Pre-match: Revs @ LA, 3/31

Discussion in 'New England Revolution' started by patfan1, Mar 27, 2012.

  1. patfan1

    patfan1 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Aug 19, 1999
    Nashua, NH
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Well ... can they make it two wins in a row?

    :p
     
  2. Minutemanii

    Minutemanii Member+

    Dec 29, 2005
    Abington MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I doubt it. But, then again I doubted last week. ;)
     
  3. Jon Martin

    Jon Martin Member+

    Apr 25, 2000
    SE Mass
    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.
     
  4. KapeGuy

    KapeGuy Member+

    Mar 21, 2010
    Cape Cod
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    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.
     
  5. CottageRev

    CottageRev Member+

    Jun 13, 2010
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    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.
     
  6. KapeGuy

    KapeGuy Member+

    Mar 21, 2010
    Cape Cod
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think it's likely he'll put the mask on and play.
     
  7. Achowat

    Achowat Member+

    Mar 21, 2011
    Revere, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yes, we can. We won't, but we can
     
  8. Revolution909

    Revolution909 Member

    Mar 28, 2011
    Rumford, RI
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    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.
     
  9. firstshirt

    firstshirt Member+

    Bayern München
    United States
    Mar 1, 2000
    Ellington, CT / NK, RI
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I have no issue moving Shalrie back or moving Rowe to the bench
     
  10. frankieg73

    frankieg73 Member

    New England Revolution
    Portugal
    Apr 8, 2001
    St. Petersburg, FL (not my choice)
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    Portugal
    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.
     
  11. LongDuckDong

    LongDuckDong Member+

    Jan 26, 2011
    Club:
    FC Schalke 04
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    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.
     
  12. firstshirt

    firstshirt Member+

    Bayern München
    United States
    Mar 1, 2000
    Ellington, CT / NK, RI
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    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
     
  13. firstshirt

    firstshirt Member+

    Bayern München
    United States
    Mar 1, 2000
    Ellington, CT / NK, RI
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    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?
     
  14. LongDuckDong

    LongDuckDong Member+

    Jan 26, 2011
    Club:
    FC Schalke 04
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    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.
     
  15. Abebe

    Abebe Member

    Aug 26, 1999
    Boston
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    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.
     
  16. firstshirt

    firstshirt Member+

    Bayern München
    United States
    Mar 1, 2000
    Ellington, CT / NK, RI
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    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
     
  17. CenterForward

    CenterForward Member

    Feb 21, 2011
    Boston
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    He is listed as OUT on today's injury report.
     
  18. huskydeac

    huskydeac Member+

    Mar 31, 2009
    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.
     
  19. Revolution909

    Revolution909 Member

    Mar 28, 2011
    Rumford, RI
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    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.
     
  20. Autogolazo

    Autogolazo BigSoccer Supporter

    Feb 19, 2000
    Bombay Beach, CA
    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.
     
  21. Urthona

    Urthona Member

    Jun 22, 2008
    Franklin, MA USA
    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).
     
  22. LongDuckDong

    LongDuckDong Member+

    Jan 26, 2011
    Club:
    FC Schalke 04
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    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.
     
  23. Autogolazo

    Autogolazo BigSoccer Supporter

    Feb 19, 2000
    Bombay Beach, CA
    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.
     
  24. NE till i die

    NE till i die Member+

    Jun 26, 2010
    Stoughton, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Rematch of the Desert Diamond Cup final!

    Our winning streak stops at 1
     
  25. LongDuckDong

    LongDuckDong Member+

    Jan 26, 2011
    Club:
    FC Schalke 04
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

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