we have some games in hand. its possible. but unlikely. my sense is a team that could score goals but leaked goals could be tightend up in short order. a team that has no proven ability to score lots of goals will struggle to develop that capability. in the unlikely event we do squeek in, i would be bullish. in a playoff scenario, it is tactically possible to make our team succsful and SN knows the drill.
Arghhh, I can't vote.... I'm a definite maybe on this one I keep clicking no, but then can't bring myself to click submit. I agree with the previous poster (Rev-OKe, there's a first time for everything!) that if we do squeak in, we'll stand a good chance to be a spoiler for one of the high seeds.
I think we sneak in. The 3 game homestand after the trip to Seattle will be important, and all of those games are winnable (RSL, SJ, KC). The last four games on our schedule look rough, (@COL, CLB, CHI, @CLB)
I hesitated, but decided to think positively and vote yes. I think Nicol was channeling Belichick and delivering the message to his team that they shouldn't wait for Twellman but should start winning without him. We'll see if that message gets through.
Will key players get/stay healthy (not Twellman)? Will the playing time our youngsters have gotten pay a dividend? Will Janny start clicking with the other attackers? Positive answers to the above has a reasonable chance of the Revs making a run. My head says the Rev will get to make early date Tee Time this year but I'm going to go with a dark horse call: YES
I hope you are right. Just out of curiosity though (to you and anyone else), is it just me ( and it very well may be) or is Janny already starting to click and the problem is he can get reliable service. He seems to able to use rally's balls into the area. it feels like he does a lot of chasing to try and take mediocre balls and make them useful. It seems like he can work with everyone but not everyone can work with him. I feel like our wings can get anything useful to him
I guess I feel that even if we make the playoffs, we'll do the same thing we did last year, one round and out. We're already in big danger to not have home field for the first round. Is it worth it just to make the playoffs? I know for some here (and it used to be for some in the Revs FO) just making the playoffs is a successful season. While I think Nicol might be able to tactically set us up to give someone a tough time ... we did the same thing to Chicago last year, but didn't score in either of the playoff games. Do people honestly feel that we'd be able to score more than one goal in a series against a Chicago/Columbus (that's if we even stay in the East)?
I think they will make the playoffs. Based on points-per-game they are just behind 8th, right? Anyway, the team today is not the same team that played the first half of the season. Remember, the back line used to be Igwe/Tierney - Heaps - Barnes - recovering Alston, but they added Osei and pushed Igwe/Tierney back to the bench. In the midfield, Mansally has improved somewhat and started attacking better. He's starting over Thompson now. Ralston is healthy and playing again. Joseph is good for a half now. Castro is getting healthy now too and maybe will be able to prove he's better than Mansally or Nyassi. Offensively, they added Jankauskas who's playing well and contributing quite a bit offensively. Maybe the are not a ton better than before but they are still better and their play should reflect that.
I voted yes, but not by much. The reason being we still have some games at hand, and although the results have not been going our way, the team have been playing better as of late. The question is how hungry is this team? How bad do they want it? These questions will determine if they make it or not. They need to play each game the rest of the season like it's their last if they want to make playoffs. Then come playoffs it's anybodies game, the Dead Bulls proved that last year.
I agree with the idea that we'll sneak in but unless something radical happens, it'll be another sub-9K-attendance-homeleg-cuppa-coffee appearance. I want to be wrong. I've posted this before but its relevant...
Yes, but you forget we stink at home. We'll be lucky to get 4 points from those 3 games. One of my biggest frustrations with the Revs organization is that they have always defined a successful season as one in which they make the playoffs. The bar has been set too low and is then used as an excuse/reason not to improve the team - "we made the playoffs last year so no major changes are needed". Personally, I'd rather see them miss the playoffs entirely than to squeak in and be sent home after the first round. Maybe it will serve as a well needed wake-up call.
I share your frustrations. I fear, however, that missing the playoffs entirely would only set the bar lower. It has become obvious that on-field results don't really matter as far people getting "wake up calls." As I've said before I highly doubt anybody got an angry call from either Jonathan or Bob after our evil rivals the Fire outclassed both on the field and off it last year in the 1st round (the stadium atmosphere and attendance was a study in contrasts). If we miss the playoffs this year The Powers That Be (That Sadly Ain't Me) will point to things like injuries (again) and how they rolled out a website and the Rev Girls, and how that shows they're making progress and we shouldn't complain. Oh, and the Milan derby. It shows they are committed to soccer.
I'd say its unrealistic to expect the Revs to make the playoffs. The statistics here http://www.sportsclubstats.com/USA/MLS.html would suggest we have a 25.6% chance of making the playoffs. I'd say that's pretty accurate.
I don't want to see them make the playoffs only to watch a 0-0 tie at Gilette on a weeknight and then watch them unceremoniously get bounced at the away game. The Revs seem too hit or miss lately to make a good run of it.
With respect, the Revs have been to the championship game 6 of the last 7 years(not counting this year) how is that setting the bar low? and what evidence is there to suggest that the Revs Define a successful season by just making the playoffs ? If anything it looks to me like they have set a very high bar for themselves and fans with they should have. Interesting? who has said this?
Um... no they haven't. Four years out of the last 7, yes. It used to be a comment that was heard coming out of the team's front office. And to be honest, for a couple of years ... it really was. But that's no longer enough. And they're nowhere close to reaching that bar anymore...
I guess I'm going back more than the last few seasons, but there have been several times that the Revs just barely made the playoffs and the front office touted the season as successful (back when almost every team made the playoffs).
I voted no because while I feel we could have a better record over our last 12 games than our previous 18 (with E.J. up top and Joseph hopefully able to play full games), I don't see us improving quite enough. We're in a pretty deep hole. Keep in mind chivas has played only one more game than us and is 6 points ahead tied for the last playoff spot. Prove me wrong Revs!
everyone talks about what pace we are on (theoretically 40 points), but here's the thing, we talk across the season. but.... in the last 7 games (since the break) 6 goals 6 points that's less than 1 a game avg. we have 12 games left. so basically 24 points (current) + 12 points (even though we are technically averaging less than that per game) = 36. chart that.... we are in a steep decline (although the peak was never all that high) from earlier in the season in results.