Same here, but not the personnel. Put Sene up top and leave Brettschneider on the bench, FFS! Rowe/Cardenas are better as subs. Ryan Guy is off the dl, so start him on the right. Sene is what he is. Amazing skills, but erratic. As long as he keeps averaging .5 goals a game, you have to put up with him. Subtract his 8 goals, and we're in last place. Anyone else think Barnes should get a run-out? He's been a useful player in the past, and I don't think the McCarthy-Soares pairing has been that great lately.
If I was Jay, I'd do it to just to keep the pressure on the two CB's so they don't get complacent in training. Make them earn a spot every week. But I'm mean like that.
Color me nuts - Lechner had some dicey moments and yes he had a bad turnover. However, that said, it doesn't mean he's not pressing Alston. It's not as if Alston is mistake free. In regards to goal 1, we can all agree that Lechner should shut the man down, but exactly how much help did he have around him? If he gets beat, we are in worse trouble, because there is no midfield anywhere to be seen (true it was from a turnover, but still he has to be cautious in his 'shutting the guy down' when there is no help. My point here isn't that he is blameless, just, I don't think he carries ALL the blame. When there is a forward with two defenders that he splits for a totally free header - those defenders deserve some of the blame.
So this was the second straight game where we played a team that played a mid-week game and then had to do some long distance travelling (TFC from Houston to Toronto, Seattle from San Ho to Boston) and we only came away with one point again. And we're happy to get that point. There really shouldn't be any more talk about the playoffs or our record the past X number of games (whichever you want to use to suit your argument). We're a mediocre/average team. Definitely more exciting to watch than last year, but there are still a lot of question marks.
Half-way through the season and we're four points out of a playoff spot. And since the beginning of May, we've gone 3-2-4 (w-l-t). Don't tell me what we shouldn't be talking about. Positives: The offense continues to generate goals (1.88 gpg) Heaps has shown willingness to try different formations. Our subs are having an impact -- we have depth and we have different types of players on the bench, giving Heaps options depending on game situation. The team seems to believe in itself, and it fights to the end. We are possessing the ball, and completing a good percentage of passes. We are generally fouling less than the opposition (no thuggish soccer from us). Heaps has made cuts and is working to bring in reinforcements Negatives: We are giving up too many goals (1.44 gpg) Our set-piece weakness had turned into a weakness on crosses in open play. Our prize young CB (Soares) has been burned on three crosses in the last two games (maybe four -- not sure why he didn't pick up Johnson when he made his run inside on goal #1 Saturday night). More worrisome -- our veteran keeper is looking shaky Our finishing rate is not good -- and our leading scorer (Sene) has been profligate at times. We need another experienced striker -- Moreno has not shown that he is the answer. If you want to focus on the negatives, then Yeah, you can argue that we are an average or mediocre team. If you want to take a less whiney approach, it's not hard to see signs that this is a team on the rise.
I think it's fair to say we are a team on the rise(though there was no other direction to go after last season) but we're still an average team as of now(as evidenced by our record). Both seem like fair evaluations to me.
Great for the local kid but I still hate Leominster for beating Brockton when Brockton was #1 in the country in football in 1988(ya, I have a tendency to hold grudges haha). Still a great equalizer for the kid and a great story thus far.
I didn't say you can't talk about it. I'm just saying there's really no purpose in that talk at this point. And my direct quote was "there shouldn't be any more talk about the playoffs," not that you can't talk about it. And if you want to enjoy that we've gained a whopping six points in our last four home games ... go right ahead. We won five games last year, asking this team to be better isn't exactly stepping on a ledge and jumping without a parachute. They've played better and more exciting, I've said that repeatedly. But if we're going to average less than 2 points a game at home, while almost never winning on the road ... there's no chance for this team to make the playoffs. I'd rather set my sights on a more reasonable goal, which is to continue improving the team and setting up for the future. As constituted, this isn't a playoff team. If, and that's a big if, they bring in the right players, maybe that changes. But once again, we're blowing points to teams that had midweek games and had to travel. We tied a team that had 1 win on the year at that point, and then we tied one that hadn't won in 7 straight. Fact. Those are the games you need to take three points, not steal a point in the last seconds.
Look, let me clarify, I don't care what people want to talk about. I'd just rather be realistic (which apparently constitutes being whiny). I love the resiliency of this team, the never-say-die attitude, which has been missing. I don't like that we're having to score last second goals, just to tie, against teams that are rather blah (at least at this point).
I definitely agree with most of what you're saying - the team is competent now and even plays more exciting soccer than most other MLS teams (compared to last year when I'd say we were bottom three in that regard). However, the Seattle game exposed that the team still has too many holes to make any kind of significant run. They're still really undisciplined defensively (this includes everyone and not just the backline) and have wildly inconsistent finishing (if Sene finished even 20-25% of the chances he's had this season he'd be above Wondo). I'm hoping, like every year, that the 2-3 players we bring in are enough to turn these 1-point games into 3-point games, but obviously it's wait and see. The most encouraging improvement is this team does have the personnel and drive to press for the equalizer and turn losses into ties, something that didn't happen last year. Last thing - no credit to Brettschneider for plowing through Seattle's central defense to get Sene that goal? I'm convinced that Heaps should wait until he does his one random completely amazing thing per game and then sub him out immediately.
