P/I/P, Match 27: Revs vs CHI, 8/24/19 7:30pm

Loved this part of the review, especially the last part. We need to break the schneid against these guys!!

Once upon a time the Revs and Fire featured in one of the league’s most heated rivalries, meeting in the MLS Cup Playoffs a remarkable eight times in a 10-year span from 2000 to 2009. Though the animosity has since faded, the importance of Saturday night’s game could stoke some of those old flames.

The series, however, has been dominated by Chicago in recent years. The Revs haven’t beaten the Fire since 2016, going 0-5-2 in their last seven meetings, including 0-1-1 in the last two encounters in Foxborough.

The most recent meeting was on May 8 at SeatGeek Stadium, where the Fire rolled to a 5-0 win in what proved to be Brad Friedel’s final game in charge, ushering in the Bruce Arena era in New England.

Asked about that loss during his weekly interview on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Zolak & Bertrand,” Arena said he hadn’t watched the film from that game, and had no intention of doing so.​

“It’s immaterial,” he said.​

 

Katai suspended for trying to ethnically cleanse the Portland midfield.

 

"Though the animosity has since faded,"

Like hell it has.

 

This match is as good an opportunity as the Revs have seen since 2014. DC, Orlando, and Columbus all lost, and one or both of Toronto and Montreal will drop points today. Three points today gives us a necessary bit of spacing to those training us, and puts us in a better position to take advantage if DC craters.

 

I'm back on the bandwagon (or off the wagon, if that's how you choose to look at it), to the extent that I'm actually going to see how the Revs look live. No worse than they look on TV, I hope.

Tonight should be good soccer-playing weather, though a bit chilly for soccer watching. But I'm expecting a good game, with both teams desperate for the three points. Chicago, poor as they've been this season, are coming off a good win against Philly.

Still, to my mind, advantage goes to the Revs, because they've already done the thing that Chicago has unaccountably put off this season, and that is to replace their head coach.

 

Three points would be oh-so-sweet tonight.

 

Revs should have come out 2nd half gunning for it... they’re flat, instead...

 

Their first touches are almost unbearable and they need to stop with these massive crosses down the field. It doesn't work.

 

• I was ready to take full blame for a bad result - I had brought a newby to the game, which has always been the kiss of death. No one was more grateful for the last goal than I.
• I have to give credit to two players I don't usually rate:
- Zahibo, who was much more lively and engaged, in the first half especially,
- Mancienne, whose intelligent anticipation of so many Fire attacks made him (finally) look like the player they thought they were getting,
• Dejuan Jones did not disappoint. The kid can play, and it was so reassuring to see that no one was going to beat him for pace. Farrell and Bye just get more solid.
• Turner - outstanding again.
• I had the sense that Gil and Bou were not feeling it for the first 75 minutes; offline passes, not finding he game. but then we get the DP moment. I felt like this is what we have been missing for the last 20 years.
• Three guys who had bad games - Fagundez, Penilla, and Luis Caicedo. Agudelo made an immediate difference.
• Not sure what to say about Fire. They have enough talent on paper to be a much better team.
• Next week against TFC. Should be interesting.

 

I am more impressed with the consistency of Bye than anyone else in the club right now.

 

I like Bye but I think his crossing is weak. If he could improve that, he'd be great. Right now, they go mostly anywhere.

Have we seen the last of Castillo? I would hope so. Might as well invest time in Jones. He didnt hurt us last night

 

Fun game though the draw lasted a little too long for my taste.

Bou definitely showed his quality in the last fifteen minutes. As has been said, he and Gil hadn't been having a great match after the first goal. However, once his free kick missed the target it seemed like he decided to take responsibility for the outcome. When the pressure was on he took three shots. Every one was on target. How often has that happened since the glory days? That the one that went in was off his weaker side (are you kidding me?) was just icing on the cake.

It was easy why there are such divergent opinions on Bye. He did a nice job in 1:1 against Sapong. He made the right run and a great cross for the first goal. He also made some lame crosses right into defenders and lost the ball when he wasn't on the same page as teammates. On balance, I think he's good and getting better but, as with all players in the attack, not every play works.

Jones was a reassuringly quiet alternative on the left. During the sluggish period during the early part of the second half I found myself briefly missing Castillo's offensive combinations with Bou, but I slapped myself back to good sense realizing that there hadn't been free runners coming down that side all evening.

I don't think the Diego experiment worked. I wondered whether his time as the center of the attack was contributing to the loss of focus on moving the ball through Gil. They didn't seem to combine well and Diego's efforts to generate attacks just weren't good enough. Agudelo seems to have a better sense of how to play with Gil and Bou. That combined with JFCaicedo bullying the back line seemed to allow much more fluidity in the attack.

If we get a decent run in the playoffs, I can readily see Turner getting a January camp. He is a very good shot stopper. His control of his area and his play from the back seem to be improving.

Next week should be interesting. We win and we're in very good shape to compete for the last home playoff game. I don't think anyone in the East looks forward to playing us anymore.

 

It's something to watch a real striker play for a team you root for!!

The coach in me just wants to show all the wanna be forwards Bou's goal; straight off the left foot with no hesitation. How often do we hear the announcer say after a forward misses a shot; well that was off his weaker foot. Or they took too much time trying to set up their stronger foot. To repeat my first line...it's nice watching a real striker!

 

It's very gratifying to see an investment in a dp paying dividends.

This season was circling the drain until the Krafts decided to actively manage this franchise.

 

Teal is who he is but if that was a hamstring and he's gone for 4-6 weeks that is problematic. Not because of who he is as an individual player but for how he fits with Bou & Gil (keeping the opposing backline back).

I'm not a big Penilla or Caicedo II fan; Penilla in particular these past few weeks.

But anyways: an exciting and meaningful win! I am still trying to get used to the feeling of optimism I have when the opening whistle blows....

 

Agreed about Bunbury. He's gone cold the last few games, but he's always active, and the team was palpably worse last night when he came off.

But Chicago now, I don't know what to say. For nearly the entirety of the second half, they were content to play for a draw. Have they not looked at the standings lately? It was crazy to see them wasting time when they still had everything to play for. And then to see Paunovic going ballistic with the Revs' timewasting after they took the lead! Priceless.

 

Chicago seemed to closely mark Gil than anyone so far, and that was very disruptive to our attack. It totally seemed to disrupt the link with Bou. Maybe that was made easier by the loss of Bunbury.

I thought Diego was 'okay', but didn't create anything exceptional.

Zahibo's goal was made possible by Gil drawing 3 defenders and laying off perfectly for Bye.

I thought Agudelo brought nothing - I didn't see anything he did to threaten Chi at all. I wonder if Arena will move on from him - he's aware of the long-term 'potential' label on Agudelo. We should be talking about production with him at this point.

Nice, cohesive defense ... except for a chance early on, naive defending by Jones on Chicago's goal and some offside-line miscommunications.

I think we are seeing Farrell's best season as a pro.

Overall, I think it was a pretty lethargic game by the Revs. Good to get the win, but I don't think that effort wins many games. Probably a good amount of credit goes to Chi for frustrating our attack.

 

Pleasantly surprised to see Revs in several highlight reels: Bye's was one of the "Pass of the week", as was Gil's to Penilla (whose shot was blocked), and Bou's back heel to someone. In addition, Bou's goal was #3 in "Top strikes of the week," and Zahibo was in the "Skills of the Week." They didn't play perfectly, by any stretch, but they have become a team worth watching.

 

Eventually I may return to having high expectations for this team, but after the last bunch of years I am content to have this.