Yes. it's only the first game. But dang, if anything is consistent with this team it's the feeling of disappointment they engender year after year. Such a cold-bucket-of-water buzzkill. And it only took just over a minute. How does this rank on the charts of best/worst Rev's openers? Can't believe they looked so under-freaking-prepared. Don't they have as much time in the off-season as the other teams? And finally, Yuengling is "OK". I respect Yuengling. On occasion they make Oktoberfest, Porter, and Bock that are actually pretty dang good, IMO. Kevin D.
I'd rate it above the bud, miller, coors stuff but certainly there are finer craft/micro brews that are better. As for IPA to each his own. Had a heady topper a few weeks back, supposedly one of the best IPA's around. I poured more than half of it out. Give me a Lager or a nice Trappist ale any time
I hate this combination. Two similar players in my eyes. Neither have the size or grit to be a true DM, neither are going to influence the game with a hard tackle when needed. The team knew it needed a DM, the fans knew the team needed a DM yet we have really no true DM on this team. Dorman is kinda of a tweener.
Right - Kobayashi and Caldwell are redundant. Dorman is a DM-lite, a stopgap but not a guy you want to plug in there for the bulk of your season. He was a walking red card late last season so hopefully that trend stops. Maybe you play Farrell at DM (sacrificing his role on the back line)? Who knows how these guys make decisions.
Although I never buy it any more, I'll always have a nostalgia for Yuengling porter. It was my favorite when I was a student in Philly many years ago. At that time, there were no microbrews, and none of us could afford imported beer.
Just saying that in four months we might look back on this loss and laugh, or look at it and say "the beginning of the end"
I have no issues with losing the opener but losing like this and looking so bad, to me that's just not acceptable. They just did not look prepared
Yes, it's only one game. I'm sure they will go 33-0 the rest of the year. But in the meantime, this game/weekend seems to validate the fears I had coming into the season. 1. Losing Reis plus less than 100% Goncalves = weakened defense. 2. Lack of reinforcements at DM will cost them 3. Revs lack of activity in the overseas market compared to the number of off-season acquisitions across MLS that were key contributors* this weekend. In other news, Bengtson did a nice Khano impression... *Off-season acquisitions with big first game: Code: Michael Parkhurst, CMB - MOTM Giancarlo Gonzalez, CMB - shutout Sebastian Fernandez, VAN - goal, 2nd MOTM Pedro Morales, VAN - goal, assist Gaston Fernandez, POR - goal Cristian Maidana, PHI - assist Maurice Edu, PHI - assist, MOTM Norberto Paparatto, POR - 2nd MOTM Benji Joya, CHI - goal, 3rd MOTM Mauro Rosales, CHV - 2 assists, MOTM Leandro Barrera, CHV - assist, 2nd MOTM
Can you say "regressed"? Even if you disregard the lack of signings that would have been needed just to keep pace with other improving teams -- this team appears to have gone backwards since last season. That's what I saw. I'm not saying that the team's first impression on fans is the same as what they will turn out to be over the course of the season; but that's how it looked in game #1.
The Revs lost and looked bad at times. I am disappointed in how they looked as I was hoping for more. I am disappointed in the fruits, or lack there of, of the off season, but this is our team. I do still have faith in the ability of many of the players on the roster. I still have as much faith as I ever have in Jay, who would not have been my first choice, but has earned his keep and is not going anywhere this year. Young coach and young team. There will be ups and downs and probably a lot of inconsistency. Could a different coach get more out of this team? Could some highly paid, talented players and/or veteran players and/or proven leaders make a big difference to how this team plays this year and develops for the future? Perhaps, but those changes are not coming for the 2014 MLS season. This is our coach, team, and FO. The hay is in the barn A lot of what I saw looked like poor personnel decisions, stuff that can be fixed/avoided, or stuff that I do not believe will happen consistently over the course of a season (rusty, unmotivated, unprepared stuff). That means we should be able to achieve our potential with a few tweaks, improved health, and improved fitness. The big question is what is our potential? The only thing I know for sure after last weekend is that the Revs will not go undefeated. Not much else has changed for me from the end of the off season to the end of the first game. The spine of our team is a big question mark after losing JA and MR and after losing JG's trust. We lack grit/toughness in the midfield. We need young guys to improve before our eyes and to play their best to be successful. We need to stay healthy and minimize mistakes. If all of the puzzle pieces get put in the right place, then this team can squeak into the playoffs. This team (coach and players) was not put together to win the champions league, win MLS Cup, win the USOC, win the Supporter's Shield or to even win the east. It was put together to run within a budget and have a chance at the last playoff spot as late into the season as possible. It was one game where some of the things we feared were on display. I am hoping that there will be games in the future (near future) where some of the we hoped for will be on display. I guess what I am trying to say, with a lot of words, is that this was just one game and the team today is still the team it was last week. We should not be all that surprised by anything in the early part of the season based on what transpired since the end of last season.
