Well, if you don't attack straight at a guy like Ryan Cochrane all game when given the chance....? If you spend the first 20 minutes of the game and the first half of OT playing bunkered in....? If you send 120-minute Heaps on to shoot instead of 60-minute Dempsey....? And if you look sub on Larentowicz in OT instead of a potential penalty-taker like Abundis.....? Nicol's coaching will always give us a chance, even with lesser players. Trouble is, he didn't know what to do with a talent advantage. The "keep it close" mantra didn't suit our level of talent this year. It betrayed us instead.
A well played game by both teams. Congratulations to both teams and coaching staffs I don't want to spend any more time on the 2006 season---it's over and we get the 11th pick in the 2007 Super Draft.
damn. i was really pulling for you guys. better luck next year. fourth time's the charm -- take it from a fan of another 3 time loser.
In a Revs support group it is: " Someone give me another beer" or "Someone give me another shot of 99 Bananas". Me? Another Black Russian sounds good.
I'm not mad at Jay Heaps. This just hurts for the reasons mentioned, plus the fact that we couldn't keep our composure at the right time. I'll be back next year, and we'll be back fighting too. NEW ENGLAND TILL I DIE, NEW ENGLAND TILL I DIE, I KNOW I AM, I'M SURE I AM, NEW ENGLAND TILL I DIE!!!!
I'm a little mad at Heaps. Not only is he a fellow New Englander, he's also a former Dukie. Anyone mind pulling the knife out of my back? I think it's beer-o'clock.
I can't wait for some of the people who were there can comment on the Houston goal. They were so busy showing replays and then Twellman's face and you can hear the whistle for the kick-off. They are still showing Twellman, then suddenly the cut to the cross and the deflection that goes to Ching. I am just curious what happened after the restart to get the ball there, what was our team shape like, I can't tell if that was Smith or John who it deflected off of. I am sick to my stomach. Twellman's goal was so well taken, and it was right there for us. Heaps penalty was just plain awful - hit the post, sail it sky high, but don't pass it gently towards the goal. Onstad clearly effed him up. But at least he stepped up to take one. Who knows who "bagged" out of taking one. Analgoies to the Red Sox and Bills are unfortuantely very very accuarte. {SIGH} {SIGH} {SIGH}
Tough way to end the year. Felt very bummed out with the U.S. crashing out of the World Cup, and cut my trip short by a couple of weeks to come home (I was thinking about leaving early anyways, the Ghana game was the icing on the cake). Coming to the Revolution games was a great way to meet others who have a passion for this sport in the area. The three road trips reminded me a lot of some of my experiences in college, which I graduated from in May. Thankfully the bartender at Vaughan's in Hartford bought me the last round, as a way to toast this past year. As I took a quick walk around Bushnell Park in Hartford, it started to really rain, kinda fitting considering the mood. It has been a great experience to follow the Revolution this year, and I am glad I have met so many great fans along the way. I'll be getting season tickets next year, and look forward to many road trips, so I'll see everyone next year in Foxboro.
Exactly right on SN - He'll get you to the game but can't win the big one. We cannot hope to win with people like Joey starting We were the better team today but really only had a few quality build ups. I guess I'd call it more accidental offense then anything. I've always felt we were much more organized with Cancela in there but SN doesn't seem to agree. Dorman cannot create. The teams seemed to lift when he went off and Dempsey entered but still, .... not enough chances and that's because we only had the flanks, no attack up the middle. Cancela could have created that
I am just gutted. Tears flowing when Twellman scored. Shades of Revs' teams past when Houston scored seconds later. Just gutted. Feeling lost. Weird...not mad...just sad...and deflated. This just sucks.
New England played a great game. My girlfriend had to work today, so I called her right after the New England goal. I was about to say "Games over, Dynamo just lost it." She didn't answer, and called me back right as the Dynamo scored. I was shocked. It was a shame the game had to end like that. Congrats on a great season, hopefully we can see another game like this next year.
