We have 5 good defenders who could all start on the back line. They haven't all been available at the same time for a while. If we make it to MLS Cup and all of them are available, who starts and who sits? Out of Pierce, Heaps, Kante, Franchino, and Llamosa, who is the odd man out?
WHAT A WONDERFUL PROBLEM! Fact is we never seem to have all healthy or unsuspended at the same time. I think Heaps, Kante, llamosa, Franchino is the best grouping but there is no step off whe rusty comes in at either right or central defense. I'm feeling the need to have another starter quality left back.
If they are all healthy I would start Rusty Pierce over Heaps. Heaps has been playing great but Pierce is a future national team player and we will need his aggressivenesss to shut down the fish.
Pierce defends better, Heaps attacks better. Which do you want in a particular game, or a particular moment?
Pierce, when healthy, is our best (and fastest) defender. Up until recently, Heaps was probably our worst starting defender, but his play has picked up and he pushes upfield the best. Joey is also suspect, but he is also playing well offensively, as well as being the only natural lefty in the bunch. That leaves Rusty, Kante, and Llamosa in the middle. Realistically, the way we're playing, we could get by with any combo of Rusty, Kante, and Carlos in the middle and they are playing well enough to absorb any mistakes that Jay or Joey make. Carlos just played his best game with the Revs, and held together a back line with Ralston and Kamler in it, but (again, with Rusty healthy) I'd sit him. He's the slowest of the three and has made the most defensive errors of the three. Also, even though this isn't part of the question, I see Rusty and Kante as part of our long term back line. In any case, whichever of them sits should get subbed into the game at some point, as they've all earned the right to play in the final over the last few weeks. We wouldn't be where we are today without all of them.
Kante was great until the first Colubus match. He actually had kind of a bad game while Llamosa showed his classic poise. I definitely wouldn't sit Llamosa in a big game.
Am I being rosy-eyed or has Jay Heaps managed to make himself the Revs version of 2002WC Tony Sanneh on the Nats? He certainly has improved to the point where he is a great asset at the back. JIM DOW
Guys lets not credit him to much here. He is playing great but he still is getting beat a number of times during the course of the game. I would still choose pierce over him.
Jay Heaps is definitely a better player this year, but he looks better with a stronger supporting cast (central defense and central midfielder) than if he's left alone on an island. Good team defense and not playing Downing, Cullen, or Hernandez are all part of the fact that Jay (and Joey) have looked so well. As I stated before, Carlos played his best game for the Revs in Columbus, and we would have lost without him, but that was really the ideal match for him. We scored an early goal, Heaps got tossed, and we packed it in defensively. All he had to do was organize the back line and cut off threats into the box. If we had needed to score, and pushed up offensively, and he had to cover Cunningham over 35 yards of space, he would have had more difficulty.
As he did in game 1. All good points. If all of those guys were healthy and available, Kante and Llamosa would be in the middle (get balance of youth, althleticism, experience and positioning), Franchino and Heaps (the established pair) on the outside, Pierce in defensive midfield with Hernandez. Pierce, when healthy and in top condition, is still a better defender than Heaps, but he's also more versatile, so he can be used other places. Heaps' only other position would be to replace Ralston (and let's hope that doesn't ever become necessary).
The best back 4 in MLS, when all are healthy: Kante, Llamosa, Pierce, and Franchino. I've always been a Heaps believer, but I still don't see him as a pure defender. Those guys, though: phew. They remind me of these great lines from Macbeth, Act V, Sc 5: "Hang out our banners on the outward walls; The cry is still 'They come.' Our castle's strength Will laugh a seige to scorn; here let them lie Till famine and the ague eat them up." On to Saturday, and glory....
My exact thought. I've come to realize that the style of writing on BS is generally (in my experience) a lot higher than I've seen on message boards for other sports. Kudos to soccer fans and especially the great majority of us who add constructive posts to BS. Rev fans are some of the best fans out there, IMHO.
I agree pierce is better at shutting people down, but he doesn't have the skill to play middle... he's (and joey too) remind me of Mike Burns...
