This is a Sunday Nationally televised game on FS1. Will be interesting to hear how much "love" they give their old co-broadcaster Friedel. DC has a game on Wednesday home against Portland. What will Olsen's strategy be with these 2 games this week? They have got Hamid back (even though I have never been a fan of). Does Mancienne and Machado actually play since they were the touted summer signings. You have to figure as soon as the paperwork is in - Mancienne is going straight in given all the talk from Friedel of his need of leadership But Machado does not even play last game so interesting to see what happens here.
Supposedly they are going with an all-female broadcasting team and I doubt that any of them have worked a booth with Friedel.
My Jagermeister tastes like 90th minute let down. Revs will come out and take an early lead in the first half. They will continue to drop back more and more in second half, before Rooney scores two goals in the 85th and 90th minute off two set plays. Friedel will talk about mentality and missed opportunities. The players will talk about needing to play for a full 90 minutes. Nothing will change.
I'm calling a 2-2 similar to the Philly game but without a late pk. Just another unsatisfying draw and blown lead and as said above the usual platitudes "we played better" and "we worked on set pieces all week".
I'm going optimistic. 2-1 Revs. Bunbury scores early. Rooney punishes horrible set piece defending and heriveaux with a 90th minute bicycle kick from midfield
Being reported that Hamid is going to start on Wed which is not good for Revs as it allows him to get into a rhythm. And damn that is some nice grass at Audi.
Im giving DC the win, easily. Watched Rooney play in the Toronto game and even though he didnt see much of the ball, he pretty much won the game single handily for DC. It was an amazing play if you didnt see it . Give that guy a 1/2 chance and he'll punish you. That play alone was worth the price of a ticket and is surely nothing we'll see from any current Rev player. Im sure Wayne is drooling thinking of facing our defense Wonder if he'll skip the turf? lol
Pretty incredible play, but what the heck was he doing as the last man back on defense on a set piece???
All the Orlando player has to do is shoot from midfield, before Rooney gets there, into an empty net, and Orlando wins. That's a six point mistake. But Rooney did what DPs are supposed to do. That one moment of brilliance that turns a game on its head. That is what the Revs lack.
Definitely dont think the Revs will pull out a win. Something along the lines of 3-1 or 3-2 to DC seems about right. Rooney looks like hes hitting his stride with DC and Manciene probably wont play since hell have only trained for like 3 days.
Somehow I am thinking "Revs win". Then, unfortunately, comes the "All Is Well In Revs Land" groundswell.
I've been thinking about this for a little while, and this is what I'd like to see - a 3-4-3 with a diamond midfield. We're stacked with central midfielders, we have poor fullbacks except for Farrell who can also play centrally, Dielna is also athletic enough to play outside centerback, and we still get Fagundez feeding our three-headed attack. Penilla-Bunbury-Agudelo ----------Fagundez---------- -------Caicedo-Rowe------ -----------Caldwell----------- Dielna-Mancienne-Farrell
This requires Penilla and Agudelo to assume even more defensive responsibilities. It's not just set pieces that are killing our defense, it's simple crosses from the wide positions. I don't see those players keeping up with that responsibility, especially if we turn the ball over while pressing. Watching the DCU game tonight, Rooney has really hit his stride with DC. We are in huge trouble. If he's not hitting shots on goal, he's delivering perfect crosses, something this team has shown they can not handle in the slightest. Our only hope is double game week rotations messing up the chemistry and heavy legs. Revs 0-3 DCU
It feels like you're taking bye off for rowe, and im not sure that thinning the defense is worth having rowe playing poorly in the midfield.
Rooney popped in 2 tonight. I think it's going to be a big score unfortunately - wrong time for this Revs team to play these guys - 5-1 DCU.
DC is starting to play well. Rooney is getting hot. Revs looks to be winless in the last 7 after this game
Wide defending/challenging crosses could be the responsibility of Dielna/Farrell, with Caldwell tracking back to partner Mancienne; or with Rowe & Caicedo tracking wide. Rowe has played well his past few appearances, and if we're not stopping goals anyways, might as well out-score them.