What a mesury s. Too many things wrong to even name. Bottom line is we suck... period. Woodbury is terrible. Rather see Tierney then him. Somebody call the FBI to find out who stole Lee's MOJO. It's gone and its hard to defend him anymore
Not a bad effort, but another loss. I hope none of the injuries were serious because we can't afford anymore losses
Another frustrating loss. Like last week, the Revs created a number of good looks at goal, and limited the damage defensively, and it still came to nothing. I wish the Revs had one player who cared to score a goal more than to get an assist.
Oddly refereed game. Isn't a full out kick to the nuts a straight red every time (intentional or not). The phantom call by the near side A/R on Rowe when he was in alone was an utter mystery (I guess Rowe was supposed to stay there so he would cushion the fall of the TFC player), especially since he waited several seconds to raise the flag. Not all one way -- I thought Delemea got away with a lot of physicality on Jozy (and vice versa). I thought both penalties should have been called. London Woodberry looked lost with the ball. Agree with the earlier poster that Tierney is better -- but he would have been burned for pace by the TFC outside players. Brad says it's all OK, cause there are four other MLS teams that have no road wins.
I thought Woodberry played a decent game. In fact the whole back 4, even Watson, played well. Hope Toni's nose isn't broken because his ability to read and react would be a major loss.
Watson played left mid for most of the game, Farrell was the left back. I agree - I thought the whole defense played well tonight defensively (my complaint about London was his play with the ball). I'd bet dollars to donuts that Toni's nose broke.
Watson looked decent at left mid, Farrell did a good job at LB. He got caught out of position on their first goal but it also required a great cross and some luck to even reach the goal scorer. The second goal I saw but was too disgusted to watch the replay so I don't know what happened other than Giovinco scored to ice it. Overall it was an inspired performance by the revs. Just need to work on hitting the target and not aiming for the keeper (looking at you Lee). On an individual note, I don't see either Agudelo or Rowe (or Lee) having a NT future. Agudelo can't finish and makes the wrong decision with his passing, plain and simple. Rowe has a solid workrate and deserves credit for playing in multiple positions, but the passing decision making and consistency just isn't there. Nguyen takes too long and has lost his finishing ability. I hope he and Kamara get moved in the offseason. It's just not working with the current attacking group. Cropper, however, should get a look for the NT, next qualifying cycle. Of course with Smug Bruce back in charge we probably won't see many revs getting a shot.
One word......UNACCEPTABLE Its sad how large the gap is between us and almost everybody. I wanted to sit Tierney....so in comes Woodberry.. 90% worse, looked lost and was TERRIBLE In fact he's so bad, I'd release him today. No reason to continue to pay him he's that bad. Then Heaps starts Watson at mid. Another waste of time and money. We were so bad, we were making Altadore look like a world class player and I consider him seriously overrated. Lee has a clean look at goal and kicks to the goalie and Kamara..... 600K for a player thats scored 4 goals? Tell me how thats a good value? Something HAS TO CHANGE. We need a bunch of better players and a new coach. BTW, fire Burns too. He has done NOTHING to improve this team and continues to do NOTHING. I suspect he will throw Heaps under the bus at some point to save his own worthless ass but if the Krafts gave a crap... Burns would be gone long ago. They dont care if we win or lose as long as their pro shop and food stands do OK No away wins...I had some hope but now feel like Charlie Brown kicking that football.
Great great post on Agudelo, Rowe, and Lee. I wonder though if half ( or most ) of the problem is Heaps. He keeps playing these three guys in random positions which may be especially leading to Juan's poor decision-making. Maybe Bruce has an idea for Agudelo as a forward regardless where Heaps keeps playing him. Lee seems to be grouped with Sasha and Benny as players that Bruce is moving on past based on how he wants to play but your comments are spot on too. Regarding Rowe, this one is weird. Matt Doyle keeps having a hard on for Rowe that I personally do not get, does anyone?? Maybe Bruce saw when Heaps was using him as a left back that it might be someone worth bringing in as he always looks to bring in multiple players in every position. He is listed as midfield though. Matt Doyle has him making the Gold cup roster and being a starter. I really do not know what planet he is on ( and I like a lot of his stuff ). The only place we slightly differ is on Cropper. I see some good stuff but I don't really see any sort of distinguishing factor compared to a lot of the young goalkeepers across the league. If anything he will have to demonstrate consistency and make a case for after Russia.
