If you are referring to me, I didn't mock you, I said you were whining -- which you were, IMO. It also appears that you were right about us not making the playoffs. Congratulations. I'll buy you a beer at the Philadelphia game (next one I'll be able to make it to). I need to stop by the Fort anyway to give Crooked the jersey I lost when the Revs finished behind DCU last year. I am of course really disappointed in the recent results. Disheartened. Chagrined, even. But I don't see the point of adding one more voice to the chorus of weeping and wailing. On the non-emoting front, these are my thoughts: 1. we are getting fouled a lot, and I wish the persistent fouling was rewarded with yellow cards. But since that isn't happening, the other way to stop it is to do something with the free kicks, and we've failed miserably there. The suggestion people (Soccer Doc, for one) are making -- that we get an enforcer -- seems silly to me. Soccer teams don't stop fouling because someone might beat them up (as in hockey) -- they stop fouling when someone makes them pay -- either with cards or with goals off free kicks. 2. I was disappointed to see Shalrie traded. I understand it is a move toward the future and a way to avoid the awkward situation of having him on the bench, but I do wonder if it didn't dishearten the rest of the team. And I don't understand the labyrinthine MLS rules, but you have to wonder if sending Shalrie away isn't prelude to bringing someone else in . . . I hope it is. 3. One of the most frustrating things about the lack of results is that fact that we're not getting blown away. That would almost be easier to take. As it is, every loss this year other than the red-card SKC loss has been a one goal loss. We've improved from a last year's F team to a team that looked like a C+ and now looks like a C- team. Improved, but still not good enough. 4. The league is really improving. I think we have talent that would have been mid-table not too long ago, but the overall talent level is much better. 5. While the winless streak is frustrating, the fact remains that we aren't playing all that badly. People moan here about the defense, but I think the single biggest problem right now is the lack of finishing. Imbongo wasted two golden chances -- either of which could have turned the game around. And the Philadelphia game -- aargh -- we wasted a lot of good chances there. Maybe Bengtson will be the finisher we need -- if not, I'd hope we use the allocation money and anything else we have (the #1 position for returning USMNTers) to sign a goal scorer.
I'm less interested in having one or more starters that would act as "enforcers" than I am about having a few starters with some "bite"in their game. The Revs are soft and easily disposed of the ball. They don't play though the rough stuff very well. When we had a Danny Hernandez type player to infuse that quality in his mates my sense is our guys had a greater ability to cope with the physicality that is allowed in MLS. You can either have a team with better than average technical skills that can play through the rough stuff or you need to stiffen your game and match the physicality of your opponents. Right now we're neither above average technically or physical and are getting badly pushed around.
Weird how because someone doesn't agree with you, your perception is that it was whining. Oh well. The #1 allocation spot, at this point, is pretty much worthless unfortunately. It would have to be an American player that isn't under contract currently, and there's not that many out there. And once the year is over, the allocation order changes.
Unfortunately, there are some worse teams than us so we'd be at 5 in the order. At this point, in the PPG standings we're only ahead of TFC, Colorado, FCD and Portland.
Not only do we not have anyone who can hit a consistent FK, but it doesn't help that our attackers are pretty much all below average in the air. McCarthy is the only real aerial target and I'd call him average at best in an attacking sense.
Another large turd laid in Gillette. While other players played worse, I honestly get the feeling Benny has packed it in for the year and will be the next person leaving town. Roster freeze is 40 days away. Some teams out there that are looking to make a splash in the playoffs might be willing to trade to get a guy like him. Burns is incompetent enough to send him off for a draft pick and allocation money that will never be used. As for the game Imbogo is very very raw and thought he went down a little too easy. This team has no answers in the final third. Another boneheaded defensive play leaves the team trying to come from behind. This far into the season an the Revs have failed to sign a Defensive player, one better than the current craptastic crew we have now. That in itself is a GIANT failure by the FO. I'll give Burns credit for Senne and maybe half credit for Nguyen but every other signing has been a fail. For me Cardenas is a Nyassi 2.0. Not to upgrade the LB position for the umteenth year in a row is also a fail. Offseason wish list: CB, LB, GK, AM, RM
The first and foremost thing of the offseason wish list has to be to replace Burns. Otherwise, we're right back where we were going into this season.
Sims said as much after the game, particularly with reference to the goal. I took that as excuse-making, but it could be the truth. I'm not quite sure what would make it bouncier, though.
I don't either, but from just eyeballing it, those were the worst surface conditions for an MLS game since the Houston "sand" game. KSG needs to get their shit together.
read the latest article: http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-england-revolution our players dont like the turf, they just dont want to use it as an excuse... edit- now that I think about it, perhaps the grounds crew recently(last week) put down more rubber pellets in advance of the coming football season?
Once again, where's rkupp to defend the turf? I've heard countless times that it doesn't discourage players from coming here, that it's just as good as grass, all the same some stuff.
I've defended the turf in the past against the accusation that it causes more injuries. (And now that I think of it, that hasn't come up as much this year as it has in the past. ) But I can't defend it as a playing surface.
And heres a Sharlie quote(from today): “Being able to practice in this kind of weather and practice on grass every day, that’s going to do so much for my career [and] extend my career.” http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2012/08/06/joseph-eager-start-fresh-chivas-after-impasse-ne (some good stuff on his relationship with Heaps in there too)
Thanks for the pointer. Good article. Sad to see Shalrie with the goats shirt, but I'm glad he seems to have turned the page on the Revs. I certainly think the Revs could be more physical, but the skill Shalrie still had that I think they'll miss the most is being able to pass the ball aggressively while under pressure.
Ok I will. Thanks for the permission bud. He keeps the fall on the floor and the ball doesn't go back the other way. Maybe the turf did have something to do with it, who knows.