Jay Heaps: One Fan's Perspective

I have been thinking about writing something about the recent retirement of defender Jay Heaps from the New England Revolution for some time. I wasn't sure of the best way to approach the topic, because - believe it or not - I was not always a fan of Jay Heaps.

I have been a fan of the Revs since the inception of the league, but I only started actively "covering" the Revolution in my blog about four years ago, and even then it wasn't very often. I spent most of my time on message boards talking with other fans about the Revs and the recent games, and the angst caused by some of the players. Here are some of my early thoughts about Jay Heaps from way back in 2006.

"Heaps is tough, but he whines a bit too much... JUST PLAY, JAY!"

"Heaps bugs me. That was such an obvious swat in the face of Moreno, and the foul could have given United another goal if it was inside the box. Stupid play - I am glad [Heaps] got an elbow in the mouth."

".... still think Larentowicz is the man. Love his style of play .... take notes Jay Heaps!"


Later in 2006 I was asked by CSRN to be the New England Revolution correspondent for their new weekly radio show "Around The League", so I started actively watching replays of the games via DVR, paying close attention to the players. It was then that I really started to take notice of Jay Heaps. I grew to respect his aggressive and scrappy style of play, even though parts of his game, like complaining to the Referee or Linesman, still bothered me. But the more I watched, the more I grew to respect his game, especially the way he played some of the tough strikers like Jaime Moreno and Ante Razov. He never shied away from playing those guys tough or mixing it up when the need arose. Despite his reputation as a scrappy player, Heaps only picked up 63 cautions and 4 ejections in his 11 year MLS career. Somehow it seemed like a lot more.

This past season, in my opinion, was Jay's best in his professional career. Playing left back, Jay was able to get forward and get into the attack more often than in previous years when he was playing in the 3-5-2 or at center back, and I got to see first hand what he really brought to the team. He always played his heart out, especially when his team was down, and would dig into the opposing corners, win balls for his team, and then run his tail off to cover on the counter attack. Jay played every game this season as if it was his last game. His hard work and dedication to his club earned him a well deserved call up to the US Men's National Team, an honor which yielded him his only caps for his country (as well as an ejection in the Gold Cup Final - yeah Jay, we noticed).

Recently I have been thinking about the collective age of the core group of veterans in the New England Starting 11 - Ralston, Reis, Joseph, Twellman and Heaps - and came to the conclusion that this core was getting old quick. They are all in their 30's (Twellman, born on February 29th, will be 30 on his next "birthday") and their age is starting to show. Twellman never fully recovered from his head injury last year. Reis was apparently playing with a bad shoulder for most of the season. Shalrie Joseph was banged up for portions of the season, and often played injured. And for a second year in a row, Steve Ralston's season was cut short just before playoffs. You could even throw Chris Albright into the mix as he is still on the roster and well into his 30's and also sat out the entire year. The Revolution were thereby forced to field a much younger team than in the past inluding starting three MLS rookies on the back line.

However, despite all of the injuries and new players, the Revolution were able to count on Jay Heaps. He provided the anchor that the Revs needed in the start of the season when the likes of Ralston and Reis were both sidelined with injury. He provided the leadership they needed at the end of the season, when the playoffs were on the line. He even added a goal and an assist along the way in the "Milestone Game" against the Red Bulls. If not for his call up to the national team, Jay would have started for the Revs every game this season.

Over the last few years, Heaps established himself as one of the key leaders on the Revolution team, both on the field and in the locker room, showing by example what it takes to succeed in this league. He leaves the Revs as the all time leader in starts (238), games (243), and minutes played (21,619). He takes with him 11 years worth of experience soaked in blood, sweat, and even tears. His drive, his grit, and his passion for the game will most certainly be hard to replace.

Jay - if you are reading this - you won me over. I can honestly say I am going to miss watching you play next year. You gave your all to our team, and for that I thank you.

A Call for Non-Calls

I started going off on a tangent while writing a comment on Soccer by Ives post about the FIFA decision to not award Ireland a 33rd spot in the upcoming World Cup. I am going to post it here word for word - and maybe I'll expound on it later.

OK - bad calls and non calls are part of the game. Cheating happens at some level in every game, whether it is shirt pulling or time wasting.... it is up to the ref to call it. This time the ref didn't call it.

The real call here is to improve the officiating, or enhance it. I think an in-game review procedure should be in place leveraging review methods from other sports. Use a model similar to hockey where the goals can be reviewed, use tennis' hawkeye to validate the ball crosses the goal line into the net. Award one "NFL" challenge per side per half to contest a "reviewable" decision (goals, goals scored bu unfair advantage (player in an offside position, hand balls would fall into this category), infringement, any change in possession awarded by corner kicks or throw-ins). Fouls, bookings, ejections, and offside calls would not be reviewable.

I can go on and on - but the point is there is precedent in many other sports that is accepted the world over for in game replay. There is NO reason not to incorporate it into the game at some level. To those that say it would hold up the game - I'd say not any more than arguing with the referees' do. Look at Tennis - it takes 25 seconds at the most to review whether a ball is in or out. A hand ball might take a bit longer to sort out...but no longer than an instant replay in the NFL would take. And by limiting the number of challenges per half - the managers would be careful when to use their challenge.

Midnight Ride - Revolution Recap Ep. 6

November 12, 2009
Hank and Sean are joined by New England Soccer News correspondent Brian O'Connell to wrap up the ups and downs of the New England Revolution season.

Click here to download

Hank: revsmidnightride [at] gmail.com or follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/midnightrevs

Sean: revolutionrecap [at] gmail.com or http://blog.revolutionrecap.com

Revolution Recap - Midnight Ride Ep. 4

Hank and Sean discuss the New England Revolution and the amazing turn of events that led them to clinching a playoff spot.

Click here to download

Hank: revsmidnightride [at] gmail.com or follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/midnightrevs

Sean: revolutionrecap [at] gmail.com or http://blog.revolutionrecap.com

Midnight Ride - Revolution Recap Ep. 3

Hank Alexandre (The Midnight Ride) and Sean Donahue (Revolution Recap) talk New England Revolution. The missed opportunities against Chicago, Paul Mariner's Departure and all sorts of Playoff Scenarios IF THE REVS GET IN!

Click here to download

Hank: revsmidnightride [at] gmail.com or follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/midnightrevs

Sean: revolutionrecap [at] gmail.com or http://www.facebook.com/pages/Revolution-Recap/

Midnight Ride - Revolution Recap Ep. 2

Hank Alexandre (Midnight Ride) and Sean Donahue (Revolution Recap) combine forces once again to bring to you hard core cutting edge insight to the New England Revolution.

This week Hank and Sean go off on the debacle that was last week's game and why Wells Thompson is still starting over Mauricio Castro, plus we take a look at the rest of the games for the Revolution as well as the rest of the league as we break down various playoff scenarios.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD!


Hank: revsmidnightride [at] gmail.com or follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/midnightrevs

Sean: revoulutionrecap [at] gmail.com or http://www.facebook.com/pages/Revolution-Recap/

It's the #TPL, Stupid!

Hey - if you haven't heard - the TPL is the Twitterverse Players League, and it is also your opportunity to vote for your favorite Revs players - Taylor Twellman is already through to the next round, but Chris Tierney is locked in a tight battle for second place in his group... the top two in each group go through - so get out there and vote! And when your done, clear your internet cookies and vote again. Repeat as often as possible... voting ends Friday!

Click here to vote!

Time for a new Ride....

Hank Alexandre of the Midnight Ride and Sean Donahue of Revolution Recap collaborate in a return to the airwaves. If you missed the live broadcast on USTREAM, download this podcast - sure to be a collectors item.

The Midnight Ride is collaborating with Revolution Recap and is finally back on the interwebs. Thanks to Sean Donahue of Revolution Recap for carrying the show as I worked through my technical issues. Let us know what you think of the new format as Sean and I work out the kinks and come up with a name for this burgeoning disaster.

Hope you enjoy the show.

