Hank and Sean are joined by Steven Stoehr to talk about the Revs post season, in wake of the retirement of Taylor Twellman, the lack of movement in the Expansion Draft, and possible pickups in the Re-entry draft and free-agency.
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Episode 25 - The Midnight Ride vs the Pre-Post-Season Blues
Hank, Sean, and Brian are back to talk about the New England Revolution and their play over the past month as they failed to make the playoffs for the first time in eight years.
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Click here to listen
Episode 24 - The Midnight Ride vs The Lost Season
Hank, Sean and Brian are back to discuss the Revs sudden lapse of form at this crucial stage in the season.
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Click here to download
TMR Lunch Break - Episode 5
Hank and Steve are joined by legendary performer and long time Revs fan Matty Jollie to discuss what's going on with The New England Revolution.
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Click here to download
New post at REVS ASN: Revs win again, streak now at 8
Thanks to new signing Ilija Stolica, the New England Revolution continue their winning ways and extend their unbeaten streak to eight games in all competitions.
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Click here to read
New post at REVS ASN: Revs say goodbye to Niouky
New England announced today that they have terminated the contract of Senegalese Midfielder Joseph Niouky.
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Click here to read
Episode 23 - The Midnight Ride vs The Roster Question
Hank, Sean and Brian are together again as they break down New England's performance in their win over DC United, and ask some questions about the Roster and Nicol's team selection.
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Click here to download
New post at REVS ASN: SuperLiga, SuperREVS!
The Revolution defeated Mexican side Puebla in a penalty shootout to book their second trip to the SuperLiga finals in three years
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click here to read more
Episode 22 - The Midnight Ride and the Summer Anti-Bummer
Hank and Sean return to the airways to catch up on everything that's been happening since June. What started out in June as a summer bummer, New England has turned it around in the SuperLiga, and have won 4 in a row in all competitions. With a favorable schedule coming up for the Revs, Hank and Sean start thinking playoffs.... PLAYOFFS?
TMR Lunch Break - Episode 4
Hank and Steve go back to the Barking Crab where they talk about the lack of any movement on the DP front from the Revs, Mike Burns's "Q&A" responses and general nonsequitors and digressions and ramblings.
TMR Lunch Break - Episode 3
Hank and Steve sit down on a noisy street corner to discuss the recent move of Taylor Twellman to the season ending injury list.
TMR Lunch Break - Episode 2
Hank and Steve meet at Biddy Early's Pub on Pearl St in Boston for Lunch Break # 2, and discuss Steve Nicol's starting 11 selections over the last few games.
Episode 21 - The Midnight Ride and the Return of Shalrie
This week the Revs saw three trialists come into train, played 90 minutes in the rain against Portuguese league champs Benfica, and traveled to Canada to face a much improved Toronto FC. What could top off such an action packed week? How about the return of Shalrie Joseph? Hank, Sean and Brian break it all down and discuss what's next for the New England Revolution in this week's episode.
Episode 20 - The Midnight Ride: Tied With Two Microphones?
In this week's episode, the curse of the second microphone crept into the playback, but the content is all good as Hank, Sean and Brian discuss the game against San Jose, the 5 man midfield, Pat Phelan as Center Back, and the state of the New England Revolution roster.
TMR Lunch Break - Episode 1
In this first Lunch Break podcast, Hank and Steve take a red pen to the New England Revolution roster and decide who should stay and who should go (it should be noted that while we were recording this, Mauricio Castro was getting his walking papers).
Episode 19 - The Midnight Ride Homestand Fiasco
It's all doom and gloom this week on TMR, as Hank, Sean and Brian are distraught and dismayed at the thought of the New England Revolutions performance over the last few weeks. Routed at home by Chivas USA a week ago, the Revs seemed to be a bit more composed in Columbus, but to no avail, as the defense finally cracked under the pressure from the Crew. Who do you blame? Players? Front Office? Head Coach? TMR talks at length about how things are shaping up for the Revs, and what to expect out of them going forward.
