Second-leg adjustments will decide semifinals

Among the more common queries one hears at postgame news conferences, is the inevitable question asking a coach what adjustments were made in the second half of a game. But with the Western Conference semifinals at their halfway point, it's a thought that bears further inspection. In both playoff series, one goal is all that separates the two teams, and you can bet that the coaches in question will add a wrinkle or two before the second leg in their quest to progress to the conference finals.

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Can Clint Mathis produce some of his old magic against FC Dallas?

The manager with the biggest obstacle in front of him is Colorado's Fernando Clavijo. Not only does he find his team heading to Dallas trailing 2-1, but a potentially lethal combination of injury and suspension looks set to give him even less flexibility than usual.

Defender Mike Petke, having completed his two-game suspension, will likely fill in for the injured Aitor Karanka. Defender Dan Gargan and midfielder Jacob Peterson are also hobbled, but the loss of forward Thiago Martins due to his red card late in Saturday's first leg causes Clavijo the biggest problem. The Brazilian's mobility and work rate were excellent in the first leg, and are not easily duplicated by the players Clavijo has at his disposal.

Jovan Kirovski and Clint Mathis are the leading candidates, and while neither player can hold the ball up the way Martins can, both do add something in terms of creativity. And Mathis, despite his eroding skills, can still hit a wicked free kick. Since Kirovski's size makes him a more natural replacement for Martins, my guess is that he'll get the nod.

But perhaps the bigger question is how much risk does Clavijo take, and when? Does he sit the more defensive-minded Daniel Wasson, and play both Kirovski and Mathis? Or does he opt for more of a two-way player like Alain Nkong? While Colorado assistant coach John Murphy admitted that playing Kirovski and Mathis together had been discussed, the fact remains that Colorado does not have to win this match in the game's opening moments.

"Scoring the first goal for us will be key," said Murphy. "But whether we score that in the 5th minute or the 65th minute, I don't think that will be the determining factor. We need to score the first goal, and it will certainly put us in a difficult spot if [Dallas] scores first. But we've created quite a bit against Dallas throughout the year, so we feel comfortable and confident that we can create chances."

The likelihood is that Clavijo will keep his lineup the same as much as the injuries will allow. In fact, I'll guess that Clavijo would be perfectly content to get to halftime at 0-0. At which point, a steady parade of attacking players will enter the match in search of the goal that will bring the Rapids level.

Of course, that will require keeping things clean down at their defensive end. In this regard, the presence of Petke could provide a lift. The nine-year veteran knows all about the antics of Dallas forward Carlos Ruiz, and he has the physical presence to deal with Ruiz's latest sidekick, Abe Thompson. But the back line will also need help from the likes of Wasson and Kyle Beckerman, who will need to make sure that Ruiz isn't allowed easy service into his feet, where he can then inflict plenty of damage. A repeat performance from last year's playoff hero, goalkeeper Joe Cannon, is also required.

The challenge for Dallas coach Colin Clarke is less tactical than it is psychological. Having done the hard work of getting a win on the road, how does the Hoops' manager prevent his team from suffering from a massive case of overconfidence? Simply showing them a tape of last year's playoff series involving the same two teams should do the trick. On that occasion, Dallas also appeared to have gotten the road result it needed, entering the home leg tied. The Hoops then took a late lead against the Rapids, only to see the visitors strike back and prevail on penalties.

While such a scenario is possible, I find it unlikely that history will repeat itself. Clarke's side appears to have found its rhythm, and with honest workers like Simo Valakari and Richard Mulrooney patrolling the midfield, the Dallas coach has to like the chances that his team will get the result it needs.

For that to happen however, the Hoops will need to strike the right balance between attack and defense. A defensive mind-set is one that can creep into a team's psyche without it even knowing it, and that is something Clarke is keen to avoid.

"We can't fall into the trap of trying to just sit back and defend," said Clarke. "We have to get after them and score and look to get another one or two goals."

In the other playoff series between Chivas USA and Houston, the majority of the tactical adjustments will come on the defensive end. For Chivas, any residual good feeling from their 2-1 triumph last weekend will disappear once they watch the game tape. Dynamo forward Brian Ching, whose surgically repaired knee is still giving him pain, was allowed far too much space in all manner of ways. Not only was the Hawaiian able to free himself to get to crosses, but he twice got behind the Chivas defense for clear breakaways.

"Our concentration in certain moments needs to be better," admits Chivas head coach Bob Bradley. "Obviously [Ching's] two best chances came when our back line just didn't do a good job of dropping back at the right time."

Had Ching been sharper in his finishing, the result might have turned out differently. That Chivas still won doesn't hide the fact that central defenders Claudio Suarez and Jason Hernandez will need to provide more of a physical presence in order to blunt Ching's influence. And given that the Goats already have the advantage, don't rule out Jonathan Bornstein sliding from midfield to left back.

When the suggestion of moving Bornstein was offered to Bradley, he coyly stated that it was "a possibility." It's a switch that makes sense because it will address the other problem Chivas need to fix, that of denying service from the flanks, especially from Dynamo midfielder Brian Mullan. While Bornstein's contribution on the offensive end has been well documented, just as important has been his ability to defend speedy attackers such as Mullan. If Bornstein can win that battle, then the chances of Chivas prevailing go way up.

The talk out of Houston has been all about set pieces, or more specifically, Houston's inability to defend them. Following last weekend's match, head coach Dominic Kinnear bemoaned his side's lack of "attention to detail," especially when Paco Palencia beat his marker to the ball and deposited Sacha Kljestan's free kick into the back of the net for Chivas' second goal.

But while there is some truth in that assessment, of even greater concern will be how the Dynamo will account for Chivas' attacking trio of Ante Razov, Juan Pablo Garcia and Palencia in open play. In the first half last week, it was clear that the Dynamo were struggling to keep track of all three players, whose movement continually allowed them to find space in advanced positions. Kinnear blamed this development on the positioning of his back line when possession of the ball was lost.

"Our starting position was way too deep, and that created the space and the uncertainty," said Kinnear. "That's why we got caught. You give good players time; they'll pick the right pass."

The Dynamo did a better job defensively in the second half, and saw more of the ball as a result. That will need to continue this Sunday if Houston is to emerge victorious. Given the tighter dimensions of Robertson Stadium, that task should prove easier to accomplish, but don't be surprised to see more help coming from Ricardo Clark in midfield, who may drop deeper in order to squeeze the available space even more.

So will any of these adjustments alter the outcome of a series? In Dallas, no, but in Houston the odds are better. While Brad Guzan's save of Dwayne De Rosario's penalty kick preserved a result for Chivas, the Dynamos' improved play in the second half will give them plenty of confidence. Had Chivas managed to preserve the two-goal advantage, then any semblance of belief by Houston would have evaporated, but that is not the case here. I expect Houston's changes to carry the day.

Jeff Carlisle covers MLS and the U.S. national team for ESPNsoccernet. He can be reached at eljefe1@yahoo.com.