Hank revsmidnightride [at] gmail.com or follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/midnightrevs

Sean revoulutionrecap [at] gmail.com

Wow oh wow oh wow

Don't look now - but the Revs are on a run, and with two more home games against San Jose and Kansas City, they are in a position to secure a place back in the top half of the table (single table format). If they can manage a result against Chivas in three weeks - then we could be sitting pretty.

Of course the real question is: can the Revs sustain the offensive genius they showed on Sunday against Salt Lake - we'll find out this Saturday against the Quakes.

In the meantime - I am taking a break from podcasting for a while until I can figure out a set-up/format that works. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for new episodes.

LIVE BLOG: Revs at Seattle

Kickoff is at 10 EST. Live Blog starts at 9:45.

Striker Watch - Now taking applications

OK so I've been off the air for a while, but it doesn't mean I can't see what is going on down on the pitch.

The hard truth of the matter is the Revolution are coming to the end of another transfer window and there are no rumblimgs of a trade or transfer of any sort, and they STILL don't have anyone that can consistently score.

This fact was driven home hard in the face of the Revs during last Saturday's game against the Galaxy. The Revs, having subbed off Jankauskas (injury) at the half, and Dube (ineffective) in the 79th, finished the game with 7 midfielders on the field. Their replacements, Sainey Nyassi (one goal this season) and Wells Thomson (one goal in his career) were expected to push the ball forward and generate some offense. Pat Phelan had also come on as a sub for Emmanuel Osei - hardly the offensive threat that the Revs were looking for.

But when you look at the bench for the Revs, there are few options for generating offense. Maybe coach-for-the-day Paul Mariner could have used the speed of Amaechi Igwe on the flank instead of Pat Phelan in the middle (allowing Shalrie to move forward) but Iggy is hardly going to provide the spark that the offense needs. The only person on the bench resembling an attacking presence was Mike Videira, but that is a stretch as well. Mike has come close on a couple of occassions - but is still waiting for his first MLS goal as well.

Alas - for the Revs, the window of opportunity to make a change is literally closing, and with it - so are the Revs chances for qualifying for post season play.

Transfer Rumor: Field Turf on its way out - Natural Grass to return?

Recently, I have learned that Gillette Stadium will be replacing the synthetic turf. My source (I don't have permission to reveal his name), who is in the playing surface business, has said that the FieldTurf installed in November 2006 is shot, and that they will be looking at replacing it - possibly with a grass pitch? My source would not comment.

All I can say is: Please, Dear Lord, make this happen.

Anybody who has followed the Revs since before Gillette Stadium moved to a plastic pitch can tell you that despite the relatively more consistent playing surface the turf has had a somewhat negative effect on the health of the team. The Revs (and Patriots) have played two full seasons on the synthetic field - in those two years the injury list from the Revs has been incredibly active. Player after player have been going down with hamstring injuries, turf toe, sprained ankles, and muscle pulls - and some haven't made it back.

Let me state for the record that I am not a physical trainer, and this is entirely my own opinion based on my own observations. But when players practice on one kind of surface and move to another to play on, the muscles are going to respond differently. As a player, I have played on both, and I can honestly say that I have picked up far more injuries playing on synthetic turf than I ever have playing on grass. Rolled ankles, hyper extended knee strains, turf toe all seem to be common place on synthetic turf.

After watching the Milan vs Inter match last Sunday, and seeing the sod rolled out on top of the synthetic turf - I was reminded of how much the plastic grass changes the game. Grant Wahl discusses the attitude of certain players toward synthetic turf in his book, The Beckham Experiment, and their unwillingness to play on it for concerns over their health. Alexi Lalas, in his "The Sitter" video-cast on MLSnet.com, recently weighed the pros and cons of Synthetic Turf, and talked about how the ball travels differrently over the turf, and that even a synthetic turf surface will eventually lose its playability.

Gillete's turf is especially bad, as two teams have been playing on it for more than 2 years. That's a minimum of 23 home games (15 Revs + 8 Pats) per season, not including post season games. The field gets additional abuse from special sporting events (SuperLiga, International Friendly's, Gold Cup tourney's, World Cup Qualifying, etc), as well as concerts. Furthermore, the Patriots prefer to practice in the stadium, which undeniably leads to the further deterioration of the playing surface.

Considering the number of events held at Gillette Stadium, the cost of maintaining a natural grass surface, and the fact that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has a career record of 31-3 on artificial turf, the likelihood of "The Razor" returning to a grass surface is minimal. However, soccer purists like me can hope for at least a re-vitalized playing surface whether it be in new FieldTurf or they forget to take up the sod after Brazil vs Mexico.

URGENT: USA vs MEXICO WILL NOT BE TELEVISED ON A MAJOR US NETWORK

Since first publishing this post, I have learned that MUN2 will be broadcasting in English with Phil Schoen and Marcelo Balboa as Commentators. This does not change my opinion that the game should not be televised on a major television network.


I don't know what the reasons are but they are secondary at this point. What is important is the following: what is undoubtedly the biggest game for the US Men's National Soccer Team's World Cup qualifying campaign, and could very well be the biggest draw the USMNT would ever have on a major network ratings wise, will not be available to the general public at large. It won't be shown on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic or even ESPN Deportes. It wont be on ABC, CBS, FOX or even FSC. The game will only be shown on MUN2 - a Telemundo Network channel. So not only won't it be on a major network, it won't even be in English.

This is shocking - what's even more shocking is that Telemundo is part of the NBC Network - and the fact that they will not be using one of their American based channels (NBC, USA, CNBC, MSNBC, Bravo) to broadcast the game is beyond belief.

BUT YOU CAN HELP. FOLLOW THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS.


Per Jason Gatties' suggestion, there is now an online petition for the effort:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/usamexicotv

Sign it, send it to everyone you know, tweet it, post it on message boards-do whatever it takes to make this a campaign that actually carries some weight.

*UPDATE* Apparently I should have researched this particular petition site a little; it seems that ipetitions makes it appear you have to pay to sign. THIS IS NOT THE CASE. THERE IS NO CHARGE TO SIGN THE PETITION.

Online petitions are nice, and they're certainly easy, but clogging up email in-boxes and fax machines are even better. I realize that the effort needed can often be a deterrent, and so I'm making it easy for you:

First, copy and paste these email addresses into your email's recipient box.

brian.walker@nbcuni.com, adam.freifeld@nbcuni.com, Lyndsay.Iorio@nbcuni.com, dick.ebersol@nbcuni.com, Perkins.Miller@nbcuni.com, Jeff.Zucker@nbcuni.com

Make the subject "USA-Mexico on USA Network" or something similar.

Next, copy and paste this text into the body of your email:

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am an American soccer fan. Yes, we do in fact exist, and we are likely more numerous than you might believe.

As an American soccer fan, I was distressed to learn that the United States Men's National Team's upcoming World Cup qualifier with arch-rival Mexico will not be broadcast on a widely-available English-language network.

This is unacceptable. Soccer, and in particular the USMNT, are growing in popularity at a rapid clip. The team's recent strong showing in a tournament last month has drastically increased their profile, and more Americans than ever are following them. USA-Mexico is not only a crucial game for World Cup qualification, it's also the most compelling, intriguing, and attention-worthy game on the 2009 calendar. The soccer community is anxiously awaiting the match, and will watch in larger numbers.

Broadcasting the game on a network few of us receive or would be forced to pay added cost for is not only unfair, it's bad business. Cutting the potential audience for the game off at the knees does not seem the best way to maximize it's potential worth to NBC Universal.

Therefore, I respectfully request that you move this match to one of your other more widely-available networks. USA Network would seem to make the most sense, though I am not picky. Please allow us, the American soccer community, see the game that we are so looking forward to. I'm convinced that this move makes sense for your company as well; aside from the millions of eyes tuned to your one of your networks, the PR ramifications are obvious.

Sincerely,
(your name)
An American Soccer Fan

Hit send.


