Sunday, September 25, 2016

Back Off The Tracks


Remember when we were back after last week? I was quick on the draw with that one. Im a team guy, I'll own that. But in my defense, after the stretch they had gone on it sure as hell seemed like they had figured it out. And then tonight we got our Revs back. Their true season colors came out tonight.

Similar lineup to the win over Montreal, but with Steve Neumann in for the sick Kelyn Rowe (the broadcast also said he was hospitalized, which I cannot find a source nor any buzz around, so they may have just made that up), and JoGo was out with an ankle, meaning Darrius Barnes got the start next to Woodberry at center back. Those are two massive losses. JoGo was the veteran presence helping Woodberry in the middle of the defense, so without him we knew it would be a dodgy game in that part of the field. And to their credit they did a lot better than I expected, but still not the quality this team needs. And Rowe has been the absolute driving force behind the Revs attack the past few weeks, so to not have him messed with the chemistry and the creativity coming from the midfield. Highlights...

Brad Knighton ladies and gentlemen...

Safe to say he's locked up the #1 keeper spot for at least the rest of the season. Wouldn't be surprised to see Bobby traded after the season if the plan is to try and keep and develop Cropper.

One of the few times we looked good offensively. The broadcast team did a good job later on in the match explaining what the Revs were trying to do in the attacking third, and you can see it a little in that GIF. Basically they had Fagundex and Juan up top with Kei just under them, almost like a False 9 role, and Lee as the 10 beneath Kei.

Lee with a nice effort. Would have been some kind of goal if he found a way to finish it off.

Hmmm, where have I seen that before? Right after that he made another great save on  the rebound opportunity. Brad The Lad (just made that up, nbd).

We got lucky quite a few times this match. Exhibit A.

Ola is the Kamara to score. Darrius, give him a little more space, k? Jesus.

What? I mean it looks like a mugging, or kids playing the Knockout Game.

Luck, Exhibit B.

Luck, Exhibit C.

Iffy call. Don't think it was a penalty, but if they call that then I want consistency. There were a handful of times Revs players got the same contact while in the Crew box and there was no call.

Conversion. Whatever.

Scotty got elbowed in the face right before this. So he was probably a little pissed, especially since there was no call and no stoppage while he was on the ground for a while. I don't think it was deserving of a red. Don't think there was any intent to cause harm, and you can see his eyes are on the ball almost the whole time, especially leading up to the contact. But I also don't think it was a dive from Ola like some fans were insisting. It did spark...

ALMOST FIGHT!!!!!

At the whistle. Now THAT is bush league from Ola. Get that shit out of here dude. Meet me (read: Caldwell) in Temecula.

There was little to no urgency all game from the Revs, which is maddening considering this was really a must-win. As it stands we are one point back of the last playoff spot with one less game to play than Montreal and DC, who are 5 and 6 in the standings. A win would have vaulted us up to 5 to, providing a little breathing room.

This game showed that this team can still relapse into what they've been most of the year: individuals rather than a team. It was Kei's big return to Columbus, and I think that may have mentally thrown him off a little, like he was trying to do too much instead of being the central target man he was last week, like during that first goal against Montreal.

We should be scoring boatloads more goals than we are given our firepower, and we've seen they can make good on that based on recent weeks. I know I'm repeating a lot of stuff form earlier this season, but thats the problem. There's no evolution with this squad.

A loss next week does a few things. First, it realistically eliminates us from playoff contention. We may mathematically still be in it, but really we aren't. We'd be relying on others to secure our spot, and that doesn't seem to work well with this franchise. That would (hopefully) result in the front office waking the fuck up and realizing there are holes in this roster. Heaps probably gets the boot to. I love him, but it's time for a change. He's so slow to make adjustments, both over the course of a season and in-game. Some of his in-game decisions are baffling. Today, for instance, subbing out Diego, who is one of the better offensive players on the team, for Daigo, who is a defensive closer when you get down to it. At the very least sub him on for Kei, who was not doing anything today. But if you're subbing Diego off, bring on someone like Femi, who has offensive firepower and brings a jolt of electricity with him. Baffling, man. Baffling.

Man of the Match
(Game of Thrones has knights in it, cut me some slack)

Brad Knighton. Take a bow my man. Seven saves. SEVEN. That's what happens when I play FIFA on a low setting and get off like 20 shots. And,a s you saw, a few spectacular ones. I said it earlier, but the starting job is his right now, and in my opinion it should be his for the foreseeable future. Absolute rock today, and a stud all season. 

