Just looking at this is depressing. Nothing against the kids who are going to get a shot ... but wow. Welcome to the bigs boys.
I can't decide if it's better or worse than last year at this point, which had a similar selection of subs, only all filling in for the injured rather than nats callups.
Is this a game we are supposed to lose? They almost always work out well for us. I'm looking forward to shaking things up a bit. I'd like to see us run right at them and use the flanks to good effect. It could prove to be a wide open exciting match. On the other hand, if they are instructed to play for the point, we could get killed with inconsistant passing. I think SN will go for it and let these kids know that this is how you get noticed. I was at the LA match when Dempsey got subbed in as a Rookie and he just went for it. That seems to have worked out OK...other than the 3-2 loss that night. I'm looking forward to watching this one.
No problem. Decide to get away from the picture mojo at least for a week.. let's see what happens.. I hit random play on my Ipod, and hit paydirt. From a VERY forgettable 80's Movie.. "The Legend of Billie Jean" (no, not by Michael Jackson).. Pat Benatar gives us some LYRIC MOJO... This bloody road remains a mystery This sudden darkness fills the air What are we waiting for? Won't anybody help us? What are we waiting for? We can't afford to be innocent Stand up and face the enemy It's a do or die situation We will be Invincible....
I'm not nearly so pessimistic as most of you. I hardly see Leonard as "green" on the back line. He has the better part of 2 years there, along with 2 playoff runs. I actually think he'll contribute more there, as he's been making some poor decisions in running at people up the wing. Ditto with Riley out. The Riley we saw pre-injury was a lot better than the one we've seen lately. Against LA he was reverting to the poorly timed, ill-advised slide tackles that drew him cards early in the season. Vercollone, if he plays, is a far better player than the local kid they took off Columbus' hands at the beginning of last season. The timing of almost everyone was off against LA. Maybe it was a result of too much time off after the previous game. Regardless, some key players played well below their level and are unlikely to be as bad in the next outing (Cancela, Heaps, Parkhurst, Twellman). I don't think there'll be a change of formation or any more of a juggling of the lineup than is absolutely necessary. The last thing you want to do is make a lot of changes when you have key guys missing - you really want to minimize the changes around the guys who are filling in. I expect that we'll do okay defensively (Franchino will have to do a lot more scrambling in Joseph's place then Shalrie would do), but we'll have the same trouble scoring that we always seem to have when Ralston, Dempsey and Noonan are out. There's just too many people to handle Twellman for him to run wild (not that he can sneak 1 or 2 in, but he'll have to be more efficient with his chances).
From MLSNet's Preview: REFEREE: Jair Marrufo. SAR (bench): Craig Lowry; JAR (opposite): Anthony Vasoli; 4th: Mark Geiger MLS Career: 31 games; FC/gm: 31.1; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 7; pens: 15 Games involving Fire: P8 W2 L3 T3; FC/gm: 35.0; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 3; pens: 4 Games involving Revolution: P5 W1 L1 T3; FC/gm: 26.2; Y/gm: 1.6; R: 1; pens: 2 INJURY REPORT: CHICAGO FIRE: OUT: MF Thiago (L knee meniscus tear); MD Craig Capano (L torn ACL); GK Matt Pickens (R groin strain); MF John Thorrington (L hamstring strain); PROBABLE: FW Nate Jaqua (L ankle bone bruise) ... NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION - OUT: GK Kyle Singer (R shoulder sprain); PROBABLE: FW Taylor Twellman (L hamstring strain); DF Marshall Leonard (osteitis pubis) INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: CHI: MF Tony Sanneh, MF Chris Armas (USA; CONCACAF Gold Cup); DF Samuel Caballero, DF Ivan Guerrero (Honduras; CONCACAF Gold Cup) ... NE: FW Pat Noonan, MF Clint Dempsey, MF Steve Ralston (USA; CONCACAF Gold Cup); DF Avery John (Trinidad & Tobago; CONCACAF Gold Cup) SUSPENDED: NE: MF Shalrie Joseph (through July 9) WARNINGS: CHI: Logan Pause (7 CP in 2 gms) ... NE: DF Jay Heaps (20 CP) HEAD-TO-HEAD ALL-TIME (22 meetings): Fire 7 wins (0 shootout), 29 goals ... Revolution 10 wins (0 shootout), 37 goals ... 5 draws IN CHICAGO (11 meetings): Fire 4 wins (0 shootout), 16 goals ... Revolution 3 wins (0 shootout), 15 goals ... 4 draws • The Eastern Conference clubs play for the third time in four meetings this season, the second and final time at Soldier Field. They again conclude the season against each other at Gillette Stadium, on Oct. 15.
