P/I/P Revs @ ATL, 10/6/2018, 3:30pm ET [R]

I haven't been to a Revs game all season because of family commitments and was planning to catch the home season finale regardless of playoff potential, but the way this team plays makes it really hard to care. Even in the darkest final years of the Nicol era (2010/2011), when they were fielding mostly college kids and semi-pros, it was more entertaining than this current team. Friedel has them playing such cynical, low-rent tactics that it makes Tony Pulis-era Stoke City look like Barcelona.

I get that Friedel is playing with a lot of Heaps holdovers, but even Heaps' tactics were more attractive and they actually won once in a while. If he treads water or regresses next year when he's able to fill more of the team with "his" guys, he should get the boot.

 

So we already knew Hauche is not a goal scorer. After seeing Bello's goal, now we know he's not a defender either. What is he?

 

Good enough to stand out on the practice pitch after a trial. That thought should tell you everything you need to know about all non penilla wing players the revs have

 

I don't think Huache is the problem - he's got some skills the Revs lack, but it's been a big ask in his short term here. His debut performance showed that he can help the team in the right situation.

The goal against, was certainly not as poor a play as Rowe on the 2nd (and, really, Knighton shouldn't have gotten beaten on the angle to the near post).

 

Agreed - thought the same things.

FYP

I wonder if this move was Friedel feeling the pressure still, and looking for hopefully a diamond in the rough/lightning bolt that is not having the effect he hoped.

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2018...bers-hit-their-mark-almiron-hurt-more-week-32
Also, did anyone notice Matt Doyle's article from the weekend on the Revs. This is how it started. Notice the (*) by the Revs - he had a full paragraph below represented by the (*) on how perplexed he was by the Hauche signing - but then seemed to take it down - it is not there anymore!! Not sure why!! Interesting.

Damaged Goods
Atlanta United cruised past the Revs(*) by 2-1 in Georgia on Saturday afternoon.​

 

My seats are in midfield, near the Revs bench. When Hauche came in for the 2nd half of that game, he was right below me

I immediately noticed that:

- he was competing for and winning loose balls that other players weren't really competing for
- he was looking for through balls and had clever passing ideas in situations where his teammates could find no option other than to pass it back and around
- the other attackers started making runs that I hadn't seen them do all season, but they realized that he was looking to make those attacking passes and was actually able to execute them. The first couple of balls went to no one, because they weren't making the runs to space - then they started to catch on ...

I know he's a low-cost player, that he's still not really in good game-shape and that it's still to be seen if he can be a serious two-way wing, but ... to me, the important thing is that he demonstrated a lot of what is missing on this team.

My guess is that Friedel put him in, not because he was desperate, but because he was frustrated.

Many times this season, I've seen Agudelo receive the ball in quality, attacking positions, yet be unable to make a challenging pass (usually just passing it back). How can this be with a talented, skilled player like that? Same with Fagundez. Bunbury is not really a passer, so I don't expect that from him.

 

Agreed -

Swags has become nearly Clyde Simms-esque in his use of the backpass or square ball, even at times where there appeared to be significant real estate in front of him for the taking.

It looks to me like the instinct to attack has just about been programmed out of him. There were a few flashes of the old Juan a few games back where he came into game as the 2nd half #10 in relief of an invisible Fagundez (same game as I think may have been Hauche's debut, who also looked good to me that game).

But, other than that brief show, Juan has either lost it, or is saving the good stuff for his next team after the Revs.

Sad, as I have held onto great hopes for him for years at this point. I know I saw something seriously legit in him, but I am now forgetting what it looked like. He's just stopped doing all the good parts of his repertoire.

 

A warm body

 

For me, it was his creativity and technical ability that was tantalizing. The confidence to try nutmegs, chipping the keeper, the backheels, combination play, off ball runs. His aerial presence. All that fun, South American inspired quality he had, especially in 2013 his first year here when he reminded me of early career Dempsey at times. He was truly fun to watch back then. Just hasn't been the same player since his failed attempt at moving to Europe.

 

a guy that has barley played for any team that he was on. Someone that never scored a professional goal and was basically loaned out for almost his entire career. Basically a typical Revs international late season signing

 

Really? He gave up a half-chance that required an outstanding finish (and got no help from his keeper).

 

He stood by as a fullback ran past him.