By BRIAN LEWIS
The Red Bulls have heard all the criticisms of negative soccer. Juan Carlos Osorio has listened to all the accusations of being a defensive-minded manager. And they have a two-word response for those that claim they’re more about hard work than work of art, more about the clean sheet than sexy football.
Thank you.
“I’ve heard the same thing about Italy, and nobody takes away the fact they’ve won four World Cups. Italian teams are always ugly teams; who gives a (damn)? All you see is four World Cups,” midfielder Dave van den Bergh today. “Holland has been the best team in two World Cups and we’ve got nothing to show for it.”
The former Dutch national team member pointed to Holland losing the World Cup final 2-1 to Germany in 1974 and 3-1 to Argentina four years later. Both times better defensive teams hoisted the cup, and van den Bergh hopes the Red Bulls’ recent defensive surge carries them past Columbus in Sunday’s MLS Cup final.
“Tough (luck). You were the best team, but so what? In 1978 we were in the final again, the best-playing team there and lost to Argentina. Who cares?” van den Bergh said. “We’ll take that ring and put it away on ice. I’d rather win ugly than lose beautifully.”
Osorio, a staunch proponent of defense, takes it as a compliment.
“I’ve lived in this country for almost 20 years, and I hear about other sports, American football, baseball, basketball. And I’ve heard the best coaches, the guys that won trophies are those that defensively are sound,” Osorio said, channeling his inner Pat Riley.
“When people say about me that I’m a defensive coach, I take that as a compliment rather than as a criticism. In the well-rooted sports, defense means titles. It wins titles. And I’m very pleased with the way the guys are performing now.” What’s not to be happy with? Sunday’s MLS Cup final is the first in the franchise’s history, and they got there by posting the first back-to-back road shutouts in the playoffs since Chicago in 1998. And to prove his point, the expansion Fire won the Cup that year.
“If we defend properly, we are competitive,” Osorio said. “We play within the rules, we’re aggressive in a controlled manner. If we play for each other, we play with each other, we compete for each other and we just keep clean sheets, we’ll always have a chance to score goals, as we proved in the last games.
“Some people out there have said that I’m a very defensive minded coach and I take it as a compliment. As I always say to the players, if we keep it to zero, keep a clean sheet, we’ll always have good chances because we also work very hard in attacking topics and in top-level football. As I keep saying to the players, you only have to win one-nil.”
Osorio was an assistant at Manchester City when Premier League rival Chelsea rose to prominence _ or bought their way to glory, depending on your point of view. But despite Chel$ki’s near-bottomless pockets, Osorio is fond of pointing out that the Blues won the 2004-05 league crown by eking out 18 games with a 1-0 scoreline.
“It worked for Chelsea. Chelsea had (18) one-nil games. Who cares?” said midfielder Dave van den Bergh. “Everybody says what a great team, they were tough to beat. They scored one goal and sat back and let you run into as brick wall called John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho. Good luck with that.”
The Red Bulls don’t have Carvalho or Terry. With Jeff Parke suspended, their center back tandem is Andrew Boyens _ inked during the season after Toronto waived him _ and Diego Jimenez, signed away from Mexico’s Tecos in July for a bargain-basement $12,900 developmental deal.
They’ve been stellar. Kevin Goldthwaite _ finally comfortable enough in his own skin to think defense-first rather than risking forays forward _ has been the most consistent defender, and Chris Leitch solid down the stretch. But the key has been that they’ve defended with all 11 men, buying what Osorio is selling:
Defense wins.