Last thread here: 2019 Power Rankings MLS Power Rankings: Check out the initial order for 2020 February 28, 2020 11:10AM EST Jonathan Sigal PRE: 12 (hard to believe Revs were ranked 23rd a year ago)
Doyle has the Revs 2nd in Tier II, 7th overall: Armchair Analyst: Frontrunners, the Pack & all 26 MLS teams ranked by tier February 28, 2020 1:50PM EST Matthew Doyle
5 of the bottom 6 teams are in the east. Definitely seems accurate. There will be no excuse for missing the playoffs this year
Power Rankings: Colorado Rapids surge after dramatic win at DC United March 3, 2020 11:06AM EST Jonathan Sigal Code: PRE : 12 Wk 1: 15
Power Rankings: Atlanta United take over top spot as LA Galaxy plummet March 10, 2020 11:38AM EDT Jonathan Sigal Code: PRE : 12 Wk 1: 15 Wk 2: 18
After a 4-month hiatus... Power Rankings: Atlanta United plummets, LAFC seizes top spot after MLS is Back Tournament group stage July 24, 2020 6:00PM EDT Jonathan Sigal Code: PRE : 12 Wk 1: 15 Wk 2: 18 PGS : 11 *PGS = Post Group Stage
Power Rankings: Nashville SC climbing, LA Galaxy falling as Week 6 gets underway August 18, 2020 11:00AM EDT Jonathan Sigal Code: PRE : 12 Wk 1: 15 Wk 2: 18 PGS : 11 PMB : 11 *PGS = Post Group Stage *PMB = Post MiB tournament
Revs drop 2 spots Power Rankings: Toronto FC claim top spot from LAFC as regular season resumes August 25, 2020 11:00AM EDT Jonathan Sigal Code: PRE : 12 Wk 1: 15 Wk 2: 18 PGS : 11 PMB : 11 Wk 7: 13 *PGS = Post Group Stage *PMB = Post MiB tournament
Power Rankings: LA Galaxy, Orlando City SC continue rise heading into Week 9 September 1, 2020 11:14AM EDT Jonathan Sigal Code: PRE : 12 Wk 1: 15 Wk 2: 18 PGS : 11 PMB : 11 Wk 7: 13 Wk 8: 12 *PGS = Post Group Stage *PMB = Post MiB tournament
Power Rankings: Columbus Crew SC seize top spot as Houston Dynamo, LA Galaxy soar September 8, 2020 11:13AM EDT Jonathan Sigal Code: PRE : 12 Wk 1: 15 Wk 2: 18 PGS : 11 PMB : 11 Wk 7: 13 Wk 8: 12 Wk 9: 13 *PGS = Post Group Stage *PMB = Post MiB tournament
Down 2 spots. Power Rankings: Seattle Sounders climb after Week 11 while Atlanta United plummet September 15, 2020 11:00AM EDT Jonathan Sigal Code: PRE : 12 . . . Wk 10: 15 Wk 1: 15 Wk 2: 18 PGS : 11 PMB : 11 Wk 7: 13 Wk 8: 12 Wk 9: 13 *PGS = Post Group Stage *PMB = Post MiB tournament
Power Rankings: Seattle Sounders claim top spot, New England Revolution enter top 10 September 29, 2020 10:43AM EDT Jonathan Sigal Code: PRE : 12 . . . Wk 10: 15 Wk 1: 15 . . . Wk 11: 10 Wk 2: 18 PGS : 11 PMB : 11 Wk 7: 13 Wk 8: 12 Wk 9: 13 *PGS = Post Group Stage *PMB = Post MiB tournament
He's right about it not being a coincidence, but he's missed the wrong root factor: it's Lee Nguyen -> Bou scoring -> Revs win
Lee has played well, but I don't buy that his play has fed into Bou's scoring. He was already out of the game for both goals this weekend and was peripherally involved (don't think he got an assist on either, but did put in a good corner on the Kessler goal and made a defensive play to start the attack on Bou's) in the two goals in the prior match. I don't understand why Buksa hasn't been in when Lee has started, as I think his forte, the springing diagonal or over the top pass to a striker's run fits Buksa being on the end of the pass more than it does Bou.
I think Nguyen has gotten us out of our lethargic attack and it has gotten the whole offense more on the front foot, rather than being so timid, methodical and tentative. Ball possession and general pattern of game flow are usually established early and are tough to reverse. We started a bit slow, but pretty quickly established a 60/40 possession % advantage, which we maintained even after Nguyen subbed out. I totally agree. My guess is that Arena is wary of having too many attack-only players on the field. When Nguyen is in the lineup, he's generally slotted in as a 2nd forward, rather than as an attacking mid, which is how he is playing. With Bou in the 2nd attacking slot, Arena wants his two wings and two dmids. To have Nguyen and Bou as withdrawn attackers (with different roles) and Buksa as a target forward, we'd need a dmid capable of manning the defensive midfield by himself - OR establish enough of a pressure attack that we could keep the balance of the game in the attacking end. I think there was a good step in that direction last game. Polster's injury may change that, though McNamara is a player who covers a lot of ground. OTOH, it doesn't look like Arena really sees him as a dmid.
