Post-match: 10/04 Revs v Real Salt Lake

The first half was just frustrating to watch. There was no urgency. The second half was completely different. My heart was in my throat during that last attempt by Twellman.

This is definitely a tie that feels like a win. The good news is both RBNY and DC United lost tonight, really helping the Revs cause.

This team has got to pick their heads up, though, from the get-go. They just can't afford to lollygag through the first half.

I have to say that Khano Smith brought his A game tonight. He never stopped running on the left side and caused RSL fits all night, playing in some great (and of course, som not so great) balls.

 

Credit for the late come-back draw, but with the play-offs around the corner the team needs to be able to put together a good 90 minutes. In truth, it was more than the first half that was bad, the revs didn't really pick it up until about half way through the second.

Steve Ralston demonstrated why he needs to be in the middle of the pitch, he really is the offensive engine on this team and has to be the favorite for team MVP this year.

I absolutely agree that Khano had an excellent game. He's earned his way onto the field and seems to have attained some sort of consistency. Castro did good work on the right after coming in, let's hope that the last 20 minutes were a sign of things to come.

 

I admit it... after 75 minutes, I was looking for the Panic Button.

Excellent comeback, but we should not be putting ourselves in that sort of position at home against a team that probably won't make the playoffs.

So, while I'm not exactly overcome with worry at this point, I'm also not very happy.

 

I'm very worried despite our comeback. For 75 minutes we created way too few chances. Khano, Dube and Nyassi were able to cause trouble on the wings for RSL, but we were much too static in the box and our finishing was pitiful.

But I was even more worried by our defensive lapses. We had our first choice of defenders and DM's. No one was hurt. There were way too many good chances for RSL that Reis, poor shooting or luck kept out of the net. Against a better team, the score could have been much worse.

Neither offense nor defense look ready to last long in the playoffs.

 

While the result is a lot better than it could have been, it's still left a bad taste in my mouth. The first half was extremely disheartening, and it looked to me like Shalrie and Larentowicz couldn't get anything done. Khano was working really hard, but that doesn't make up for lousy decision making. Just as they could have pulled this one out, they could just as easily have lost 4-2; there were some ridiculous (amazing or lucky or both) that cleaned up some real defensive lapses late in the match. Heaps worked his ass off but he was caught way too far up on one of those. It could have been worse, but i can't help but think that things are still a huge, huge mess.

 

I agree with you on all points. The first half especially was infuriating. It appeared as if this team had just given up. Matt Reis' comments during half-time didn't help, saying the team was playing fine and should just keep it up. I thought the guys just may not care. It's a shame it took a second RSL to really wake the boys up, but I'll take it. The Revs did show great heart and passion to fight back, but it really shouldn't have ever come to that.

Like I said, though. In the end, it's a draw that really felt like a win in the end.

 

From Steve Nicol's mouth:

Oops (wink wink), those were refering to the Columbus game but I think they could be said about this game too. Too many bad passes is a good place to start looking for things to improve for next time. Two Revs mistakes led to the two RSL goals; Matt Reis coming out for a header and being caught out and Shalrie trying to make a low, sideline-to-sideline pass through a RSL player leading to a break away.

I was more happy about the attacking than I have been for a while. I'd like to see Khano consider passing the ball inwards to maybe Ralston or crossing earlier instead of trying to beat the last man to the corner. But he had a good game in general.

And the attendance was surprising too: 18,893.

Anyone else dying to see a reply of the Heaps-Williams incident?

 

It is included in the highlights video on mlsnet.

What I really want to see is Khano's dive/yellow? It looked like he got fouled from where I was sitting, but I missed the replay on the jumbo.

 

Frustrating game, decent result considering the poor quality in the first half.

Saw Matt Reis at the gas station and then was behind a car with a Western Mass Pioneers bumper sticker getting off the Mass Pike in Springfield.

Random.

I also want to see Khano's yellow. Looked like a foul on him to me.

 

It was good to see nothing has changed in the tailgating. Same people, same good food, and Irish accents. Nice also to see that the Pine St. Inn is still in operations and partnership with the Krafts. Hey for $5.50 and a stick of gum, (to expend the nervous energy), you really can't go wrong.

The scoring was done creatively, and spread out the excitement very nicely. An early and a mid game oppositon goal, matched by the Revs late game charge, gave everyone thier money's worth. Especially when we consider they played a man down the whole time, (ten + Smith). The Bay City Bombers couldn't have staged it any better.

One has to figure that if the Revs had won this match combined with the losses by DC and NY, attendance would have slipped. We'll save the qualifying for another day.

