What The USMNT Can Learn From The Philadelphia Flyers

I apologize in advance to any Boston Bruins fans who may read this post.

Growing up, I lived in a Flyers household.  Like all Philadelphians, we had a special place in our hearts for the Eagles, Phils, Sixers, and Big 5 basketball, but we loved the Orange and Black above all.  Needless to say, I've been thoroughly enjoying the Flyers' remarkable playoff run this year, particularly their historic comeback against Boston, and I will not pass up the opportunity to carry their success over to this site in one form or another.



For those who don't follow hockey, the Flyers defeated the Boston Bruins by a score of 4-3 on Friday night to win Game 7 of their second round playoff series.  The series win was made all the more impressive by the fact that the Flyers came back from an 0-3 deficit, but I'll focus this post primarily on that final game, and more specifically, what the USMNT might be able to learn from it ahead of their marquee match-up with England on June 12.


#1: There is such a thing as "bad energy"

With the crowd in full voice and both teams understanding what was on the line, the Flyers and the Bruins came out with a lot of fire in the opening minutes of Game 7.  Unfortunately for Philadelphia, that energy ended up hurting them, as two penalties ensued.  While the first may have been due to a lack of focus, the second was clearly the product of someone (Danny Briere) who was just a little too amped up and not playing intelligently.  These two setbacks proved to be very costly, as the Bruins jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead thanks to goals on both power plays.

The USMNT will have to be smart in the opening moments of their match against England so as to avoid getting caught up in the crowd and doing something stupid.  For a team that has developed a little bit of a reputation for its red cards in its past two FIFA tournaments, the last thing we need is for someone to get caught up in the excitement and be to hard or overzealous with a challenge; otherwise, a penalty, card, or early deficit might just be the result.

A fair share of players will be making their first World Cup appearances, so it's up to veterans like Tim Howard, Carlos Bocanegra, and Landon Donovan to keep the troops calm and level-headed in what will surely be an electric and boisterous venue.  There is a fine line between aggressive play and recklessness, and that group, along with Bob Bradley, will have to make sure that the US is on the right side of it.


#2: The best offense is a good defense

Throughout Game 7, the Flyers caused the Bruins a number of issues by constantly pressuring the puck wherever it was.  By aggressively forechecking (pressuring the Bruins in their defensive end, for the non-hockeyites), the Flyers stopped a lot of Boston attacks before they even started and created a number of turnovers that generated instant offense.

It might not be the prettiest method, but hard work from the midfielders and forwards to apply pressure to England's back line could very well create a number of offensive opportunities, if not a goal.  Such effort could also force England into some fouls in their own half, which could produce a card as well as a scoring chance. Of course, the US players will have to pick and choose their spots to apply such pressure since they don't have the benefit of line changes and 45 second shifts, but the idea still has some merit, I feel.

I know most fans wish that the US played a beautiful, free-flowing style that picked apart opposing defenses with creativity and crisp passes, but the fact of the matter is that their recent success has been predicated on a defensive style.  Thus, goals from scrappy play, high pressure, and defensive discipline will probably be more likely than a Barca-esque attack.  Cutting the field down by applying pressure in the offensive half could go a long way towards getting those crucial goals.


#3 Don't get caught up in an officiating decision

Trailing 3-2, the Flyers appeared to level the score in the second period during a goalmouth scramble in which the puck seemed to cross the line.  Upon further review, however, the play was ruled as no goal, as replays could not confirm what was probably a goal.  Instead of losing focus in the wake of the decision against them, though, the Flyers continued to do what they had done up to that point, and they created a couple of quality scoring opportunities in the following minutes.

Of course, an identical situation won't happen in South Africa since replay is a ways away from being implemented in the beautiful game, but something similar could occur.  A questionable penalty call, card, or disallowed goal could all happen, but the Yanks will just have to push on and continue the momentum that they had built up to that particular point in the match.

Fortunately, the US has shown an ability to bounce back well from situations like this in recent times, as they were able to take the lead just minutes after Ricardo Clark's first half red card against Italy in the Confederations Cup.  Should some questionable officiating arise in South Africa (and I'd be shocked if it didn't, to be honest), Bob Bradley's men will need to have a similar response to avoid taking a huge step back and making things easier for Rooney and company.


#4 Take small steps to victory

With the Flyers trailing 3-0 in the first period, head coach Peter Laviolette called a timeout to help his team regroup after their disastrous start.  As I sat there frustrated and dejected, I could read Laviolette's lips in the huddle, as he yelled to his team that just one goal would get them back in the game. Surely enough, the Flyers got that first goal just a few minutes later, giving them a boost going into the first intermission that would eventually result in a 4-3 comeback win. 

England is a very talented team, and the USMNT might find themselves in an early hole.  They'll have to understand, however, that they won't be able to make up two or three goals all at once.  Just focus on getting the first, and only after that has been done should you move your focus on to the second.  Breaking the game down into smaller steps can help re-energize a team that might be a little down on itself after a rough stretch, and it can keep them from trying too hard to make up the deficit in one foul swoop, which can often lead to poor, overambitious decision-making.

Unlike Laviolette, Bob Bradley doesn't have a timeout at his disposal, so the halftime team talk is really where he'd have to step up and get everyone on the same page.  That doesn't preclude, however, someone like Bocanegra or Donovan from gathering their team after a goal and relaying a similar message in the meantime.

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I'm pretty sure most of what I just said goes without saying, but I figured it was worth connecting what helped one team to success in a high-stakes game to what the USMNT might face against England in their Group C opener.  All of this could probably be extended to any of the Yanks' other World Cup games; I just decided to keep if focused on England because that is the match that will likely attract the most excitement and scrutiny for a number of reasons.


And, besides all that, I just enjoyed reliving the Flyers' unbelievable Game 7 win.  What a night...