On February 13, the Seattle Sounders defeated the New England Revolution 2-0 in the opening game of the Desert Diamond Cup. The Sounders won the game on the strength of a Brad Evans penalty kick and a Goal of the Tournament nominee from Eddie Johnson. The game was streamed online which allowed Revs fans to get their first glimpses of the 2013 team. Below are 5 lessons from Wednesday.
The Revs needs to Develop a Plan to Counteract Fouls
Wednesday’s game turned physical with both the Sounders and the Revs dishing out hard, unnecessary tackles. Both teams were forced to finish the game with ten players on the field. New England needs to be prepared for this type of behavior as their fast-paced, skillful play is sure to attract fouls. In 2012, the Revs were one of the most fouled teams in the league while being the second-lowest in committed fouls (360) and red cards (2) and third-lowest in yellow cards (40). These numbers helped the team win the MLS Fair Play Award but also encouraged physical play from opposing teams since they knew there wouldn’t be serious retaliation.
This season, New England will have to device a plan to punish teams that try to use force as a way of disrupting the flow of the game. One option is to increase the overall physicality of the team while getting someone like Kalifa Cisse, Clyde Simms or Jose Goncalves to play the role of destroyer. The other option is to do a better job with free kick opportunities. In 2012, the Revs only scored twice on dead ball opportunities which made fouling an easy decision for opposing teams. The Revolution will hope to improve their free kicks through Juan Toja, Lee Nguyen and Chris Tierney which will make defenders fearful of fouling in dangerous areas.
Goncalves is Struggling
Jose Goncalves enters the 2013 season as one of the Revs’ premier defensive signings. The 27 year-old has been touted as a talented player that will bring experience to the backline. So far, however, Goncalves has had a hard time meeting those expectations. In the first game, the Portugal native helped the Revolution record a 0-0 tie with Sporting KC. The second game didn’t go as well, with the Revs losing 4-1 to the Vancouver Whitecaps. Questionable plays by Goncalves were punished by Darren Mattocks for the game’s first two goals. On the first goal, the Portugal native was caught out of position and the second goal came as a result of a mistimed offside trap.
Goncalves’ most recent performance was another mixed bag with his solid moments being discounted after a hard, yellow card worthy tackle in the 25th minute and a poor display of defense against Eddie Johnson. In the 45th minute, the Revs’ defender was convincingly beat by Johnson which allowed the US international to score a world class goal.
Gonclaves’ struggles are concerning for Revs’ fans who still have memories of John Lozano. Like Goncalves, Lozano was brought in a foreign player with a wealth of experience. The Columbian struggled in his limited minutes which allowed midfielder-turned-defender Stephan McCarthy to permanently enter the starting eleven. Goncalves will need to find consistency or his fate will mirror that of Lozano, especially with McCarthy, Darrius Barnes and Andrew Farrell waiting in the wings.
Andrew Farrell is Ready
Despite trading up in the SuperDraft to grab Farrell, head coach Jay Heaps remained coy about whether or not the Louisville defender would be an immediate contributor for the Revs. Throughout preseason, Farrell had been called upon to play both center back and fullback. On Wednesday, the Kentucky native was tasked with patrolling the ride side for the first 45 minutes of the game.
In his first start with the club, Farrell put in an industrial shift that saw him get tested early and often. In the game’s opening minutes, Steve Zakuani tried to challenge the rookie before being denied and sent away. It should be noted that Zakuani remains one of the fastest players in MLS despite a missing over a year of play with a broken leg. The two young players dueled throughout the first half with Farrell typically getting the best of it. Beyond a sound defensive stint, Farrell showed that he is comfortable with the ball by making several calm passing out of the back.
While we are still weeks away from opening day, it looks as though Farrell has made a solid claim to the right back position. Farrell will have to stay sharp, however, as recent signee Bilal Duckett provides realistic competition.
Current Trialists Impress
After parting with Chris Thomas, Luke Spencer, Alex De John, Quinton Griffith and Anthony Salciccia, the Revolution preseason roster currently consists of Marko Jesic (F), Donnie Smith (M), Gabe Latigue (M) and Luis Soffner (GK). The players that remain each provide unique cases for making the final roster.
Marko Jesic is a recent addition to camp and has already shown his skill and pace. The Australian played 45 minutes on Wednesday and looked dangerous on several occasions. His most impressive moment came in the form of a late header that narrowly missed the mark. The downside to Jesic is that he would occupy the team’s final international slot which might be a risky move considering he has only scored 6 goals in 41 games with the Newcastle Jets.
Smith and Latigue aren’t likely to make an immediate impact like Jesic could but they do have a good chance of making the roster. Smith played 45 minutes against the Sounders and had a great chance early in the second half when he hit a low shot after an impressive run forward. Smith also provided the Revs with several lofted free kicks which, despite being unorthodox, challenged the Sounder’s defense.
Latigue showed similar attributes while playing in the game’s opening 25 minutes. In one of his best moments, the Elon man carried the ball forward and challenged the Sounder’s defense before smartly dishing the ball wide to Diego Fangundez. While raw, Latigue has also been praised for his ability to take free kicks. Both players might be added and sent to the Rochester Rhinos to develop further.
The final unsigned player that is in camp could have an easier path to the roster. While Soffner has only played 31 preseason minutes, it seems likely that he will be chosen to fill the role of third keeper. If signed, Soffner would likely be sent to the Rhinos and only be called upon in times of injury.
Forward Depth is Coming
The Revs started the game with a forward pairing of Jerry Bengtson and Diego Fagundez. Fagundez looked lively in the opening minutes with a number of long range shots that challenged goalkeeper Michael Gspurning. One of the teenager’s best chances came after Bengtson headed forward a pass to a streaking Fagundez. It was encouraging to see the two players work together but the duo faded as the half went on.
Luckily for fans, the team will see more competition at the forward position with the recent signing of Chad Barrett. After being selected in the Re-Entry Draft, Barrett signed with the team on February 11. The former LA Galaxy player has only trained twice with the Revolution and illness prevented him from making an appearance on Wednesday. With time, however, Heaps will hope that Barrett will be able to make an impact with the club. The California native has 42 goals and 27 assists in 192 career appearances while also receiving a call up to the US National Team. While often criticized for being streaky, Barrett has a wealth of MLS experience and should be a great option for the team while Saer Sene recovers and Bengtson is away on international duty.
Extra: 5 Players Didn’t Play and Two Players get Injured
Matt Reis (illiness), Chad Barrett (illness), Kelyn Rowe (Left Knee), Saer Sene (ACL) and Luis Soffner were the only players that did not see action on Wednesday. The injury list grew during the game when Chris Tierney came off with an ankle injury and Kevin Alston exited with an undisclosed ailment.
Potential Opening Day Lineup (As of February 14, 2013)
(image courtesy of revolutionsoccer.net)