Episode 18 - The Midnight Ride Red Card Podcast
Hank and Brian discuss the plight of the New England Revolution's roster in light of the two red cards handed out against the team in last Saturday's match. Also discussed is Shalrie's leave of absence and it's impact on the roster, given that the Revs have 4 games in the next two weeks. Who will step up and lead this team to victory? Not just on the field, but in the locker room as well?
Episode 17 - The Midnight Ride vs Colorado Rapids
The New England Revolution kicked off their homestand with the wrong foot it would seem. Hank, Sean and Brian return to the airwaves to discuss the Revs mishaps and what they need to do going forward...
Revs Stymied in San Jose
The New England Revolution suffered their second defeat of the season Saturday night as they lost to the San Jose Earthquakes 2-0 at Buck Shaw Stadium. After expertly picked apart the defense of Toronto FC the week before, could not find enough width on the narrow pitch to repeat their previous performance. The Quakes for their part played a very well organized game and were able to control large portions of the match.
Episode 16 - The Midnight Ride vs The Bad Audio
Hank, Sean and Brian talk about the New England Revolution - the victory over TFC, Zak Schilawski, the Return of Shalrie, and all things Revs. Plus we talk with San Jose Earthquakes writer/blogger Robert Jonas about the Revs game against the Quakes this weekend.
Episode 15 - The Midnight Ride Media Day Podcast Fiasco
Well the Media Day wasn't a fiasco, just the podcast at the end of it. More audio problems persist as Hank, Sean and Brian break down the game vs DC and talk Revs vs TFC, as well as give an overview of their impressions of the annual Revolution Media Day.
Episode 14 - The Midnight Ride Returns
Hank, Sean and Brian return to the airwaves despite annoying technical difficulties and audio issues. This week's discussion includes a recap of last week's game vs LA, and a quick look at this week's game against DC. Also, who will be the left back and more importantly, why do the Revs now have 5 left sided midfielders?
Robbie Keane to join NE Revolution this summer
In a press release made available only to The Midnight Ride...
HAPPY APRIL FOOLS DAY!!!
HAPPY APRIL FOOLS DAY!!!
Episode 13 - Revolution "Pre"-cap
Hank, Sean and Brian are joined by Revs fan (and Rhode Island native) Steve Stoehr and discuss the all the Revolution happenings during the pre-season.
Ralston signs with St. Louis
AC St. Louis will be announcing former New England Revolution midfielder and Captain Steve Ralston as their first signing today. A press conference in St. Louis is scheduled for 2:00 EST.
Ralston, 35 years old and a St. Louis native, rejected an offer from the New England Revolution last week. It was widely speculated that he had received another offer to play elsewhere, as the word 'retirement' was never used. Tim Timerman of the St. Louis Dispatch put two and two together in this post.
Ralston is currently rehabbing from surgery to a torn ACL suffered in a game against Seattle last fall, and would likely not be available to play until June. It was the second year in a row where Ralston's season was cut short by injury (in 2008 Ralston suffered a broken leg vs Kansas City) and many thought this latest injury would be the end of his career.
Further speculation had Ralston stepping into an assistant coach with the Revs', as long time Nicol assistant Paul Mariner left to take over at English Championship side, Plymouth Argyle. Ralston maintained all along however that it was his ambition to return this season as a player.
Ralston, who had been with the Revs since 2002, is a 14 year MLS veteran and leads the league in assists, games played, and minutes played.
Ralston, 35 years old and a St. Louis native, rejected an offer from the New England Revolution last week. It was widely speculated that he had received another offer to play elsewhere, as the word 'retirement' was never used. Tim Timerman of the St. Louis Dispatch put two and two together in this post.
Ralston is currently rehabbing from surgery to a torn ACL suffered in a game against Seattle last fall, and would likely not be available to play until June. It was the second year in a row where Ralston's season was cut short by injury (in 2008 Ralston suffered a broken leg vs Kansas City) and many thought this latest injury would be the end of his career.