E-mail and tweet as many people as possible. Get them to sign it too, and get tehm to pass it on. Paste it on facebook. Spread the word.... push social media to it's limit. Let's get NBC to put it on the air.

Check out the new Forums at Winning Ugly!

My buddies at Winning Ugly Radio have started a message board - and have given me my own Forum to engage you the listeners - I know there are hundreds of message boards out there and you may not want to join another one - but where else can you get a chance to fire back at the most insanely funny radio talk show on the interwebs...

so here is the link
Winning Ugly Radio Message Board

Midnight Ride Forum

we will give it a shot and see how it goes - let me know what you think!

Episode 11 - Has Steve Nicol Lost the Plot?

This week - TMR vents it's frustration at the tactics employed by Steve Nicol - and asks the question - Has Steve Nicol Lost The Plot? Also TMR responds to the question Open Cup or Super Liga - and reads your responses as well!

Click here for this week's episode

Episode 11 Show Notes
Music: Kicks - By Paul Revere and the Raiders Xica da Silva - By Jorge Ben (I know it's not original, but you can blame Peter Brown on CSRN's Divers and Cheats for introducing it to me) "Why?" clip - excerpt from Rhymocerous and Hiphopopotamus - Flight of the Conchords

Props:
Scott Bornstein, Sandra Franz, Zach Woosley, and the Immortal Erik Young http://www.winninguglyradio.com
Zach Woosley - http://www.gingetalksthefooty.com
Twiggster - Glory Glory Leeds! http://www.csrnusa.com/glorygloryleeds/ podcast: http://www.csrnusa.com/glorygloryleeds/glory-glory-leeds-show/
Jason Davis - http://www.matchfitusa.com
http://www.csrnusa.com
Chris Nee and Gary Andrews - http://www.twofootedtackle.com
Michael Johnson (MJ_in_Pitt) - http://www.steelarmy.com/
Kartik Krishnaiyer - http://thekartikreport.com
Brian O'Connell - http://houseofsoccer.blogspot.com/


Be sure to check out the new article by L.E. Eisenmenger
http://www.examiner.com/x-4128-New-England-Revolution-Examiner http://twitter.com/madisonroad
Additional Props to Jorge Ben, Paul Revere and The Raiders, Flight of the Conchords
and the Midnight Riders Tailgate Party


Episode 10 - SuperLiga or Open Cup?

In this week's episode, TMR discusses the fiasco of fixture congestion that is caused by SuperLiga and the Open Cup, and puts forth the argument that perhaps it's time for SuperLiga to go away. Also discussed is the Open Cup and its importance to soccer in America, a preview of this week's game in LA, injuries and a signing!!

Click here for this week's episode

Thanks for listening!

http://revsmidnightride.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/midnightrevs
revsmidnightride@gmail.com
http://defendthefort.net > Blogs > Hank Alexandre

Episode 10 Show Notes

Music:
Kicks - By Paul Revere and the Raiders
Xica da Silva - By Jorge Ben (I know it's not original, but you can blame Peter Brown on CSRN's Divers and Cheats for introducing it to me)
"Why?" clip - excerpt from Rhymocerous and Hiphopopotamus - Flight of the Conchords


Props:

Scott Bornstein, Sandra Franz, Zach Woosley, and the Immortal Erik Young
http://www.winninguglyradio.com

Zach Woosley - http://www.gingetalksthefooty.com

Twiggster - Glory Glory Leeds!
http://www.csrnusa.com/glorygloryleeds/
podcast:
http://www.csrnusa.com/glorygloryleeds/glory-glory-leeds-show/

Jason Davis - http://www.matchfitusa.com

http://www.csrnusa.com

Chris Nee and Gary Andrews - http://www.twofootedtackle.com

Michael Johnson (MJ_in_Pitt) - http://www.steelarmy.com/

Kartik Krishnaiyer - http://thekartikreport.com

Brian O'Connell - http://houseofsoccer.blogspot.com/



Be sure to check out
the new article by
L.E. Eisenmenger

http://www.examiner.com/x-4128-New-England-Revolution-Examiner
http://twitter.com/madisonroad

Additional Props to Jorge Ben, Paul Revere and The Raiders, Flight of the Conchords

and the Midnight Riders Tailgate Party

SuperLiga or Open Cup? What's your preference?

Personally - even though I was proud of the way the team battled back in the 2008 tournament to tie the game and win it in PK - I have always thought SuperLiga was a sham. When the first teams were announced back in 2007 and LA was included over New England (New England was second in the east, and LA was second from bottom in the west) it was clear to me that it was all a way to sell more David Beckham Shirts.

What gets me is SUM is willing to sponsor this bogus tournament and yet wont put any money into the Open Cup. Nowadays, most MLS teams these days use as an excuse to get their bench players some game time, but this tournament used to have a lot of appeal (especially when the Revs won it in 2007).

With the reduced roster size MLS teams are struggling to field players for these events along with league play - and if you add the Champions League also in the mix - you just get a ton of fixture congestion that most MLS sides can't keep up with as was the case with the Revs last year.

So which tournament means more to YOU and why? Let me know and I'll read your responses on my podcast.

TMR Recommended Reading: Eisenmenger, Davis, and Kartik

L.E. Eisenmenger has a great recap of the Revs vs KC Superliga match last night. I particulaly enjoyed reading Steve Nicol's comments.

Jason Davis has a great piece on the importance of yesterday's victory for the US over Spain in the Confederations Cup.

Kartik Krishnaiyer has a piece on Charlie Davies and Jay DeMerit and how their success differs from the traditional.

Jay Heaps for USA!!!!


Bob Bradley has named his 23 man roster for the Gold Cup - and although there are some notable absences (Dempsey, Donovan, Altidore) there is one shining newcomer to the squad.

Jay Heaps, US International Left Back.

After an 11 year career in the MLS, Jay is finally getting a look a the National Team. Some may question why a 32 year old is getting a look - well if anyone has seen him play this past season you can answer the question. The guy is playing better than I have ever seen - scoring 2 goals this season already - and I challenge anyone to give me an American left back in the league who is playing better (something I may have mentioned once or twice in my podcast).

Let me be clear, I am not saying Jay is the best the US has to offer. As a fan of the USMNT, I understand that this Gold Cup roster was picked to give the majority of the European based players a rest, but it was also to give Bob Bradley a look at some of the talent here in America. The fact that Jay was picked is Bob's way of giving Jay a tip of the cap for the effort he has put in over 11 years, and for the season he is currently having. Even if Jay does not make an appearance in Foxboro as the US take on Haiti on July 11th, having been picked to even wear the shirt is in itself recognition of an outstanding soccer player.


Now lets get Larentowicz a cap....

Episodio 9 - El Medianoche Viaje

This week on El Medianoche Viaje - we put on our sombrero and get ready for SuperLiga. Injuries, roster moves, and potential signings all to a beat that comes from south of the border to put us in a SuperLiga kind of mood.


Episode 9 Show Notes

Twellman and striker position Posted by Christopher Temper on June 14, 2009 at 2:04pm on Defendthefort.net in Revolution: On the Field
This question is for FO/Management folks. Clearly we can not rely on TnT to be available week to week. He makes a huge difference on the field for us. Without him, we struggle to even get SOGs, never mind goals. It appears we have no one else who can consistently score (double digit numbers for a season except maybe Ralston). As promising as some of the young guys like Mansally and Dube look to be the are clearly not able to fill a striker role in the way we need. Are we looking for a proven veteran who can regularly hit the back of the net? Doesn't matter if they are DP or a current player in MLS. Clearly we need something more. Can someone from the FO (Brian, SN, Burns, anyone?) comment on this?