Three games left. Next up is Sporting KC at home on Saturday, October 1st at 730 PM. Say your prayers at night my friends. The night is dark and full of terrors.
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Saturday, September 17, 2016

Back On Track



Less than a week after a soul-crushing loss in the US Open Cup Final, the Revs were back at it in league play, and picked up where they left off. 3-1 win up in Montreal, coming straight from Dallas, and extending their recent MLS form to three straight wins in convincing fashion. There's no telling if they'll be able to do this when the chips are down in a big game or in a playoff scenario, but god damn is it fun to watch this team right now.

Staying with a very similar lineup as the past three games, including the USOC Final, but with Kei Kamara back to a starting role up top. He hadn't been in the XI since August 28 due to international duty and a slight injury (though I have my speculations he wasn't really injured, more tired/Heaps didn't want to rush him into a lineup that was clicking without him). Same look at goalie with Brad in net and Cropper on the bench. Farrell, London, JoGo and Tierney at the back, Caldwell at the base of the diamond with Koffie out, Lee, Kelyn and Diego manning the other midfield spots, and Juan partnering with Kei up top. Obviously things are going good with this group and this formation right now, so aside from injuries, and wanting to get Kei in there, no reason to change anything.

Good vibes right from the jump...




Ooooh mama! That's how you start a game boys! Kalyn with little to no pressure and plenty of space, meaning he can serve up a nice ball and just let the big man bang bodies and do the rest of the work with his head. Those are the kinds of goals we all expected form Kamara when we acquired him, so if the crosses to his forehead start picking up now, it could add a killer dimension to this offense and potentially put them over the top at a perfect time.

Not long after it was Juan with a chance after Lee had a long ball swatted away...

Really need him to not miss those chances. It's a tough angle, but he's quality and in the form of his life right now. Obviously didn't end up hurting the Revs, but you should still bury that.

Rowe, Rowe, Rowe your boat...

From outside the 18-yard box and skips it far post and in. Beauty of ball, well placed, and what I almost like just as much is Juan on that play. Don;t take what I just said as negative about him. I just think he's a very good player and has the capabilities to put those home. This Rowe goal shows he has the mindset as well. Crashing the net like a hockey player ready to scoop up any loose rebounds and poach a goal. Forwards don't always do that, even though they should. Juan is hungry, and this is just one example of that.

Penalty to Montreal...

And the conversion...

Not much London could really do there. Ball hits him in the box form point blank range. Only other option besides trying to turn quickly so it hits your back is to just put your hands behind the back, take the shot to the front and hope it doesn't hit you below the belt. And then you'e not stopping Drogba on a PK. Just no shot.

It's that man again...

Another good looking goal. Fantastic service in from Tierney's left foot, Juan being physical in front of the net helping to cause the rebound chance that Kelyn hits on the half volley with his left peg.

Could have had four...

That's just cruel. Soccer Gods apparently punishing Juan now for being too in-form, and then Kelyn gets unlucky. Impact defender getting part of the leg on his shot to get it to the post.

When you slide into the DMs but take the L...

And that was all she wrote. Good team win, multiple guys finally hitting their stride, and better now than never. Now get Diego to a dentist STAT. Far too pretty to have half a tooth.

And not to mention we have a pretty cool club president:



Man of the Match

En fuegoooooo. Probably the team MVP for the whole year, but he really left his mark on this one. Two goals and an assist, and has really found his place as a creative midfielder in the middle with the 4-4-2 Diamond formation. Whenever trade talks used to be brought up, Kelyn was one of the first guys mentioned. People said we couldn't have him and Diego since one would always have to sit, but now that there's a solution to that issue I never want to see Kelyn brought up in trade talks ever again.

Next Sunday at 7 PM on FS1,  the Revs visit Columbus to take on the Crew and their hideous jerseys. Rest up and get ready to rip. Playoffs are within reach....


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Thursday, September 15, 2016

Hello Darkness My Old Friend


We absolutely should have seen this coming. The New England Revolution are FOR SURE NOT a team that can win the big game. The US Open Cup Final was the most recent chance to win the club's first trophy since 2008, when they won the now-defunct North American SuperLiga. The first trophy came in 2007 when the Revs won the Open Cup. Other than those two triumphs, they've never won a meaningful Final or Cup (sorry about that, Desert Diamond Cup). MLS Cup runner-up in 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2014. This season obviously has not gone as many expected and/or wanted. A lot of Revs fans shared the sentiment that winning the USOC could salvage the season and make it hurt a little bit less when the inevitable playoff exit/miss comes rearing its ugly head. 

