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As far as MLS head coaches go, Jim Curtin is an open book. Ask and ye shall receive an answer that rarely lacks insight – and often surprises with its candor. Unless, that is, you’re asking about where Alejandro Bedoya will line up for Philadelphia.
That information will remain a club secret until the Union’s new Designated Player actually takes the field, something that could happen as soon as Saturday night at New England (7:30 pm ET; MLS LIVE).
“It doesn’t make sense to reveal [where we’re going to play Alejandro] just because it gives other teams a little bit of a head start,” Curtin offered last Thursday on ExtraTime Radio. “I know they don’t spend all day focusing on what we’re doing, but we know where we want to play him.”
Nothing to see here, right? Not quite…
“You guys are kind of the experts and can figure it out and know what we need and know where Alejandro likes to play,” Curtin continued, “where he said he wants to play, where he’s said he’s best and piece it together.”
OK, at least we’ve got a roadmap. But where does it take us?
Let’s start with what the Union, firmly ensconced in a 4-2-3-1 formation, need. Since Vincent Nogueira departed in June for health reasons, the No. 8 position has been a glaring hole. Currently, that hole is being filled by Tranquillo Barnetta, who Curtin generally deployed as a No. 10 when Nogueira was in the mix.
The versatile Barnetta has been the Union’s best chance creator this season (41 chances created, 10th in MLS), but he’s not necessarily a dyed-in-the-wool No. 10. Neither is Roland Alberg, a second forward who’s been shoehorned into the role at times. Attacking midfield isn’t a hole, per se, but it’s certainly not the sole property of one player, either.
Meanwhile, Philly’s second-best chance creator (and club legend) Sebastian Le Toux was traded to the Colorado Rapids just before the window closed, leaving the Union a bit thin on the right wing. Ilsinho figures to fill that hole, with rookie Fabian Herbers another option should the 30-year-old Brazilian need a blow or pick up an injury.
By my count, that’s one hole and two positions of potential need, with Bedoya having experience at each one. So where does he want to play and where is he best? The straightforward answer, based on his club career, is centrally, with a license to attack.
In an ideal world – for Bedoya, Curtin and the Union – my feeling is he would line up as the No. 10, a chance creator, yes, but also an advanced destroyer capable of applying smart pressure and forcing and taking advantage of the sort of turnovers we see so many teams emphasize as chance-creation mechanisms.
Of course, we don’t live in an ideal world.
For now, the obvious hole is next to Brian Carroll – who’s filled in ably for Maurice Edu, who is close to returning from injury and would give the Union what amounts to another DP signing – in Curtin’s double pivot. With Barnetta better suited to the No. 10, playing the No. 8 allows Bedoya to fill a clear need, play centrally and still contribute in the final third via late-arriving runs and a little bit of the deep-lying playmaking Nogueira was so adept at providing.
This is how I think it will look for the remainder of 2016:
That’s a playoff team, albeit one with some serious youth on the backline and in goal. Fortunately for the likes of Richie Marquez and Ken Tribbett, they’ll have Bedoya in front of them, a tireless runner and communicator who should snuff out plenty of attacks (then get the Union headed the other way) with his ability to read the game.
While I see Bedoya as the Union’s No. 8 for the rest of this year, I don’t believe he’ll be there long-term for Philadelphia.
Philadelphia shelled out some serious cash for Bedoya, with his transfer fee and salary both reportedly in the seven figures. That’s No. 10 money, and you better believe sporting director Earnie Stewart has a firm grasp on how to best maximize the salary cap and at which positions he can find relative bargains.
I expect him to do so this winter, as Bedoya goes from the No. 8 on a playoff team to the No. 10 for a Union side that expects to be an MLS Cup contender in 2017 and beyond.
