Even though the Revs seem to play well against the fire, does anyone beleive that they can realistically win this game at New Soldier Field?
Hopefully not...I think the majority of people are looking forward to an exciting, wide open MLS Cup Final with the two best teams in the league, San Jose and Chicago, along with two of our budding superstars in Donovan and Beasley. It's best for the league and the fans if this comes to pass. Not to mention, I'll be there at the Final so that's what I'd like to see.
Ahhhh, newbies! Does anyone realistically believe this is a meaningful question? [cliche]That's why they play the games[/cliche]. Of course the Revs can beat the Fire! They can also lose, and they can also draw, in which case they can be the Fire in penalty kick shoot out or be beaten by the Fire. In all seriousness, this game looks like a toss-up to me. Both teams are hot; Chicago's playing well at home; New England's won 4 straight on the road. The Fire have their desired starting 11. The Revs don't but the current version likes little like the 11 who lost in Naperville over the summer. Who will win? I'll tell you by 11:15pm ESTon Friday.
As I shake the magic 8 ball.... hold on, I see it, here it comes, it reads.....What the HELL are you starin at??? Come on, man. I want payback for last year. This season has been a wonderful ride for me, as my 1st season following the MLS. We actually have a winning sports team in Chicago...lol. Anything less than the MLS Cup Champs for us.....would be uncivilized.
Re: As I shake the magic 8 ball.... get use to it. NE has owned Chi this year and I don't see it any other way come friday. Hard fought match, close, true test will come downt to the rookies. Who will shine more? Revs are just too hot to lose.
Re: Ahhhh, newbies! Oh man, memories... I love it. You know, there are some football coaches just as colorful as Ray Hudson at points.... or just as stupid... one of the two...
should be a great game. the Fire are the best team in the league overall and have all their guns blazing giong into the game - which is also at home - and the Revs have peaked at the right time, and have a 2-1-1 record against the Fire this year. i do think the loss of Franchino will significantly hurt the Revs. i just don't think Marshall (is that his name?) is very good and it's entirely possible he could buckle or blunder in a crucial situation under the Fire pressure. I think Moore will do just fine, as he did last game, in replacing Kamler if he can't go. one reason the Revs have been so hot though is 'cuase they've played the totally pathetic Metros 4 times in a row, so i think they're streak is a tad misleading. i gots to go with the Fire in this one, they're just too tough at every position. but as others have said, anything can happen, especially when the teams are so evenly matched. looking forward to the game.
The Revs have a lot going for them right now, I think they are clearly a cut above the other 7 also-rans. Cancela, Ralston and Joseph really mesh well to form a great midfield. Kamler is out but he's not a key piece and Moore is looking dynamic. The D has a lot of experience playing together and Leonard's getting good reviews, though one would have to think a leader like Franchino will be missed. Certainly his big left foot will be on set pieces. Keeper is rock solid and Noonan has proven himself. The big question is Fabbro. He's done a great job finding a niche so far, but can he step up a level in the biggest game of the year? He'll have to. Bottom line is the talent may be there but they'll get blown out if they don't find their rhythm quickly.
The Revs might be the weakest of the four semi-finalists, but even if that somewhat debateable point is true, they beat more talented teams last year when they went on a run. And they've picked up Cancela this year... So can they do it? No doubt. even in a game that counts, they could beat the Fire. Will they? My money, even if I weren't a Fire fan, would be on them-- I think the Fire's more talented and I don't see too any places on the field where the Revs have a clear advantage.Certainly in goal and midfield, the Revs are very strong (Brown, Ralston, Cancela and surprisingly to me Joseph), but better than Marsch, Armas and Beas? Up front, Noonan and Fabbro are on fire, but Razov has experience and form (Ralph ain't bad either, but he hasn't been hitting goals in the past month like Noonan...) In the back, I'd say, given injuries, it's no contest. Of course, you never know what will happen. Tony Frias might just pick the right time to get hot.
Sigh. Might they also be the strongest of the four semi-finalists? Why do I get the feeling that a lot of people view this game as a formality? A pre-coronation ceremony for the soon-to-be Kings of the soccer world? Let's not even play the game. Let's just send the Fire to Los Angeles a week early and let them get ready for San Jose (...let's not play THAT semifinal, either).