It started out so promising to, thats what kills. Lineup was solid, and the formation was unchanged. Coming off two straight wins that were dominant and inspired hope. Juan Aguadelo has been in the form of his career as of late, and he showed no signs of slowing just under 6 minutes in...


A fantastic effort. The pass in from Koffie, the PHENOMENAL turn by Juan and the finish. Things were looking up.



When your team rips your guts out (pls ignore the fact that's a Dallas fan, its a good reaction gif, thx)

And then Max Urutti happened.


Great goal. I mean, just... great goal. The control and strike out of the air is pure class. It would help if the defense could maybe stick to him and not let him get so open, but thats just semantics I suppose.


Should probably take the goal back because of this Mr. Referee, just saying.


More poor marking gives Matt Hedges a way-too-easy goal.



Penalty on JoGo. The broadcast was iffy on this one. Shaky call but in the end could see wither side. There was a fistful of jersey that the linesman caught, just unlucky he was in good enough position to see and had no one blocking his view.

And the conversion...


Brad get an armpit on it but can't keep it out. Would like to see him make that save, obviously, but even more so given the contact he got on the ball.



So close... Best left foot in MLS, that Chris Tierney.

Urutti...

What in the fuck is that defending? ATROCIOUS! Leaving Brad out to dry. How does a single man just split two defenders like that? He's not Cristiano Ronaldo, he's Max fucking Urutti. Someone mark him for the love of God.

Juan with no quit in him...

Lucky pass that somehow finds its way all the way across the box and Juan finishes that chance off. Great movement form him right off the bat there. Was in open space, read the play well and moved to where he thought the ball would end up, and he was correct.

And that was all she wrote. 4-2 loss to FC Dallas in the 2016 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

I'm very interested in where the team goes from here, namely int he goalkeeper department. Bobby has been dropped recently in favor of Brad in net and Cody Cropper on the bench. Does Heaps roll Cropper out in the next few games, or does he wait until they make (or miss) the playoffs? Young goalkeeper, on the national team radar, European experience, and given the #1 jersey? You can't just sit him the entire season. The problem is that they're on the road for the next two games, at Montreal and Columbus. They aren't exactly slouch teams. Then after that its at home against Kansas City, another team with some firepower. Away game at Chicago follows and then the season wraps up with a home game versus Montreal. So really no good spot. Either facing a tough team on the road, or you only give him like one or two games to play. There is a scenario that I really don't want myself to buy into: start Cropper the rest of the way and he takes it all the way. Undefeated and winning the Cup.

Man of the Match
Swagudelo baby. Only man worthy in my eyes. He's been on fire and needs to continue to be if theres any hope of playoffs for this squad. 

As I said before, next game is Saturday the 17th (tomorrow) at Montreal, 730 PM kickoff. Might have some shakeup with injuries to Watson and Koffie. Buckle up.

PS: I've convinced myself of that Cropper scenario. MLS Champs babayyy.
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Saturday, September 10, 2016

Revs Are Hot, Hot, Hot, Beat NYCFC 3-1




First things first...







Yes, after a near-three week hiatus, I am back. I don't know what it was, the Revs lackluster play until recently or maybe deep emotional trauma caused by my last post, that caused this unintentional break, but it happened.

Now, where were we last time I posted? Well, the most recent Revs post is about Sebastian Giovinco dropping his nuts all over our faces. After that the boys picked up a US Open Cup Semis win (more on this later), followed by two losses and two draws. They finally seemed to right the ship last week with a 2-0 win over Colorado.

In that Colorado game, head coach Jay Heaps finally experimented with his lineup, moving away from the 4-2-3-1we've seen far too much of and shifting to a 4-4-2 diamond. He's also started using Brad Knighton in net and knocking Bobby Shuttleworth out of the 18 entirely, opting instead to put new signing and USMNT goalkeeping prosper Cody Cropper on the bench. He's moved away from Teal Bunbury, aided by an injury spell to make that decision easier, and hasn't been able to use Kei Kamara the past two games due to Sierra Leone national team duties (and a slight "injury" keeping him out of this one). This has forced him to turn to a squad that's a little more creative, has some fire and chemistry, which some have said is completely off right now. There are rumors, completely unconfirmed or without any real evidence besides what we can see on the field, that Lee and Kei just can't work together. I don't know if it would be a result of clashing styles or real animosity as a result of prior matchups or what, but that's the hot topic right now.

