Pre/In/Post: Revs @ Red Bull, Match 7

Discussion in 'New England Revolution' started by patfan1, Apr 20, 2012.

  1. patfan1

    patfan1 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Aug 19, 1999
    Nashua, NH
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Revs hit the road for the fifth time this season, and are currently 1-3 on the road (2-4 overall).

    Might see our best Starting XI next Saturday, depending on injuries (as usual), which would be nice finally.

    Figured this board is dead quiet with no game this weekend, so at least we can have something to discuss.

    RBNY should be without jackass Marquez that game, but their offense has scored 11 more goals than the Revs in the same amount of games, while giving up 2 fewer.

    This RBNY team is interesting ... they have a match on Sunday against their other rivals, at DC.
     
  2. firstshirt

    firstshirt Member+

    Bayern München
    United States
    Mar 1, 2000
    Ellington, CT / NK, RI
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Big game for Heaps as a a coach. Benny and SJ did not start last game. I wonder who he pulls from that lineup to insert these two. Does he have the nerve to put SJ in the back line? I am going to guess that he sits Guy. If he stays with the same back line as last game does he sit Rowe or Nguyen?
    What I do like about this bye week at this time is it give Moreno and Sene another two weeks to combine with each other in practice as well as give the rest of the team time to get to know how Moreno plays. It also give Benny time to get healthy. Two losses in a row, two heart breakers and now on the road to a RB team that has stepped up their game and is just running over people offensively. Gut check time for the coach and the boys in blue
     
  3. sputnikorbust

    sputnikorbust Member

    Apr 9, 2011
    Somerville
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    lineup prediction (barring any lingering or new injuries):

    [LINEUP-4-4-2]Sene, Moreno, Nguyen, Simms, Joseph, Feilhaber, Tierney, Soares, Lozano, Alston, Reis[/LINEUP-4-4-2]

    Bench: Rowe, Guy, Cardenas, McCarthy, Barnes, Shuttleworth, Runstrom


    although it is not ideal having Benny out wide instead of in the center, this is probably our best XI, i would think..
     
  4. windylove

    windylove Member

    Mar 23, 2012
    Club:
    --other--
    IMO, I think Sene and Moreno will take time to know/play w each other. Instead we play with one forward and 2 WF/Midfieders and I think it's more effective than playing w 2 forwards at this time. Thus, I prefer 4-2-3-1 lineup and I believe this is our best lineup for now.

    Moreno
    Lee - Benny - Runstrom
    Simms-Shalrie
    Tierney-Lozano-Soares-Alston
    Reis.
     
  5. abecedarian

    abecedarian Member+

    Mar 25, 2009
    SSSomerville
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    You really like Runstrom better than Sene-Rowe-Guy? You might be in the minority with that.
     
  6. cml1394

    cml1394 Member

    Apr 5, 2010
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Especially considering Runstrom is a center forward and not even a midfielder
     
  7. Abebe

    Abebe Member

    Aug 26, 1999
    Boston
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Stopping Henry and Redgoats is certainly one of my goals for the season. I think Sputnikorbust has it right. However, Heaps has shown a readiness to try tactics to win the game. The big danger is the tandem of Cooper and Henry. It wouldn't surprise me to see Shalrie at CB at some point in the game to get the right assets on the field.
     
  8. Transparent_Human

    Oct 15, 2006
    Pale blue dot
    Club:
    Celtic FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Mauritius
    Play Shalrie in the back.

    I smell a draw.
     
  9. Minutemanii

    Minutemanii Member+

    Dec 29, 2005
    Abington MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Is it me or do we get screwed in the scheduling department each year?

    It seems, we always have the latest home opener, lots of away games early season, lots of very late west coast games and bye weeks early in the season and midweek games.

    It all adds up to every Rev season starting with a whimper to me. At present, 14 days, between a game and almost 3 weeks without a home game. No wonder the Revs have virtually no profile in the Boston Area. :confused:
     
  10. Doublecard

    Doublecard Guest

    I always figured it was weather-related.
     
  11. Transparent_Human

    Oct 15, 2006
    Pale blue dot
    Club:
    Celtic FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Mauritius
    That's what I always assumed as well. Night games in March here-not a good idea.
     
  12. windylove

    windylove Member

    Mar 23, 2012
    Club:
    --other--
    I pick Runstrom because I think he is dangerous than Rowe/Guy as F/Midfielder. I think Rowe is our future playmaker of 2013-15 and we can not expect too much from him as a rookie. I think we should play him for 30' per game. Also, I think Guy is our player #12 and I 'll pick Guy over Rowe because Guy has more experience/speed. Sene 'll play @60' for Moreno as CF.
     
  13. Joeyfitzclick

    Joeyfitzclick Member

    Jun 9, 2008
    Newport RI
    Club:
    Tottenham Hotspur FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Ireland Republic

    Yeah that's why the Revs have no profile in the Boston area :rolleyes:
     
  14. LongDuckDong

    LongDuckDong Member+

    Jan 26, 2011
    Club:
    FC Schalke 04
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    It's cold in Boston. Despite the Koppen climate classification of Boston as "humid subtropical," its too cold to hold night-time games in March.
     
