It took discipline and tactical precision for the Crew to close out the 3-1 victory over the Red Bulls on Sunday, traits that were on display for Aaron Schoenfeld's second goal of the afternoon in the 80th minute that put the match away.
To help illustrate one such example, I'm going to cheat a little bit in order to highlight the pendulum swing that occured all in a matter of seconds. Our first screencap is of a play that came a few moments before Schoenfeld's strike:
That's what the scene looked like after Richard Eckersley's shot from the right endline was parried away by Steve Clark, seemingly into the pocket for Thierry Henry. You might have even forgotten about this play by now, but Federico Higuain, at the right side of the shot, comes charging in to swoop this ball away a second before Henry can fire it:
Knowing the Frenchman's class, this match could have been 2-2 had Higuain not had the presence of mind and the discipline to track back and get on this ball. Also, notice that he had to cut in front of Henry slightly in order to knock it away, but did so without conceding a penalty, which could have been easy to do given the circumstances.
In any case, this clearance kept it 2-1, and just over a minute later, it was 3-1. A huge swing that begins with the Red Bulls again trying to penetrate the Crew's penalty area:
What immediately stands out to me from this shot is the Crew's shape. Look at how balanced and perfectly in-formation the Black & Gold are. The wingers are dropped deep to make it look like a pure 4-4-1-1. The backline is neatly organized. Higuain and Aaron Schoenfeld are roaming up top but are still defensively responsible, pressuring the ball. It's organization like this that helps prevent breakdowns. The Crew was able to turn it into an insurance tally when the ball was misplayed following this pass by Armando.
Bradley Wright-Phillips attempted to flick the ball forward, but Emanuel Pogatetz cut it off and immediately pushed forward for Bernardo Anor. Again, the first thing you notice is the Crew's shape: it's perfectly organized, balanced and tight. In a span of seconds, however, the Black & Gold are able to turn upfield and create a goal on the counter. Watch the clock in the top left corner...
Three seconds later, and look what the Crew has become -- specifically, Ethan Finlay. The winger's speed has created so much havoc for oppositions, and here, it creates a goal. Finlay takes off the second he sees Pogatetz's interception, and within literal seconds he has turned the 4-4-1-1 into something more resembling a 4-2-3-1 by hustling forward.
The ball comes to Higuain in the middle, and the pass to Finlay is obvious. His speed has continued to create wide separation here. His ability to transition to attack this quickly is a big reason why he has been so successful this season.
The rest of the goal is straightforward. After Finlay makes a few touches, the ball again comes to Higuain in the center of the pitch, when he has this view with which to work:
It's a bit tight, but one dribble towards the near sideline creates all the space he needs to make this pass more vertical and straightforward:
Finlay makes another underrated play here: he one-touches the ball through a narrow lane to Aaron Schoenfeld. Here is the moment when Ethan plays the ball:
It doesn't look like there is much of a lane to get the ball to Schoenfeld, does it? In the end, the Red Bulls are caught ball-watching and passively defending, and the Big Celery is able to take this pass and smash it home.
This goal was an example of a ruthless counterattack by the Crew and a great example of how important shape can be, but also how individual skill can take over when the moment is right. And don't forget the crucial Higuain clearance that allowed it all to happen.
