P/I/P, Playoff Match 1: Revs @ ATL, 10/19/2019 1:00pm

Good news that Edgar Castillo has returned to training. Two broken ribs and a punctured lung - wow! Didn't seem like a big hit at the time, but it was clear he was in tough shape when it happened.

I know people are down on him (and I am too - to an extent), but I think he would be a good option off the bench if we fall behind and need to ramp up the offense. But, he's probably got a long way to go to get to game fitness, so he's probably done for this year.

 

I'd love to see Jones start at fullback. Atlanta has a lightning quick counter and Jones is the only speedy defender the Revs have.

 

Me too, but I think Arena is all about experience at this stage.

 

I dunno if Atlanta are nervous, but this is definitely a "trap" game for them. We literally have nothing to lose, and we have guys at both ends of the field who are capable of stealing a game with one spectacular play, even if they out play us the whole rest of the game.

It could happen...

 

From Andrew Wiebe on the MLS site in an article titled "Why Your team will win MLS Cup" -- the idea being to identify why fans of each team might hope. Listen to this about the Revs . . .

"New England Revolution will win MLS Cup because
… they have arguably the three best players on the field, no matter the opponent. Carles Gil and Gustavo Bou are that good. The third? Matt Turner."

Who'd thought . . . the three best players no matter the opponent!

 

That's a bit of a stretch. I think that's fair for 75% of the teams in the league, but it definitely doesn't apply to LAFC, Atlanta, LAG, and possibly NYCFC. That said, we've certainly come a long way in a short time since sacking Friedel.

 

And thats what got him virtually canned from his NAT job, round 2

 

And yet GB keeps calling in that stiff Guzan. Turner might be the best goalie in the USA and cant bet a sniff.

 

Turner should definitely get called into a camp, based on what he's done. But, I really like Steffen too.

 

I just don't see Turner at the international level. he is a decent MLS keeper as far as I am concerned but to each his own

 

2-0 Atlanta. Revs with a good showing but the back 4 will not be able to stop Barco, Gressel, Martinez, Martinez and co. I think Gressel may be one of the most underrated players in MLS. Kid is a solid player. Would not be surprised if he heads across the pond soon

 

Usually the January Nats camp is a reward for the unheralded guys who played well in their MLS seasons. I would think that Turner would get a call up, and if he has another stellar season next year, there's no reason to think he wouldn't be in the Nats picture.

 

Agree about Gressel, disagree about the score - I think we'll at least hit the back of the net.

The absence (if it is so) of Robinson gives us an opening, but if we can't stay on the attack, we're going to have a lot of trouble fending off theirs.

 

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2019...dictions-expert-picks-every-round-one-matchup


Three of the six experts on the MLS website pick the Revs over Atlanta. Can't say the Arena's Revs don't get no respect!

 

Some good videos on the REv's homepage: top 5 playoff games. Worth a watch. We were there when Teal scored that beauty against Red Bull!

 

Robinson is definitely out, which means you'll get to say goodbye to Michael Parkhurst one more time. In Atlanta we are pretty pissed off at how Berhalter and the Federation took care of our defensive anchor, I mean who pulls a hamstring running sprints in a post match warm down? I would love to have heard Frank de Boer's reaction when the USSF called to tell him Greg Berhalter broke the fine china.

As for Gressel, I was surprised at how much space you guys gave him 2 weeks ago, he is deadly crossing balls when given that much room. I imagine Bruce Arena has made adjustments to close him down.

 

Who knows who the Nat coach will be by then.... GB is on thin ice right now. If he loses again to Canada in Nov.... we may be in coach limbo again

 

Im not sure if we'll win or not today but I do know that Arena has done a good job to get this group into the playoffs after the mess Brad made. It may be a bridge too far to expect to win against Atlanta but stranger things have happened. Id be happy with a strong showing today

Looking forward, I hope Arena continues to add quality players to the squad during the off season to make us even stronger. Next year, I want to see us much higher rated and a contender.

Bruce should have been MLS coach of the year after the job he's done here. I saw Bradley got some awards as coach of the year but with the talent he has, all he has to do is not screw it up. Arena's situation was far different

 

Wasn't meant to be. It was a fair result, and Atlanta are definitely the better team. But how Bruce has the Revs playing, compared to the days of BF, is impressive. We are probably reasonably close to being a serious contender...say a difference of three players in the starting line-up and a couple from the bench. We have a genuine no BS goalkeeper in Turner. At this point he is making an argument for the best the Revs have ever had [Yes, Reis has in his favor the longevity of his fine career. But Turner is, I believe, promising at least a Rimando like quality..]

 

I have no problems with that last game. Particular nods to Gil, Turner, and the back 4. Full credit to Atlanta. I think Revs gave them a game. Hope Parkhurst is OK.

 

Laurentowicz shut down Gil and Bou. Speaking of the USNT, how did Laurentowicz never even get a cup of coffee?