While working ESPN’s telecast of this week’s U.S.-Colombia match, Juan Pablo Angel said he “probably won’t” be back with the Red Bulls next year. That just backs up what he’d told the Post last month, but it won’t make it any easier on the club’s fans if they do lose their captain and all-time leading scorer.
But if this is the soon-to-be-35-year-old forward’s finale in New York, he seems intent on going out in style, bringing some silverware back to a team that’s had a painfully-bare trophy case since its inception. And the most immediate step is finishing first in the Eastern Conference.
“I think it’s very important to accomplish to win our conference. It’s never been won by this franchise, and I think you have to do first steps first,” said Angel. “It would be a good statement, specifically coming off a very difficult season last year. If you would’ve looked at the beginning of the year, you wouldn’t expect us to be in the position we are in right now.”
The Eastern Conference-leading Red Bulls (14-8-6, 48 points) hold a two-point cushion on Columbus with two games to play. They play at Philadelphia (7-14-7, 28) Saturday before a regular-season finale against New England (8-15-5, 29) next Thursday.
“We know that we have a very good squad and we need to be at our best if we want to do something in the playoffs. (But) we still have a job to do in the regular season,” said Angel. “It would be great if we win our conference. Then, because of the format of this league, anything can happen at the end of the day. We have to make sure we got off on the right foot that first game in the playoffs.”
Part of that is finding the right formation.
When asked if Mehdi Ballouchy had to play up front as a support striker to be effective, thus displacing Angel, coach Hans Backe said no, that he felt the newly-acquired midfielder could play tucked behind two forwards. And Backe dismissed the notion his team was trying to regain the chemistry it’d displayed before Ballouchy’s arrival, chalking up last Saturday’s sputtering performance to the 4-5-1 formation.
“I think we look sharper and more aggressive as a team with a 4-4-2,” Backe said. “When we play with one striker, you could see that our pressing was not that aggressive. We dropped a little bit too much; and when we attacked, it’s so difficult for one isolated striker in an attacking game. I still think it looks now we were best when we play a 4-4-2.”
Which is good news for Angel. Ever since the $1.9 million captain was sat in favor of Ballouchy immediately upon the newcomer’s arrival, signs have pointed toward Angel’s 2011 departure. But just the fact that Backe sees the 4-4-2 as his preferred formation _ be it flat, a diamond or empty bucket _ bodes well for Angel starting in the playoffs…at least at home.
“Going forward, definitely when we play at home,” Backe said of playing with two forwards. “But when we’re playing the best teams away we have to be a little bit smart and don’t get naïve and think you’re going for some big games away and play naïve. We have to be aware. We need to play with the second striker to get the result.”
Even more than sparking the offense, playing with two forwards has helped the Red Bulls’ pressing game, and solidified their defense. They haven’t allowed a goal since the 68th minute in Dallas, coming into Saturday on a streak of 202 straight scoreless minutes and having posted consecutive clean sheets against the MLS-leading Galaxy, Kansas City and defending champion Real Salt Lake.
“We’re still keeping a clean sheet, which is important. We’re getting stronger. We’re getting solid,” said Angel. “I always say defense will always win championships and one thing we have this year is we’ve been very strong defensively.”
Yes, the Red Bulls have scored the most goals in the Eastern Conference with 35; but throughout this club’s checkered history, defense has always been harder to come by and a bigger problem. And this year, their 27 goals allowed are fewest in the East, and their nine allowed at Red Bull Arena are tied with Colorado for the league’s second-best home mark.
And whether Angel starts up front alongside Henry or Ballouchy is pushed up into that role of support striker, it’s painfully clear that much-needed defense is at its best with two forwards pressuring up high.
“Of course (it helps) because you divide the field more equally, or more evenly,” Angel said. “It’s not like you have one person running all over and invite them into our pressing zone. We’re more compact and we have a chance to suffocate teams within our zone and we’ve been doing it pretty well, although last game we changed the formation to a diamond-and-one (and) we felt that we were as effective closing people down from the top.
“Then when we got to the area where we normally put pressure on – which is between our halfway line and our penalty box – I think we were pretty effective. So it’s trying to get the right balance. But I do feel with the two forwards the job becomes more easily, not only defensively but also offensively. The first defenders are always the forwards and it’s easier to defend with two than it is with one.”