  15. Abebe

    Abebe Member

    Aug 26, 1999
    Boston
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I really rate Maicon Santos. I have a feeling he us going to have quite a game. I will be quite happy if DCU punish RBNY before we meet them.
     
  16. cml1394

    cml1394 Member

    Apr 5, 2010
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Here's the problem with this: Benny and Nguyen are both capable of playing as wide midfielder on the left, but not as a true winger. On the left, they can cut inside and have the whole field to pick out a pass from. On the right, they would have to cut onto their weaker foot and it would likely be pretty ineffective. Perhaps Nguyen can play as a makeshift winger, but I've seen a lot more of dribbling away from defenders and picking out a pass then running at defenders, beating them, and putting in crosses like a right footed player on the right wing has to be able to do by design.

    I think this is a very interesting dilemma that if Nguyen is ineffective at RM will either knock Simms out of the lineup, which I don't think would be deserved, move to one striker, which Sene doesn't seem cut out for (or Moreno either, poachers need a strike partner unless they have a very talented midfield), or Shalrie gets moved back to CB again. #3 makes the most sense to me.
     
  17. a517dogg

    a517dogg Member+

    Oct 30, 2005
    Rochester, NY
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    What I'd start:

    [LINEUP-4-5-1]Moreno, Nguyen, Rowe, Simms, Feilhaber, Joseph, Tierney, Lozano, Soares, Alston, Reis[/LINEUP-4-5-1]

    Sene in for Moreno at 60', Guy or Cardenas in for Rowe at 70', if we're desperate we can put Runstrom on for Lozano and move Shalrie back in 4-4-2.

    I think that is the best way to get the best out of Feilhaber, Nguyen and Shalrie. Benny would be the center midfielder with Nguyen and Rowe cutting in, and with Simms and Shalrie both playing defensive midfielder, Alston and Tierney would be able to get forward and provide width.
     
  18. RevsLiverpool

    RevsLiverpool Member+

    Nov 12, 2005
    Boston
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Good analysis and your observations are spot on. You hinted at it (bolding mine) - Benny and Nguyen are essentially the same player. Neither should play on the right. Since I want the best 11 on the field, I'd suggest Heaps starts Nguyen over Benny. He offers you more in terms of creating space, he has better vision, is more creative on the ball, stays on his feet and can beat defenders directly. IMO, it's redundant to have both Nguyen and Feilhaber in the same lineup, thus why Heaps started Nguyen and subbed in Benny against DC.

    I'm not saying Benny is a bad player -he's decent- and he provides nice cover in case Nguyen gets injured but the Revs have 3 wins in games Benny Feilhaber has played in since he got here a year ago (3-14-9 through last weekend). Is that enough for you guys? Not for me. That should be enough data for Heaps to make a good decision.

    My agenda is simple: I want to win. We're going to continue to suck this season and forever with Benny pulling strings in that same role. It ain't working. Time to try someone else.
     
  19. patfan1

    patfan1 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Aug 19, 1999
    Nashua, NH
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    It's amazing how stats can be found to prove anything you want...
     
  20. RevsLiverpool

    RevsLiverpool Member+

    Nov 12, 2005
    Boston
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Well when the Revs start winning with Benny in the lineup, go ahead and use them against me. I'm just pointing out what should be obvious.
     
  21. LongDuckDong

    LongDuckDong Member+

    Jan 26, 2011
    Club:
    FC Schalke 04
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Benny has only played 3(?) games under Heaps. That's not a big enough sample size.

    Looking at last years games isn't fair. You're introducing a new variable (Nicol) and you can't make a conclusive statistical analysis.
     
  22. RevsLiverpool

    RevsLiverpool Member+

    Nov 12, 2005
    Boston
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Fair enough. The Revs have 0 wins in games Benny has played under Heaps.

    We'll revisit this at the end of the season.
     
  23. windylove

    windylove Member

    Mar 23, 2012
    Club:
    --other--
    IMO, I think both Lee and Benny can play well w each other, but so far they only played together @ SJ for 20' when Heaps inserted Lee in @ 70' and during that 20' I thought they both played really well. I think they both deserve more time to play together.
     
  24. cml1394

    cml1394 Member

    Apr 5, 2010
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I believe Benny is the best player currently on our roster, so while I agree there's a selection dilemma (how cool is that, by the way? Last year it was Boggs as an auto pick), I disagree with your solution. Saying Nguyen and Benny in the same lineup is redudant is like saying having Xavi and Iniesta is redudant. The more skill on the ball you have the better, as long as you don't kill the overall team shape accomadating for both. We don't have to do that, we can just slide Shalrie back, move Benny to the middle, and leave Nguyen on the left. That's the simplest solution that maximizes the quality in the attack without giving away anything on defense in my opinion.
     
  25. Jon Martin

    Jon Martin Member+

    Apr 25, 2000
    SE Mass
    This. You want the best soccer players on the field.
     

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