The MLS is Back Tournament semifinals are set and the final four in Orlando consists of four teams with a distinct, and clear, style of play. And with some of the pre-tournament favorites already ousted, there are no clear favorites among the Philadelphia Union, Portland Timbers, Orlando City SC and Minnesota United.
“The one clear thing I think every team that’s left has is a vision of what they thing their team should play like,” Union coach Jim Curtin said in a video conference call with reporters Monday. “They’re all unique and we’re all here for a reason and that’s a positive. It’s not like Serie A where Juventus wins the league nine years in a row or Germany where Bayern Munich is eight years in a row. So it’s unique in that regard and that’s ok.”
The Union are a squad that has found success with pressing and counter pressing, but also through possession. Their semifinal opponent Wednesday (8 pm ET | FS1, TUDN, FOX Deportes, UniMás; TSN, TVAS2) are the Timbers, a squad that will concede possession and hit you on a deadly counter as they repeatedly showed in a 3-1 quarterfinal over NYCFC.
In his first season, Oscar Pareja has transformed Orlando City SC into a team comfortable and confident on the ball. Adrian Heath’s Loons have locked things down defensively and, not unlike the Timbers, have been clinical on the counter.
They lock horns in the second semifinal Thursday (8 pm ET | ESPN2, ESPN Deportes; TSN, TVAS2).
“One of the things for me that has given me a lot of joy here in this tournament is to see how much Major League Soccer is growing in terms of methodologies, in terms of models of the game,” Pareja said. “We are more diverse and Minnesota is an example, Columbus and LAFC [too].”
Pareja said there is no “copy and paste” tactical model in MLS. He said that will benefit the US men's national team and soccer in America on the whole.
“Now we are stopping globalization of the methodologies and the ideas. Now we are more diverse. I think it will have a tremendous impact for [the] national team and for the development of soccer here in America,” Pareja said. “Major League Soccer is growing tremendously, I think we’re showing the world we’re going in a great direction.”