NYCFC came in as the top team in the East, so if there would ever be an indicator as to how fluky that Colorado win was, this was it. And the Revs passed the test.

The backline of Farrell, Goncalves, Woodberry and Tierney paired with Knighton has been solid. I know Je-Vaughn Watson is really a right back, but I hope the Andrew Farrell Center Back Experiment (Trademarked) is over. He's a right back, and a damn good one. Woodberry was getting exposed as a right back when he had to fill in, and putting him between one of Goncalves/Tierney or Gonclaves/Farrell can help relieve the pressure and mask his weaknesses. Caldwell, Nguyen, Koffie and Rowe as a diamond midfield has been a revelation. You get two of your most creative guys in Lee and Kelyn in good positions to do what they do best (create) and you get them combining with each other and taking pressure off of each other. And then an absolute thunderbolt of a striking pair. Diego and Juan are like two bees just darting across the field and attacking defenders. It's beautiful to watch.

Before we get to any highlights... It's that time of year again!

Warms my heart to see the lines out there during a soccer match. Also...


Hey kid, it's the "Beautiful Game", not the "Game Where I Get To Take Home The Match Ball". Learn the etiquette one time for me.

These guys definitely enjoy TAILGATESZN. Ok, moving on.

SWAGUDELO


And then Lee...

Absolute beauty of a team goal. Rowe with the nifty moves, pulls back and puts in a nice ball across the goal box. Diego hits a perfect dummy. Lee Nguyen collects, puts on the slight dip to freeze the defense and fires home. Wonderfully worked, and exactly the kid of soccer we expected this team and their firepower to play the entire season.

Credit where credit is due...

Thats a nice looking score from NYC. All Lampy had to do was taaaappp it in. Pass splits Woodberry and Koffie as they took on the attacker charging  forward and left Lampard all alone.

Good feelings didn't last long for the City boys.

Another magnificent team goal. That through ball from Rowe to Nguyen was downright sexual. Then the cut back by Lee to find Juan. And Fagundez finishes off the long rebound with some nice footwork of this own.

And that was all she wrote. A 3-1 win over the conference leaders. Two-game win streak in the bag. It's far from the end, but it was needed. The Revs sit just one point back of Orlando for the last playoff spot in the conference but the Lions have two games in hand right now. Still, a good foundation is forming to finish the season off strong and make a playoff push.  If you want a spin zone: It looks like the Revs are coming out of their yearly summer slump right now.

Not saying this is all because Lee brought back the headband, but...
Stay Woke

Man of the Match

Swagudelo himself. Juan Agudelo is on fire right now. I don't know what it was, but I think a fire has quite literally been lit under this ass. You could see it tonight. He scored the opening goal and set the tone. He hustled his ass off. I mean you can have all the quality in the world, but the one thing everyone can possess is a high work rate. Juan put in absolute WORK tonight. 


Just one example is from Diego's goal. Watch it again, I'll wait. You see how Juan kept that going? Gets his shot knocked back and he goes right after it with no hesitation. Fights off the defender and ends up ion the ground trying his hardest to keep the ball in Revolution possession, eventually poking it to Diego. That goal doesn't happen if Agudelo doesn't hustle his ass off there. Another example of his form and mindset right now....




Brilliant turn. I mean, what else is there to say? The touch was sublime. Not only that, but the way he finds the space for the give-and-go, turns and fires a shot off. It gets blocked, but then you see him hit the ground in frustration. That's a man who cares, Even his post game comments were telling.

“Personally, it’s the most fun I’ve had all season, these past two games,” Agudelo said. “It’s how I love playing and I’m sure all the other players around me are loving it, too.”

 They're hitting a stride right now, and it's phenomenal to watch. 

 Next match is Tuesday at 10 PM down in Dallas. US Open Cup FINAL against FC Dallas. The first major trophy won by the club was the 2007 Open Cup, and the last trophy they actually have won in the 2008 North American SuperLiga, which no longer exists. Eight years without any silverware, and a golden chance to end that drought Tuesday. Barring training injuries, and depending on the status of Watson and Kamara, it should be a full team to choose form for Jay Heaps. Gut feeling is he stays with what has his squad on a two-game win streak where they outscored opponents 5-1, but then again we never really know with ole Jay. 

 Let's Rip.
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