Wednesday, October 29, 2008

New Cup

MLS has revealed its new cup design for MLS Cup.

New Cup


Pretty slick. Here is the whole press release from the league.

Twellman Out

Twellman will be sidelined for the remainder of the season, with concussion related complications. The Revs sent out a press release yesterday announcing that Twellman's season would be coming to an end.

It has been a tough year for the teams all-time leading goal scorer. He went through some personal issues in the off-season, and then missed the first half of the season with a knee injury. Twellman has only been a few goals away from reaching the 100 goal milestone, but will have to wait until next year possibly to join the elite group.

This latest set back will keep the star striker from trying to help his team reach a fourth straight MLS cup, and fifth in 7 years.

Taylor will be 29 next season, and questions of his return to the club will surely resurface again this off season, as they have in the recent past. With an injury plagued season, it may be hard for him to attract the interest he wants from European clubs. There is no doubting his quality in finishing here in this league still. He was still an effective goal scorer when on the field. We will follow his story to see if he will be back for an 8th season with the Revs.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Somerville Site News

Somerville News
by: Auditi Guha
11/22/08

“Right now the city is focusing on the maintenance facility, where it goes and whether we will have air rights over it,” [Monica] Lamboy [from mayors office] said. “Once we get past it, we can discuss all kinds of creative ideas like the stadium.”

The city of Somerville is currently trying to resolve an issue with a proposed Green Line maintenance that is planned for the Inner Belt area. Resolving this issue seems to be at the forefront of the development in this area, and would put plans for a stadium on hold until a solution is found.


Sunday, October 19, 2008

Revs Show Interest in Pauleta

According to this article bye ESPN writer Frank Dell'Apa, legendary Portuguese international Pauleta was offered a contract by the Revs.

Pauleta was in Fall River last week on a fundraising tour but could have been in the area for soccer reasons -- he was recruited by MLS teams and said he wanted to play for New England. Jose Silva, a television producer who is accompanying Pauleta, said both the Revolution and New York Red Bulls offered contracts. Pauleta and Silva agreed the money was not good enough.

The 35 year old Portuguese striker is all but retired at this point. However, it is interesting that the Revs have shown interest in a player of his stature. Even at his age, he would garner much support from the large Portuguese-American population of southern New England.

We will look further into this story to see if there will be any further offers from the Revs to try and sway Pauleta to come to play in New England.


Thursday, October 16, 2008

Somerville Stadium Gaining Traction?

This mornings Boston Globe website (www.boston.com) ran a new story about the potential new stadium which has been rumored in Somerville:

"They make no bones about the fact that they want to be in the urban core, which is a smart move on their part, and we're excited about it," Joseph A. Curtatone, Somerville's mayor, said.

While this potential project is still very much in its infancy, there seems to be a bit of momentum towards the potential Revolution stadium being built in Somerville. Curtatone seems encouraged, and even inviting in his comments about a potential stadium, as Somerville goes through a large redevelopment project.

The article points out one of the possible problems with the stadium location would be the extention of Bostons Green-Line Train that is being extended through that area. However:

That "conceptual possibility" of a stadium above a railyard has emerged from the ongoing study funded by the Krafts and led by planners Greenberg/CBT Architects, with input from pro bono consultants who have helped Somerville with sustainable, transit-oriented planning, such as former state development secretary Douglas I. Foy, city officials said.

There have been many stadiums around the country (and world) which have incorporated their buildings with local public transportation stations. One such building is only a few miles away. The TD Banknorth Garden is built on top of Boston's North Station.

Some Somerville city officials seem worried that the rail station may curtail the development of the area around it. However, a local attraction (like a stadium) may be exactly what the project needs to fullfill both the requirments of improving infrastructure, and at the same time help redevelopment of businesses.

This news is also met with a bit of skepticismas fears over the economy as whole continue to take hold. As we all know the credit markets have been all but frozen for a while now, and it may be very hard for a project such as a stadium, to secure proper financing. This article in the Wall Street Journal points out how sports may be effected in the near future. A potential Somerville stadium is not mentioned in the article, but it may shed some light onto the goings on in the sports business world in trying to get stadium projects moving. This could be a potential problem for the Revolution in trying to build a new stadium any time soon.

Kraft has already built a brand new stadium facility in Massachusetts (Gillette Stadium, the Revs current home). He is also in the middle of developing the area around the stadium in Foxboro, known as Patriot Place. The $350 million plus complex is still in the works, and seems to be Kraft's primary area of focus. With the world wide credit crunch, it seems a bit naive to assume that Kraft Sports Group could garner the support from creditors that so many developers are having a hard time doing at this time.

We are constantly digging for information about this story, and hope to bring you an in depth report of our own, which we have been trying to nail information about down.

