Revs off-season Part II

I hope your right but I'm dreading a "Bengston will play well at forward in 12-24 months" prediction. We know how those go. Assuming Wikipedia is correct, "Bengtson was officially unveiled by New England as a Designated Player on 5 July 2012." Wouldn't that already be 1.5 seasons?

 

I agree with the entire post except for the "Until MLS changes" part. Those qualities you listed that were lacking in Lekic are really required everywhere as part of the modern game. Everyone seems to want their forwards to handle a defensive responsibility, to make runs and to compete for balls in the air or on the ground, to "mix it up". Pure finishers, like Dafoe, struggle to be regulars in most sides.

If you are saying that we need strong forwards who don't mind being smashed in the back and held while they are making runs and competing for balls in the air or on the ground with no protection from the referees, then I agree completely with your assessment.

 

Until the League changes it's "Thuggish" culture this is what we need.

 

https://twitter.com/Sporting_AND/status/415407547685027840

Demy De Zeeuw, dmid for Anderlecht with caps for Holland, is looking to MLS. Only thirty years old, he'd be perfect for us...

 

http://www.transfermarkt.com/en/demy-de-zeeuw/profil/spieler_19087.html
2.5mil transfer fee, revs would never do that.

 

That is, I suppose, what I am saying. Dafoe can be fine with Spurs, because they can potentially score from anywhere. Teams can't hack him down 20 times per game, the way they did, for example with Twellman.

 

Twitter says they were in Cyprus to look at esmael Goncalves, no known relation...


Check out @DeepInTheFort's Tweet: https://twitter.com/DeepInTheFort/status/415812819532009472

 

I read that as they did more than take a look--they made an offer
He's a Forward and a Rt Winger. From his CV I doubt he's expensive/DP level

 

He belongs to Rio Ave FC of Portugal. Hes on loan out to APOEL. Hes young too id consider him a prospect. I approve this signing

 

Who says that Rev Management wasn't into sending us fans a Christmas present?

 

DiVaio, Magee, Wondo--three guys who don't do much chasing or pounding and are reliant upon service but when they get it, watch out. Bieler is an approximation of that. That's what I'm saying we need.

Not an Alan Gordon type, not a Dom Oduro type.

We need to play to our strengths and that's ball movement, passing, possession, skill.

If we want pure speed, find an LB with it. If we want an enforcer, find a DM who can do that.

 

What I take out of his is that he is big, fast, strong, likes to take people on, has no left foot, and is not laser-accurate with his right.

 

better yet a camilo type, not only some one who can finish when given the ball but can produce for himself.. but then again were never gonna get that.

 

Agree with your analysis of those clips. If they complete the signing process I suspect he will be able to handle the physical battering he'll get from defenders in MLS. Looks like a reasonable signing.

 

From Soccer 365 story on players who need to make a move in Janruary

"Nikica Jelavic
Simple one, this. After that initial flurry of goals after his arrival from Rangers, Jelavic has embarked on a longer dry spell than Morrissey, and with Romelu Lukaku happily filling the Everton centre-forward position for the moment, Roberto Martinez seems happy to ship the Croat out. "We have had conversations because it is important to know how the players feel but in the same way they are fighting to get into the team they understand that, if they don't play minutes, it will affect their World Cup chances," the perpetually pleasant and reasonable Martinez said recently. See also Heitinga, Johnny."

 

According to Jeff Lemieux twitter:

 

Good. I really wanted Alston and Barnes back.

 

Honestly, judging by his (weirdly detailed) wiki profile, I'd consider him a bit more than a prospect. He was trained in Nice's academy, has 18 Ligue 1 appearances, played extremely well during his half-season in the SPL (where he actually managed to help a non-Celtic/Rangers team win a trophy), and has apparently done pretty well in Cyprus. That's far more of a pedigree than for example, Imbongo had when he was signed. He's done all this at 22, so I wouldn't even be surprised if this was a "Young DP" signing if it goes through. He's a striker/winger as well, so this guy could be the planned "Agudelo replacement."

Potential Goncalves #2 also seems to have a bit of that "footballer ego:"

 

Was he at St Mirren at the same time as Andy Dorman?

 

That would be incorrect.

 

Confirmed:

Revolution re-signs three players: Kevin Alston, Darrius Barnes, Luis Soffner
Longtime Revs Alston, Barnes will return to the squad for 2014
December 26, 2013
Revolutionsoccer.net

 

I'm not too familiar with Soffner's ability. Do you think he has potential? What are his best attributes?