Heaps surely had to have directed some baaaaad words toward Williams and his family, and the scuttlebut is that he said, wait for it..........

"You mother wears combat boots". Ergo the slap. Anyone else think Heaps goes down too easily? I've seen bus drivers punch tickets harder than that. Protecting those expensive teeth no doubt.

See ya's on the 25th.

 

The game did feel like a win. coming back from a 2-0 is big for us, especially watching the last couple of games.

and Khano smith did not bring his A game. I dont know what you guys were watching but he messed up more chances then anyone else. He kept trying to break through when there were perfectly good passing ops. The guy needs to stop thinking his dribbling is amazing and just play for the win, not the glory.

Heaps kinda looked like he dived on that scuffle. atleast thats what it looked like from where I was (right in front of it) I think thats why the player ran over and exchanged words.

but hey a tie is better then a loss.

 

Yeah Khano blew his usual amount of chances on the ball, dribbling straight into two people, etc. That is his A-game though, several mistakes coupled with a few good crosses/runs. But I don't think he should have been booked, it was neither a dive nor a foul really from what I could tell. There is a gray area in between where it's better to just get on with the game, diving yellows should be reserved for only the most blatant attempts to win penalties or draw fouls.

I was very pleased to see Castro come on instead of Thompson, I thought he worked hard and brought some energy which is about all that Wells does but Castro also played some good balls in which Wells usually doesnt.

 

I wouldve perferred Thompson well over castro. I mean castro is an overall better player but he tends to get lazy, while thompson would hustle all game long, fight for the ball, and never give up.

Ill take heart.

 

Thanks.

It looked like Khano just went down to me and my brother. Earlier on when he went down outside the box and won the free kick we thought that was a dive on light contact. He probably thought he could get lucky again.

 

Castro came in as a sub with 20 mins left to go.

If heart is running around in circles, it's all yours.

 

Only this time they were dumb people that looked threatening enough to score a goal. Oh, and look, they did score a goal. Two in fact.

I'd rather watch them tie 2-2 in a 3-5-2 than lose 1-0 (or worse) in a 4-4-2. I'd also like to see the 3-5-2 consistently down the stretch because they clearly didn't just flip a switch an go back to flawless execution of the 3-5-2.

The scary defensive play might beg a formation (or personnel) change but I'd suggest we avoid going back to a formation that has clearly failed.

I think there is room for some worry. A lower-mid table western conference team played us well with pretty much our best set of players in our better formation at home. Plus, the players didn't find an extra gear until they went down 2-0.

 

If it were any other goalkeeper in there, other than Reis, it would have been a 4-2 loss.

 

Personally, I enjoy watching Khano. As long as he keeps getting in a few good crosses here and there, I am perfectly fine with having a good chuckle at his blunders. I would really miss him if he wasn't around.

As for last nights game, I think plenty of other players looked worse than him.

 

Khano was going up against Andy Williams all day....not exactly a dynamic defensive player.

although Dube was off when the goals were scored, I like him up front much more than Mansally. His work ethic is great and he gets himself in position to score. Mansally, not so much.

I thought Ralston was absent in the first half, but it was a well taken goal.

Parkhurst again showed weakness in one v. one defending situations, but otherwise a strong game.

When Castro came on, I was hoping it was for Big Red. Down 2, I would have liked to see Castro and Ralston together in the center of the pitch with SJ behind them.

Quite a blunder by Reis, but he did save their bacon a couple of times, including the kick save on Dr. Goals with the scored tied at 2.

 

I don't really recall any of Castro's crosses being 'good', honestly. Just equated that to being on the other side of the field, myself. I think you're taking this opportunity to dig Thompson a little more.

[EDIT] I don't feel like arguing so I snipped out a little bit. Sorry.

 

I don't feel like it was a good night for the Revs although as always there was some good and some bad to take away.

The good: the team fought back late in the game to get a result. Given how poor they've played, I think that is a healthy sign.

Also thought the players seemed better with that formation.

Thought Heaps had a good match and Khano was alright for much of the match. I did think he stopped getting back the last 20 minutes or so.

The bad: A team scored again by having a player split between two of our defenders. Seems like it happens every.

I agree with Nicol's postgame comments: the passes were a yard to two off most of the time. That makes such a difference.

I liked Dube's hustle, but didn't think it was very effective.

Shalrie had a below par game.

 

Maybe just maybe this team is just not that good. They may have peaked way to early, put too much into the most meaningless tourney they played all year.

 

To clarify, it only felt like a win because of the level of excitement felt after coming from behind. The result itself does not feel good and is not good, but the manner in which it was acheived felt much better than the actual scoreline.

A draw at home against RSL is not a good result. Period.