FlashMan wrote: one reason the Revs have been so hot though is 'cause they've played the totally pathetic Metros 4 times in a row, so i think they're streak is a tad misleading. Well, if you go back a bit further, say over the course of the Revs last 13 games, New England has an overall record of 8 wins, 2 losses, and 3 draws. Through these 13 games the Revs accounted for 29 goals for and 15 against, this with several key players out due to injury. The last time the Revs and Fire met was on August 30th, this when Chris Brown scored a hat-trick for New England in his home debut as the Revs went on to win 5-1 at Gillette Stadium. That being said, things will be different this time as the Revs will be without Chris Brown (lost for the season due to injury), but will have Pat Noonan who didn't play against Chicago on the 30th. For the Fire, they'll have Carlos Bocanegra and Orlando Perez on the pitch, both players also missing the last meeting between the two teams at Gillette Stadium. Otherwise, both teams likely to take the pitch Friday night should bear remarkable similarities to the line-ups fielded on the 30th. This is a match that either team can win or lose, but the Fire are the favorites in this match: they're playing well, have a solid team and coaching staff, and will have the benefit of playing at home in front of a large/partisan crowd. The Magpie
I picked the Revs to beat Chicago before the playoffs started. I see no reason to change my tune now.
Save your sighs for after the game . No-- through the course of the year, Chicago and SJ were better (And look better on paper). But it ain't no big deal. Mike, someone's got to be the weakest going into the game. And if I followed up that statement with a recognition that it's debatable whether or not it's the Revs, I'm not sure what you can complain about. But, please, tell me: why aren't the Revs the weakest of the four? They did finish ahead of KC, but they've had some key injuries to guys who were important in the regular season. Most people here don't seem to be saying, however, that because the Revs look weak that they can't/won't beat the Fire. Nicol's a good coach, the team is much improved and with two straight semi appearances, the Revs deserve to be placed in with the league's best teams (err... the top 40%...) Still, I think if you play this game 10 times, the Fire wins most of the time.
Just looked on MLSnet and pulled out these stats - In games against each other the 4 semi-finalists have the following records (W-L-D): San Jose - 4-1-5 = 21 pts/10 games = 2.05 pts/game Chicago - 4-3-3 = 15 pts/10 games = 1.5 pts/game New England - 2-3-4 = 10 pts/9 games = 1.11 pts/game Kansas City - 0-4-4 = 4 pts/8 games = 0.5 pts/game Factor that in with overall record and I would say that KC is the weakest of the teams.
Things to Keep In Mind: 1. Razov & Ralph only played together vs. Revs in the 5-1 loss. 2. Bocanegra was not on the pitch in the 5-1 loss and most of those goals resulted from disorganization in the back. No way they give up more than 2 goals with Boca, Curtin & CJ back there. Boca also missed the 3-1 Chgo win. 3. NE has had a different strike pair in each game this year vs. Chicago, and Fabbro/Noonan will be the fifth different pair. 4. Leonard/Moore are not the same caliber as Franchino/Kamler. It's similar to Chicago replacing Marsch and CJ with Pause and Gray. They're just not as strong. 5. The Revs loss to Chicago was a completely makeshift back four (Kante, Kamler, Joseph & Heaps) and midfield (Noonan, Cullen, Vasquez & Moore) What does it all mean? To me, it means that the team with the most regulars available has a leg up. So for this game, it's Chicago.
Well, I wasn't trying to seriously downplay the Revs' recent form...I realize they've had a hot streak going for a while. I was just trying to point out they've had the Metros' number, and I'm not completely convinced the last 4 games show everything it's cracked up to be. Anyone who saw the goal the Revs scored last week realizes the Revs are capable of scoring fantastic goals and are playing in sync. But the Fire ain't the Metros and the Revs will have to play at 110% (which they're capable of) to pull the W. Like I said, I think it'll be a great game.
FYI, it looks like Kamler and Leonard will be on the left side. I don't feel we give up a whole lot with Leonard, and I would feel comfortable with him anywhere. Revs lineup will look like this: Brown Heaps-Pierce-Llamosa-Leonard Ralston-Joseph-Cancela-Kamler Noonan-Fabbro We'll be OK. Should be a great game Tom
To me the biggest improvement with the Revs is the incorporation of Cancela into their lineup. He's a great player, and always dangerous. Armas and Marsch will have their hands full.
Also remember that aside from the game where we started very few regulars, we've held the Fire in check (2 goals in the other 3 games). Boca did play in the game where the Revs dominated them 3-0. Almost all of the Chicago regulars did. Kamler's probably going to play. Leonard doesn't add quite as much to the offense as Joey, but he's faster and doesn't give up anything on the defensive side. Maybe. If Kamler plays, the only regular we'd be missing is Twellman. If he was playing, the Revs would have a definite edge. Since the Revs are 4-0-1 since his injury, factoring in home field advantage, it's probably a tossup.
One thing I forgot to say earlier is that I think the Revs are better than their record. If you look at that midseason stretch where they went 1-5-4, they were harshly done by with draws against the Metros (blew 3 goal lead) and Quakes. They were screwed over twice by DC after outplaying them, they were stunned in min '98 by LA and flat out robbed by DJ Countess. They played well all year long and should have been in the Supporters' Shield race. Still, Chicago's playing at home and Fabbro is not Twellman no matter how many deflections and dummies he pulls off. Advantage Fire.
boy, after the amount bage you posted on the fire boards before this game, you kind of disappeared...i wonder why