If we take the missing (injured and called up) players and put them on a team. Then make them heathy and I bet they would beat either team playing saturday. The missing players team: -------- Pickens ------------ - Sanneh - Cabellero - John - ----- Armas -- Joseph ------ Ralston ------------Guerrero ---------- Thiago --------- --- Noonan --- Dempsey --- bench - Capano, Thorrington, Singer That is acutally a very good MLS lineup and all not playing...
Great to have a spy at the airport to get us real time info. So as it stands (according to rose) both Flores and Riley are with the team---hummm. Makes one wonder about the lineup. I'm guessing the Flores won't play except as a late game sub. My guess based on the fact that SN doesn't make significant lineup changes unless forced---- Reis Heaps, Parkhurst, Franchino, Leonard Riley, Dorman, Pepe, Leonard Smith, TnT
I for one would love to see Verc instead of one of the Leonard boys to see what the local boy can do in a senior squad match.
The projected lineup of Revolutionsoccer.net says: Reis Franchino, Parkhurst, Heaps Leonard, Dorman, Edozien, Riley Cancela at AM Smith, Twellman
Reis Heaps, Parkhurst, Franchino, Leonard Riley, Dorman, Pepe, Leonard Smith, TnT[/QUOTE] All these guys travelled. Others included Vercollone, Edozian, Flores,Warren,Lathem, Laurentowicz, and a few others I did not recognise. Biggest squad i've seen traveling since I've been at Logan. Lots of great talent to choose from!!!! If they loose this one I will drink a bottle of Guinness (ugh ugh ugh - horrible taste- this from one who was born a half mile from the Brewery!!!!) at the next tailgate. COME ON YOU REVS!!!! Save me from a fate worse than death!!!!!! Pretty please!!!!
I like it. I think Edozien belongs in the midfield, not at forward and putting him into Dempseys role as a roving attacker fits his style. Looking forward to this one.
As a newcomer to MLS, can someone tell me why they don't schedule these interuptions as does the EPL? The MLS should just take a week off for the Gold Cup. Dick.
Great question Dick and maybe best for you to take to the MLS Board where this has been discussed ad-nausium and you can check out long heated debates on the pros-cons of the matter. I'm not sure I can give you a short answer but much of it has to do with the fact that we don't have a winter schedule and all our matches are fit inbetween the weather extremes at either end of the season. It's never going to be a world that satisfies everyones criteria for perfection---and that includes the schedualing in MLS.
Oh, sounds painful. I wouldn't want you to suffer, I'll drink it for you...perhaps even two! And if any of you want to "cover" this bet, I make the same offer, I'll drink a Guiness if they win!
Revs projected formation according to http://www.revolutionsoccer.net: GK: Reis RB: Heaps CB: Parkhurst LB: Franchino DM: Dorman DM: Edozien CM: Cancela RM: Riley LM: Leonard FW: Twellman FW: Smith
Interesting, I thought we'd see something like this Reis Heaps Parkhurst Leonard Dorman Franchino Riley Cancela Latham Twellman Smith
Dick, Welcome to MLS! the reason (or that the league gives)is because many MLS teams share stadiums with other sports and are mainly the secondary tenet in most cases so there is not the flexibility in the schedule what would be needed too take time off and still compete the season in a timely manner. Of course as more teams get SSS this will change.