P/I/P Match 8: Revs @ TOR, Sat 4/20/24 7:30p [R]

One of the few bright spots this season has been Ryan Spaulding. He's no Alphonso Davies, but he's been more than serviceable.

And call me delusional, but I think the Revs can get a win this weekend.

 

https://www.theblazingmusket.com/p/...&r=23qrhx&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
From the article -

After a good week of training, Porter is feeling positive ahead of this weekend’s game against Toronto FC. He applauded the player’s passion and intensity during training sessions. He hopes this translates to getting a good result on Saturday.

“I'm seeing a lot of good things in the core group, this week especially, and that leaves me optimistic for this weekend,” Porter said. “We’ve got to continue, even as we evolve in the way we play and in personnel, to get results.

“So, can we play a little more like we want to play in this game and get back to that? And can we build off some of the leadership quality that I saw this week, the passion, the intensity, and go on the road and get a result?”

This game should be winnable - I just feel like we aren't going to pull out of this rut yet. My prediction is 2-1 Toronto. Vrioni with a late garbage time goal (hope I'm wrong)

 

You’re delusional!

 

I'm at least a little optimistic. Then again, that's what I thought last week vs. NYC. But this actually could be a winnable game, even if we don't have a good track record of getting points away from home.

Vrioni? If you'll pardon the poly-sci geek in me, he's the Susan Collins of goal scoring. (Collins is the senator who will always vote with you when you don't actually need it--out of principle--but leaves you hanging when the vote is close).

 

Just watch how I gloat when the Revs win.

 

The last 25 minutes of the game shows you why our record is what it is. Absolutely incapable of penetrating the box on attack! Did we even manage a shot on goal during that time? Awful! This team is sad. Hard to believe how good we were just a few years ago. Man do I miss Bruce Arena!

 

The lack of creativity is mind boggling - especially when you consider that Carles, Chancalay, and Esmir, in theory, should make for a pretty creative trio behind the striker. But the lack of chemistry is palpable. At this point, I'm thinking Porter should send the attackers off to the Bahamas with a case of tequila and tell them to have fun playing beach soccer for a week, and maybe they'll come back playing a little more effectively together - because what they lack is chemistry and a sense of joy from playing with each other.

Speaking of Porter, I'm not a "sack the manager at the first sight of trouble" sort of guy... but this is just awful. And I gotta wonder, if things go truly haywire against Miami and we lost BIG, which seems possible and maybe even likely ... is there a chance Porter goes?

I don't think I've ever seen a team with so little to be optimistic about. Everybody's playing poorly. No tactical decision looks even marginally successful for a second. It really does seem like something major has to change.

 

Right now they have no one who can beat a defender 1 v 1 and no one with enough pace to consistently get behind the backline. So if they go down a goal, they're cooked. We're getting nothing out of Vrioni and Chancalay. I don't blame Porter for benching Chanacalay. But there are no other options.

I got so tired of hearing the commentator talk about lack fo confidence. These are professional players who are paid to peform - confident or not. And none of them are performing.

Buck I thought was pretty good but I left the room when he got hurt. Hopefully it's not serious because his effort was encouraging. Ravis is a good shotstopper. He's got flaws, no doubt, but he's decent at the most important skill for a keeper.

That's it though as far as encouragement. Once again, nothing dangerous got into the box. Virioni and later Wood were nowhere near the ball. And Vrioni, of course, blew the best chance of the game for the Revs to score. Hopefully this is the game that convinces Porter & co that he has to go.

We could be looking at 5-0 or worse next Saturday in a stadium that's 90% rooting for Messi and Miami. Happy days....

 

Right now, we are staring the prospect of our worst ever season dead in the face and I don't see this team as currently constructed figuring a way out of it. When this franchise goes down, it goes down in flames. Someone has to lose their job over this.

 

I'm curious how many games we've won since Bruce Arena was disappeared?

 

One of the major problems I see is that NOBODY on the Rev roster has any pace, both with the ball, or without.

 

Certainly the roster that took the pitch last night. Jones, Bye and Borrero all have pace. But that's it.

 

Over a month ago I posted that I didn't think this team was very good. They haven't done anything since to change my mind. I think the Revs miss Bye way more than most people would have thought. I know the Revs dearly missed Borrero, as @propnut27 commented they have no speed. So just getting a new #9 really won't solve the Revs' problems, they have multiple issues. Getting Bye and Borrero back would definitely be a start, but more is needed.

 

So bad they aren’t even worth discussing. The rebuild needs to start with new ownership IMHO. Being a team in total dis-array is the TRADEMARK of Bob Kraft ownership. What a wonderful feature to set him apart.

 

Like a lot of coaches of teams in distress, Porter is lurching from one lineup to another in search of a winning formula. Not only does it not typically work, it also adds an element of disorientation that isn't that helpful. I think Porter is going to be the one to take the fall here.

Especially since the gulf between preseason expectations and the current reality is so vast. Did anybody read in The Athletic that survey of soccer executives that came out a month or two ago? (Basically a bunch of top-level executives across MLS were polled on various subjects relating to MLS in general and this season in particular.) Among other things, the executives were asked who they liked to win the Supporters' Shield. And one of them picked the Revs!

 

I think one more loss (which is likely) would get Porter sacked by a lot of clubs, however I'm pretty sure the Krafts won't be enamored with paying him not to coach so soon into his contract. On the other hand they've sold a lot of season tickets and having an irrelevant team isn't likely to help renewals. It could well be that their sights are turned towards Onalfo and making him the fall guy.

Something may happen after next Saturday because what was initially thought of being maybe a highlight of the season (a packed house) is shaping up to be a very embarassing night for the organization.

 

The decline of this group since the Arena saga has been much discussed but the long-term injury of Bye continues to be the crucial factor on the pitch. It makes us so much easier to defend and Carles has suffered the most because having constant forward runs from Bye and Jones gave him the time and options to thrive.

Lima is adequate and Spaulding has proven himself to be a capable backup but our attack drags its knuckles and lacks width when we don’t have our excellent first choice full backs flying down the wings.

The primary transfer window ends Wednesday. If we don’t add anybody then we have to wait until July to make any additions. Borrero should help in the attack but until we have both Jones and Bye healthy the few wins we get will mostly resemble that Charlotte result.

 

is it safe to presume that Brian Bilello was one of the executives polled?

 

If Bilello cast that vote, it just highlights how ignorant the REV front office, and Brian in particular, really are.