Music: El Matador - by Los Fabulosos Cadillacs Xica da Silva - By Jorge Ben (I know it's not original, but you can blame Peter Brown on CSRN's Divers and Cheats for introducing it to me) "Why?" clip - excerpt from Rhymocerous and Hiphopopotamus - Flight of the Conchords

Props:
Scott Bornstein, Sandra Franz, Zach Woosley, and the Immortal Erik Young http://www.winninguglyradio.com
Zach Woosley - http://www.gingetalksthefooty.com
Twiggster - Glory Glory Leeds! http://www.csrnusa.com/glorygloryleeds/ podcast: http://www.csrnusa.com/glorygloryleeds/glory-glory-leeds-show/
Jason Davis - http://www.matchfitusa.com
http://www.csrnusa.com
Chris Nee and Gary Andrews - http://www.twofootedtackle.com
Michael Johnson (MJ_in_Pitt) - http://www.steelarmy.com/
Kartik Krishnaiyer - http://thekartikreport.com
Brian O'Connell - http://houseofsoccer.blogspot.com/


Be sure to check out the new article by L.E. Eisenmenger
http://www.examiner.com/x-4128-New-England-Revolution-Examiner http://twitter.com/madisonroad
Additional Props to Jorge Ben, Paul Revere and The Raiders, Flight of the Conchords
and the Midnight Riders Tailgate Party


Recent Roster "Casualty" Not Really A Surprise


When considering that the Revs are actively looking for help at the forward line, I was expecting that the next casualty on the Roster would be an outfield player - maybe Dube or Thompson.

However I was completely wrong - and at first I was a bit shocked when the Revs announced that they have waived Zack Simmons . Simmons however has the opportunity to go to Yale Law School, and had asked to be waived in order to pursue his legal career.

This is a classic case of "Fish" or "Cut Bait", and in retrospect, Simmons probably made the smart move. Third on the depth chart behind all-star keeper Matt Reis and 2nd year standout Brad Knighton, Simmons was pulling splinters out of his backside.

Simmons, a native of Durham, N.H., had an impressive collegiate carreer at UMASS Amherst, where he was a walk-on to the team as a freshman.

Over a four year span Simmons recorded a 0.97 goals against average in 84 starts. Simmons also leads all UMASS keepers in wins (42), shutouts (30), saves (386), and also wins (17), shutouts (10) and goals against average (0.79) in a single season (2007) earning him All-American status, and leading the Minutemen to a berth in the NCAA College Cup the same year.

As a fellow UMASS Alum, I am sorry to see him leave the Revs, but at the same time, I respect his decision to move on with his career. Best of luck Z.


Episode 8 - Questioning Steve Nicol's Tactics

In Episode 8, TMR takes a hard look at the tactics employed by Coach Steve Nicol against Kansas City - also special guest Lisa Eisenmenger (Boston Pro Soccer Examiner) talks Shalrie Joseph, and TMR looks ahead to SuperLiga.

Click here for this weeks episode

Episode 8 Show Notes

Special thanks to this week's guests - Lisa Eisenmenger - Boston Pro Soccer Examiner http://www.examiner.com/x-4128-New-England-Revolution-Examiner

Music: Kicks - By Paul Revere and the Raiders
Xica da Silva - By Jorge Ben (I know it's not original, but you can blame Peter Brown on CSRN's Divers and Cheats for introducing it to me)
"Why?" clip - excerpt from Rhymocerous and Hiphopopotamus - Flight of the Conchords

Props:
Scott Bornstein, Sandra Franz, Zach Woosley, and the Immortal Erik Young http://www.winninguglyradio.com

Zach Woosley - http://www.gingetalksthefooty.com

Twiggster - Glory Glory Leeds! http://www.csrnusa.com/glorygloryleeds/ podcast: http://www.csrnusa.com/glorygloryleeds/glory-glory-leeds-show/

Jason Davis - http://www.matchfitusa.com
http://www.csrnusa.com

Chris Nee and Gary Andrews - http://www.twofootedtackle.com

Michael Johnson (MJ_in_Pitt) - http://www.steelarmy.com/
Kartik Krishnaiyer - http://thekartikreport.com

Brian O'Connell - http://houseofsoccer.blogspot.com/

Be sure to check out the new article by L.E. Eisenmenger
http://www.examiner.com/x-4128-New-England-Revolution-Examiner
http://twitter.com/madisonroad

Additional Props to Jorge Ben, Paul Revere and The Raiders, Flight of the Conchords
and the Midnight Riders Tailgate Party


Is help on the way?

Boston Herald reporting ....
Revs Notes

With Taylor Twellman day-to-day as he battles the lingering effects of a whiplash-like neck injury, the Revs have made a move to bring in offensive reinforcements. Former FC Porto, Benfica and Real Sociedad target man Edgaras Jankauskas, 34, is expected to join the team on trial this week, according to vice president of player personnel Michael Burns.

MLS Rumors also says....
Jankauskas is currently out of contract, last having played for Skonto Riga (Lativa) in 2008, before that having recently been on the books at Belenenses (Portugal) and AEK Larnaca (Cyprus). The tall (6 ft 4 in.), physical striker has also played for a host of higher profile European clubs, including a three-year stint at FC Porto under José Mourinho where he earned a Champions League winner's medal in 2004.
Video also available.

This is kind of the striker that we need - someone who has some experience and can bring a physical prescence into the box - his age has me concerned about his fitness but better a 34 year old guy that can give you 30-45 minutes of quality than a 19 year old that is keeping the bench warm.


Questioning Steve Nicol's Tactics

I have never been one to criticize the coach, but I have to wonder what Steve Nicol was trying to accomplish last night - and why he continues to play Shalrie as Striker - yes I know Shalrie scored a goal.... but that was practically a set piece (in fact it was the rebound from the set piece corner kick that led to the goal) and Shalrie always runs forward and scores most of his goals of the cross into the box - so you can't tell me that Shalrie as striker is working. Yes - It WAS a good idea when Ralston was still OUT - but now he's healthy and playing - so why continue?

Also with the lack of width on the pitch - Mansally and Nyassi were basically handcuffed from the get go. My preferred lineup would have been play a midfield of Tierney - Shalrie - Larentowicz - Thomson and clog up the middle. Play Dube or Mansally up top with Ralston and leave Shalrie in the midfield.

But After Osei went out with the red card, Nicol could have brought back Shalrie to the midfield and played Mansally up top with Ralston, and instead of using Dube - put on Tierney, Thompson, or even Videira, to keep the play clogged up the middle.
Instead he put on Dube for Phelan - when the game was already lost. A last gasp effort to manage some offense? Too little too late.

The game was not lost with the red card fellas... Nicol could have restructured the lineup to play for the draw.

Episode 7 - Milestone Road

The Midnight Ride celebrates a night of Milestones as Jay Heaps notches his 300th league appearance, Matt Reis gets shutout # 50, and Taylor Twellman becomes the youngest and fastest player ever to reach 100 goals in the MLS. Special Guests Brian O'Connell and Mike Kuhn join host Hank as they head down Milestone Road.

Click here to download episode


Episode 7 Show Notes Special thanks to this week's guests - Brian O'Connell - http://houseofsoccer.blogspot.com/ Michael Kuhn - http://www.downthebyline.com
Adam Cristman Interview - http://www.backpost.net/2009/04/adam-cristman-interview-04292009.html

Music: Kicks - By Paul Revere and the Raiders Xica da Silva - By Jorge Ben (I know it's not original, but you can blame Peter Brown on CSRN's Divers and Cheats for introducing it to me) "Why?" clip - excerpt from Rhymocerous and Hiphopopotamus - Flight of the Conchords

Props:
Scott Bornstein, Sandra Franz, Zach Woosley, and the Immortal Erik Young http://www.winninguglyradio.com
Zach Woosley - http://www.gingetalksthefooty.com
Twiggster - Glory Glory Leeds! http://www.csrnusa.com/glorygloryleeds/ podcast: http://www.csrnusa.com/glorygloryleeds/glory-glory-leeds-show/
Jason Davis - http://www.matchfitusa.com
http://www.csrnusa.com
Chris Nee and Gary Andrews - http://www.twofootedtackle.com
Michael Johnson (MJ_in_Pitt) - http://www.steelarmy.com/
Kartik Krishnaiyer - http://thekartikreport.com
Brian O'Connell - http://houseofsoccer.blogspot.com/


Be sure to check out the new article by L.E. Eisenmenger
http://www.examiner.com/x-4128-New-England-Revolution-Examiner http://twitter.com/madisonroad
Additional Props to Jorge Ben, Paul Revere and The Raiders, Flight of the Conchords
and the Midnight Riders Tailgate Party


Ponder this - Autograph Alley

The Revs have a tradition at the end of every game where they send a few players out to sign autographs for the fans.

