It has very clearly been a while since I wrote a Revs recap. Since the last game I have been able to watch theres been a lot going on: graduation, the Celtics playoff run, being sad as a result of the Celtics being eliminated from the playoff run, and other such commitments.
The three games I've missed have been a 1-0 home loss to Columbus which will never be spoken of again, and two draws: 3-3 at Vancouver and 1-1 at home with Atlanta last night. From what I was able to gather from Twitter in the draws, the offense was flowing in Canada and the defense was fairly solid at home. But the biggest takeaway has been Matt Turner.
The kid is being lauded after a masterful performance against one of the best offenses in MLS last night, with Brad Friedel even throwing international call-up potential out there. I've been saying it for a while and I'll keep saying forever, Matt Turner needs to be an All-Star AT THE LEAST. He's tied for 4th in shots faced with 67, tied for 4th in saves made with 48, has a goals against average of 1.46, has saved one of two PKs and has a save percentage of nearly 72%. He's shown off impressive reaction time, parry skills and hands. He's made the difficult saves that would have done this team in in the past. An absolute revelation and the season is still only like half over. Incredible.
So I'll try to get back to recaps this weekend. Never a promise but I'll give it a go.
The constant question with his team is, "Can they respond?" It's asked after losses, draws and opposing goals. Do they have the gall to bounce back after a negative? Well, they answered that question in a big way against Toronto tonight at Gillette.
Brad Friedel, after rolling with the same lineup[ for multiple weeks in a row, switched things up. Delamea finally got back on the field with Dielna taking his spot on the bench. Chris Tierney got the start at left back over Gabriel Somi. Scott Caldwell took the captains armband and paired with Luis Caicedo as Wilfried Zahibo, after his 2 goal performance last week, sat on the pine. And with Juan Agudelo out, Kelyn Rowe got the start on the wing opposite Penilla.
Now, Toronto is absolutely battered right now. Injuries and the CCL have taken their toll on the team from the Six. So, the Revs should have taken care of business. And thats exactly what they did.
That speed is truly something else. He didn't really get a pass played through that he could run into, he just collected the ball and turned on the afterburners to create some space for the shot.
He then went 2 Fast 2 Furious on our asses.
New England's high press absolutely confounds Toronto and Penilla makes it 2-0. pic.twitter.com/EPIRhKmrxx
Can't hold that against him, just a tough bounce. It would suck if that gets held over his head after he finally manages to get back into the starting lineup, but I don't think Friedel will do that. As a former keeper he knows how those things go.
Tough sequence all around. Tierney with the ball was not looking behind him, obviously, and makes contact in the box. And then Turner dives the right way but the ball gets by him with that pace on it. Both TFC goals weren't really at the fault of the Revs explicitly. There was a lot of bad luck involved with the finish to the first and the penalty given on the second.
In the end it was too little, too late and the Revs took the win at the Fortress. We re-affirmed a few things in victory. First, the Revs are a lot of fun to watch. There were a plethora of chances in this game that the Revs did NOT finish. Case in point...
— New England Revolution (@NERevolution) May 13, 2018
At this rate he needs to be an All-Star. It's not even a question, the kid has been immense this season. I honestly thought it would be a hot start that fizzled a bit, but he's been in top form all season now. If he's not an all-star (if he keeps this up) I will be irate on the web.
One thing we learned is that Sebastian Giovinco has a death wish apparently.
As the Smarf of this team, Zahibo is likely quick to pull out a rusty tire iron, so the fact he didn't immediately grab Gio by his ankle and swing him over his head like he's the Hulk is a sign he actually has some mercy in his heart.
Maybe the biggest thing was not giving up a goal before the first half ended. TFC bounced back and looked good after the Revs 2nd goal, so to hold firm and not concede and kill any momentum before halftime is a big step forward.
It was a big win against a depleted team and a great showing for a lot of guys out there.
Man of the Match
It was either gonna be Penilla or Turner, but the brace within the first 7 minutes and his activity give the Fast and Furious One the slight edge here.
Columbus visits in a weeks time. Not sure if I'll be able to watch or do a write up since theres graduation stuff going on, but I'll try my best.
Back when the rumors started to swirl, I didn't really believe them, but I understood them. Lee Nguyen wanted what he deserved. He wanted what he was worth. I hoped the change in manager would help to smooth things over, but it didn't. I only officially became worried when he started his holdout and did not attend the majority of training camp in the winter. I figured he'd come back eventually, and he did. But he then got left off the rosters week after week with Brad Friedel saying he has to fight for his spot. Was he trying to tell us that Lee Nguyen wasn't beating out guys bench players? Because thats a load of crap. If he was good to go you put him in the roster and worry about on-the-field before at-the-negotiating-table.
The entire time, while worried for certain, I was almost in disbelief that it could happen and so I talked myself into the reality that he would play for this team for years to come.