Further speculation had Ralston stepping into an assistant coach with the Revs', as long time Nicol assistant Paul Mariner left to take over at English Championship side, Plymouth Argyle. Ralston maintained all along however that it was his ambition to return this season as a player.
Ralston, who had been with the Revs since 2002, is a 14 year MLS veteran and leads the league in assists, games played, and minutes played.
WWND - What Will Nicol do?
Looking ahead to the 2010 MLS SuperDraft this Thursday in Philadelphia, one would think that the Revs would go for a top notch striker in the first round, right?
After watching the New England Revolution over the last two seasons, it has become increasingly obvious to even the casual fan that the team needs help up front. And with your top two goal scorers from 2008 starting 2009 on the injured list, you would think that the Revolution would have added some support to the forward line during the off season last year. Well they didn't and they were forced to move Shalrie Joseph into a more attacking role, a move which paid off in terms of goals scored (he led the team with 9) but the midfield suffered as a result.
So you would think that the Revs, learning from the experience of last season, that they need to pick up a goal scorer in the draft, right? Once bitten,twice shy?
Nope. Here's why.
As discussed in depth and ad nauseum on the latest episode of The Midnight Ride Podcast, the Revolution have big gaping holes on the roster, and not just at forward. At Goalkeeper, they have lost Brad Knighton in the expansion draft to the Philadelphia Union, and Matt Reis has undergone rotator cuff surgery. In the back line they have lost a key defenseman in veteran Jay Heaps who has decided to retire. Another cause for concern will be the absence of regular starting midfielders Jeff Larentowicz, who is probably going to leave the team as his contract is up, and Steve Ralston, who is recovering from an ACL injury. Twellman's injury status is still questionable -and when you consider the lack of goals scored by the forwards (10 goals total - not including Twellman's 100th and 101st- a contibution of less than 33% of the team's total), and the likelihood that forward Edgaras Jankauskas is not returning to the team, you have to wonder where the goals are going to come from (the Revs scored only 33 goals last year - second to last in the league).
And while the last point is probably the most critical toward the team's success, it is also the chief reason why the Revolution should NOT draft a forward/striker in the first round this Thursday.
The chief reason is this: The Revs need instant offense. New England can not afford to wait for a goal scorer to develop the way that other teams with deeper forward lines can. And while there is undeniable talent available in the draft at the forward position, history has shown that Forwards taken in the draft have not paid instant dividends and in some cases have not paid off at all.
If you look at last years draft, there were three forwards taken in the first round. Zakuani (4 goals) was taken first by Seattle, a team that had depth at the forward position with Montero and Jaqua. Marosevic (0 goals) was taken by Dallas who started the season with Cooper and Cunningham. O'Brian White (2 Goals) taken by Toronto FC who although they struggled to score goals, on paper they were very deep at Forward. So from the top three picks at the forward position, a grand total of 6 goals over the course of the season.
The prior drafts were not much better. Patrick Nyarko, who appears to be coming into his own with the Chicago Fire, has still only scored 5 goals in his career - 4 of them in his second year. The two forwards picked in first round in 2007 draft are not even in the league. The only forward from the draft that has found success in the league is outlier Robbie Findley, who as a second round pick has 26 goals in three seasons.
So the point I am making in a rather round about way is the best way for the Revs to get offense is to look outside the draft; either by trade, or by free agent acquisition. If they were to pick up someone like Ryan Johnson (11 goals with San Jose), they would be providing Kheli Dube or Twellman (if he's healthy) with a formidable striking partner up front. The Revolution still have a designated player spot available to them as well, which they could use to attract a big name, perhaps from South America or Central America, which could also help fill the seats.
And most importantly, by looking outside the draft for help at forward, The Revs could then focus on other areas of the team where the draft has proven successful for them: Namely, Defense (See Barnes, Alston) and Midfield (Dempsey, Dorman).
