Right, so after his anti-Rev response to Tom Hill in his column, I fired off an angry letter at him. He responded: In case you wanted to know what I said: Should we continue the assault on Connolly? Prof
I agree with Connolly (not just because of my love of United). Yeah, TT did great last year, but what other offensive weapons did they have? Ralston is good with assists, but not a goal scoring machine. Take out those two and how great was that Revs offense last year? Yeah, Joe-Max is coming in, but he's older and the league is a lot better now then when he last played here. The Revs were a defensive team last year. United now have Quaranta, Convey, Stewart, Olsen, Kovalenko, and Alecko all working together to bring in some goals. The Revs will likely have a much better defense (no arguments there) but I would be shocked in the United offense doesn't put more in the net this year.
Are you serious? TnT's 23 goals isn't enough to convince you? What about the fact that we just picked up JMM, who has 100 points in 77 games? Do these stats mean nothing? If anything, the Revs are going to decimate the United defense, and the "potent" United offense is going to be completely shut down by the likes of Llamosa, Pierce, Franchino. The entire back line is returning. Y'know, the back line that allowed, like 6 goals in 13 games? Not a chance that DC has a better offense. No freakin' way. Adam (ProfZodiac at BigSoccer) Why don't you tell him how you really feel? I can see where the "quite passionate" comment came from...
and you are assaulting him b/c he makes his opinions known is his column? what is the big deal? why is there a need for an assault on connolly?
Maybe assault is the wrong word, but with every Rev fan posting here that they fully disagree with Connolly, I thought he should know. I didn't realize I was the only one who responded, and I also didn't realize people would flip out because of a poor word choice. Prof
c'mon george. everyone has the right to express their opinion freely, in whatever forum happens to be available to them.....no matter how misguided. you, of all people, should know this better than anyone. sincerely, dr. evil
I agree with Connelly. ON paper, DC looks stronger offensively. If we had Nowak, I'd say we'd have the edge.
I have to agree with Connolly too. On paper DCU's offense LOOKS more potent. However, the Revolution are a better team overall and will finish higher than DCU IMO. RC
The Revolution scored 18 more goals than DC last season. Since then United has added Earnie Stewart, Dema Kovalenko, Alecko Eskandarian and Hristo Stoitchkov. The Revolution have added Pat Noonan and Joe-Max Moore. Let's say, to avoid arguement, that Stewart and Moore will score the same number of goals this year. That means that Kovalenko, Eskandarian and Stoitchkov will have to come up with 18 goals between them. I'm not buyin' it. I know. I know. Etcheverry, Olsen, Quaranta, blah, blah, blah. Those guys were around last year, when DC was busy not scoring. Maybe the infusion of talent will light a fire under Etcheverry...or maybe not.
But, you are assuming that the Revs’ goal total will remain constant, which is obviously not guaranteed.
This is laughable! That's like saying that Bob Kraft isn't really all that wealthy if you take away the investments he has in Fidelity and Bank of Boston (or wherever he has the bulk of his $$$). Maybe because you support Dog Crap United and are so used to watching the pathetic excuse for a team you have, you are unfamiliar with how things work everywhere else in the game, but you could say that by taking away the top two offensive threats of any team, their offense wouldn't be that great. Face it, you and Connolly are banking on potential. You are assuming that injury-prone guys like Olsen and Stoitchkov will be healthy enough play the whole season and making a meaningful contribution, you are assuming that the young'uns will have a breakout year, and that no one will have an unexpected slump. If all of those pieces come together at once, yes, you should have a potent offense, but that is a huge IF. You are starting from rock bottom and should be much better with the addition of Stewart, but you should be happy if you finish in the top half of the league in goals. Tom
True, but last season's totals are the data we have to work with. DC's output might not remain constant either. It could go down (although honestly I don't really see how). Look, DC are no doubt better with Stewart on the roster. But how do Stewart (who will want the ball a lot) and Etcheverry (who will want the ball a lot) get along on the pitch at the same time? Didn't we see this once with Cate and Andy Williams. I seem to recall it was a fiasco. I just think it's an awfully big leap to say last season's worst attacking team is going to outscore last season's best attacking team based on the player pickups we've already seen.
