Interesting. The addition of White really helps with the loss of Sene for this game. I think putting him up top with Cardenas allows White and Rowe to interchange and Benny and Cardenas to move in and out of the left hand side.
I am not sure that the Quakes have the players to shut down the Revs right wing. Either Dawkins or Salinas will start at LM and they are both below-average defensively in my opinion. Corrales at LB is 35 years old and slow... average at best defensively and below-average when he decides to make runs forward b/c he doesn't have the speed to get back. Morrow at LCB is 5'9 and fast but he is a natural left back and has never played CB before aside from a couple preseason games... so he is below-average as well. Kelyn Rowe is going to tear them all apart. As a UCLA soccer fan I am really looking forward to watching Rowe in MLS this season, except for tomorrow night. Exactly.
really? what is the hold up? Oh I know, its the Revs. Why bother having all your players signed and available for the first game
from the press release on the Revs site: "He will be formally added to the team’s roster upon receipt of his International Transfer Certificate and is expected to join the team for training next week."
To my eyes, it was more a case of isolated single good passes than sustained possession in the final third (admittedly didn't watch every minute of every game). In fact, I'm scratching my head as to whether they had any sustained possession in the final third vs. L.A. in the Diamond Cup final. Simms has always made terrible decisions with the ball, always will. Token pressure is enough to unravel him. Same plan has worked for the Revs against him in the past. Got nothing to do with SJ's quality in this case, so much as Simms' lack of it. I like him a lot better than you. His marking needs work, but he's dynamite at cleaning up a mess. Made huge strides before his injury in 2010. Yallop was deploying him almost like a sweeper. My only hope for Simms is he keeps track of where Soares is at all times for a safe back pass. Otherwise all SJ needs to do is shut down his passing lane to Shalrie and enjoy the gifts Simms bestows upon them. Fair point about how narrow the field is. Probably increases the number of hard tackles Rowe is going to receive. That last sentence is good reason to suspect quickness will not turn into effective high pressure. Personally I wasn't impressed by Cardenas. Seemed to be a freelancer. I'm not sure he's going to bother to chase a lot. No idea if Nguyen will play let alone what he'll deliver against MLS competition. One thing that jumps out at me with your list is they better be excellent (not just good) at the possession and high pressure, because those are some tiny, tiny players.
Excellent points. I guess we will have to disagree fundamentally on Simms and Opara. That is where this whole argument stems. This offseason is finally over, now us "pundits" can finally sit back actually watch some games...then rip the Revs to shreds after
I'm definitely ready for some games. Fun to actually be talking about soccer and not roster decisions.
Unfortunately with the Revs we are always talking about roster decisions because this team never uses all of its resources.
MLS Direct Kick has free preview covering 5 games today, including NE vs SJ. MLS Live also has free preview through Monday (3/12) (registration required).
Even if our defense and strikers are suspect, we have midfield this year that will boss the game. I think our midfield will automatically win us more games than last year. Excited.
Finally we get some on field product, late game blows, but finally we can wash the taste of last season out of our mouths (or get a whole new flavor of awful....) REVOLUTION!
Unless McCarthy or Nguyen is thrust into the lineup this is our only choice for an XI against San Jose: [LINEUP-4-4-2]Cardenas, Brettschneider, Feilhaber, Joseph, Simms, Rowe, Barnes, Soares, Lozano, Alston, Reis[/LINEUP-4-4-2] Bench: Shuttleworth, Fagundez, Guy, Nguyen, McCarthy, Polak, Purdie Compared with our lineup at last years first kick: [LINEUP-4-5-1]Schilawski, Perovic, Boggs, McCarthy, Joseph, Phelan, Tierney, Soares, Coria, Barnes, Reis[/LINEUP-4-5-1] And our lineup in the final game of 2011: [LINEUP-4-4-2]Caraglio, Lekic, Zerka, Joseph, Feilhaber, Guy, Tierney, Coria, Barnes, Alston, Shuttleworth[/LINEUP-4-4-2] Which do you prefer?
Can't wait to see the starting XI - tough that Sene is out. So I guess the goals will need to come through the midfield = I am thinking positively and going for a 2-1 Revs win - with goals from Joseph and Rowe. Either way MLS is back and once more GO REVS!
All the gnashing of teeth has ended.....in the immortal words of Mills Lane...."let's get it on"!!!!!!!! GO REVS!!!!!!!!"!
Revs lineup: Reis - Soares, Lozano, McCarthy, Alston - Feilhaber, Joseph, Simms, Rowe - Brettschneider, Cardenas; Bench: Shuttleworth, Polak, Roach, Guy, Fagundez, Nguyen, Purdie
Reverse that. Interesting none the less. So how many people are at home watching this on their computer/tv and not at a bar?