Yeah, maybe so, but we play better on the road for some reason, so you can enjoy one more point next week. =/
42 points! Four straight wins and this team is tied for third in the league overall standings. I find this amazing especially after the long winless dry spell this summer. Let's go for 45!
This had to be one of the most satisfying wins of the season. When was the last time you saw this kind of crisp passing and people moving off the ball for each other? Everyone was really working for each other. You really have to hand it to Nicol for pulling this all together missing A. Brown, C. Brown, Llamosa, Franchino, Joe-Max, TnT, and Pepe. Anyone want to make a case for him as coach of the year?
ASccording to MLSNET they had a huge huge crowd tonight at the Medowlands 186,489 http://www.mlsnet.com/games/03/tracker.php?gamename=10182003_NEMET&version=tracker
Looking at Revs Guess, out of 19 people who submitted guesses, 9 got the score exactly right! What's the record for this? in terms of percentage correct? As to the game, whatever happened to Clint Mathis? Did you ever see a team have more trouble getting the ball up field than the Metros in the first half? Marshall Leonard is getting better and better. I noticed again that, in the pre-second half huddle, it was again Rusty Pierce doing all the talking.
It's type error in the recap. It's actually 18,649. But still it's better than 15K. Click here and scroll down: http://www.mlsnet.com/schedules/
Only in the sense that they weren't dominant enough to coast through the last 20 minutes. For long stretches, it looked as though Cancela was out there. I think it's particularly noteworthy that they made a lot of fairly hard hit passes in the attacking 3rd, and most of them went to white shirts and were controlable. Pierce and Joseph were outstanding. Fabro (setting aside the well done poacher's special) made better use of his ball skills than I was expecting. Bagley appears to have made good use of the week of practice. He was noticeably more in the flow than I expected. If Bradley held out Juskowiak for any other reason than how long he went in the cup final, then it may be time to reevaluate his reputation as a good coach.
Indeed. Mathis looked like a chipmunk with a secret sorrow. Is it Bradley? Is he depressed? Doesn't it seem like centuries ago when Mathis and Moreno were going to rip up the league? The Metros without Pope and Edgar B. have problems. Did anyone notice Bretos call Joseph "Bully"? I would have appreciated him giving Doc Griffin credit for the nickname, but it's nice to know he reads the Rev board. I also got a kick out of how Bretos said Faaaabbro. I think NER_MCFC also sensed that Cancela seems to have rubbed off on Joseph, whose passes are no longer just square balls, but are now more probing and risky. I also agree that Leonard was completely solid. As much as I like Joey for his franchinosity, I feel very comfortable with ML back there. What then to do with Franchino? I'll admit that I am now a Noonan backer if the Cullen and Heaps-bashers will admit that they completely belong on the team. Kante, on the other hand, I'm not sure. On the PBP thread, people disagreed whether Kante or Joseph got turned inside out on the Metro goal. Anybody know for sure (or care to check the tape)?
Mathis played pretty well tonight. Not great, but okay. Especially compared to the everyone else on our team.
Are you kidding me ? He was crap. What position was he playing ? Withdrawn statue ? He makes no runs off the ball - His repitoire of offensive moves consists of facing up to the defender, making a hesitation move, than passing. He's Marco Etchevarry without the vision. Anyone know what the Revs record is with/without Rusty Pierce ?
Thanks for the credit Jon but I'm not the one who dubbed Jospeh Bully---it was his nickname in College. I do like that our midfield duo are fondly called Pepe and Bully. Sure would make a great movie title. I sure like the depth of this team. Take out the stars and the bench can step up and create an end of season stretch run. Crisp passing and flowing attacking style with a defense that can keep it shape (well almost keep it's shape). Fun to be a Rev fan these days. SN for coach for life ! I don't know which team I like seeing the Revs beat most --DCU, LA or the Mutts? I guess I'll settle for beating the Mutts the next three times we see them (HUGE SMILE) The DCU-Crew match today should be fun to watch. Hope the Crew creams Hudsons Thespians (yes you Marco) George
Re: O.G. It looked to me like Fabbro put his foot out but never hit the ball. Someone else did, or hit Fabbro's foot. So I think you may be right. Also, Fabrro had a very sheepish grin on his face after the goal, and shrugged his shoulders, as if to say "what the heck. I'll take it."
Interesting game. Nicol has accomplished alot. It is telling how Mathis was the best (i.e., most skilled) player on the field but also the least effective. Nicol appears to have accomplished his stated goal when he first took over the team, that is to establish a consistent system of play in which everyone knows their role and in which success results more from team play than haphazard individual creativity. Interesting also how Noonan is developing free of Twellman's and JMM's shadows (though some may feel it is unrelated). I thought Fabbro showed potential as a holding/target forward which was needed in Cancela's absence to control and settle the pace of play (by the way what is the extent of Cancela's injury?). Finally, although the Rev's still seem to fade after 60 minutes, using Lamossa as a late sub for Kante may work well.
I've only seen portions of the match thus far but the quality of the passing sure stands up to the test. I interspersed it with the ManU/Leeds match and some German highlites and the Revs did not look out of place. Particularly as they were playing on the Bada Bing pool table there in North Jersey. JIM DOW
Those lousy football lines were the same ones that ruined the US Open Cup final, and that Wynalda complains about in his latest column at mlsnet.com. Compared to the Revs passing, the Metros looked like a high school team. The Metros were embarrassingly bad in the first half.
Regarding the people out of the lineup (Brown, Cancela, Moore, Llamosa, Franchino, etc) i think its a number of things. For Brown and Cancela, its just giving them a week off, let them heal any bruises or bumps they have. As for the others, its just one week off so they don't go out there too soon and reinjure themselves. Revs made the playoffs so why not sit some of the starters. I'm also excited about next season because when Twellman gets back, we have two forwards who are deadly on the ball, and thats not even the best part. Twellman and Noonan are made for each other, the can actually play together and coexist. Usually its a one man show with Twellman but the childhood relationship and backyard ball with them has created something very special for the Revs. The potential those two have could be one of the lethalist duo ever in MLS. But we can worry about that next year. I checked the Stats page on MLS this morning and found out that we have indeed finished with a winning percentage of greater then .500, a first in Revs history. Also, if we beat the Mutts at home next Sat, we will tie the franchise record of most points with 45 (2000 Revs team). Another tibit, with the goal last night by Noonan, he has reached 20 points on the season. He is now in 10th place on the scoring chart. I think he doesnt get enough credit regarding the Rookie of the Year award. He's been there when we needed a goalscorer, not the case with Ralph in Chi.