Yeah . . . Etcheverry was. Olsen and Quaranta were injured for almost the entire season (as was Jaime Moreno). Do you remember the team that DC was forced to field? Ali Curtis was their "best" forward for a good chunk of the season. Now he may not even make the team. They even played with a single forward a bunch of the time. Eddie Pope played target forward at times. Who was Etcheverry supposed to pass to? Zambrano? Alegria? Lassiter? With . . . Stoichkov coming off the bench at the end of the game in the "instant offense" role. goalscorers all throughout the midfield (Olsen, Stewart, Kovalenko) plenty of competition at the forward position (Quaranta, Eskandarian and Quintanilla) and good support from the back (Reyes, Nelson and Ivanov) . . . DC is going to have a very flexible and potent offense. It is going to be very difficult to gameplan against a team with so many savvy veterens who can play any number of roles across the midfield and in the attack. You won't be able to just hack Jaime as teams did the last few years. The goals will be able to come from all over the field. Note I haven't even mentioned Bobby Convey, who has been really growing as a soccer player. If nothing else, his stint with the USMNT showed that he is a dangerous offensive player on the left side of the field, even if he isn't a fullback. Keep thinking that Taylor Twellmen, Steve Ralston and Joe Max-Moore are going to keep you in the clover. Even though you have a void in center midfield.
Earnie Stewart can play up front or on the right side or in a withdrawn role. He has never been the principal playmaker on the USMNT or at his club sides. He is at his best making runs off the ball, not with the ball at his feet. You REVs fans (esp ToMhIlL) are also forgetting that Stewart is far from the only guy that DC has added. Dema Kovalenko is a decent player. We are getting Olsen and Quaranta back (after they missed most of last season). Our excellent defense will likely be even better with the addition of Ivanov and Petke (especially during the Confed Cup when we won't be missing Pope as we usually do). Quintanilla will be here the entire season and will have gone through training camp with the team. Eskandarian has as much of a chance to make an impact as any first-year college player ever has. Plus, last year's DC United team was so weak in midfield that it simply could not dominate possession or develop the attack properly. We have so much more quality throughout the midfield that we should generate far more offensive chances relative to last year. The increase in offense is not going to be "a couple goals" due to the fact that Earnie Stewart joined our team.
I'm a Rev fan, but I've got to go along with Marc on this one. DCU is going to score a lot more goals this year. I'm not sure that the same is true about the Revs. JMM is a great finisher, but if the supply of quality balls from midfield is the same, can we expect that many more goals out of Twellman/Moore as we got out of Twellman/Diallo/Harris? I think I would feel better with Moore in midfield and Wolde up top with Twellman. Doesn't look like we are going to find a great a-mid at this point, so we have to come up with some other way to have a second offensive option in midfield. Lee
Yeah, Kovelenko, I forgot about him. I take it back you will be awesome with him in the lineup. He had ONE goal last year for Chicago in 23 games. maybe if you're lucky, he'll score it this year vs. the Revs. I give up. Connolly and his DC minions are right and we are wrong. DC United, the worst scoring team in the leaugue last year will suddenly become a juggernaut because of adding a few new guys who have never played together, and a bunch of other guys who have been historically injury-prone or still in the "potential" category. So it is written, so it shall be done. You happy now? Never mind that the best-scoring team added a proven scoring threat if for no other reason to prevent defenders from concentrating too much on Twellman. TnT might not score 25 goals again, but between him and Moore, they will definitely get their share. Check in with us in June and let's see where we are. I have said many times that you guys will be better, but give us a fvcking break, you guys are basing all this on speculation based on the best case scenario, which we all know happens all the time, especially in a zero-sum game like sports, where everyone isn't going to win all the games they "should." I'm done arguing with you guys. All I will say is that I will laugh my ass off if you guys are anything less than "all that" when the season is well underway. Tom
DC fans better hope he doesn't break Convey's leg with a clattering tackle from behind during a routine scrimmage.
