A lot of question marks. Is Alston playing? Is Lechner playing? Is Moreno playing? Where is Joseph playing? After seeing SJ step in the dogpile last weekend, Arena will never let LA do the same. On the other hand, LA is one of the only teams that will not care if we try to play jogo bonito; they will assume that they can play it better and carve us apart. I think the turning points will be time on the ball and team defense. The longer we can keep them from scoring, the more frustration may lead them to make a mistake. If they score first, and especially if they go up 2-0, we're going to look like a early exit from the Hunger Games.
The key questions. And the answer to the Joseph and Moreno questions lead to another key question: how does Heaps organize the midfield? If Moreno and Sene are available, then it's probably two strikers and not a 4-5-1. If Shalrie goes back to midfield and we play four mids and Benny is available, who sits, Nguyen or Rowe (guessing Rowe)? Heaps might keep Shalrie in the back, but he does have other choices this week -- McCarthy for sure and probably at least one of Lechner, Barnes, Lozano. We'll have to see what the injury/training situation is, but at this point, I think McCarthy needs CB time with the reserves, so I think this: . . . Sene . . Moreno. . . Nguyen . . Benny . . Rowe . . . . . Sims . . . . . Tierney..SJ .. AJ .. Alston is more likely than this: . . . Sene . . Moreno. . . Benny . . SJ . . Rowe/Nguyen . . . . . Sims . . . . Tierney..McCarthy .. AJ .. Alston but then I thought heaps would keep SJ in midfield and move Tierney to CB for the Portland game, so my prognostication powers are suspect.
Feilhaber's status might also be up in the air, I know posters here have said his injury is minor but with strains the severity can be all over the place and the Revs never mention that detail (or any detail) in their injury report. This is my guess at the lineup assuming everyone but Alston, Barnes and Lozano are healthy. [LINEUP-4-5-1]Sene, Nguyen, Guy, Feilhaber, Simms, Joseph, Tierney, Soares, McCarthy, Lechner, Reis[/LINEUP-4-5-1] Obviously if Alston can gut it out Lechner slides into the middle in place of McCarthy. If we're trailing or tied, I can see Heaps ATTACKING~! with a 4-4-2 later on that looks like this: [LINEUP-4-4-2]Sene, Moreno, Nguyen, Feilhaber, Joseph, Rowe, Tierney, Soares, McCarthy, Lechner, Reis[/LINEUP-4-4-2] Moreno even if healthy is probably way out of game shape so I doubt he plays more than 45.
Are we really going to start Rowe again? and are we going to move Joseph back to midfield? I don't know about either of those moves.
I just hope I can stay awake long enough to catch the whole game Saturday night. 11pm start time? Really? I don't like to DVR sports -- only live will do. The NBC Sports schedule lists an Olympic Soccer Qualifier will be broadcast live at 9pm which must be why the Revs game in LA was moved to an 11pm (8pm Pacific) start. Now that the US is out of the tournament this really stings.
What exactly did Rowe do wrong? If anything, it finally looked like he was starting to adjust to the physicality in the second half. He also completed 24 passes, third highest among the starting midfielders and forwards. He kept possession for the team 59% of the time he touched the ball, which puts him in front of Guy (56%). If you're going to pull anyone out of that lineup it should be Tierney, who lost possession more than any other player on the field (23 times) in addition to 4 clearances to nobody and 5 throwins to the other team. ....OR Brettschneider, who lost possession 21 times. Those are you possession "black holes" right there.
I think Rowe has more learning to do and I'd rather see him learn as a sub. I think Guy and Nguyen are ahead of him right now. Rowe may have more talent but does not have the experience of having play professionally in different leagues and settings. As for Teirney and Brettschnieder, I agree, they are useless
Did the Revs ever announce why Lechner was not able to play? Did he fail a fitness test? Did he and pepe participated in practice yesterday?
I don't know about the second part, but the team stated that Lechner didn't get medical clearance from the team/league(?) because he still had one more test to complete. The implication was that Moreno and Lechner passed all the tests that they managed to take.
Shalrie in a CB Conde role for me, but too many starting lineup unknowns right now. I think we have a chance against LA if we build with SJ in back and have our starters available.
I'd like to hear some reports from training on how the new guys are doing or if they even travel with the team to LA. Have to think if they travel, more than likely they are going to play and possibly start. Any word on Benny? If the revs have any chance, they need him in the lineup
Jeff Lemieux @jeff_lemieux Kevin Alston (nasal fracture) is listed as PROBABLE. Alston had a procedure done today. Darrius Barnes (L calf strain) upgraded to QUESTIONABLE, John Lozano (R hip flexor strain) to DOUBTFUL Benny Feilhaber (L peroneal strain) still listed as OUT on today's injury report.
He looks laxidasical on runs & I didn't really see him adjusting to any physicality but hey, he did well vs LA in preseason. I'm just going off visuals, I didn't know those stats. Yes, however those stats are interesting. Also, B-schneidz should be benched indeffinately. Tierney can cross but he has a long way to go before he becomes a legit defender. Being able to cross doesn't mean you should start. He's a depth player.
Isn't the old rule that you don't change a winning lineup? I see no chance Moreno starts, even if healthy. If we're down by two or three goals at minute 65, that might be the ideal time to bring him in with no pressure, just to ease him into things. The win, ugly as it was, bought Heaps time and space so he can get his personnel the playing time he wants them to get in the next couple games without pressure to get points in two very tough venues. No rushing Benny back, no throwing gimpy Moreno out there in desperation if he's not ready or fit. I'm not saying that's what I think, but it's probably the team's rationale right now--consolidate, evaluate, and if they pick up one point this road swing, be very happy.
I love that we've had exactly ONE GOAL this season, Tierney was the man who delivered the perfect cross, and he is casually cast aside as "useless". Right now he's offensive MVP. (only half joking).
One great play doesn't make up for two dozen needless giveaways. The attitude among American soccer fans that a player can be useless all game, but score the winning goal and be man of the match, is absolutely idiotic.
Toluca used to have a player named Victor Ruiz who they hid in the center of midfield, who was slow, not good on the ball, but must've scored on half of his free kicks around the top of the box. The guy was totally unreal and they kept him out there just for the freekicks. Every time he stepped up to the ball the announcer would say "medio gol". If Tierney could add deadly freekicks to his crosses, then maybe, but otherwise, we still need a proper left back who can defend, run endline to endline and distribute.
Nguyen and Shalrie made the team of the week. Nguyen a left winger, Shalrie as a CB. http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2012/03/27/team-week-last-shall-be-first If Shalrie is earning team of the week honors as a CB, I think you have a decent case to keep him there.