So at Sunday night's record breaking extravaganza, in which Jay Heaps has his 300th appearance and scored a goal and an assist, Taylor Twellman becomes the youngest and fastest goal scorer to reach 100 goals (and # 101) all with the same club I might add), Matt Reis registers his 50th career shutout, and Steve Ralston - the all time MLS Assist Leader (who also sets a new record every minute he plays) notches another assist and a goal to boot - who do you think the Revs send out to sign Autographs?

Brad Knighton, Chris Tierney, Mauricio Castro, and Zack Simmons.

Two backup goal keepers and two left wings - none of which appeared in the record breaking event at all.

Don't get me wrong - I understand how it works - the list of who signs autographs is developed way in advance and everyone takes a turn. And I have the utmost respect for both Brad Knighton and Chris Tierney who have played some serious minutes this season and have earned some street cred in my opinion - as well as increase their trade value.

But my point - and I do have one - is why not switch it up on this special occassion - call an audible to borrow a phrase - send out Heaps, Twellman, Ralston, Reis and heck throw Shalrie Joseph out there as well (he only had two assists). Heaps and Shalrie and Ralston were all signing stuff for the crowd anyway from the dressing room stairs - why not just send them around the alley? Even Twellman - who ran out to sign a banner made in honor of his 100th goal - gave a few high fives at the dressing room door before disappearing.

And what is the point of sending out people that don't play to sign autographs? I know they are part of the team and all - but the fans don't identify with them. Who wants Nico Colaluca's autograph (yeah - he signed autographs last week) when he hasn't even played for the team yet?

It's about giving the people what they want, not about equal face time for players. On a night where the Revs could have capitalized on one of the greatest events in team history - they missed out.

Episode 6 - The Return of Taylor Twellman

In this week's podcast, we celebrate the return of Taylor Twellman, look at next week's game against New York with a new guest host, plus we break in a new man on the street with some excellent feedback.

Click here for this week's episode

Episode 6 Show Notes Special thanks to this week's guest - Daniel Feuerstein Check out Daniel's blog, Feuerstein's Fire at http://www.CSRNUSA.com and also his column on http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com

Music: Kicks - By Paul Revere and the Raiders Xica da Silva - By Jorge Ben (I know it's not original, but you can blame Peter Brown on CSRN's Divers and Cheats for introducing it to me) "Why?" clip - excerpt from Rhymocerous and Hiphopopotamus - Flight of the Conchords Theme Song from "Around the League in 90 Minutes" - CSRN

Props:
Scott Bornstein, Sandra Franz, Zach Woosley, and the Immortal Erik Young http://www.winninguglyradio.com
Zach Woosley - http://www.gingetalksthefooty.com
Twiggster - Glory Glory Leeds! http://www.csrnusa.com/glorygloryleeds/ podcast: http://www.csrnusa.com/glorygloryleeds/glory-glory-leeds-show/
Jason Davis - http://www.matchfitusa.com
http://www.csrnusa.com
Chris Nee and Gary Andrews - http://www.twofootedtackle.com
Michael Johnson (MJ_in_Pitt) - http://www.steelarmy.com/
Kartik Krishnaiyer - http://thekartikreport.com
Brian O'Connell - http://houseofsoccer.blogspot.com/


Be sure to check out the new article by L.E. Eisenmenger
http://www.examiner.com/x-4128-New-England-Revolution-Examiner http://twitter.com/madisonroad
Additional Props to Jorge Ben, Paul Revere and The Raiders, Flight of the Conchords
and the Midnight Riders Tailgate Party


More on Shalrie the Striker

Here is a great article from Jim Dow on Revs Net basically corroborating everything I said about Shalrie Joseph as striker, and even takes a stab at naming some alternatives at Striker... (note to self add Revs Net to Blogs I must read). Plus a great interview with Chris Tierney.

Revs Draft Pick arrives in Training Camp

Just a little more fuel for the "not enough room on the roster" fire, from the official New England Revolution Blog...

....One of the players hoping to make an impression is Andrei Gotsmanov, the Revolution’s third overall pick (second round, 24th overall) in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft in January. For those who didn’t catch the note in the Weekly Update, Gotsmanov joined the team for training for the first time yesterday and will be with the Revs on trial for at least a couple of weeks as he aims to earn a roster spot. The 23-year-old midfielder chose to remain at Creighton to finish his degree before joining the Revolution, and now with his degree complete, the path is clear for him to focus on soccer.


Here is the bio on Gotsmanov from the 2009 Super Draft


Andrei Gotsmanov – Second Round (24th overall)
Pronunciation: GOTS-mah-nov
Position: Midfielder
D.O.B.: May 6, 1986
Height: 6-0
Weight: 175 lbs.
Hometown: Egan, Minn.
College: Creighton University
Youth Club: St. Croix Club
Acquired: Drafted by the Revolution in the second round (24th overall) of the 2009 MLS SuperDraft

Gotsmanov, 22, was the 2008 Missouri Valley Conference player of the year and NSCAA first-team All-American after scoring 10 goals and four assists in 18 games. He began his collegiate career at St. John’s in 2004, and transferred to Creighton to finish his career in 2007 and 2008. He was also a semifinalist for the 2008 MAC Hermann Trophy. Gotsmanov is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Belarus.

Episode 5 - The Midnight Ride

This week, The Midnight Ride calls for a halt to the Shalrie Striker experiment, and takes a look at the injured veterans that may find it difficult to break their way back into the line-up. Also, special guest Jason Davis of MatchFitUSA.com joins TMR with some insight on the Revs' next opponent.

Click here for this week's episode

Episode 5 Show Notes Special thanks to this week's guest - Jason Davis  Check out Jason's blog and podcast  at http://www.matchfitusa.com

Music: Kicks - By Paul Revere and the Raiders Xica da Silva - By Jorge Ben (I know it's not original, but you can blame Peter Brown on CSRN's Divers and Cheats for introducing it to me) "Why?" clip - excerpt from Rhymocerous and Hiphopopotamus - Flight of the Conchords Theme Song from "Around the League in 90 Minutes" - CSRN 

Props:
Winning Ugly Radio - http://www.winninguglyradio.comwith Scott Bornstein, Sandra Franz, Zach Woosley, and the Immortal Erik Young 

Zach Woosley - http://www.gingetalksthefooty.com

Twiggster -  http://www.csrnusa.com/glorygloryleeds/glory-glory-leeds-show/

Jason Davis - http://www.matchfitusa.com 

http://www.csrnusa.com

Chris Nee and Gary Andrews - http://www.twofootedtackle.com 

Michael Johnson (MJ_in_Pitt) - http://www.steelarmy.com/

Kartik Krishnaiyer - http://thekartikreport.com

Be sure to check out the new article by L.E. Eisenmenger at  http://www.examiner.com/x-4128-New-England-Revolution-Examiner or at http://twitter.com/madisonroad

Additional Props to Jorge Ben, Paul Revere and The Raiders, Flight of the Conchordsand the Midnight Riders Tailgate Party


Question - who is the next casualty of the Revs roster?

With the rise of newcomers Emmanuel Osei, Darrius Barnes, Kevin Alston and the improved play of second year players Chris Tierney and Pat Phelan - it may be tough for some of the Veterans coming back from injury to find a spot on the starting XI - much less the team.  However - some of these veterans may be worth something in a trade - and if the Revs want to sign another Forward, they are going to need a roster spot - so the question is - WHO WILL BE THE NEXT PLAYER TO LEAVE THE REVS?

post your comments below!

