For half the match against New England Revolution on Monday, Ned Grabavoy slotted in where Kyle Beckerman would have served, playing in the deep playmaker role, an essential one in our system. A look at the chalkboards from Monday’s unfortunate (and fortunate, really) draw shows the influence Grabavoy had — and the influence Kyle Beckerman had when he came on for the second half.
A rest for our captain would have been useful, but it wasn’t to be. Down 2-0 in the first half and desperate for three points, Jason Kreis made a decision that would been fairly obvious in normal circumstances. In the first half, though, Ned served quite ably against a side that wasn’t interested in getting down and playing, content to score from set pieces.
Left: Grabavoy passes in the first half. Right: Grabavoy passes in the second half.
Take a look at Ned in the first half, though, and you’ll see how differently our system plays with Kyle Beckerman back there: The dimunitive Grabavoy isn’t a long-ball playmaker. He plays a more simple game with short, well-connected passes, acting as a link between the defensive line and the midfielders in front of him. In the second half, he plays essentially the same way but on the left side of the two central midfielders. With Andy Williams dropping a little deeper in the second half but remaining rather central, you’ll notice something striking: There as essentially no right-side attack, with Will Johnson dropping into a more defensive role.
Left: RSL passes in the first half. Right: RSL passes in the second half.
It’s striking, then, that Kyle Beckerman in 45 minutes recorded five key passes — while Grabavoy provided none. The same Kyle Beckerman whose future with the club was in doubt at the beginning of the season is, I’d argue, a vital cog in our system, and we’re lucky to have him serving so ably in the captaincy and in the midfield.
Left: Beckerman passes in the second half. Right: Midfield passes in the second half.
Yes, Will Johnson and Ned Grabavoy serve important roles, but the vision and passing — as illustrated here — of Kyle Beckerman, as well as his ability to direct play, are influential in no small way.
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