Revs make the cross continent trip to Vancouver for a 5:30 kick off at BC Place. Should be an interesting match with Kei facing his old club and the revs hoping to earn a valuable road point (or three). Friedel always preaches "good teams don't lose two in a row", here's hoping the revs take it to heart.
Vancouver with one of the worst goal differentials in the league is coming off a tie on the road with Dallas. All these teams in the northwest seem to be pretty strong at home. Should be a good game but I am going with the Revs so long as Brad goes back to the formula that was working. Next few weeks are going to be very tough on the Revs with all they games they play. This is a very winnable game against a mediocre team. 2-1 Revs
The return of Fagundez may help to make the high pressure pay off with a goal or (ideally) several. Also, no more yellows for players close to being suspended.
I'm guessing he won't be joining the team for this one as his daughter was born either Wednesday or yesterday.
My twins turn 2 months tomorrow so I know how he feels. Diego will be running on very little sleep for a few weeks so yeah I wouldn't expect much production, even if he gets pt, for a bit.
According to Lemieux - Diego is going to be available for the game. https://www.revolutionsoccer.net/po...usy-period-saturday-visit-vancouver-whitecaps Well, at this point, I would be willing to bet he's fine. The question will be the next game.
Penilla starting up top again? That's destined to fail. Maybe Diego will make things happen but this formation and personnel screams fail to me.
Up a goal on the road and pull a defender off for a forward. Minutes later they give up a goal. Interesting move
One thing is clear - Diego makes a HUGE difference at the ten. Last week showed how poor Rowe is there.
Wide open game and was really either teams for the taking. I personally don't feel like critiquing - just going to enjoy a 6 goal game on a long weekend. That's because I am very anxious to see how the Revs do against full strength Atlanta and NY - hopefully nothing to get too negative about. Interesting that: Friedel did not wear his suit Friedel took off Dielna - I am sure to avoid a yellow card to avoid suspension for Atlanta and thought that his team could hold the lead Somi just a younger faster version of Tierney - same, crucial defensive ball watching behind play liabilities at the wrong times....But in his defense, if the coach asks those players to bomb forward - the coach needs to make sure there is a good setup to help cover for that player on the break - especially when playing 3 in the back. All 3 central defenders ball-watched and shifted so far over, that I felt they could have checked their shoulders a little. But Somi, and even Turner, has to also be communicating as well. Teams will key on these breakdowns - and that is a trend I do not want to see become a pattern Rowe not having a good season under a new coach....wonder if he will get moved or look for a move. After all that Nat talk - he sure has fallen well down any sort of depth chart. Can't be a flash in the pan and consistency was always Rowe's liability. His confidence has to be a little shot too I liked Friedel trying a back 3 to create some different looks Friedel clearly rehearsing some corner kick plays based on the players setting up with some close to the ball, some at back post. They didn't come off - but it shows me they are working on stuff Teal, as much as I think he is an okay-player, continues to have consistent games and you know week to week what you will get from him (way different than under Heaps). And he is getting in good spots and scoring which is great of his confidence and rhythm. I really liked: The piece on Mariner at halftime - really well done. Now if we can just tone down his superlatives every time the Revs do the most marginal thing
Nothing to add to the above comments --- though I thought Somi's defense was more appalling than appealing Not much faster than Tierney, maybe a bit more technical, but he does fall asleep too many times in a game. And Diego continues to play well as the 10. Had 3 points in hand and throw 2 of them away. Well we had a total of 6 away points last year, we are now on 5 away points after 12 games. That's a big improvement.
Several things.... I think little to nothing of any of Friedel's depth chart. Rowe is a better left back than Somi Somi stinks and they were beating him like a rented mule. Where is Friedel's #2 AM Zach? Meanwhile, I just watched a DVR of Lee getting an assist against Dortmund... Remember Friedel rated Lee behind benchwarmer Zach. I have to think Friedel will run Rowe out of town too Teal has to go as a starter. That would be my #1 priority... a better forward Our defense is still a mess Somi was ball watching on both goals. Ferrell had to leave his side for the middle on one goal because the centerback was nowhere to be found. That left his man open and bang... goal. He had to pick up the middle or he would have got the ball with nobody between him and the goalie Remember. We tied after giving up the lead AND one of the goals was an own goal. Could have easily been a loss. Maybe the "high pressure" takes so much out of the players, they can't go 90 minutes? Atlanta on Wednesday... Should be interesting
The coach has changed, the style has changed, several faces have changed and the results (may) have changed (we seem to be headed back in the direction of our 1.3 ppg of last year). But, I also have a hard time concluding this is a strong/deep roster. The defense can really let down at times and I also find Teal to be a lot more about energy than talent. I try to remind myself that Friedel deserves some patience but, in the back of my mind, I am constantly worried about the consistent presence of Mike Burns and Robert/Jonathan Kraft. After the late SN era and the entire Jay Heaps era it is hard not to have doubts. I hope they make some significant improvements in the next window. If they did, that alone would be a big improvement.
I see this years roster as the first year in Brad rebuilding the franchise. There are still significant holes but we are better than last year in most aspects of the game. I'm looking forward to seeing what we do in the summer transfer window.
I had called out Somi as the weak link the last time he played, but even though he was part of each of the Vancouver goals, I think BF needs to own this as well. The defensive shape was completely gone on the last Vancouver goal - It wasn't just Somi.
Anyone else notice that two weeks in a row Feldman said Wright was from UCONN? Jeez check your facts!
Entertaining game, and either team could have won it. Not that surprising that, playing a new shape, the defense had some lapses. Turner's been a fantastic shot stopper, but he needs to be screaming about a late far post runner so someone knows to pick him up. I wonder what was going on with Kamara that he missed two easy goals.
More defensive lapses. With the amount of money spent on those players, it's thoroughly disappointing. Two potentially rough games coming up with two teams that both average two goals a game (at least), and by PPG are the top two teams in the league.
This summer they should be focusing on two defenders. Anibaba, Dielna, Delemea, Somi, Tierney, Bye and Farrell may all be great guys but they have limitations on the field. They are not a group that can take this team to the next level.
Off with the Haitian NT. ... energy and goals. ---------- Pretty maddening game - that was a win for the taking, we let a wounded duck survive. Hard to imagine we'll have a better opportunity to get 3 road points than this one. I think most of the goals given up were adjustment issues playing a new formation. We don't seem to have the experience yet to be able to seamlessly switch to a radically different back line formation. I'd like to hear why Friedel took Dielna out. Anyone get an explanation?