Episode 4 - The Midnight Ride

In this weeks podcast - A recap of last week's game and a close look at the play of backup keeper Brad Knighton. The Midnight Ride heads north of the border to discuss the upcoming match against Toronto FC with a special guest - all this and more as TMR commences Striker Watch.

Click here for this weeks episode

Episode 4 Show Notes
Special thanks to this week's guest - Duane Rollins.
Check out Duane's Blog at http://www.24thminute.com
and also his weekly video broadcast
http://www.thatchannel.com/calledfootball

Music:
Kicks - By Paul Revere and the Raiders
Xica da Silva - By Jorge Ben (I know it's not original, but you can blame Peter Brown on CSRN's Divers and Cheats for introducing it to me)
"Why?" clip - excerpt from Rhymocerous and Hiphopopotamus - Flight of the Conchords
Theme Song from "Around the League in 90 Minutes" - CSRN

Props:

Twiggster - Glory Glory Leeds!
http://www.csrnusa.com/glorygloryleeds/
podcast:
http://www.csrnusa.com/glorygloryleeds/glory-glory-leeds-show/

http://www.csrnusa.com

Jason Davis - http://www.matchfitusa.com

Zach Woosley - http://www.gingetalksthefooty.com

Scott Bornstein, Sandra Franz, Zach, and the Immortal Erik Young
http://www.winninguglyradio.com

Chris Nee and Gary Andrews - http://www.twofootedtackle.com

Michael Johnson (MJ_in_Pitt) - http://www.steelarmy.com/

Kartik Krishnaiyer - http://thekartikreport.com



Be sure to check out
the new article by
L.E. Eisenmenger

http://www.examiner.com/x-4128-New-England-Revolution-Examiner
http://twitter.com/madisonroad

Additional Props to Jorge Ben, Paul Revere and The Raiders, Flight of the Conchords

and the Midnight Riders Tailgate Party

Striker Watch: Who will it be?

The Revolution have been defending fairly well since the debacle against Salt Lake and Houston, and Emmanuel Osei is proving to be the CB of the future. Now the Revs need to find room on the roster for a striker so they can keep Shalrie in the midfield and move Steve Ralston to the attacking midfielder position (instead of forward). Lets face it - they can't keep this up waiting for Taylor Twellman to get healthy.

Starting this week on The Midnight Ride - we will be watching for available strikers as they come on the market. So who would you sign - given your choice?

Show notes are now available on the blog - FREE!

I realized this morning that there are a few people out there that don't use iTunes and iPhones, so you may be missing out on the bonus feature in every episode: Show Notes.

I publish the show notes in the lyrics tab in iTunes before I upload the podcast to the feed. These notes are also available by tapping the screen on an iPhone when the podcast episode is selected.

But if you don't have an iPhone, and you don't use iTunes, you can now enjoy Show Notes FREE OF CHARGE right here on this blog.

I have edited the blog posts for each episode so they now include the show notes from that particular podcast.

Going forward I will post them in the blog entry when I upload the podcast.

Thanks for listening.

Episode 4 - Coming soon

Stay tuned for the next episode of The Midnight Ride - where we will recap the game against Colorado, and take a look at the state of the roster as we go on Striker Watch. Also - well be getting the band back together for a jam session as we take a look at the upcoming match against Toronto. All this and more in the next episode of The Midnight Ride....coming soon!

Episode 3 - To Draft, or to Trade?

In this week's episode, The Midnight Ride takes a look at how the New England Revolution trades players for draft picks, as well as recaps the game against the Chicago Fire, and previews next week's game as well.

Be sure to check out the show notes - available on your iPhone by selecting the podcast and tapping the screen, or also in iTunes by selecting the show, Click on File > Get Info, and select Lyrics.

Click here for this week's episode

Episode 3 Show Notes

Music:
Kicks - By Paul Revere and the Raiders
(ok granted, it's a loose reference to the Midnight Ride, but with a title like KICKS it gets extra soccer credit)
Xica da Silva - By Jorge Ben (I know it's not original, but you can blame Peter Brown on CSRN's Divers and Cheats for introducing it to me)
"Why?" clip - excerpt from Rhymocerous and Hiphopopotamus - Flight of the Conchords

Props:

Twiggster - Glory Glory Leeds!
http://www.csrnusa.com/glorygloryleeds/
podcast:
http://www.csrnusa.com/glorygloryleeds/glory-glory-leeds-show/

http://www.csrnusa.com

Jason Davis - http://www.matchfitusa.com

Zach Woosley - http://www.gingetalksthefooty.com

Scott Bornstein, Sandra Franz, Zach, and the Immortal Erik Young
http://www.winninguglyradio.com

Chris Nee and Gary Andrews - http://www.twofootedtackle.com

Duane Rollins - http://www.24thminute.com

Michael Johnson (MJ_in_Pitt) - http://www.steelarmy.com/



Be sure to check out
the new article by
L.E. Eisenmenger

http://www.examiner.com/x-4128-New-England-Revolution-Examiner
http://twitter.com/madisonroad

Additional Props to Jorge Ben, Paul Revere and The Raiders, Flight of the Conchords

and the Midnight Riders Tailgate Party

Draft or Trade?

Just picked up a new headset/microphone for the next podcast and already thinking of a topic -

The Revs obviously have a need at forward but either aren't willing to make a big splash or can't find a player who wants to play here.

I want to know what you think - given your choice, how would you fill a need on your roster - would you trade for a player you needed or try and fill the need in the MLS SuperDraft. How about free agency? What about a loan deal?

Send your responses to revsmidnightride@gmail.com or send me a tweet at http://twitter.com/midnightrevs or post comments below.

Don't forget to take the poll (in the right hand column).

Episode 2 - The Voice of the Fans

So I went to the game on Sunday (ugh) armed with my trusty state of the art recorder (iPhone + Recorder App) and got the chance to talk to a number of fans to get their opinions on the Revolution, the Dynamo, The Debacle in DC, and Winning Ugly Radio.



Episode 2 Show Notes

Lots of Audio Problems in this episode. Still working out the bugs...be sure to let me know what you think!

Props:

Twiggster
Glory Glory Leeds!
http://www.csrnusa.com/glorygloryleeds/
podcast:
http://www.csrnusa.com/glorygloryleeds/glory-glory-leeds-show/

http://www.csrnusa.com

http://www.matchfitusa.com

http://www.gingetalksthefooty.com

http://www.winninguglyradio.com

Be sure to check out
the new article by
L.E. Eisenmenger

http://www.examiner.com/x-4128-New-England-Revolution-Examiner
http://twitter.com/madisonroad

Additional Props to Jorge Ben, Paul Revere and The Raiders,
and the Midnight Riders Tailgate Party

Episode 2 Coming Soon!

Thanks to all who contributed to my man on the street segment at the
game yesterday! Be sure to check back soon for the next episode of The
Midnight Ride!

Cheers,

Hank

New Twitter Address - Thanks Again Ginge!

Ginge is the man. He once again has come through with some spur of the moment web-site editing to make sure that my new twitter address is coming through on the web site. Make sure you follow the new address at http://twitter.com/midnightrevs.

Be sure to follow Ginge as well, and pay homage to Ginge's web site at Gingetalksthefooty.com.

United to leave DC????

Believe it or not - this may happen. If DC United does not get a new soccer stadium in the near future then MLS may move the team.

Jason Davis over at Match Fit USA has started a campaign that all supporters of Major League Soccer should support.

Despite the animosity that often comes with our club allegiances, there remains a certain amount of solidarity across the MLS spectrum. The league is young, the margins small, and to an extent, we're all in this together.

No mater how much you might hate United and their fans (I'm looking at you Red Bull), it would be impossible to argue that a relocated United would be a good thing. Who would New York fans have to hate if DC moved to say, St. Louis? It's just not the way things should be.

So why not make May 9th "Keep United in DC" Day across the league?

I know, I know. Who cares about DC United?

