Seattle to a 2-0 loss, Freddie Ljungberg called it the team’s best performance of the 2010 season.
Fast-forward to last Saturday, when Seattle produced 16 shots and confused the opposition with a new 4-3-3 formation. The common thread in both matches is the presence of Vagenas, who is enjoying a renaissance in the Sounders FC midfield.
The veteran has started three of the past four matches since replacing a struggling Brad Evans in the center of the park. While Seattle only managed a 1-1-1 record in those contests, Vagenas’ presence in midfield is shoring up the team’s defensive front and helping Seattle exploit the open spaces in the opponents’ defense.
“I think we are starting to play better,” said Seattle coach Sigi Schmid. “Vagenas helps on position in midfield and by allowing us to hold a little longer, gives these guys a little more confidence in making runs because they don’t feel like, ‘If I make a run and we turn it over, now I have to sprint back and defend.’”
As a result, Sounders players are taking opportunities to push farther forward, putting pressure on the opponent’s back line. A perfect example was Seattle’s first goal against Columbus, when left midfielder Steve Zakuani made a run through the middle of the Crew’s defense.
Nathan Sturgis’ chance against Toronto is another example. Despite playing outside midfield, Sturgis pushed himself far enough upfield to get in behind the defense on a pass from Ljungberg.
Earlier in the season, those outside players might have been minding their defensive responsibilities and not have occupied those advanced positions. In short, Vagenas allows the attacking players to take chances in the offensive third.
Having a defensive-minded midfielder like Vagenas on the field also mitigates the risk of counterattacks. While Vagenas may not destroy the other team’s attacks, more often than not he delays them long enough for players like Zakuani and Ljungberg to rejoin the defensive structure.
The 32-year old Vagenas brings some unique strengths to Seattle’s lineup. He mentioned ball circulation as one of those abilities, which means moving the ball from left to right to find players in dangerous positions.
“When I’m out there, I think one of my strengths is keeping the team organized, maintain possession throughout the team and making sure it’s running well,” Vagenas said.
However, Seattle’s recent resurgence points directly to the influence of the veteran midfielder. For his part, Evans agrees that rewards are coming.
“We started out playing a 4-4-2,” Evans added. “Like Pete said, we weren’t playing the best soccer but we got the three points. Now we’re playing better soccer and we are getting ties ... maybe not the results we want. But, the idea that we’re playing better soccer has motivated everybody coming into training. Moving forward, seeing how successful we were this weekend, I think that we can be just as successful. Once we bang two or three home, then it’s game over."