That reality came crashing down when the Revolution traded Lee Nguyen to Los Angeles Football Club last week.
First off, he looks marvelous in the gold and black.
If you had to give a Revolution counterpart to each of Boston's major sports teams, I think a lot of people would say Taylor Twellman. But with the smallest history in terms of years and winning, I think Twellman belongs with the Bird, Orr, Rice and Grogan group of athletes. He might still be our biggest star in history, and he eclipses those who had come before him. For the current generation of guys, Lee Nguyen is the Rev's answer to Pierce, Ortiz and Bergeron (I have intentionally left Tom Brady out because I am NOT stupid). He was this era's biggest star. So before we look at the return, the aftermath and the goodbye, we're gonna look at some of his best moments.
His best goals with the Revs
That AMAZING chip against Montreal (if you say it was deflected I will cut you)
His stats over the years have been at least average after his first season with the Revs
That 18 goal, 5 assist season in 2014 that earned him runner-up in MVP voting while also carrying the team to the MLS Cup Finals, where I think a win would have given Nguyen the MVP. I am still reeling from that game.
Outdoing his near-MVP 2014 with the 11 G, 15 A performance a season ago. It shows just how good he still was and what he's truly capable of.
Getting called up to the USMNT after a 7 year gap and then actually playing
THAT tifo
Still gets me going in the loins all these years later.
His story
The return for Lee Nguyen is $950k in allocation money, meaning we will probably not see much of that. Given the fact Mike Burns didn't want to deal him within the Eastern Conference and the amount of time that passed since the initial rumors of Lee wanting out and the fact he publicly asked to leave meant you weren't going to get the best offer or what the offer should be.
I hoped Lee Nguyen would finish his playing days in New England. Instead, we have to settle on him combing back and playing in the Fortress if the schedule allows so. The teams are set to play in the middle of September this season, so we'll see him again then.
I've seen far too many fans saying this saga has tarnished his career, while other are just generally disrespectful of all Lee has done for the team the past 6 years. All I have to say to these people is that you are absolutely moronic and don't deserve anything other than this.
On a personal level, Lee Nguyen meant a whole lot to me and fans with Asian heritage across the US Soccer spectrum. For the first time since Tedy Bruschi roamed that same turf, one of my teams had an Asian American not only in the squad but also as one of the featured members of the team. It was absolutely fucking awesome to watch someone I can better relate to do the things he did and accomplish what he did. Watching him represent the United States and wear the crest meant a lot to the Asian community who, like myself and like Lee, call themselves Americans. And so I am sad that his chapter with my team is over, but I'll always be a Lee Nguyen fan. That much is certain.
So thank you Lee Nguyen. Thank you for your performance on the field. Thank you for your personality off the field. Thank you for being a leader. Thank you for repping the culture.
Look, I gotta come clean here from the jump. I did not watch todays match. I've been sick and also a college student so the 1PM kickoff crept up on me and I didn't make it. Hand up. That ones on me. I did follow on twitter though, so the following will be musings of a game consumed entirely through twitter.
First, I must say that I actually do hate that I missed todays match. Paul Mariner is in the UK being honored as part of the Ipswich Town team to win the FA Cup 40 years ago. In his place at color commentator was Charlie Davies. I really wanted to hear him call a game, man. Again, my bad.
Kelyn Rowe got back into the 18 after a few weeks off due to a leg injury. Other than that, the lineup was the same. The continuity I think has been a key part in how the team has looked. Now, early on Twitter tells me the game is very even, and that seemed apparent until the very end of the 1st half when Montreal opened the scoring.
Jackson-Hamel certainly looks to be leaning offside as Piatti plays him through on the goal. Tough on the backline when you play that high and give the ball away in that area. #NERevspic.twitter.com/zRP6Nw25l1
Because when it rains, it shoots anvils onto your skull like a Bugs Bunny cartoon.
But these Revs are not ones to to just give up. Oh no sir. They are not doing that. They're gonna fight and claw until the list whistle blows. So Wilfried Zahibo went on a mission to show everyone watching just that.
It wasn't a win, but they still showed fight. You'd obviously rather have a result to show for it but it's not a huge cause for concern at the moment.
A few other notes:
-Shamnolic defending. Nothing more to say really.
-The Swag Man left in the 34th minute with an injury and replace by Nemo (thats what I'm calling Nemeth now, pretty cool imo). Said the same thing with Rowe's injury, take all the time you need to be 100%. I hope its nothing major but be cautious, pleeeeease.
Man of the Match
The Brick Shit House himself, Wilfried Zahibo. Two goals is as good as it gets in this game for New England. This was also a very Smarf like outing. Poor to start and then wins you back over with that gritty attitude and coming up big at the end.
Toronto at Gillette in one weeks time. *very lil pump voice* ESSSSKETIT