I understand what you mean. His give away was an absolute howler. It looked like he attempted to make some sort of 'fake out' move, which then resulted in the ball taking an extra bounce straight to the feet of one of the two Seattle players covering him. All he really needed to do was pull a Dunseth and boot it out of bounds. However, it then took a very precise (almost Chris Tierney-esq) and beautiful cross to the head of a wide open Johnson (and a not-to-shabby finish) for the Goal. Its not like Reyna's giveaway in the 06 World Cup that led directly to a goal - more defending could have been done on the play.
At the very least, I don't think Sene can be relied upon as our primary goal scorer.... of course, he isn't supposed to be. I know it is a small sample size to pull from, and too early to call, and that I may be exaggerating, but our primary striker is going to have to convert those absolute sitter chances that he managed to Khano (Khano is a verb). 15 appearances & 8 goals is a solid scoring record, but he has looked awful lately.
Flo had his pocket picked because none of his teammates communicated to him that there was a man on. Reis and his backline mates should take a chunk of blame as well. I think Shalrie or Simms were only about 10 yards away and they did not seem to yell to him either. Totally agree on the last point. they may not be the best team in the league but they do show some heart
It's not either or in my opinion. We are better than we were last year - we still aren't a very good team. Why is that 'whiney'? The issue is simple - has the management team made this team good enough to compete for the championship? The answer right now is a resounding 'no'. Is that whiney? Relative to the point that this is a team on the rise - I am willing to grant Jay his point that this team has more skill than any team he played on (I don't agree, but I'll grant the point.) The real point though is where does this team stand relative to the rest of MLS versus the Revs teams of the past. On that point the answer is clear: they are WAY BEHIND the teams of the past. Frankly I don't care if we are just getting better - the real question is: are we gaining on the competition in a manner that indicates we can compete in the playoffs? You have to be drinking some pretty strong koolaid to answer that question in the positive.
Everyone's entitled to their opinions but I really don't understand the Khano comparisons with Sene. That's ridiculous and not even close to reality. Sene hasn't hit the upper level on a regular basis yet and is actually scoring goals. Every striker, worldwide, has missed sitters. As you said in the last sentence, Sene has 8 goals in 15 games and as a striker should be measured on performance. 2 more goals and he hits my benchmark for what a MLS starting forward should score. He has virtually no help up top in his woeful partners Brettschneider / Moreno right now yet is still burying 36% of his shots on goal (for context Thierry Henry's at 42%, so Sene isn't far off). Yes he's looked poor recently but realistically what are people looking for? The Revs haven't had an 8 goal scorer since Dube in 2008 and Twellman before that so considering the dross up top we've had the past few years, for me Sene is a breath of fresh air.
I was pretty disappointed in Lechner on the play. I kind of expect a professional (especially a savvy veteran) to take a look around and to know where the opponents are. In other news, one Rev made the top 20 on the Castrol index -- Saer Sene finished number 13 among the hundreds of MLS players in action over the weekend. Apparently the Castrol Index does not deduct points for butchering golden scoring opportunities.
I don't understand how you can defend Tierney yet criticize the best forward since Twellman? Sene is literally the reason the revs aren't bottom feeders right now. He's missed a few but on the whole 8 in the first few months in a new league, country, culture etc isn't too shabby. Especially compared to our USL quality left back. Worth cutting him some slack?
I like Sene -- I think he is a very good signing and I hope he is with the Revs a long time -- paired with another strong striker, he can give us a top of the MLS strike force. I agree he is valuable; I like his game; and I think he's a pretty cool guy, too. All that said, if you squander three chances like he did Saturday night I don't think you deserve a top 20 ranking for the week. On Tierney, I think we're going to be disagreeing for a long time. USL quality? Please. I expect Tierney to have a long, solid career in MLS -- and I expect to spend years here reading about how much he sucks, while he plays his way through a career that ends up being Heapsish.
MLS team of the week has no revs on the first team, but Diego and Shalrie get honorable mention. Shalrie also got good marks on NE Soccer Today website.
I love how Diego gets an honorable mention for scoring a silver platter goal (after Sene gets hauled down in front of him). He literally had to do nothing but stand there and direct it on frame. But then again, in New England, one goal gets you a bobble head night.
Are you really complaining that Diego is getting a bobble head night? He's the most marketable player we've had in years.
I'm sure he is. Good for the revs, whatever gets butts in seats. I realize he's just a kid and a good local story but I'm not sold on the hype until he earns a starting spot and/or scores goals. Need to see proof he's more than a local Darren Sawatsky with a mohawk instead of a ponytail.
You're not impressed by the fact he's a 17 year old kid who's already forced his way into the team, fit in talent wise, and scored a few goals already? What more can you realistically expect from him at this point in time?