July 17, 2012
OFFSIDE REMARKS
Backe's lack of substitutions is alarming long and short term

By Michael Lewis
BigAppleSoccer.com Editor

If there was a time to use all three substitutions, this was it.

When a hot and humid Sunday at Red Bull Arena demanded fresh lungs and legs on the pitch and some planning ahead to a look, hot week of three games in seven days, Red Bulls coach Hans Backe did nothing.

Yes, he did pull Rafa Marquez for Wilman Conde, but that was due to an injury.

While Seattle Sounders coach Sigi Schmid made his three allotted subs in the 2-2 draw, Backe, following his habit of keeping the starting 11 in as long as he could, did nothing. He did not even use his favorite 12th man, Medhi Ballouchy.

After the game in the air conditioned press conference room, I asked Backe why he did not make any late subs.

Backe said he was "thinking about both Mehdi [Ballouchy] and Victor [Palsson] as options to replace some of the guys. But as long as we controlled the game and created chances, I just had a feeling to keep going. Then we have to look into the Wednesday game if we need to replace two to three players to start against Chicago."

The Red Bulls host the Chicago Fire in a 1 p.m. kickoff on Wednesday in conditions that are expected to be a lot worse on Wednesday before another home game against the Philadelphia Union at 2;30 p.m. on Saturday (it is expected to be in the 80s and "cooler" then).

Given the schedule, Backe should have had some vision and rest some players, saving them for what is expected to be yet another grueling day on Wednesday.

“It's very difficult for guys, some of the best athletes, some of the fittest athletes in the world to go a full 90 minutes without losing their legs,” said Red Bulls midfielder Dax McCarty, one admittedly said he had lost his fitness after a half hour on Sunday despite being one of the fittest players on the team..

Backe's lack of replacing players in horrid weather conditions is confounding and it makes one wonder -- well, at least me, as to whether he will be able to push the right buttons down the road when the race to the playoffs becomes tighter or in the post-season itself.

You really have to seriously wonder if he is tactically challenged during games, knowing when to pull the trigger.

Will Backe's failure to make substitutions, particularly timely ones, give him and the Red Bulls a big kick in the butt?