51黑料

51黑料 City SC interim head coach David Critchley laid the foundation for forward Klauss鈥� resurrection as an offensive star in the form of a resounding and franchise-record setting hat trick on Saturday, and Critchley did so with words, conversations and one-on-one interactions.

You see, somewhere Critchley picked up this crazy idea of developing rapport with players to get the most out of them.

In a time before our current data-heavy era of analytics and metrics in sports, they called this coaching.

That understanding of high-performing human beings that allows you to get the best out of talented people, it鈥檚 a trait not automatically intrinsic to anyone given the title 鈥渃oach.鈥�

It also shouldn鈥檛 get overlooked by anybody in a decision-making capacity in a sports franchise or organization, and it surely shouldn鈥檛 get dismissed by City SC 鈥� again.

Prior to Klauss鈥� first goal in Saturday鈥檚 3-3 tie against the LA Galaxy at Energizer Park, he had a conversation with Critchley on the sideline during a water break. Critchley 鈥減romised鈥� Klauss that the way he was playing and the movements he was making would lead to him scoring the game鈥檚 first goal.

Five minutes later, Klauss delivered the first of his three goals on a give-and-go with Marcel Hartel set up by an initial pass by Celio Pompeu to Klauss.

The most important part of Critchley鈥檚 promise (his phrasing) to Klauss was Klauss鈥� belief in Critchley. That belief started days earlier when the two sat down and reviewed video after a midweek practice session.

Critchley used the session to address Klauss鈥� waning confidence.

In City SC鈥檚 inaugural season, scored 10 goals in 19 games (14 starts, 1,318 minutes) and converted at a 24% clip. A quad injury kept him off the field for 15 games that season.

Last season, he missed 11 games with a knee sprain, and his production dropped markedly when he did play. He scored five goals and tallied three assists in 27 games (23 starts, 1,969 minutes), and he converted on 6% of his shots.

Out of the gate this season, Klauss struggled under first-year coach Olof Mellberg and scored one goal in MLS play and two more in U.S. Open Cup matches in the first 14 games of the season (11 starts).

So Critchley, promoted on an interim basis from the City2 developmental team, had more than just spacing to discuss when he chatted with Klauss, 28, leading into Saturday鈥檚 game.

鈥淭hat was a big part of our conversation this week as well,鈥� Critchley said. 鈥淪ure, I can show clips and talk to him about positioning, the technical and the tactical, but just sitting there and listening to him as well 鈥� trying to build his confidence.鈥�

Klauss and Critchley reviewed Klauss鈥� missed opportunities in his previous match against Portland (he had an expected goals of 0.62 in Portland and 0.72 in Saturday鈥檚 game when he scored the hat trick). Critchley showed Klauss his mistakes, but Critchley did so to build him up as opposed to break him down.

Klauss walked away knowing that he鈥檇 have many forthcoming chances to score. Critchley stressed that Klauss should play relaxed, not be afraid of making mistakes and feel comfortable enough to improvise on the field.

Of course, Critchley also coupled this individual message with some tactical and strategic tweaks.

Critchley paired Klauss with and even made them interchangeable to an extend to take advantage of Becher鈥檚 ability to stretch the field and Klauss鈥� ability to operate within space.

鈥淗e also gave me a lot of freedom,鈥� Klauss said. 鈥淣ow, I鈥檓 playing kind of different position, like hybrid 9/10. So he also showed me what he wants from me.鈥�

Critchley鈥檚 influence wasn鈥檛 just felt by Klauss. Pompeu acknowledged an increased sense of calm when they were in their offensive third of the field and cited the first goal as an example.

鈥淚 know we鈥檙e playing better,鈥� Pompeu said. 鈥淓very player feels more confident with this style, with Critch鈥檚 plan. He shows us the way to play. We scored some goals on balls in behind, the way he said they would be vulnerable.鈥�

Hartel described Saturday鈥檚 game as the best the team has played with the ball. Again, that started with confidence instilled during the week in the way they trained and how they broke down video, and that carried over into the game.

鈥淲e did a very good job, (were) calm, we invited pressure, we played out of pressure, we also had the option to play behind the lines,鈥� Hartel said. 鈥淓verything we discussed before the game, especially with the ball, was going our direction.鈥�

They鈥檝e now scored first in all three of the games under Critchley.

Make no mistake. The team isn鈥檛 鈥渇ixed.鈥� They have faults to address.

Things are far from perfect, but Critchley has connected with the current roster as well as returned the club to a playing style that sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel has repeatedly called part of the club鈥檚 鈥淒NA.鈥�

Critchley鈥檚 guidance has also proved Pfannenstiel correct when he asserted that the players did not forget how to play overnight.

All this leads us to ask: Will City SC look at this run with Critchley as a serious audition for the head coaching job?

Or will the leadership of City SC simply sit back and watch as individual players as well as the overall team take steps forward under an interim coach 鈥� one who has also been part of the club鈥檚 DNA 鈥� only to then turn their attention outside for a full-time hire?

They did it last season with John Hackworth.

Critchley may not ultimately be the answer. Things still must play out during his time as the clumsily labeled 鈥渃aretaker manager.鈥�

What鈥檚 clear is the folks atop the organization would be doing a poor jobs as caretakers if they didn鈥檛 at least give Critchley real consideration.