Mauricio Pochettino proved ready for the European stage, while Atletico Madrid and Chelsea come up short in said European stage, and an original MLS franchise could be on the move to a land far away.
Presenting a brand, spanking new edition of 90 Minutes’ Top Five Midweek.
1. Pochettino’s European coming out
Mauricio Pochettino glowingly talked about the importance of his team’s performance on Tuesday beyond just the result. And he has every reason to talk proudly about his side.
Tottenham pounded the European table with an impressive performance in the 1-1 draw with Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. Pochettino, however, is arguably the biggest winner of the night. The Argentinian is the type of manager who is not stubbornly married to a single system, always willing to adapt to the needs of every match. Tuesday was no exception, and his tactical strokes proved masterful. Fernando Llorente got the nod for the first time, playing along Harry Kane. On paper, it puzzled those accostumed to Kane as the lone Spur striker. On the pitch, the move allowed for Kane to have more freedom and space by having less defenders on him due to Llorente’s presence. Populating the middle with a 5-3 behind Kane and Llorente provided the solidity necessary to stifle Real’s powerful attack, with Harry Winks more than holding his own in such a big spot for a relatively inexperienced youngster. This, coupled with Hugo Lloris’ magnificent saves, molded a performance to remember for Tottenham.
2. Still singing the Blues
Antonio Conte may continue to point to squad depth being his side’s most crucial problem, but it’s time to start talking more about defense.
Chelsea gave up three goals to Roma at Stamford Bridge in a thrilling 3-3 draw Wednesday, making it three matches in a row without a victory since that outstanding win at Atletico Madrid. Conte tinkered with the backbone of his 3-4-3, pushing David Luiz up to the midfield with Andreas Christensen, Gary Cahill, and Cesar Azpilicueta in the back three, and Luiz alongside Cesc Fabregas and Timoue Bakayoko to make it a 3-5-2. Moving Luiz, only made it easier for Edin Dzeko to put on a memorable performance for Roma, with two goals and destruction left everywhere in London.
Eden Hazard may have saved a point in a crazy match against Roma, but the Blues continue to leave a sour aftertaste.
3. Missing: Atletico Madrid
Lifeless.
That’s a term never associated with a Diego Simeone-led team. It is also the best word to describe Atletico Madrid’s showing -or lack thereof- in Azerbaijan against Champions League newcomer Qarabag. Simeone’s side is never hailed for showcasing an eye-catching brand of soccer. Instead, tactical prowess and heart have taken the club to unprecendented heights in recent times. Atletico didn’t even have the heart to upend a much inferior side that played with ten men for the last 15 minutes. Instead we saw a clumsy, disjointed side that couldn’t come up with any ideas despite the talent on the pitch.
This Atletico is removing itself more and more from the two-time Champions League finalists the world grew to respect and admire.
4. Looking for a moving Crew?
As the MLS playoffs are around the corner, Columbus Crew owner Anthony Precourt dropped a bomb on one of the league’s original cities.
Precourt announced Tuesday his intentions of securing a new stadium for the club in Columbus or potentially moving the franchise to Austin, Texas instead. Should Precourt not secure a new stadium, the move to Austin would happen in 2019, leaving only one more season of existence for the Crew. Precourt pulled out the old stadium threat so characteristic of many professional sports franchise owners in and out of MLS, something Ohioans have suffered throughout their sports history.
For a club that was one of the original ten franchises in Major League Soccer since its inception in 1996, the move would represent not just a business decision, but also the forceful uprooting of a team from one of the communities that is most synonymous with American soccer.
5. Edin the Karate Kid
The Chelsea-Roma 3-3 thriller had a little bit of everything, including an amazing volley by newly-discovered ninja Edin Dzeko, which is the grand winner of the Top Five Goal of Midweek.
PS: Pay special attention to the commentary along with the goal.