Well YOU should - and here's why.

DC United with all of its early success brought credibility to this league when it was just starting out. It quickly became the blueprint of what every MLS team wanted to be - a winning team with a passionate fan base.

The fact that MLS is even considering moving this team is discouraging... if they move DC United, what's to stop them from moving YOUR team?

You may think New England is safe, especially with all the money that the Krafts have sunk into Patriot Place. But the Revs have notoriously low attendance records despite all of their recent success. And even if they don't pay rent at Gillette, MLS still wants every team to have its own ground. (Hence the research into a SSS in Somerville, and the rumors of a move to Hartford area that circulated late last year).

Teams like DC United and Houston Dynamo are low hanging fruit for MLS because they pay rent... but once those cherries are picked - MLS will turn its gaze to New England.

The Midnight Ride Begins anew...

With the launch of the first ever episode of the Midnight Ride Podcast!


This is my first ever attempt at doing something like this solo so I apologize if it stumbles along.  It was definitely a lot more work than I thought it would be!

Fans of CSRN be sure to listen for a little "wayback machine" in the middle of the podcast.

Please let me know what you think!


Episode 1 Show Notes

L.E. Eisenmenger

http://www.examiner.com/x-4128-New-England-Revolution-Examiner
http://twitter.com/madisonroad

Twiggster
Glory Glory Leeds!
http://www.csrnusa.com/glorygloryleeds/
podcast:
http://www.csrnusa.com/glorygloryleeds/glory-glory-leeds-show/

http://www.csrnusa.com

http://www.matchfitusa.com

http://www.gingetalksthefooty.com

http://www.winninguglyradio.com

Another Brilliant Marketing Idea

Except this one might actually work...just not on me.




So while the Revs are on the road, the newest guerilla marketing arm of the Kraft Soccer corporation will be giving out free giveaways at a hip sports bar downtown. I was very tempted to go - just so I could see the Rev Girls in action... but then I realized that the pub is down the street from Fenway, and the Red Sox are on at the same time.
While I think it is a good idea for the Rev Girls to get in the faces of some die hard sox fans, I just can't get motivated to go all the way into Boston (just "1200 steps from Fenway park") to watch this game, for one good reason: I want to actually WATCH the game. I mean it's a Bawstin spawts bah for christsake, and the Sawx are on!!! Not only that the bar is named after "'Nuff Said" McGreevy, for crying out loud, the legendary leader of the "Royal Rooters" (the original Red Sox Nation). I can't imagine that there will be more than one TV devoted to the Revolution while the Sox are playing. Then add the thousands of people in Boston who don't have tickets to the game at Fenway, and the revs fans are going to have a real hard time seeing or even hearing anything on the game.
So good luck Rev Girls - I hope the patrons of McGreevy's have a good time and that you can convince some of Red Sox Nation to come out and support the Revs, but you will have to count me out. I'll be enjoying the game from the comforts of home.

Match Preview: DC United

Tonight the Revs are on the road again for the third time this season, and having played only four games.  This week, the Revs are up against DC United and I am a bit tentative when I say that I like our chances.
 
The main reason is DC United have not been playing lights out defense this year, and as such are giving up a lot of late goals.  In the four matches they have played this season, they have scored the first goal, but yet have only one win to show for it (and that was against Houston, who are still struggling to find their offense).  I am also not a big fan of goalkeeper Louis Crayton, who I feel is a bit suspect and a big liability for DC.  On the plus side they have Luciano Emilio who, having looked way out of shape last season, seems to have regained his fitness from two years ago; but, so far he has been the only consistent scorer for DC.
 
For the Revs it is a question of injuries.  If Larentowicz (questionable) is not able to go tonight, Pat Phelan will get the start.  This will put more defensive responsibility on Shalrie which will limit his ability to effectively distribute the ball.  The Revs will have to look to Steve Ralston to set up the offense, if not provide it entirely.
 
That being said, I do not predict a high scoring game.  Although I am hoping for a win for the Revs, I am going to call this game a draw: 1-1.  Emilio scores for DC, with Ralston scoring the equalizer. 
 
 
 

Thank you GINGE!

My very good friend and colleague GINGE (aka Zach Woosley) helped clean up my blog by completely renovating the layout... I think it's a lot cleaner and much easier to read.  Make sure you visit gingetalksthefooty.com and pay your respects.

Revs waive Argenis Fernandez

The long expected roster move has finally come and gone. The New England Revolution announced earlier this week that Costa Rican forward Argenis Fernandez was cut in order to make room for Ghanaian defender Emmanuel Osei.

However the death nell for Fernandez, was not the signing of Osei, but rather the signing of Cameroonian Stephane Assengue, who is also a forward.

Fernandez, who was signed in February 2008, saw very little time on the field for the Revolution, and obvioulsy failed to impress. He made just two substitute appearances for the Revs before going out on loan.

Looking at the transaction, Fernandez had to be the logical choice. First and foremost the Revolution were out of international roster spots. The team only had seven spots to begin with because it traded one of its spots to Toronto for defender Pat Phelan, and used their last remaining spot to sign Assengue.

The remaining 5 spots are occupied by Badilla, Castro, Dube, Mansally, and Nyassi.

Shalrie Joseph does not occupy an international spot on the roster.

USL Team faces tough competition in Semi Final

A great article in New York Times today... a true success story for one of the so called "minor league" teams.

USL is anything but Minor League. Sure they don't have the marketing engine behind them that MLS has in SUM, but what it does have is quality.

I'll try and write more on this later....

Click here for article

Moving to a single table

The day is soon approaching when MLS will discard the East and West conferences and move to a single table.

With MLS announcing their two newest franchises last week in Vancouver and Portland, both scheduled to start in 2011, the league will consist of 18 teams. However, 2 0f the last 3 new expansion teams are very much on the west coast, which will either force 10 teams in the Western Conference, or some other realignment of the league.

Of the possible 10 teams in the west, the two most eastern teams are Dallas and Houston, obviously "western teams" in the traditional sense. MLS Could feasibly move one of these teams into the Eastern Conference - bringing each conference to 9. But this won't work for the long run. MLS wants to expand into the southeast U.S., and if the MLS get a franchise in Miami or Atlanta, they would then have to re-align the conferences again.

However, given the expansion in the northwest and the eventual expansion in the southeast, it could be time for MLS to finally move into a single table format. This may happen for a number of reasons.

First, the addition of Seattle has already caused the league to again re-align it's MLS Cup Playoff format for the third year in a row, partially adopting a single table format. The league has stated that the top two teams in each conference will qualify for the 2009 playoffs, and then the next four teams with the best records - regardless of conference - will qualify. That being said, the dominant conference in the league has always been the East. Given that last year there were 5 teams from the Eastern Conference made the playoffs with only one wild card spot, there is a high likelihood that 6 of the 8 teams that make the playoffs could be from one conference. This makes the whole idea of conferences moot.

Second, the idea of conferences and playoffs is a very American concept. Every other football league in the world does not have conferences at all. This has always been one of the chief complaints of football purists about the MLS. By abandoning the conferences, the league would be conforming to the world standard. It would also be reinforcing the notion that the league champion is the team that has the best overall record in the league (not the winner of the MLS Cup). It is a small step, but one that the league must take if it is ever to be taken seriously by the rest of the footballing world.

Finally, the league is continuing to grow by absorbing teams from the USL. This makes good sense for the league as these teams have a strong fan base and gurantees that the attendance will be better than average. This cherry picking from the USL (Seattle, Vancouver, Portland, and potentially Montreal and Atlanta) is the forerunner to what many Football Purists have long held against the league as the most obvious difference between MLS and the rest of world: Promotion and Relegation. By absorbing these teams into MLS, the League has instituted the beginnings of Promotion into the league from the "lower leagues". Can relegation be far behind? The thing is promotion and relegation will only work with a single table format. Promoted teams and relegated teams would constantly force the conferences into re-alignment. With a single table format the league could easily absorb more teams without worrying about east vs west.