Not sure how it happened, by I must have had my "optimistographic" glasses on for this one. I saw a (rare) game where (other than the initial delay in getting in gear), the team for the most part played with high intensity and good concentration. Far more than I feel like I have seen from them on nearly all other occasions this season and last. In basic terms - it looked like they were all trying, with some nasty attitude, for nearly the whole game. That is setting a low bar perhaps - but notable in that is is not what I typically expect from the Revs anymore. Jay even made a good first substitution - removing Watson, as opposed to his normal "cringeworthy" subs we are all used to). And contrary to some of the negative impression of others here re: Kamara, upon replacing Watson I saw him immediately make an inspired drive down the left to the end line to help keep the attack going, followed by staying highly involved for rest of the game. (His heel drop to Lee almost gave Revs the tying goal). Lee stayed switched on. His dropping back out of the wall to the goal line just in time to make the save of the Gio freekick was a special play. He also moved the ball pretty well, had a number of nice takes down the right side late in the game. I like Cropper. I feel better about GK than I have at any time since Reis departed. Agudelo had some good hold up play. But not enough opportunity to turn it to goal and drive at the defense, it would be good to see him be able to get more of that going. The defense was more than sound. Farrell took one step in the wrong direction and that let TFC get a man free to put the first goal in. Other than that, TFCs main offensive threats (Gio and Altidore) did not really have very many chances. All that being said - it still shows that the Revs playing hard with minimal mistakes still is not nearly good enough. They put in what I think was an inspired effort, with minimal Jay Mental Errors (I was feeling good about his decisions until Tierney came on, at which point I got nervous and my optimistography shut down), and they still came up 2 goals short against a team that was missing their dominant midfielder (Bradley). That to me is a very telling illustration - that their best is still many many pegs below the teams above them in the pecking order. Good enough to make playoffs, not good enough to have a realistic shot at a championship. And that's what I want for this team. Not the "pretending" that goes on by ownership and FO, I instead want them to be positioned for the real deal. Unrelated thought - for a guy who got whacked so hard in the back of his head that it made his face hurt, it didn't appear to me like Koffie had the concussion protocol done. He missed almost no time at all once he went to sideline. It seems unlikely there was enough time to get it done right. If that was the case, then that is concerning. Certainly possible that I don't know enough precise details about the process, but I care more about Koffiee's future brain than the game situation, and I hope that the right decisions are being made. Kicking a guy in the nuts is a red, even if your name is Gio. Diego is still the poor man's Villa in terms of how he is driving hard at the defenders time after time, but his final passes were off the mark too many time last night. Rowe was the same - a lot of good tackles and some good initiating of the attack, but too many passes to red shirts. Farrell deserved the PK call, if you were to ask me. He does not flop. On the other hand, Altidore does flop at most chances, and even if Delamea did get him a little, Jozy made sure to drop his bulk immediately to the turf. Indecisive/weak refereeing had way too much impact on the the feel and flow of the game, even outside of OK calls. Best wishes for healing of Tony's nose and face, Koffie's head knock, Agudelo's busted nose, Ben Angoua's left pinky fracture or dislocation (looked bad on tape). Thanks for being tough guys out there.
Is there a word for a team that simulates a sufficiently deceptive false front to have us by the end of the year saying "Hey, if only we had made the playoffs we coulda been a contender!" ? Sure there is: "Scheissenfraud". Not to be confused with "Kraftenfraud", where it's clear from the start we would never be a contender.