You should. Because think back to this same time a year ago. If you had argued that Taylor Twellman would have led the league in scoring - who would have believed you? And if anyone had suspected that the Revolution would have been good, it would have been because of Chacon and Diallo. Not because of Ralston and Twellman. A lot can happen in a year. You have a pretty short memory. And Dema Kovalenko had an off year last year. So what? He scored 10 goals one or two years before. And it is not like he is on the downside of his career for crying out loud. Sure Stoichkov and Olsen will be injury prone. But the depth and quality that DC has to back them up are better than the starters that were on the field for the greater part of last season.
They were? I didn't see Ben Olsen for most of the year. Once he got there he wasn't at full strength. A full strength Ben Olsen is pretty potent offensive weapon. Quaranta I believe was injured a lot of last year. Etcheverry had a poor season - but it seemed due to frustration more than anything else. If the rest of the team starts performing that might subside. And you forgot an ever-improving Bobby Convey, not to mention two other FIRE newcomers, stoichkov and Kovalenko. Not only that, witness Twellman's recent utter lack of production at the National team level. There's no guarantee he gets more than 15 goals next year. Of course not all players do well in their first few national team games, but early indications of his play do not bode well. Also, I disagree with the guy who said Stewart will "want the ball a lot" I've never seen that tendency in his game. He's a team player who knows he needs to see the ball at least some to make good things happen, although he can make a lot happen with runs off the ball too. Due to all these factors I think its a toss up, but witha a slight edge to DC because it has a lot more potential 10-plus goal scorers. A team with a balanced offense is always better than a one-man or two-man offense.
Way to go Heist. Give it to them in stereo (see my posts above). Potential ten goal scorers - DC UNITED: Very possible Quaranta Stewart possible Kovalenko (depends on role) Eskandarian (depends on a lot) Olsen (good for at least 5) Stoichkov (he is in great shape) Quintanilla (4 in 17 games last year) - NEW ENGLAND Likely Twellman Very possible Joe-Max Moore Twellman possible Wolde Harris Look, I even put Twellman in twice on virtue of the fact he scored twenty last year. And it still doesn't look that good for New England (in terms of team scoring depth). Who is going to be their mystery man this year? Brian Kamler? Dan "the man" Hernandez? Ohh I am shaking in my boots.
Tom Hill and John Hill, you guys are too funny. It's understandeable to be delusional and extremely bias about your squad but the lengths to which you guys are going to sell the Revs as this mighty club is laughable. The best attacking team in the league? Most goals hardly means you guys have the best attacking team. If the schedule were set similar to a Euro league (play everyone twice) then maybe that could be argued based solely on goals, but given that you guys played in the MLS Least, the quality of your schedule has to be taken into account. That said, if you took a poll around the league I doubt very highly that the Revs attack would receive tons of votes as the most potent. Also, since you guys are using your league-leading goal tally to trumpet you attack, how can you also comment about having a stingy defense when you allowed the most goals in MLS, playing a weak East schedule no less? Just a thought. What you guys need to realize is that your record was 12-14-2 last season, A LOSING RECORD. Only being in the East and getting the No. 2 seed allowed you guys a cakewalk to the final. And for as "great" as your attack is and team is and for as terrible as D.C. was last year you guys were seperated by a mere six points. That's the difference of one D.C. win over New England. Hardly a stretch to see that gap closed this year what with you boys adding only JMM while having a weak draft and D.C. adding Alecko and Stokes in the draft to go with Stewart, Kovalenko, Petke, Ivanov and potentially a healthy Olsen and Quaranta.