Seen on another board - "I believe Dallas is one player away from challenging the LA, SJ, and NE as one of the league's elite teams. " Despite a very exciting couple of months at the end of last season, it was still a bit of a surprise to see the Revs referred to as "one of the league's elite teams." I love our Revs and I am very proud of what they accomplished at the end of last season, but are we "one of the league's elite teams?" This question also brings up another question that I have been wondering about lately. New England seems to be the quietest team as salary cap day and the Superdraft approach. I am glad that we will not be seeing another complete remake of the team, but I wonder if we can expect a full season of "elite" soccer from the same group that stepped up last season without a few significant additions. Maybe the Patriots analogies are getting to me.
i think with the recent trades and possible rumoured trades,,,,if all pans out,,the Revs will be back in the cellar again. The Revs in my opinion are just an average team that managed to put it all together and peak at the right time.......you stack them up player for player against alot of the MLS teams,,,,they don't really match up that well. Kante was a great pickup and that fact that Twellman played with the 3rd striker almost all year and did so well was great. With that said,,,,Serna makes the Revs a better team, makes Twellman more dangerous as teams cannot double him because Serna will certainly burn you. Will Serna be here at the start of the season? I think yes. I also loved the way Kamler played,,,But there is a place we do need to upgrade. I love Joey and Jays workrate and heart,,,,but they are not the most skilled players and are Cards waiting to happen. Some MLS teams are 1 player away from a championship....I think the Revs are 2 or 3,,,,,Serna may be the first one. Just my thoughts
An average team that overachieved their abilities. Give credit to Stevie Nicks for this turn of events. Yes, the pick up of Kante was critical to the late season run. The off-season addition of Shalrie Joseph is another great bargain for the Rev's. The healthy return of Serna and keeping Pierce and Brown healthy can only help the squad. Mix in a few draft picks. Trade away APC and Rooney and the Rev's will be better than average in 2003.
I must admit I'm getting bit nervous with some of the trading and rumors about additions to some of our neighbors. Bradley will surely remake the Mutts into a more capable squad and if the league is true to form they will find ways of getting the swamp rats a contender squad. Then there is DCU. If Ray Hudson has his way he's building another Shield winner. Dallas with Ernie Stewart and Williams (If the rumored swaps of allocations and players are true) could be another vastly improved team. In fact it's obvious that all the teams seem to have there upgrades in the works with the exception of the Fire who are being dismantled----and the Revs. Yes, I'm a bit nervous. But then who knows whats in the works. I'm willing to bet SN has some irons in the fire. Time will tell.
I think timing is really the only appropriate comparison between the Revs and the Patties. Sure Twellman=Brady, sort of but beyond that? No, Nicol and Belicheck are NOT =. No way. And while the Krafts own both teams, well that is another parallel by chance not design. The Patriots are an old, marginal team with a few outstanding players who had a completely luck dictated run in 2001/02 and were one HORRIBLE call away from losing to the Dolphins when ref ineptitude saved them again. Historic comeback? Please, backhander to the zebras if you are a conspiracy theorist. The Rev are a young, improving team with a few outstanding players who were marginal for the first 2/3rds of the season and then found their groove. Certainly Kante's glancing winner v. Chicago could be compared to the ridiculous "tuck" call for the apes v. the Raiders but that just about sums up the passivity of gorilla ball (people standing around endlessly taking timeouts and watching replays) v. soccer (call get made, for bad or good and play on). Anyway, I think Nicol will tinker, trade, cut and train and we will see a better Revs team in 03 than 02. That doesn't mean that we will get to MLS Cup, win the East or anything else. I think the league will be better overall. But we are a team on the rise whereas the Pats are starting to really pay for their terrible mismanagement since the Tuna times. In sum, 01/02 was a hiccup for the Pats. 02 was an indicator for the Revs. JIM DOW
In the MLS, for the most part, it's the "system", not the players that's responsible for success. It wasn't that individuals were so outstanding in their late season run, it was that they all understood the system and played within the structure. Of course you need players who can finish (and defend), and the Revs were blessed with one of the best (in MLS), but throughout MLS history, teams with stability in personnel and coaching have been successful. DC is a great example. They have loads of talent, and they're adding even more this year. But, how long will it take them to learn to work together? A long time, if they keep tinkering and shuffling. All that said, the Revs can upgrade significantly at forward, and can improve at midfield and defense with a careful change here and there. Even with some bench changes, I expect at least 8 or 9 of the starters that ended last season will start the next.