P/I/P: Revs @ Toronto, 9/13.

a must-win for Toronto if they want to get a bye in the playoffs. A choice for us between high-press and defend/counter. Toronto defenders make hilarious mistakes on the ball, like giving it to Oba. But, we could also suck them up the field and exploit space.

Also a choice for us - does Jones start and go another 70 minutes, or do we sub him on?

Again the injury gods are smiling favorably upon us.

 

I still think this could be a tester. The Revs haven't really played against any quality teams teams on the road in a while, I have to go back to July 11th @ NYRB for that, and we lost 4-1.

Toronto's back line is full of stupid though. Nguyen, Fagundez, Davis should be able to pull them out of position easily. I have a feeling Rowe / Bunbury get a goal in the game after the aforementioned players pull some strings.

 

Don't tempt fate

I saw Giovinco on the injury list. Is he definitely out for this one? TFC seems to go as he goes - definitely a league MVP candidate for me.

Agree on the back line, very exploitable. The revs have shown they can win up there of late and need to keep the momentum by getting all 3 points.

 

Isn't Barnes out on Injury or is he back in the office.

 

Also. Toronto is 2-3-0 in their last 5.

 

He was at practice, but he might not come back until next year.

 

They might as well sit Giovinco and not risk further injury. It sounds like their goal is 3 or 4 seed and have a home game, leaving us wide open to shoot for #2.
http://www.wakingthered.com/2015/9/...ovinco-against-new-england-would-be-a-mistake

 

I'm anxious to see what happens with Goncalves/Altidore situation. Goncalves clearly got under his skin in Foxboro. Altidore has probably had this date circled on his calendar ever since, but will the home setting help him keep his head on straight? I expect the fans will be getting on Jose, but he's been used to much rougher treatment in Europe I'm sure.

 

I read somewhere that a Sunderland said that he hoped their "new Yank (Yedlin) was better that the log that they got last time". I laugh every time I think of that because it sooo fits. I hope the log plays all 90 as that will put Toronto a man down. I want to see Farrell and JoGo shut him down again but no kicking or spitting Jozy. Take yur beat down like a man.

I also hope Lee comes in on a mission. A mission to embarrass the NAT players on the Toronto team and to show anybody watching, either here or maybe in California, how much better a #10 he is than Bradley will ever be.

Get psyched and smoke them.

 

Nice feature of Diego on Greg Lalas' "On the Field" video. More of this please!

http://www.mlssoccer.com/video/2015/09/11/fagundez-architect-beautiful-goal-field-presented-windows

 

Revs lead the league, by far, in passes in the final 3rd:

Armchair Analyst: On the radar for Week 28 of the 2015 MLS season
September 11, 2015
Matthew Doyle
MLSsoccer.com

 

Andrew Farrell's return to center helping fortify New England Revolution D: "People are starting to notice"
September 12, 2015
Craig Forde
MLSsoccer.com

 

Juan Agudelo accepting of new substitute role with New England Revolution, but sights set on return to starting XI
September 11, 2015
Craig Forde
MLSsoccer.com

 

After DCUs draw, we are 5 point behind 2nd place with two,games in hand. This is another must-win.

 

The thing I don't get is why this is looked at positively. It doesn't mean much without context - how does it fit with a key end result of those passes? If passes completed in the final third doesn't correlate with "shots on goal", "goals scored" and wins, then so what? It simply means the revs are inefficient and unable to provide an incisive final pass that results in something positive.

The revs are 9th in MLS in goals scored, 12th in SOG and second to last in total shots. This means most of those final third passes are to places the opponent can manage and control. There's too much comfort. The point of penetrating the final third is to make your opponent uncomfortable and get a shot on goal or draw a penalty. This ruthless mindset will yield goals which will yield more wins.

Possession for the sake of possession and passing for the sake of passing needs an end goal, that's the important point that Heaps is missing.

 

Nice job on calling the half full glass empty.

If Revs are next to last in total shots and 9th in goals (actually 8th in gpp), then they must be near the top on goals per shot. How do you score on a high percentage of a relatively low number of shots? One way would be by making a lot of good short attacking-third passes that result in high quality shots.

I guarantee you Heaps understands that the goal is not just possession, but creating (and then finishing) high quality shots.

 

I'm also betting he knows this team would move to the next level if he had a world class Forward to get on the end of all this possession and could create his own shots.

 

I agree but those cost money and you dont find a lot of those on the waver wire or on a free transfer so not gonna happen

 

I'm not sure of that. They paid big bucks for Jones so we know it can happen when they decide they are willing to buy a DP. The maddening thing is we just don't know what their thinking is and the realities facing those responsible to find/sign players. All we have to go on is what they have done/are doing and a lot of smack being thrown around to fill the void.

 

• 30 minutes in, 60% possesion for TFC right now, and it looks like it
• Revs not sitting back, but are getting pinned back by the TFC attack
• Revs do look dangerous on the counter though
• Jones suspended for the next game, he might as well go 90 here
• GOOAAALLL!!!

 

HUGE win. Well done guys. Thats how to lay an away game--make good on every opportunity---and stuff their chances back in their faces.

 

The effort was definitely there defensively, the guys worked their socks off. I'll be really surprised if Heaps doesn't rest the backline Wednesday after that performance. My MOTM is Farrell.