A Roster Built for Rules
To prepare for the increase in transition and unsettled play, the Chrome LC dressed four defensive midfielders, all of which are known for their ability to not only play defense, but to effectively clear the ball and be an adequate offensive threat. With access to four guys that don’t have to leave the field, the Chrome offense is able to sub more quickly than their opponents, salvaging as much of the shot clock as possible. Mike Messenger, Alex Smith, Will Haus, and Ryan Terefenko are the guys that don’t often pop on the stat sheet, but they are grease that keeps the Chrome machine rolling.
In addition to the roster’s positional design, we also saw the versatility of the players that Coach Soudan has assembled. At LSM, Eli Salama and Nick Grill are a threat to push transition, often streaking up the field and staying involved with the offense until the last possible second. Sean Sconone was seen making world class outlet passes, often catching the Whipsnakes LC’s offensive players napping, and forcing them to play defense instead of subbing. Heck, the first goal of the game was close defender Mike Manley throwing fakes and splitting the defense for a goal. All told, “defensive players” for the Chrome LC accounted for 2 goals and 2 assists.