Sheesh. Brother REV-OKe, Hasn't Pierce (and for that matter Franchino) been part of the team's stellar defensive run over the past month? Hasn't Pierce been playing centrally? What skills hasn't he shown you? I mean, say if you want that they aren't Cannavaro and Maldini, but Mike Burns? That's cold.
TEND TO FORGET SAY WHAT YOU WANT BUT JOEY HAS BEEN THE ONLY STABLE POSITION ON THE BACKLINE FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS!LOOKING AT GAME TAPES THE MAJORITY OF THE SCORING ON OUR LEFT SIDE WAS ONLY WHEN JOEY WAS OUT HURT AND ON SUSPENSION. WE HAVE FINALLY JUST NOW GOT A FULL COMPLIMENT THAT ARE PLAYING TOGETHER GREAT FOR A COACH WHO TRUELY UNDERSTANDS DEFENSE.AT NO OTHER TIME COULD WE HAVE WITHSTOOD AN ONSLAUGHT OF 10 ON 11 LIKE LAST WEEK. THE RESPECT FOR JOEY IS SHOWN EVERY WEEK BY OUR OPPOSITIONS GAME PLAN OF ATTACKING US TO OUR MIDDLE TO RIGHT SIDE.WE TEND TO TAKE FOR GRANTED THIS AS WELL AS THE ADJUSTMENTS HE HAS HAD TO MAKE IN HIS HARDNOSE STYLE.HE IS ONE THE BEST LEFT BACKS IN THE LEAGUE! JUST WATCH WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SIGI AND COBI COME TO TOWN!!! DON'T BE SURPRISED ONE DAY SOON WHEN WE MAY BE SAYING "BOY I SURE WISH WE STILL HAD JOEY AT LEFT BACK" GO REVS !!!BRING HOME THE CUP!!!!
Last year, when Rusty was healthy and playing right back, teams frequently switched their best offensive players over to Joey's side to get them more room to operate. Joey's a good player, but he does better at D-mid where he has less room to cover and his ball winning skills are at a premium. Oh, and most people don't care to read their posts in all caps. Saying Pierce reminds you of Mike Burns is about like saying Steve Ralston reminds you of Imad Baba. Rusty took away Burnsie's spot in the lineup in his first game of his rookie year.
Kung-Fu Rusty Nichol has got it right, imho. Rusty is a hard worker, but lacks discipline at the back. His 120% effort is exactly what got him injured (again). Franchino remains the Rev enforcer, and every team needs one. Kante has been supersolid, providing size and a quiet presence that has almost erased McBride from this series. Llamosa still has some games in him yet - he plays the best position defense out of all the Revolution defenders, being in the right place at the right time. Finally, Heaps has had a vastly improved year. He has improved defensively - not getting faked out as much. If anyone saw, Heaps was flawless in the 2-0 win vs. Chicago. He's also emerged as an offensive threat in the last two matches. Until Pierce eases up on the kung-fu kicks, I'll take Franchino and Heaps.
soccertim I don't know what T.V.your watching but by no means do they switch thier best forward to attack our left side.sure a guy like Cobi and the Quakes switch their forwards alot for defensive confusion but thats a not whats being pointed out here. Also I agree Burns doesn't hold a candle to either Rusty or Joey. Also I'll leave the caps to Joey.... US CAPS!!and hopefully Rusty soon too!!
I'm not watching any tv. I'm talking about last year and the year before, when Pierce was A) healthy and in game shape and B) playing right back. I'm not really ripping Joey, I just like him better at D-mid. Rusty's had a pretty bad year, but he's played very well when healthy. He got injured early in the season, and the first time he came back he was nowhere near full speed or match fit, the team was just desperate for decent defenders. The second time that he was injured it was kind of a freaky play when he kicked a high ball and someone ran into his extended leg. In any case, re-injuring a groin shortly after you return to action isn't uncommon. When quarterbacks get this type of injury, they often suffer relapses from things like rollout passes. I think that he was pretty serious about being out for the year. Again, when he came back this time, it wasn't because he was ready, it was only because of suspensions. He's still only had about 2 weeks of practice since he was laid up for 6 weeks or so.
Rusty has played ok for returing from an injury. However I don't think he has finished a complete game in the last 2 months. In a championship game all substitutions are precious and may make the difference in a close match. Start the other four with Rusty available to come off the bench.