Not sure how they jumped to week 15, but... Power Rankings: Toronto FC knocking on Seattle's door for top spot after Week 15 October 6, 2020 9:19AM EDT Jonathan Sigal Code: PRE : 12 . . . Wk 10: 15 Wk 1: 15 . . . Wk 11: 10 Wk 2: 18 . . . Wk 15: 11 PGS : 11 PMB : 11 Wk 7: 13 Wk 8: 12 Wk 9: 13 *PGS = Post Group Stage *PMB = Post MiB tournament
Revs reach new season high: 9 Power Rankings: Toronto FC seize top spot, LAFC surge back into top 10 October 13, 2020 10:22AM EDT Jonathan Sigal Code: PRE : 12 . . . Wk 10: 15 Wk 1: 15 . . . Wk 11: 10 Wk 2: 18 . . . Wk 15: 11 PGS : 11 . . . Wk 16: 9 PMB : 11 Wk 7: 13 Wk 8: 12 Wk 9: 13 *PGS = Post Group Stage *PMB = Post MiB tournament
Revs up 1 spot Power Rankings: Columbus Crew, Orlando City surge after booking playoff berths October 20, 2020 11:39AM EDT Jonathan Sigal Code: PRE : 12 . . . Wk 10: 15 Wk 1: 15 . . . Wk 11: 10 Wk 2: 18 . . . Wk 15: 11 PGS : 11 . . . Wk 16: 9 PMB : 11 . . . Wk 17: 8 Wk 7: 13 Wk 8: 12 Wk 9: 13 *PGS = Post Group Stage *PMB = Post MiB tournament
I've mostly just jokingly commented on Arena since he came in. But I'm full out questioning if he f'ed up the Bou situation. Watching the prior game (Montreal), I was thinking if he was going come in (and I wasn't sure he should), give him 5/10 minutes at the end just to stretch his legs out. Instead he was brought in during the 71st minute, and then subbed out again. And now he missed yet another game. If he wasn't fully OK, he shouldn't have played the Montreal game. If he was OK, you still were better off letting him have miniscule time out on the field. It's not like he had missed two months prior to that where he desperately needed to be back on the field just to have the feeling again.
Hard to know what's really going on - they are so opaque when it comes to injuries. They keep saying it's a minor thing and he's close to being ready, but ... I also suspect there's a mental/emotional issue there - he just hasn't seemed 'happy' out on the field and I'd guess he's very frustrated with the way he's been asked to play while Gil has been out.
Power Rankings: Philadelphia Union claim top spot after demolishing Toronto FC October 27, 2020 9:56AM EDT Jonathan Sigal Code: PRE : 12 . . . Wk 10: 15 Wk 1: 15 . . . Wk 11: 10 Wk 2: 18 . . . Wk 15: 11 PGS : 11 . . . Wk 16: 9 PMB : 11 . . . Wk 17: 8 Wk 7: 13 . . . Wk 18: 9 Wk 8: 12 Wk 9: 13 *PGS = Post Group Stage *PMB = Post MiB tournament
Power Rankings: Portland Timbers surge after seizing Western Conference's top spot November 3, 2020 3:47PM EST Jonathan Sigal Code: PRE : 12 . . . Wk 10: 15 Wk 1: 15 . . . Wk 11: 10 Wk 2: 18 . . . Wk 15: 11 PGS : 11 . . . Wk 16: 9 PMB : 11 . . . Wk 17: 8 Wk 7: 13 . . . Wk 18: 9 Wk 8: 12 . . . Wk 19: 10 Wk 9: 13 *PGS = Post Group Stage *PMB = Post MiB tournament
The Revs come full circle, dropping back to their week 1 ranking. Power Rankings: Sporting Kansas City, Colorado Rapids ride wave into playoffs November 10, 2020 10:06AM EST Jonathan Sigal Code: PRE : 12 . . . Wk 10: 15 Wk 1: 15 . . . Wk 11: 10 Wk 2: 18 . . . Wk 15: 11 PGS : 11 . . . Wk 16: 9 PMB : 11 . . . Wk 17: 8 Wk 7: 13 . . . Wk 18: 9 Wk 8: 12 . . . Wk 19: 10 Wk 9: 13 . . . Wk 20: 15 (end of season) *PGS = Post Group Stage *PMB = Post MiB tournament Sorry Jonathan, you are incorrect twice. If the Revs had won and NYC had lost, NYC would still have been 1 point better than the Revs and kept 5th place. And the Revs are 8th, not 7th.