On Tuesday, the New England Revolution began their US Open Cup campaign with a convincing 5-1 victory over their USL-Pro affiliate the Rochester Rhinos. The Revs should be commended for their impressive showing since it was a stark contrast to last year’s implosion against the Harrisburg City Islanders.
Last year, the Revs and Islanders were required to go into extra time after a scoreless 90 minutes. The Revs found their scoring touch in the first period with Kelyn Rowe, Lee Nguyen and Benny Feilhaber providing goals. The momentum would switch in the second period, however, as the Islanders evened things up to force penalty kicks. The Revs came crashing out of the 2012 Open Cup when Rowe and Feilhaber proved unable to find the back of the net.
The Revs took several precautions in 2013 to ensure that they wouldn’t face the same embarrassment twice. First, the team improved their overall depth. The starting lineup for last year’s Open Cup match combined for a total of 129 MLS appearances with Darrius Barnes serving as the team elder. Many of these players were unknown commodities and only six remain on the Revolution’s payroll today. Among those cut include, John Lozano, who lost his starting spot to a midfielder-turned-defender, Mike Roach, who never played in a league match and Jose Moreno, who never wanted to be in New England.
This year, the Revs utilized a more experienced lineup that featured only three MLS newcomers (Donnie Smith, Gabe Latigue and Kalifa Cisse). Revolution stalwarts like Matt Reis, AJ Soares and Andy Dorman helped bring confidence to the team and prevented the Rhinos from gaining any type of momentum. Having so much experience on the field was valuable when controlling the tempo of the game since the team knew when to hold possession and when to attack with numbers.
Another important factor in Tuesday’s victory was head coach Jay Heaps’ decision to recall Latigue and Tyler Polak, the two healthy Rochester loanees. While some have called this move cold-hearted considering the Rhinos injury woes, it’s important to remember that Latigue and Polak are contracted by the Revolution. The point of the affiliation is to help the Revs by aiding in development and fitness. Polak and Latigue both saw time in Tuesday’s match which highlights their usefulness to the Revs. Now that the Revs have beaten the Rhinos, something that was always expected, both players will have the opportunity to work with the first team.
Finally, the Revs win was assured because of the overall commitment to playing with passion. Last year, all six goals occurred during extra time. This year, the Revs didn’t wait to get on the scoreboard as Rowe had his first of the night in the 23rd minute. The second half would bring a furry of scoring with Dorman, Jerry Bengtson, Rowe and Chad Barrett all providing goals. On defensive end, it was only a long range effort from Rochester’s Kendell McFayden that prevented the team from earning a shutout.
The score line and overall play showed that the Revs wanted to outplay their opponent, win the game and advance in the tournament. The Revs will certainly face bigger challenges than the Rhinos but there should be optimism among fans after the win.
3 Observations and Revelations
1. Barrett and Dorman impressed. Barrett and Dorman haven’t seen much of the field in 2013 but they certainly made a case for more time with their performances on Tuesday. Barrett provided Rowe with an assist for the game’s opening goal. In the 53rd minute, he earned a second-assist while also providing an off-the-ball run that confused defenders. The California native finished his night with a goal of his own in the 81st minute. Meanwhile, Dorman served as a calming veteran presence in the middle of the field. Dorman showcased another part of his skillset when he scored from a Rowe feed in the 53rd minute. The Revs roster is crowded but it will be hard to ignore Barrett and Dorman if they continue to put in solid performances.
2. Keep an eye on the injury report. One of the major problems with participating in side tournaments is the threat of injuries. On Tuesday, Dimitry Imbongo and Smith left the game with issues. Imbongo has been relatively healthy this season but Smith has had struggled with a groin injury. It should also be noted that Dorman appeared to have suffered a knock during the latter portion of the game but Heaps had already used his three substitutes. If the Revs are going to continue their impressive run of form, both in and out of the Open Cup, they are going to need to stay healthy.
3. Bilal Duckett will miss out. Latigue, Polak and Matt Horth (who is currently injured) can contribute to future Revolution Open Cup games. The same cannot be said for Duckett who became cup-tied to the Rhinos after appearing against the Portland Phoenix. While it’s impressive that Duckett scored the game-winner against the Phoenix, there is no doubt that he could have been useful to the Revs, especially considering that he helped the team earn a draw in Portland. More time with the first team would also benefit Duckett who surely dreams of returning to MLS.
(image courtesy of revolutionsoccer.net)
