Fifty years ago every talented player wanted to play striker or attacking midfielder. With the advent of system soccer, playing the number nine means thankless space making runs for others, laboring tirelessly for one chance to score.
Smart positioning and an uncanny nose scoring opportunities yielded twelve goals for Galaxy striker Dejan Jovelic. The team has clearly struggled offensively since the Serbian striker suffered a hip injury. Fans and pundits speculated that General Manager Will Kuntz would survey the market for a backup striker.
Enter Joseph Paintsil. “This is not my first time playing in that position. I did that in Genk against Club Brugge and a couple of other games.”
What an understatement! The Ghanian striker conducted a clinic in lone striker play against Portland, directly or indirectly involved in every chance created during the 3-2 victory over Portland. Mention the name Paintsil before bedtime and Timbers center backs Dario Zuparic and Miguel Araujo will scour the medicine cabinet for large doses of melatonin.
Good center forwards stretch the field and provide hold up play to incorporate the rest of the team. Different types of strikers do this in different ways. Tall strong players receive the ball with back to goal and hold it long enough for teammates to join the attack. Top class power forwards like Olivier Giroud provide deft layoff passes, win aerial duels and play diagonal balls to switch the point of attack. Some make an art form of drawing fouls in dangerous positions.
Quick speedy strikers make darting runs from defensive blind spots that force opposing center backs out of position. Defenders tend to back up, worried about pacy runs behind them opening up space in the midfield. The best strikers of this type often exchange positions with wingers, drop into the midfield and constantly recycle their runs, forcing the opposition to make decisions shift positions quickly.
The Ghanaian striker played a significant part in all three Galaxy goals. For more than thirty minutes Paintsil occupied typical striker positions near the opposing center backs on offense, checking back to participate in the build up, darting behind the defense from central positions.
In the thirty-eighth minute Paintsil switched with Gabriel Pec taking up a position wide right. The opposing fullback did not expect the explosive run that followed. Riqui Puig’s perfect through ball found the striker in stride, more than seven yards behind the nearest defender. A simple cross to Pec steaming up the middle opened the scoring, 1-0 Galaxy. The Portland defense did not adjust to the switch. Paintsil punished them.
The second goal that started a minute into the second half encapsulates consummate center forward play. The Pec retrieved the ball on the right touch line, passing to Delgado. As the midfielder received the ball Paintsil checked back for a ball to feet. When Delgado pushed the ball forward he darted diagonally onto a through pass leaving one center back in his dust and drawing the other over to cover. Portland managed to poke it out for a Galaxy throw in.
As the Galaxy cycled the ball around to the left, Paintsil inched from an offside position between the center backs who pinched together, but not fully aware of his location. His quick run off the shoulder of the right center back forced the left center back to cover him as the ball arrived. He paused waiting for the play to develop.
With the defenders out of position, Diego Fagundez ran from his left flank position into the middle drawing the midfielders with him. Puig trailed the play into the space created by the two runs. Paintsil’s deftly chipped pass reached Puig at the top of the box. With time to size up the shot, the Spaniard laced a low laser into the bottom left corner of the goal. 2-0 Galaxy.
Paintsil’s every move unbalanced the Portland defense. With Fagundez playing the supporting role, the Timbers could not adjust to the speed and fluidity of the attack. Each segment in the sequence depended upon top class positioning and forward play by the Ghanaian.
A thing of beauty, the final goal rewarded Paintsil for his brilliant performance. In the fifty-seventh minute right back Miki Yamane intercepted a Portland pass. The Galaxy initiated a string of possession. As the ball swung toward the left flank. The Galaxy forward took a step toward the midfield, freezing the center backs before exploding diagonally toward the left corner flag. Fagundez pass arrived as Paintsil entered the penalty box.
Great forwards can pinpoint shots at a moment’s notice. What Paintsil did next should be included in every striker training video. While moving at pace, position the ball with one foot and strike it immediately with the other. The response of the defenders as the ball bulged the upper right side netting indicates they never saw it coming. Pure number nine genius. 3-1 Galaxy.
The Galaxy did what they always seem to do with a commanding lead. They rushed their opportunities going forward and repeatedly gave the ball back to Portland. Eventually the Timbers punished them with a solo run by Santiago Moreno. With less than ten minutes to play Vanney inserted Emir Garces as a third center back. Miguel Berry and Mauricio Cuevas relieved Fagundez and Paintsil, and the Galaxy closed out the game 3-2.
The Galaxy clearly needed an offensive minded back up striker to Dejan Jovelic. They discovered a far better solution on their own roster than Kuntz could ever find in the transfer market. Memo to MLS: Joseph Paintsil can play out and out striker against any team that wants to press the LA Galaxy.
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LA Galaxy vs. Portland Timbers | Full Match Highlights | July 20, 2024