Why I think Dempsey didn't take the kick; To be honest, I was praying he wouldn't, remembering his miss against DC Why I think Heaps took the kick; No one's ever seen him take a kick, so Onstad would have no clue on how to predict his shot That worked out well Why I think Pepe wasn't put in; Why I think a Black Russian won't help me in my consolation; I'm fifteen Someone please make me happy before I have go back to my homework
Thanks to Adam for hosting the viewing party. Shame the fat kid was the only one who left happy. Hate List --------- Heaps Noonan The aforementioned fat kid.
Umm hmmm, TnT said that 4 people are most likely off to Europe after this season, we wont see the cup for quite awhile Oh well it was a good run, you cant really get much closer.. Its just so disappointing that we lost in PKs.. While Onstad just gessed out his ass on every kick, Reis guessed correctly on every single strike. Noonan hits it over the bar and heaps might as well just rolled the ball in..
twellman got pissy with the press afterwards haha is anyone listening to this on mlsnet radio it sort of seems like he's done with new england i dont know has europe been looking at him?
Exciting game, good season, good run. Tough to see Ralston and Dempsey on the side watching Heaps take the final PK An enormous amount of goals are scored within a couple minutes of another goal, a little lapse in concentration and its over. Revs fans shouldn't be too upset; there are 10 other teams wishing they got to the final
Dempsey for sure. Joseph and Twellman quite possibly. Noonan is out of contract and I doubt we will pick up the options on Abundis and Cancela. This is likely to be a very different team next spring. I didn't want Clint taking the PK, he isn't very good at them, but I was surprised not to see Rally take one. Still, I would have taken a chance with Jay before most of the others remaining. I'm not going to give any of the Revs any grief, though. They played well, and gave it their all against a very good Dynamo team. For all the grief SN takes for bunkering, his first two subs were attacking players and for a stretch there we were playing with 3 forwards. Twellman's goal was one of the best I've ever seen him take. Great first touch while on the run, then a perfect shot with his off-foot. There was no acrobatics, diving headers or fancy jukes, but that was one of the best goals I saw all year. Too bad it wasn't enough.
Dear SN, I remember saying to myself half way through the first overtime, "Well, it wasn't 120 minutes of bunker ball and they had their chances, I'll give SN a break no matter what the outcome." Then, after a week of articles about how you out coached Chicago and DC, you put in Larentowicz with PK's looming. And you briefly looked like you would get away with it after TNT scored. But your extra defensive player couldn't help on the freak deflection to Ching and left you sucking wind when you tried to pick 5 to take the PKs. An then you picked Jay Heaps to go fifth? I know it is hard to go against your instincts, but, after 3 trips and 3 losses, my advice should you make it to the cup again, is to throw caution to the wind. Make defense secondary and go for all out offense. Your method isn't working. On another note, Matt Reis and Michael Parkhurst are just awesome.
Well, at least they'll stop counting the minutes of the Revs not scoring in and MLS cup final... And hopefully, some cup soon, they'll stop counting the ones we lost...
I saw you can't really blame Heaps or even Noonan. Yes, they were bad shots but a lot of risky penalties go in and are then praised (like Zidane's chip in the final- if that doesnt go in he looks like a complete idiot). It's the coach's job to put the right shooters up and I have no idea why Nicol overanalyzed the situation and somehow came up with the decision that he did. Before the shootout I said Dempsey, Taylor, Reis, Shalrie and Ralston, and I'm sure many of you did too (maybe Noonan was on some lists too). Sure enough the 3 guys you would expect to finish did, while the 2 guys who should have shot (the American player of the year and a guy who has been our #1 taker in the past) watched as two more questionable picks both missed. Maybe Nicol's done a very good job over the last 5 years, but he sure can't coach finals well. First we play way too defensively and just wait to lose in the first 2, then for some reason he goes against logic in the shootout of the 3rd final.
He was just really dissapointed. Obviously just pissed they gave up the goal. Then the reporter said something like how does it feel to finally score in a final since you haven't before did it feel good? Twellman gets even more pissed off and says something like thanks a lot you guys act like ive never scored before but it definitely seemed like he was a little disappointed in his team as he should be