Well, we know there is no Heaps and will TnT and Rusty be available. We'll see. The game is this saturday at 4. Everyone has to get out to the stadium for this one, its gonna be big. My predicted lineup: Brown Rusty Llamossa Kante Franchino Ralston DH Cullen Kamler Twellman Harris If Rusty cant go, I would put Downing straight in for him. If Twellman cant go, i say we forfeit. SUPAH REVOLUTION!!
Worst case scenario - No Heaps, Pierce or Twellman. Chacon Harris Kamler Hernandez Cloutier Ralston Franchino Kante Llamosa Cullen Brown Best case scenario - still No Heaps Twellman Harris Kamler Hernandez Cullen Ralston Franchino Kante Llamosa Pierce Brown Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to give Twellman a break anyway. The guy has gotta be one big bruise by now.
Why no Jay Heaps? Did Jay get ejected or something? I know he scored the only goal for the Revs' win tonight in Columbus. I'm so glad! One win away, and MLS Cup the Revs come!
Reserving comment til we hear more on injuries for both sides... and if there's any mor news on the caution points saga... BTW- mlsnet clearly states that 13 or more costitutes a suspension, so I really don't understand how DH was "sitting the bench" as a matter of coaches decision vs. official suspension, which in retrospect, I'd have prefered since that would clear DH's accumulation for game 3 and (uh hem!, possibly) the final. That said... two items for Saturday. 1) The Crew absolutely must play to win... twice. Remember that a Rev win or tie and we advance. A Crew win forces the "mini-game" and Columbus has to win that too. What we saw in the second half (minus Buddle, out on injury) was their "offensive" squad. Thank God the Crew appear to have the finish of a microwave dinner, nothing but sloppy apple mush. The offensive team for the Crew also opens up their backfield for a bit more creativity from our forwards. 2) DH - start or sub. The longer he's in, the higher the chance of losing him to a final. If we don't need to score, we don't need a "strong" attacking-mid, but I woulnd't recommend playing for a tie, either... historically, its not our strongest. If, by some chance, the Crew win the match, we'll need DH for the mini-game. Still debating this one, but my thought is keep him on the bench and call him in late, as needed.
Re: Cloutier too? Yes, I saw that, but I also saw him laughing and smiling with Mike Fritz attending to him after the game was over...so maybe things won't be too bad.
To JMMUSA8 and onemorerevolution Thanks for the corrections. I figured Jay got ejected for something. I saw the highlights last night. Once again, thanks. RevsGirl26 (Ondrea)
Re: Re: Cloutier too? Looked very much like cramps. He went down at midfield, and the did the 'sit with my legs straight out in front and pull back the toe' routine. Then got up and limped to get back on defense. A question, if you will on the 'mini-game' that I hope we don't need. Is it, in fact, a new game? If so, do we get to play with 11 if someone was tossed in the 'real game'? Does Heaps get to play in the mini-game having served his suspension? If someone picks up the 13th point in the 'real game' are they suspended for the mini-game?
Re: Re: Re: Cloutier too? I think that the best way to describe it is a hybrid game. If the Crew win, they wipe the scoreboard clean, but I'm pretty sure that you play the same 11 that ended the regular game, you can't insert players who were suspended or subbed out of the game 3, and I don't think that you get any extra subs. Does anyone know whether this is a full game or golden goal?
I'll go out on a limb here, before hearing the injury report. No Twellman for Saturday, period. Having him return and the knee "give way" is a very bad sign. Besides, the Revs don't need goals on Saturday. Twellman sits and hopefully is available for the final. It was hard to get a read on Pierce's injury. He didn't look too distraught on the sideline, but the coaches seemed to be giving him the "thanks for a great season" reception. If there was any reinjury to the groin, he's out Saturday and has only a remote chance for the final. Too bad, with Heaps out, they really need him. Heaps is a fool. His explanation of the ejection confirms that. He's going to have every player in the league trying to goad him into similiar crap. Chacon will start up front I think, mainly because Fuller is useless at this point and Griffiths doesn't seem to be able to play with anyone else. Still, if he isn't *at least* dogging the Cbus defense, he'll come off. Probably Cullen will replace Heaps, but I wouldn't rule out Kamler going over there, and Griffiths playing left mid. We'll be in our best shape yet in the defensive middle with Llamosa, Kante and Hernandez together for the first time since ...? McBride will get nothing in the middle. Franchino was much better on the left, and had one of his best games of the season I thought (he was unnoticeable - the best thing for a defender, but was never beaten on numerous crosses and corners). The only question is how free Garcia will run on the our right.
I'm not exactly a lip reader, but I though Rusty told Nicol "I just couldn't go any longer." That combined with Chapman later reporting Rusty cramping gives hope that he'll at least be able to start. KF
I'm pretty impressed with Garcia's ability to get under other player's skins. Especially since he can't really speak English. Frankly, I'm surprised Heaps lasted as long as he did - he was delivering two-handed shoves to Garcia away from the ball for most of the first half before he got tossed. (By away from the play, I mean ball is 50+ yards away.) Apparently Garcia has learned enough ways to sufficiently insult Heaps' mother in English. Also, it appears that Buddle is done for the season with a broken foot. You lucky bastards. LA has to be pretty happy about that too, regardless of who wins this series.
The last post gave me a smile. We've had C'bus's number all year--for the first time ever!--and I doubt Buddle would make a difference. He only hurt us once this season, that absurd goal that should have never happened in OT extra time. What's with playoff attendance? Think we can at least get it up to within spitting distance of our season average, on a Saturday afternoon, for Pete's sake, for the biggest game in our history? Where are all those "long-suffering" Revs fans that the media love to talk about, who've supported the team through thin and thinner? GO TO THIS GAME, PEOPLE. GOOOOOOO REEEEEEVVVVVVVVSSSSS!!!
Do we really want to play DH and risk him getting another card and being out for the Cup? I really think he should have played last night and they should have left him out for Saturday.
I say at the end of game 3 (or during even), regardless of the outcome we get a Stevie Nicol chant going... it's time we show him how much we appreciate his coaching genius. Stevie Nicol clap clap clap clap clap!!!!!!!!
Unfortunately, the spotty forecast is going to ruin what could have been a good showing. There's no local sports competition (BC played last night, Pats on Sunday, no Broons/Celts conflict)... ... but with a forecast of intermittent showers or likelihood of rain or whatever, all but the hardiest will rely on their warm, dry TV.
Actually Weather.com is now saying (Friday p.m.) Saturday will be 14 mph winds from the ENE and driving rain, with temps in the 50s. Shades of an infamous Foxboro MLS Cup past?
Garcia is that typical long haired whiny little girly man who cries when you even look at him That type always manages to draw a foul at some point no matter what language they speak For some reason they just draw out that desire to beat them like the nancy boys they are
speaking of nancies - if dunseth is the one who put twellman out (didn't see the game- can anyone confirm?) then who besides hernandez has the stones to send him the proper message?
That would be about stupid, one game before MLS Cup. Especially since the injury came from a clear (from my angle) collision with a Rev player. It was a foul by Dunseth, to be sure, but not a malicious or violent one.