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The Daily OrangeMSOC | In search of answers, Foti changes up formation, lineup
By John Clayton
Posted: 10/15/07, 1:12 AM EST Section: Sports
With his team riddled with injuries and demoralized by four straight Big East losses, the time was right for Syracuse men's soccer head coach Dean Foti to get creative.
Gone was Syracuse's traditional 4-4-3 formation. Instead, Foti organized his team into a 4-5-1 set, using just one striker. In an attempt to find the right combination for a backline that had struggled during the losing streak, Foti opted to keep Brien Chamney, who had played mostly midfield for the Orange, at left back. Foti shifted junior forward Kyle Hall, who had been one of SU's primary offensive weapons, to the bench to be used as a substitute and inject life into the Orange offense.
The new-look Orange didn't quite feel like the team that went unbeaten in its first seven games, but the lineup did enough to scratch out a much-needed 1-0 win over Cincinnati.
"It's a product of everything," Foti said of the lineup changes. "Every game you have to evaluate who's healthy. Who's playing well? Who are you playing next and how do you match up with that group? We thought this was the best way to match up with them."
The formation change produced mixed results. SU was able to possess the ball well, but it struggled to turn that possession into chances.
The Orange's best opportunity before forward Tom Perevegyencev's decisive goal came not during the run of play, but off a free kick when Hansen Woodruff booted Luis Martinez's long free kick off the crossbar in the 71st minute. For the game, SU only tallied five shots on goal.
"I'd say there were breaks in the game," Hall said. "There are periods where we do keep it well and we have a good attack, and there's times when we're just chasing and we're sporadic with our attacks. I think we still have to have some more cohesion when we do attack."
Hall, who has been bothered by an ankle injury, was a notable exclusion from the starting lineup, though he did play much of the game after coming in midway through the first half. Although Hall admitted to being a little less than 100 percent, both he and Foti said the decision to bring Hall in off the bench had nothing to do with the injury, simply with trying to switch things up on offense.
Gone was Syracuse's traditional 4-4-3 formation. Instead, Foti organized his team into a 4-5-1 set, using just one striker. In an attempt to find the right combination for a backline that had struggled during the losing streak, Foti opted to keep Brien Chamney, who had played mostly midfield for the Orange, at left back. Foti shifted junior forward Kyle Hall, who had been one of SU's primary offensive weapons, to the bench to be used as a substitute and inject life into the Orange offense.
The new-look Orange didn't quite feel like the team that went unbeaten in its first seven games, but the lineup did enough to scratch out a much-needed 1-0 win over Cincinnati.
"It's a product of everything," Foti said of the lineup changes. "Every game you have to evaluate who's healthy. Who's playing well? Who are you playing next and how do you match up with that group? We thought this was the best way to match up with them."
The formation change produced mixed results. SU was able to possess the ball well, but it struggled to turn that possession into chances.
The Orange's best opportunity before forward Tom Perevegyencev's decisive goal came not during the run of play, but off a free kick when Hansen Woodruff booted Luis Martinez's long free kick off the crossbar in the 71st minute. For the game, SU only tallied five shots on goal.
"I'd say there were breaks in the game," Hall said. "There are periods where we do keep it well and we have a good attack, and there's times when we're just chasing and we're sporadic with our attacks. I think we still have to have some more cohesion when we do attack."
Hall, who has been bothered by an ankle injury, was a notable exclusion from the starting lineup, though he did play much of the game after coming in midway through the first half. Although Hall admitted to being a little less than 100 percent, both he and Foti said the decision to bring Hall in off the bench had nothing to do with the injury, simply with trying to switch things up on offense.
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