After watching the New England Revolution over the last two seasons, it has become increasingly obvious to even the casual fan that the team needs help up front. And with your top two goal scorers from 2008 starting 2009 on the injured list, you would think that the Revolution would have added some support to the forward line during the off season last year. Well they didn't and they were forced to move Shalrie Joseph into a more attacking role, a move which paid off in terms of goals scored (he led the team with 9) but the midfield suffered as a result.
So you would think that the Revs, learning from the experience of last season, that they need to pick up a goal scorer in the draft, right? Once bitten,twice shy?
Nope. Here's why.
As discussed in depth and ad nauseum on the latest episode of The Midnight Ride Podcast, the Revolution have big gaping holes on the roster, and not just at forward. At Goalkeeper, they have lost Brad Knighton in the expansion draft to the Philadelphia Union, and Matt Reis has undergone rotator cuff surgery. In the back line they have lost a key defenseman in veteran Jay Heaps who has decided to retire. Another cause for concern will be the absence of regular starting midfielders Jeff Larentowicz, who is probably going to leave the team as his contract is up, and Steve Ralston, who is recovering from an ACL injury. Twellman's injury status is still questionable -and when you consider the lack of goals scored by the forwards (10 goals total - not including Twellman's 100th and 101st- a contibution of less than 33% of the team's total), and the likelihood that forward Edgaras Jankauskas is not returning to the team, you have to wonder where the goals are going to come from (the Revs scored only 33 goals last year - second to last in the league).
And while the last point is probably the most critical toward the team's success, it is also the chief reason why the Revolution should NOT draft a forward/striker in the first round this Thursday.
The chief reason is this: The Revs need instant offense. New England can not afford to wait for a goal scorer to develop the way that other teams with deeper forward lines can. And while there is undeniable talent available in the draft at the forward position, history has shown that Forwards taken in the draft have not paid instant dividends and in some cases have not paid off at all.
If you look at last years draft, there were three forwards taken in the first round. Zakuani (4 goals) was taken first by Seattle, a team that had depth at the forward position with Montero and Jaqua. Marosevic (0 goals) was taken by Dallas who started the season with Cooper and Cunningham. O'Brian White (2 Goals) taken by Toronto FC who although they struggled to score goals, on paper they were very deep at Forward. So from the top three picks at the forward position, a grand total of 6 goals over the course of the season.
The prior drafts were not much better. Patrick Nyarko, who appears to be coming into his own with the Chicago Fire, has still only scored 5 goals in his career - 4 of them in his second year. The two forwards picked in first round in 2007 draft are not even in the league. The only forward from the draft that has found success in the league is outlier Robbie Findley, who as a second round pick has 26 goals in three seasons.
So the point I am making in a rather round about way is the best way for the Revs to get offense is to look outside the draft; either by trade, or by free agent acquisition. If they were to pick up someone like Ryan Johnson (11 goals with San Jose), they would be providing Kheli Dube or Twellman (if he's healthy) with a formidable striking partner up front. The Revolution still have a designated player spot available to them as well, which they could use to attract a big name, perhaps from South America or Central America, which could also help fill the seats.
And most importantly, by looking outside the draft for help at forward, The Revs could then focus on other areas of the team where the draft has proven successful for them: Namely, Defense (See Barnes, Alston) and Midfield (Dempsey, Dorman).
Episode 12 - The Midnight Ride 2010 MLS SuperDraft Preview show
Now the OFFICIAL podcast of the Midnight Riders!
Hank Alexandre, Sean Donahue, and Brian O'Connell welcome New England Revolution Supporter and Midnight Rider Nathan Gower to the first episode of the new year and the OFFICIAL podcast of the Midnight Riders!
It's a round table discussion centered around the Revs needs going into this week's draft, and the panel quickly discovers that the outlook is a lot worse than anyone realized.
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