VS Game: FC Dallas vs New England Revolution Date: Thursday, April 5th Time: 7:30 PM [CST] Location: FC Dallas Stadium, Frisco, Texas, United States Weather Forecast: Partly Cloudy; H 81; L 63 Competition: Major League Soccer TV: Fox Sports Southwest Plus [Local]; Direct Kick [Out of Market] Radio: Univision 1270 AM (??) Last Result for Opponent: Won 3-1 @ LA on Saturday. Winless in 3 with way more questions than answers against a team that just made fools of LA in their own backyard. I'll be driving up for this one.
I started to dig a hole in the sand to bury my head in once I realized what this game would be like when I was rudely rebuffed by something else that was already hiding in the sand. It was Hartman's career goals against average and it was more scared than I.
The thing that makes me worry that this little losing streak could become a big losing streak is that a predictable and repeatable way to beat us has been exposed. DC looked like they watched the tape of the KC game very closely. We have players that can't respond at all to a high pressure / hack game. (or at least haven't been responding yet.) Is it within New England's repertoire to play this kind of game? I haven't seen any NE yet this year so I don't know. If they can, I don't see how we can deal with this game any better than we did with KC or DC. I think one of our traditional bogey teams is going to get another win on us. No crisis of confidence can bottom out without a home loss.
We don't know either. Heaps has done an extreme make-over on the team -- half the cost is new and some of the old guys are playing in new spots. Heaps has been saying since he was hired that he is watching video and wants game plans that fit the opponent -- a big change for us after Nicol who didn't seem to care who we were playing and only asked his troops to play proper football. If you're having trouble with high pressure, Heaps will probably ask his guys to apply same.
Without DF10 I do not believe we have the right players in place for a 4-5-1. I think we have to put 2 forwards out if we want to keep any sort of possession and do something in the last 1/3 of the pitch.
All I see is a dark tunnel. This team's problems go well beyond missing Ferreira - although his is the biggest missing piece of the puzzle.
A week ago this looked like a cakewalk, now it looks like it will be hard to win. I don't know what to think. New England beat LA and Portland, but LA has been incredibly inconsistent and Portland sucks on the road, so do those wins count? I like the systematic possession game New England seems to be playing, whereas we just make things up as we go along. But with no Hernandez we might be a very different team than we've been the last few games. 2-2 draw.
I do believe we'll pressure your boys ... for a change we've got the capability to do so (at least IMHO). In regards to the "hack game" ... the Revs have the second lowest fouls committed from all the teams that have played 4 games. They do have one (straight) red card, but that was called for DOGSO, more than a "dangerous play" and we do have 2 yellows in 4 games. We only won 5 games last year ... we'll take every win this year we can.
It's a tough one........... The front office & staff can be criticized for counting too much on David's return to health. Villar is an adequate backup player in MLS, but not a "difference maker." On the other hand we all thought our biggest hole in the squad was at the forward position. If the front office had the choice of signing Blas or another Ferreira-like midfielder in the off-season............most of us would have picked Blas (and accepted the risk of assuming a healthy David.) Buzz criticizes the team for trading Chavez........saying his loss has "haunted" the team. I'm not sure we'll feel the same way when a healthy Castillo makes his mark. I do agree with Buzz about the losses of Eric Alexander and Eric Avila last season. We traded those guys for players we've subsequently dumped. But hindsight is 20-20. The front office was desperate for a forward in the stretch run last season, and rolled the dice on the Santos-Avila deal. They also needed help at fullback when the CCL fixture congestion started piling up, and so grabbed Hall for a non-starter in midfield. The loss of those two has hurt the depth on this team in the center of midfield. Unquestionably. We rolled the dice and lost. You have to give up something in order to acquire players. Nobody wants to trade for a useless player.
Taking out the personnel moves - I think the statement is still valid from a tactics (sitting on leads, strange subs) and mental frailty standpoint (late in half goals, giving up dumb fouls in dangerous areas).
We desperately need an @SS kicking defensive mid who is tough enough and thuggish enough to survive in MLS, yet creative enough to link play between the backline and our attack. Just throwing out a name alike Michael Bradley type of player to replace DH and DF with one guy. We will see a great example tonight in a guy like Shalrie Joseph who would fix so many of our issues.
The poles behind goal are painted to match the new kits. They look nice. Were they always painted? Sadly, only heard about 9k expected.
confused.... Loyd is a left back now? So when he makes a run up the field and decides to cross, he has to come to a full stop, and then turn, and then cross with his right? This doesn't seem logical to me. i may just not be understanding the lineup
Thus far, I suspect that the reserves are more dangerous than this New England squad who is not likely a playoff team ... then again, is FCD? Without Ferreira, the only thing I can think is that Hernandez is the reason we haven't played 4-4-2 this season. If Rodriguez can't attack this bunch ... John has been an absolute disgrace with the ball. Better be rust.
They're called stanchions and are usually white. There goes Villar's fibula too. The ugliest playing team just got uglier. Damn and GJs nose too.
ohh Matt Hedges time.... .... which only means something is amiss George John way. How many wheels are left on this bus?
