Revs are undefeated (5 wins, 3 draws) in last 8 matches vs TOR. TOR on a 3-game winning streak after last night: Toronto FC 1, Real Salt Lake 0 | 2016 MLS Match Recap Franco Panizo Aug 3, 2016 TOR has 14 pts in last seven matches (4-1-2).
I think at least we'll see a better performance this week than last for at least two reasons: - shouldn't have extreme heat as a factor (or if it is, it will affect both teams similarly) - we do play well against Toronto traditionally Even if we do manage to get a victory out of this, this win one/lose one/tie one trend isn't going to do a whole lot at this point - we need to string multiple wins together, regardless of whether at home or on road. We've squandered too many points to think that the win at home, tie on the road strategy will get us where we need to be (apologies if that sounds like criticism ).
Yeah, but if you don't count the games where we dropped all those points in March and April (they don't count, right?), we're right int he thick of it! Good thing the team was ready to go right at the start of pre-season and didn't wait until halfway through the season to get going...
This stuff is so funny .... #NERevs Injury Report: OUT: Hollinger-Janzen, Kouassi, Smith; QUESTIONABLE: Agudelo Lack of depth behind Kamara v. #TFCLive w/ Davies gone— Sean Donahue (@SeanLDonahue) August 5, 2016
Temperature here at match time will be about 26 (I'll leave it to you to put it in that archaic Farhenheit system ), but BMO is down by the lake where the temperatures are significantly cooler. The west stand is high enough to block out the late afternoon / early evening sun, so I imagine pitch conditions will be nice and moderate. Yes you do. Still, we're in good form and I expect that this will be a good match. You'll be the best opponent we've faced in quite a while.
2 goals for Giovinco in the first half; on the first he wasn't even marked. I don't think we'll see that strategy tried again. Pathetic
The headline reads that Toronto crushed us, but the reality is that Giovinco crushed us, in the sense that practically no one else would have scored those first two goals he scored. That said, the Revolution attack is really feeble. What wouldn't we give for a Valeri or a Piatti or a Mauro Diaz. Nguyen is supposed to be that guy, but just isn't. But here's what I liked about tonight's game: I got the impression Heaps was saving guys for Tuesday.
This, together with the Davies trade, says to me that they're throwing in the towel on this season. I'm OK with that, since I don't think the team as currently constituted has a snowball's chance this year. So, it's USOC or bust.
I've very mixed feelings as to the USOC. On the one hand, it would be a joy to win something in a season where "circling the drain" is the image that comes to mind. On the other hand, two bad things would then ensue. Heap O'B&B would use the USOC to claim that the team is Progressing, and to justify the status quo. Then next year we would make complete fools of ourselves in the CCL.... I mean Joe Public foolish.....
Fifteenth in the league in PPG. Dead last in goal differential (-11). Nope, no need for summer transfer additions here.
Umm, what was Heaps doing just after final whistle, chasing down Giovinco and getting in his face? What could be so egregious that makes Heaps think he needs to do this? There didn't seem to be anything in last night's events that seems like it would have triggered this. Really really weird behavior, bordering on "erratic". It also looked like he was doing his wild arm-waving foot-stomping wardance in front of Unkel, Geiger and crew, just after warming his act up on Giovinco. This Heaps "Outraged At All The Enemies Arrayed Against Him" act, where he finds slings, arrows, and slights everywhere - this act is getting old, and at some point (maybe already) it is an embarrassment to the other professionals in this club.
Additional, but separate thought -- Even if the ref crew missed a few calls, that's not where Jay should be expending his vast reserves of energies of indignation. (There's a few other things in a state currently that really should warrant his attention, things he is (nominally) in charge of.)
You can see that guys on this team are taking on that "whiny bitch" Heaps character trait. Just look at the 2nd goal for Toronto. Rowe thinks the defender came in showing his studs (he did, you could argue there was a call to be made there, but none came so get over it and play on), and Rowe got all pissy, shoved the TFC player, was slow to get back in the play, and then after Giovinco scored he started bitching at the ref. That was Rowe showcasing his inner Heaps.
In all fairness to Rowe - On first viewing, I thought the same thing about his shove, but not only did he get fouled by Bloom, but Bloom had his arms up on Rowe's face immediately after the studs to the shin. It was at that point that Rowe brought his arms up for the shove. It looks like it was a more "get your arms out of my face" shove than anything. My take on it is at that point, Rowe was thinking "you've got to be kidding, he cleats me, and then he can give also me a face wash?". I watched it a few times. It took a few watches of it to see this clearly as there was a lot going on in that sequence. This is from someone who thinks Rowe often exhibits a tad of the "spoiled child" each game.
