Bran, if you ask me (and you did), those choices can all be interpreted in slightly different ways:
The second half of the game would be defined by offensive runs from both teams and tough, physical play.This is the 'original', and seems to be best described by future-in-the-past tense - it states how things played out.
The second half of the game could be defined by offensive runs from both teams and tough, physical play.This is another way of saying "the second half might be defined by..." - conditional?
The second half of the game should be defined by offensive runs from both teams and tough, physical play.opinionated.
(or, actual future/predictive)
The second half of the game can be defined by offensive runs from both teams and tough, physical play. see #2.
I guess I would recast it somewhat like jheem has done; simpler and clearer. options 2, 3 and 4 change the voice, I think.
OP