MLS has long clung to the belief that it needs to attract the diehard American sports fan in order to survive. I whole heartedly disagree. Rather, I think MLS needs to attract the FOOTBALL (i.e., Soccer) Fan in order to survive. The best way to do that is to move away from the old formula and embrace the global standard. This will not happen overnight - but this looks like it could be the beginning.

#17 announced Vancouver

MLS announced Vancouver will be the 17th team to join MLS. The Whitecaps will follow a similar path to the one Seattle followed in that the whole team will be "promoted" from the USL team.

The team will join the league in 2011.

Suarez Retires

http://tinyurl.com/blfd6g

Skewed Salaries reported for MLS

http://www.mercurynews.com/sports/ci_11873721?nclick_check=1

This article says New England Revolution is one of the lowest average salaries in the league...however what the article fails to convey is that MLS has a very skewed salary structure, where first year players (not including Generation Adidas players) are paid roughly 33,000 per year, and developmental players are paid even less. 

Team averages that have big name "outliers" such as Beckham, Blanco, Angel and Ljungberg are skewed.  The Galaxy averages $404,000 per player, but only because they have Beckham and Donovan. 

Take a look at the rest of the salaries for the galaxy and see how their own team stacks up against the average.  http://www.mlsplayers.org/files/3_2_09_salary_info_club.pdf.

You will see that the LA Galaxy have only two players above the average salary (Beckham and Donovan).  The New England Revolution have 8.  That's one third of the roster - compared to the Galaxy's twelfth.
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Tides are turning as youth look to US for International Career

http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_12877828.html

It wasn't that long ago when America's young soccer players looked outside the borders of the USA for the chance to play for a National Team.

Most notably perhaps is New Jersey native Giuseppi Rossi, who turned down the chance to play for the USA to follow his dream to play for his father's native country Italy. Neven Subotic, who started his international career with the USSA Youth Program but had a falling out of sorts with US Youth Director Thomas Rongen, opted to don the Red White and Blue of Serbia rather than that of the USA.

But lately there have been more and more players opting to play for the USA instead.

Aaron Maund, a dual citizen of United States and Trinidad & Tobago is the latest to join the ranks of the USA . Maund has been officially added to the U-20 roster for the qualifying tournament for the 2009 CONCACAF Under-20 Championship after his request to transfer to the USA was approved by FIFA earlier this week.

He is joined by another U-20 newcomer, American Italian Vincenzo Bernardo (who currently plays in Naples Italy). Also, last year Mexican-American Jose Torres turned down the chance to play for Mexico and was rewarded with a call up to the USA senior mens squad for World Cup qualifying and coming on as a substitute in the 6-1 win over Cuba.

Whatever their motivation, be it an overwhelming sense of patriotism, or the realization that there may be more room for success in the USA than in other countries, this is good news for US Soccer.

Waive Bye Bye

The Revs are making final cuts on their roster today ahead of the Supplemental Waiver Draft. Here is the list of players who will not be with the Revs roster.

Sam Brill (New England Revolution) - Sam (along with Brandon Tyler and Joe Germanese) made some great starts for the Revs last year in the US Open Cup. But all three will suffer due to the reduced roster and the loss of the Reserve league. Too bad as Sam was a local boy from Newton.

Brandon Manzonelli (New England Revolution) - never liked him. A lot of hype but nothing to show for it.

Brandon Tyler (New England Revolution) - see Sam and Joe.

Joe Germanese (New England Revolution) - see Sam and Tyler

Gary Flood (New England Revolution) - good riddance - yankees fan and defiler of fenway park. Came to New England with his own invisibilty cloak which only worked when he was on the field.

Parkhurst plays 90 in first start

Congratulations to former Revs defender Michael Parkhurst - MLSnet.com reports that the new transplant to Danish club FC Nordsjælland played the full 90 in the 1-1 draw, and drew a foul that resulted in a red card for the opposition.

http://tinyurl.com/cupxfg

Only problem here is the picture displayed is not that of Parkhurst but of former Revs man Pat Noonan.

Barcelona pulls out of Miami Expansion bid

Barcelona has decided to pull out of Miami. A frustrated Miami could not be reached for comment (rim shot please).

http://tinyurl.com/dfnpmw

This comes as no surprise considering the economic downturn. FC Barcelona, a perennial powerhouse in Spain, has huge financial constraints in terms of player contracts and personnel. For them to basically open a spanish subsidiary of their own team would require an outlay of 40 Million just to get the franchise. With infrastructure costs added in as well as the cost of constructing a new soccer specific stadium, Barcelona would be in for hundreds of millions more.

There is also no guarantee of success. One look at Chivas USA, the offshoot of Mexican club Chivas Guadalajara, would show that despite a loyal fan base, there are numerous barriers to sustained success in MLS. Salary cap, limits on international players, and Roster size to name a few.

However, one can't help but wonder if the decision to withdraw the expansion bid stems from the poor press MLS has received in the European market over David Beckham and his bid to stay with AC Milan.

Larentowicz speaks out

There is a great interview with Jeff Larentowicz at the Dos a Cero blog in which he answers a number of questions about his career and aspirations.  But it was the answer to the following question that made me stand up and applaud.  Well said Jeff.  Let's hope Mr. Garber reads this...


Having been taken in the Supplemental Draft yourself and gaining experience in the MLS reserve league, what are your feelings on the MLS abandoning both? Do you think it will enable young college players to try and make the team of their choice, or will it discourage and make it more difficult for them to break into MLS?


With the league cutting roster size and eliminating the reserve league it's going to be extremely difficult for young players to be given a proper chance in the MLS. If I had been a rookie at the start of this season I wouldn't have even been given the oppotunity, my career wouldn't exist. I think it's a shame because ultimately the league put the reserve division in place to foster the young talent (most usually American college grads) but neglected to follow up on creating an atmosphere of professionalism within those games to make it worth while. Speaking from my own experience, I showed up to those games and introduced myself to half of the players I'd be playing with that day because we had never met. We were forced to call in local players to help us fill roster spots which is incredibly unprofessional. It's really just a microcosm of the catch-22 that is the MLS. The people in charge and the public are looking for a high-quality product that will give our country legitimacy world-wide and draw foreign talent. But those at the top do not expand rosters to handle the "squad" needed to make a reserve league feasible, nor do they pay the players enough to say, "yeah it's ok to be on the reserve team for two years and develop as a player because you're financially stable which allows you to sharpen your game in the hopes of making it to the highest level within your organization". It's a giant ball of wax that (unfortunately was influenced by current world-wide economic climate) continues to move in the opposite direction. For the young players coming in now it's going to be tough, and for the hopeful, undiscovered talent in the college ranks the possibilities in the US just got a lot smaller.
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Cheerleaders?


http://blog.revolutionsoccer.net/?p=1789


Not quite, but these lovely ladies going out into Bars and trying to recruit a slightly different demographic...

The team’s newest marketing initiative, the Rev Girls will run promotions at games and nighttime events and make public appearances on behalf of the team.

Women interested in interviewing for a roster spot with the Rev Girls must be at least 21 years old, and must bring positive identification with them. Prospective team members must also wear form-fitting clothing to the interview, and also bring both a headshot and a full-body image. Successful candidates will also be available for the entire duration of the Revolution season – March through November
I can't believe the Revs are going in this direction. The hard core soccer fans are not at night clubs, but rather at the footy pubs on Saturday morning. Why not bring the coaches out to the pubs with some of the players the morning of a big game and have them interact with some real fans.

Khano swaps coasts...again

It being circulated around various sources (including SBI http://tinyurl.com/czjc6h) that KHANO SMITH will be joining the Red Bulls.

This is a disaster waiting to happen.

Remember when Andy Williams scored against the Revs in his return with Salt Lake? Imagine what Khano will do... score a goal, start a fight with either Big Red or Shalrie, get himself and Nicol ejected at the same time.

One thing is for sure, the Midnight Riders will relish the opportunity to give this guy his due.