Great post all-around, Casual Fan. I've quoted the part that I was most bothered about during the match -- I get the "don't want to go down a man" logic, but Koffie should have been kept off for a full concussion protocol. Given this team's history with Twellman, you'd think they'd be extra sensitive. Also, props to the TFC trainer/doctor who came out to help on that injury. It wasn't clear if Koffie or Delemea was hurt worse and both were pretty clearly hurt badly. Finally, if Jozy gave Delemea even a slight push (It's really hard to tell from the TV feed), he may have caused or exacerbated the injury -- just one of a few plays I think could see additional attention. We can complain about a lot about this team, but heart from these guys just can't be questioned.
This. Heart is great and I agree this team has it in spades. But when heart outweighs talent, it results in a mediocre team. The key is to make the scale more equal. It can't be too heavy in heart but lack talent or talent at the expense of heart.
Jay Heaps is a very very lucky man he doesn't have an FO which is held accountable for mediocrity. Kinnear, a far more accomplished manager, I'm sure would be happy to have the endless chances Kraftycorpia's indifference to competence bestows upon Jay.
I know I am a NNN but I agree with your post - in that they looked like a reasonable good team playing nice soccer. BUT the talent is just not enough to get them the result. I hope that the ownership figures this out at one point or another!!! On a points per game basis we are now 9th in the East. I certainly hope we avoid the summer swoon we typically hit.
Normally I would find a way to work my favorite German word into the post, but somehow "staubsaugerbeutelbefestiger" doesn't really describe this team. I couldn't really argue that they really are "a hook that holds a bag in place on a vacuum cleaner," but mad props to the Germans for coming up with a single word to say that. Maybe "mittelmäßig und kaum durchschnittlich" would be better--Mediocre and barely average. That's the thing, they can "play well" against teams like Chicago and Toronto, but at the end of the day, they really can't hang with them. The difference in talent level is too great. Here's something for the FO to think about: If they don't make significant additions during the summer transfer window and even if they pick it up a notch and start winning a few games and avoid the annual summer swoon, they could be in the playoffs. Woo. Hoo. But to be anything mroe than a one-and-out, the road to MLS Cup rins through Chcago and/or Toronto. They will have to beat those teams if they have any hope. The very thought of that is beyond ridiculous at this point. If you want to me more than barely average, you will have to do better.
The Revs get up for the tough opponents, but as you say often cannot hang with them. And They don't get up enough as a team for the rest of the "lesser" opponents - too many players switched off for too many periods within games - and the results are damning. So, in summary, they don't get good results generally. But that only matters if that sort of thing is important to anyone up the chain. Action speak louder than words, it is clear that getting results on the field is not highly ranked as an objective for this organization.
I don't know if the gap is that big; the revs can beat both of those teams in Foxboro. They already beat TFC-light 3-0, outshot Chicago and then just outplayed TFC in Toronto (of course, with their guys on just 2 days rest). The revs can't seem to master the small details - whether it's the right weighting of a pass, the right run at the right time, putting a shot on frame rather than a foot wide. If they can improve any of those "finer details" they could probably make the playoffs. If they want to go beyond one and done, I agree they need better talent.
Hey RevsLiverpool, I think Brad Feldman just hacked your account! The Revs beat Toronto in Foxboro when they were seriously undermanned and in the return leg, they were still short one of their best players and only had 2 days rest, and still beat us, despite us having a decent game. Chicago is just better than us by a similar margin. If we should be so lucky to meet either of those teams in a 2-leg playoff, I don't expect it to go well for us.
Hardly undermanned TFC squad at NE for 3 June game. TFC was missing Bradley and Altidore, but it was mostly first team squad, with Edwards, Cheyrou and Cooper all had significant game mins prior to this game.
OK, I guess beating a top team 3-0 at home, even if they are missing key players, deserves credit. But the larger point is that if we were fortunate enough to square off against TFC in the playoffs, don't expect us to win the home leg 3-0. Maybe 1-0 and then get gubbed in the return, but no way that result repeats itself.
If we sent Bunbury, Tierney, Watson, and Woodberry to Rochester, I would be pleased, but then we would only have 12 on our roster for tonight's US Open game. They are all just not good enough.