Two games ago it was noted here that we were OK on the defensive end. Since then 7 goals given up. But still no help from the Revs FO. And no, I don't feel like Heaps played for the USOC last night. Not in the least. Kamara and Lee should have been out at the half. See how Chicago played their lineup last night to see a team that was focusing on Tuesday. It wasn't us. Heaps is so out-matched at this point, it's not even funny. His behavior at the end of the game going after Giovinco was embarrassing. Constantly yelling at the refs is just annoying at this point (well, OK, it has been for a while).
To be honest I think Bloom could have been ejected for the tackle on Rowe right before Giovinco's 2nd goal. But that doesn't change the fact that 1) Giovinco was left unmarked on his first goal, and 2) on his 2nd goal, Giovinco was faced up against Darrius Barnes. Barnes is all heart, but that's a top class Italian national team forward against a guy from Duke playing his first minutes in over a year. Giovinco shouldn't be left one v one against anybody at the top corner of the box, nevermind against a guy just back from injury. And then on the last goal, we just weren't paying attention. Woodberry wasn't even faced up to the ball and had no idea the pass went in to Altidore. It was embarassing.
You're right that Rowe wasn't egregiously in the wrong on the shove, but he still didn't hustle back into the play. This happened about 4 or 5 times (with different Rev players) during the match. I felt like I was transported to Serie A circa 1995 (Maybe it's the ghost of Walter Zenga). I HATE this style of play.
I don't know what might have been going on with Gio (there's a lot of stuff that happens that the cameras miss ...), but there was a lot to be outraged at the refs about - we were on the wrong side of just about every questionable call in that game. And, most of them affected goal-scoring situations. Rowe was cleated with a studs-up foot - that's a yellow in virtually any game, play continues; Toronto scores. Gio goes down after fouling a Rev in the scramble, he gets the call; Toronto scores. Kamara scores a beauty and is called offside by a microscope-wielding linesman; Revs goal called back. Barnes fouls Ricketts outside the penalty area, but Ricketts takes an extra stride into the box before falling, pk called; Toronto scores. None of this is to excuse Revs mistakes, but officials need to get things right (and not err on the side of the home team every time) too - and need to be called out when they don't. There's no reason he can't do both. Personally, I think that if he doesn't confront the refs about their mistakes, his players won't feel like he has their backs. There's nothing wrong with him demanding accountability from his players and the officials. Your average MLS player would have just fallen to the ground in a heap (pardon the pun). Staying on his feet was probably his biggest mistake. It was a horrible no call (and probably rather painful) and you get on Rowe for taking offense with the player and getting on the ref??? Yes. Darrius Barnes is just not an MLS-level defender, especially when he's 1/2 season stale. I don't think Heaps was saving guys for Tuesday, I think he benched Farrell and Bunbury because of their awful defensive effort the game before. I don't know what the story with McCrary is, but to bring in an over-sized, slowish, converted central defender to guard one of the smallest/quickest/savviest/etc., etc. scorers in the league is just looking for trouble. McCrary might be small and inexperienced, but he should be quick enough and have good enough (Alston-like) recovery speed to be a better choice in trying to handle Giovinco. Live by the quick restart, die by the quick restart. But, the blame shouldn't be only on Woodbury, why wasn't someone telling him to stand on the ball and why was Barnes giving so much space to Altidore? Woodbury was worrying about not getting a yellow (and a suspension) so he was trying to be nice-guy and helping the player up, but someone needed to force them to ask for 10. ------------------------- I actually think, other than Barnes vs. Gio (yes, I know, "... Mrs. Lincoln ..."), the Revs didn't play badly at all. I think they were victims of some really bad (or non) calls, scored one, should have been allowed another and had a shot off the post. I think with better referring, that could have been a 1-1 or 2-2 game.
Bingo, bolding mine. Right now this team needs a minimum of a new manager who can inject fresh ideas and mould the talent we have. I DON'T want B, B&H to feel safe and secure in their jobs. Think about the best case - the revs win the USOC and earn the "opportunity" to travel to far flung places to compete for a trophy they have slim chance of winning. A different year with a full roster - sure - but the revs winning the USOC now yielding the CCL would be a step backwards given the state of our club IMO.