News: Revs Roster 2018 -- II

ORL has the worst defense in the league, allowing 51 goals (2.32 GA/gm).

Revs will need to score 3 just to have a chance.

 

At this point we are .01 points per game better than last season's at the end of the season (1.33 vs 1.32) -- I think we could all agree, that is a statistically meaningless difference. We are one place better now than at last season's end - the last team in the playoff spot vs the first team out. But folks that is no meaningful improvement in results. I don't care if the team has gotten better, it has not gotten better in comparison to the rest of the league. Let's hope the 'summer swoon' is a thing of the past. However, while at the beginning of the season we were running well ahead of our PPG history, it seems we have reverted to the norm (at least the Rev's norm) of continued mediocrity.

Yes, we have two games in hand on the team just in front of us and two games in hand on the team two spots behind us....but the PPG is the same.

Will Machado really make that much of a difference? I don't see it.

Also, for comparison:

1. Goals For Per Game: 2017 - 1.56, 2018 - 1.57
2. Goals Against Per Game: 2017 - 1.79, 2018 - 1.52

Kudos for reducing the goals against by a meaningful margin (so far), but we still aren't scoring any better (or worse) than last year.

 

Too slow, Burnsie...

Report: Fanendo Adi, Fatai Alashe headed to FC Cincinnati
July 29, 2018, 5:46PM EDT
Nick Rosano

 

Teal also misses shots I expect a MLS forward to at least get on net. We're going nowhere at this point .... continuing on the same path probably wont change anything. Could we be any worse off if we tried something different?

 

That's always been true of Teal. When he's on, it's usually because we're generating lots of chances. He also benefited from the counterattacks were were generating before other teams figured out how to deal with our high press.

 

I'm not opposed to trying something different, but Agudelo has gotten opportunities and I just don't see any production.

 

True Juan hasn't done much but we have few options now and I don't think he's being used right. I don't see Juan as a lone forward but don't think Brad is going to change much at this point. Some arrangement where there are two people in there might work?

Maybe a few more losses will put him in Heaps mode lol.

 

Not that its any different than previous seasons, but the revs still have the lowest payroll in the league and it isnt particularly close. Until they start using some resources to fill roster spots it will always feel like they have "few options".

It doesnt help that for every high producing gem (caicedo, bunbury at his salary, matt turner, etc) the guys the revs choose to actually spend on have been pedestrian at best and certainly dont produce up to their contracts (nemeth especially, but also claude, gabriel, and juan).

 

Yawn... when does the window close? Nothing seems to be happening here. Time to move along...

 

Celta Vigo CB Andreu Fonta is rumored to want a MLS move. Could the revs be working on this? He came through Barca B. Seems ambitious but if they pulled it off it would be a coup.

 

I'd like to see Angking get a look - just because he's new, young and Friedel has been touting how talented he is. It's a shame that medical issues derailed much of his first season.

Yes, both pretty positive (and both issues where some fans on this board pretty much assumed the negative side - that they didn't do their homework on Machado and there wasn't anything else coming in this window).

I guess we'll have proof-positive on both issues pretty soon.

 

If you compare this year to last year, we are more in need of improvement in the offense.

Below is a list of the Eastern Conference in terms of PTs, Goals For, Goals Against both in total and per game. In 2017, the Revs finished tied for 6th in Goals For but 11th (last) in Goals Against. This year, so far, we are alone in 6th in Goals For and 7th in Goals Against (below average but much better than last year.) That has moved us up to 5th in Points Per Game (though we are much closer to 7th than to 4th).

So...as much as we are middling in defense, we have improved a lot from last year. However, our offense, even with Penilla and a stronger holding midfield force AND a better defense, has not improved at all compared to what we did last year or how we stack up against the league.


I tried attaching an excel and a CSV worksheet but that file type is not allowed.

 

https://www.thebluetestament.com/20...back-andreu-fontas-mls-transfer-celta-de-vigo

 

Most of the negativity I read is that he was another Dmid which by all accounts he is. He can play as a holding or in the back line but has played mostly DMid. Obviously they did their home work as they have been after this guy since Dec. My issue with this signing is that its not really a position of need. is he going to push Zahibo to the bench? Caicedo? Will be be the left back du jour? Honestly I'd prefer they signed a player that meets a need. Versatility is fine but this team needs guys that specializes(CB, LB, RB, St). Rowe can play inside, withdrawn forward, LB, RB, LM, RM, CM. That's your utility man in a pinch

 

We're now stacked with d-mids. Minnesota desperately needs a d-mid. Surely there's something of value we could extract from them in exchange for Caldwell. For instance, they're stacked at forward, with their new DP Angelo Rodriguez, new DP Darwin Quintero, Christian Rodriguez and Abu Danladi.

 

Those numbers dont even accout for how "lucky" the revs have been. Xg and xga paint a picture of a team that is even worse. Among mls gk matt turner was the league leader in xg difference until the recent swoon (still sits at 6bfewer than expected) and all of bunbury, diego, and penilla have outperformed their xg by at least 1 (penilla is closer to 4!).

All this points to an incoming regression both offensively and defensively (turner is good, but he isnt going to continue keeping out point blank shots at the rate he is).

I'll believe it when i see it

 

Agree with the concept give up some of our strength/depth at dmid for some attacking. We need more attacking talent.

Hope like crazy the next signing ("within the next 24-48 hours") is going to help us score goals.

 

Aw man. He's a good player

 

I was referring to the bit about his team expecting $70K and potentially withholding his ITC.

 

FWIW, Friedel said that LB is one position that it's unlikely he'll play (although he could if necessary). Makes me more curious about what they have in mind for him.

 

I would not think that would be on the Revs

 

FWIW, I was told a couple of days ago that the Revs were making progress on signing two new players. One of the new players was described as a DP-level attacking player from South America.

If I'm right I want full credit. If I'm wrong, I want zero blame.