It's the coaches job to make sure his team is prepared for the game and it was clear the Revs weren't ready to play this game. By the time they knew they were playing they were already down. This loss was 100% on Heaps.
Heaps made some questionable tactical choices but you're going to blame him for Goncalves making mistakes in the back or bad give-aways in the midfield? These are professional athletes and they should hold themselves accountable, not their manager. Criticize Heaps for starting Tierney and Mullins and for not having a quality defensive midfielder. Don't criticize him for mental lapses from his team.
I fall somewhere between you two - not 100% on Heaps but not 100% on the players either. It's Heaps's job to put his team in the best possible position they can be and then let the team execute the game plan. Instead, Heaps made poor personnel decisions like playing a rusty Tierney that set the rest of the back line up to fail and can be held accountable for his poor decisions. The players (Goncalves, Bengtson, etc) then failed to execute on their end and as Crooked said, should have accountability as well. Brainfarts at the back leading to 3 goals in 23 minutes and then missing a sitter from inside the six are inexcusable at this level. So this loss is 50-50% shared blame, lack of preparation by the coaching staff followed by lack of execution by the players themselves. Everyone's got to be accountable if this team is going anywhere this season.
I agree 100%. My argument is just that you can't really fault a coach for his team's mental errors. These are professional athletes who should be accountable for their own pregame preparations. I do however fault the coach when he starts a rookie playing out of position and an outside back who hasn't played all preseason.
New England Revolution's Jay Heaps has no excuses after Houston rout: "Not good on all fronts" March 9, 2014 Ryan Wood Special to MLSsoccer.com
Regarding Knightworth: I don't think Jay has made up his mind yet. I fully expect Knighton to start game 2, even if Shuttleworth had registered a shutout in Houston. I also expect Shuttleworth to start game 3, regardless of what Knighton does in Philly. There is an old saying in the NFL: If you have 2 starting QBs, you really don't have any. I think the same could be said about 'keepers.
I know "LOL" is waaaaay overused these days, but toward the end of the half when the Revs were putting on pressure and we got a free kick, Brad was going on about Tyranny. I don't know for sure, but he might have suggested that he was one of "the best in the league" at free kicks. At least he didn't refer to his "cultured" left foot! So here I was, hoping that maybe Tyranny might run over the ball and let Secret Asian Man blast an unexpected FK, but noooooo! Right into the wall. I think that left foot has been spending too much time at the Opera and not enough time taking free kicks!
I also was thinking of what the KC fans were saying about Bunbury. When he had a good chance late in the half, all he had to do was get it in the air, but he just rolled it along the ground and a defender came to clear it off the line. It would have been a huge lift to get one back just before halftime, but who knows if it would have made a difference. It certainly wasn't the worst miss on the night,a nd when you are down 3-0 a quarter of the way into the game, that's a really deep hole to dig out of in any circumstances.
blame for lack of good center defensive mid/destroyer: Mike Burns blame for JoGo whiffing a clearance in the first minute: Jose Goncalves blame for Caldwell giving a hospital ball to Mullins that was picked up for goal #2: Caldwell blame for the teams' general tactics not taking their CDM weakness into account: Jay Heaps blame for starting Tierney and JoGo despite them missing preseason and not looking sharp: Jay Heaps blame for missing the goal from 5 feet away: Bengston that's pretty much how i see it.
Causes: - Gonsalves lack of playing time in preseason. - Poor communication/organization in back (most of blame goes to Shuttleworth and JoGo). - Impatient with possession - typical Soares long balls, but the attacking players get some blame here too. (But what else are you going to do when down so much so early). - Mullins lack of comfort in defensive end. Reaction: - JoGo needs to do better. If he is in form then the team improves a LOT. - Knighton hopefully is a better communicator than Shuttleworth. - Mullins will be fine, but he was hurting the team more than helping in this first game. Play him in the right circumstances. As for Bengtson's miss, I have not re-watched it but at the time I thought there was not much space between him and the keeper and therefore not a lot of room for error. Regardless, He's shown that we can't count on him at the critical moments.