Been saying this for awhile - definitely worried So drop Agudelo? I don't see it. Heaps is going to have a real selection choice for the front 6 - this will see how well he can manage the egos and motivate the players. It's easy to say this will create depth - but Heaps has got to demonstrate that he knows how to handle this situation. Up to know, it has clearly been starters and some reserves. FYP Just want to fix some of Doyle's comments: There is no comfortable way to get all 7 of Kouassi, Fagundez, Caldwell, Rowe, Nguyen, Juan Agudelo and Kei Kamara onto the field in a front 6. If Koussai healthy, Heaps will have to decide how he plans to use a player like Caldwell. Caldwell is not the end all to be all, per Doyle, about "shipping goals" if he does not play and Koussai does There is no justification for keeping Agudelo off of it given how well he played last year once Heaps FINALLY used him in the best position for Agudelo. There is no justification for keeping Kamara off of since he is a big time DP, and those should be studs that start because they always produce
I would actually rate Fagundez as the odd man out in that scenario. Nguyen? I just can't see Heaps doing that.
If you couldn't make it to #NERevs preseason camp in AZ, @TravelingCEO has you covered w/ some great shots - https://t.co/UW5wZNL1NP— Brian O'Connell (@BrianOConnell21) February 16, 2017
couple new faces in camp that played last night Trevor Haberkorn U20 Nat from Cal Berkley, Jaime Olabarria Grand Canyon U, Joe Brito Revs Academy, Jose Rodriguez possibly a local JUCO player from South Mountain or former Dynamo Jose Memo Rogdriguesz. Still not the type of Trialist, if you want to call them that, that I would like to see in camp challenging for a spot on the team. These types of players do not push for starting positions
From the MLS New Thread: Not sure how much you can take from just 17 minutes played - Heaps trying to sound positive. Goes to show you how far away he really is. That is one hell of an injury and recovery....
A lot of posters on this board have been talking about how much easier it is to come back from ACL tears nowadays (which is true to a certain extent looking at NFL RBs, European soccer players, etc.). Why is he still so far away from being fit?
Strange that the Revs are wearing grey T-shirts without numbers and the Dynamo are actually wearing normal game jerseys.
I've got to imagine he had a setback sometime after he started agility work in October 2016? At the time this article was written he was close to 8 months into recovery. If he progressed enough to start agility work you would think getting back to practicing with the full team wouldn't be so far off. At least not 4 months off. http://www.revolutionsoccer.net/pos...ng-right-schedule-he-settles-life-new-england "Kouassi is almost eight months into his recovery and has been steadily increasing his workload, progressing to agility work and sharp cuts in recent weeks."
I may be wrong but I don't think this is his first ACL repair. That can make it tougher to come back from.
Also, saw this today too regarding Koussai http://nesoccertoday.com/?p=44105 some snips that stood out to me At the start of camp, the Ivory Coast international trained with a shiny blue knee brace, a sure fire sign he wasn’t quite ready to see the pitch. ...something that will be crucial to the club’s success in 2017. After all, the Revolution didn’t dole out designated player money just to build midfield depth. Time will tell what kind impact Kouassi will have this season. Many professional athletes who’ve suffered ACL tears say it isn’t until 18-24 months have passed that they feel back to normal. The fact Kouassi will have to train and play on the artificial turf at Gillette Stadium probably won’t shorten the recovery process. If Heaps harbors that concern, he didn’t express it following Wednesday’s match.
Conspiracy theory - Nick Downing, who seemed popular with the players, was "released" after the season, right? He is the strength and conditioning coach, right? He mis-plan with Koussai??
I think the first time out, they just wanted to play him long enough to get him winded. Game action is a lot different from drills/practice scrimmages. And, the next time out he should have more confidence in the knee, so he can focus more on just playing. Baby steps, people. There's time to build up his game fitness. It was just a scrimmage - it doesn't even count as a DDC game. Unfortunately the hack who took Zachy down didn't get the memo.
It's not about dropping Agudelo. I like the idea that the Revs could put out different 11's in different situations. Tactics and injuries will make different combinations useful, and I can easily imagine a situation that would call for both Scotty and Kouassi on the field.
Yea, great point. I might have misinterpreted your original post. But I still stand that Heaps has got to prove he can manage this situation and continue to motivate and justify his selections when everyone is healthy and available (if that ever happens). Course that means we are still pretty thin from a quality/experience perspective. Lee has been given the captain's armband, right? I thought I read that somewhere.
Revs lose 1-3 to Colorado. Massive wind and Revs start with it in their favor. Agudelo scores first in a scramble off a Tierney corner kick. But then the Revs give up 2 goal in the last 4 minutes of the 1st half due to poor defensive miscues. Colorado with wind at their backs in 2nd half score another. It's one game, but this was meant as a competitive match. Some similar problems persist. Tierney - great going forward, really struggles to defend especially in the box. This has nothing to do with his lack of pace. Allows players too much time and poor 1v1 in our defensive 3rd - leads to allowing Colorado's first goal to let the crosses keep raining in from his side - when Colorado was against the wind. Farrell - Heaps has really messed with him. I am feeling less and less like Farrell is improving. Ball watching instead of defending contributing to first goal, and slow speed of play/decision making/body shape leads to him putting Knighton under a ton of pressure when Revs are against the wind - this leads to the 3rd goal. Caldwell - I am going to take the unpopular position which I expressed last year too. Caldwell is not Jones clearly - but was a super partner to Jones. He might make a super partner to Koussai if he is as advertised. But Heaps is not playing with double 6 - he wants to play 4-4-2. Caldwell has been playing a #6 for the most part - but I have always questioned is he dominant enough, can he boss enough to do it alone. I am not convinced. But if then Koussai is our dominant Jones replacement DP #6 - where does that leave Caldwell. If we partner him with Koussai - what does that mean for other attacking players? So I am going to wait till the real season begins - but I am going to watch very carefully what Heaps thinks of Caldwell and where he tries to use him. I don't think this is on Caldwell - this is on Heaps in my opinion. And I still see no Leader out there. New England Revolution lineup (4-4-2): Knighton (Cropper, 61); Tierney, Woodberry, Delamea, Farrell; Fagundez, Caldwell, Agudelo, Rowe; Nguyen, Kamara Colorado Rapids lineup (4-3-3): MacMath; Miller (Castillo, 61), Ford (Watts, 61), Sjoberg (Burling, 61), Williams (Burch, 61); Azira (Hamilton, 61), Cronin (Nana, 61), Powers (Perez, 61); Callahan (Gashi, 61), Badji (Hairston, 61), Calvert (Doyle, 61)
Not at all surprised. We can beat the average teams but wont be able to compete against the upper tier teams. We have once again not done enough to improve ourselves while most teams around us have
Well havent seen them yet but 5 goals given vs 1 scored in the last two games is not a winning formula in my book no matter how you spin it. Maybe the learning experience Heaps talks about is learning how to pick the ball out of the net?
i honestly think Burns and Co. feel the Revs players are better than what they actually are. I honestly believe they lack the ability to judge talent
MLS updated the lineup with subs for Revs New England Revolution lineup (4-4-2, left to right): Knighton (Cropper, 61) -- Tierney (D. Smith, 71), Woodberry (Scott, 71), Delamea (J. Smith, 69), Farrell (Turner, 71) -- Fagundez (Bowen, 71), Caldwell (Appiah, 71), Agudelo (Matsoso, 71), Rowe (Brito, 71) -- Nguyen (Wright, 71), Kamara (Kobayashi, 46)
Of course I identify with the anxiety expressed above, but preseason games mean absolutely zero. If we had won all those games, this board would be saying exactly that.