Glory Glory Revolution

We're back

We are currently looking to upgrade our site a bit. Sorry for the lack of posts here. There hasn't been much news on the Revs front recently, except for the on field struggles.

There will be many more posts in the near future as we run up to the playoffs, and into the off season. We are hearing a lot of rumblings of exciting rumors. As we can confirm some of them, we will bring them to you. We have had a tough time nailing down some of these rumors however.

Stay tuned...

Friday, September 5, 2008

While We Were Away

Over the last two weeks our team has been on vacation trying to hold onto the last few days of summer. As summer has been winding down, the Revs season is getting closer and closer to the final stretch. Here is a quick summary of what has happened in our absence:

  • Revs sign Costa Rican defender Gabriel Badilla
  • Dube injured for a number of weeks
  • Dropped points Toronto and home to LA in ties
  • Fall below Columbus in the table, and race for SS
  • Lost to Joe Public in CCL qualifiers, and now out of competition
  • Christman out for the rest of season with surgery

The Revs are in the midst of a tough stretch here. Since winning Superliga, they have won just one game in 7 in all competitions. In that time they have dropped out of both the USOC (semifinals), and the CCL (qualification round). They have also fallen out of the lead in the CCL for the first time in a while.

They have also been rocked with a few injuries. Their forward lines are a bit depleted with injuries to Dube and Christman. Dube is expected back by the end of the season, but Christman is out after undergoing season ending surgery.

Now looking up in the table at Columbus, the Revs have their work cut out for them for the SS, and for homefield advantage in the playoffs. There is a big six pointer this weekend against Columbus at Crew Stadium. They also meet again at Gillette at the end of the month.

Our preditcion for Saturdays match:
2-1 Revs

GLORY GLORY REVOLUTION!!!!

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Introducing Badilla


The official introduction by the team may be a few days out, but we thought this was a good time to profile the Revs newest addition. Badilla may very well be their biggest international signing since Abundis in 2006 (and hopefully more successful). Badilla comes here as a relatively young defender, that can help the team in the future, as well as this season.

Gabriel Badilla Segura is a 24 year old defender from Costa Rica. In 2001 Badilla burst onto the Costa Rican football scene. As a 17 year old, he captained the countries U-17 World Cup squad. After winning their group, they then lost in the quarterfinals to eventual third place winners, Burkina Faso. Badilla received much praise after the tournament for his leadership, and quality defending.

That year he also made his debut for Costa Rican powerhouse Deportivo Saprissa. In his time at Saprissa, he helped the team win a number of domestic championships. He began to see regular time in 2004, and has been a staple in the side ever since. Playing in over 120 matches for his club, he has score 12 goals.

In 2005 the club won the CONCACAF Champions Cup, and earned a birth into FIFA's Club World Cup. Badilla helped the club reach the semifinals of the Club World Cup, but lost to Liverpool. They then beat Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad in the third place match, while representing the CONCACAF region. Gabriel was later considered one of the best defenders in the tournament, and began to perk interest abroad, though he stayed at his domestic club. The club was also the runner up in the CCC in 2004, and earlier this year.

At the senior international level, Badilla helped his country qualify for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. He started in Costa Rica's final group match against Poland. In all he, has earned 8 caps for his country, and looks to be a key figure in their qualifications for the 2010 World Cup.

Gabriel Badilla comes to the Revolution as a very accomplished club/international defender, despite his relatively young age. He looks to be a player that can help stabilize a thin back-line in New England, and can play a number of roles. He has played as a left back in the 3 back-line, and as a central defender in the 4-back set. While his definitive place along the Revolution defense is unknown to us at this time, his versatility shows that he could easily be a contributing member of this defense almost right away.

Before he joins New England, Badilla will play in Costa Rica's World Cup qualifier tomorrow. He will then join the Revolution sometime in the days following that qualifier. His experience at both the international, and club level will surely provide a good element to a reeling Revolution team, in the heart of a brutal schedule down the stretch.

So as a voice for New England, we would like to welcome our newest player, and wish him luck with his new team. He has the support of a region behind him. We hope that he can help bring the glory with him that he has seen at his former club.

Glory Glory Revolution!

Monday, August 18, 2008

Badilla Signing Official

New England has sent out a press release today that announces the official signing of 24 year old Costa Rican defender, Gabriel Badilla.

Last week it was reported in Costa Rican news sources, and today the signing was officially announced. This signing comes at a crucial time, as the team has shown a bit of fatigue during a packed schedule.

Dog Days

Since winning Superliga just under two weeks ago, the Revs have shown more than just a chink in their armor. First was the late collapse against Chicago at home. Then it was b-sides defeat to DC in the Open Cup semifinals.

This week might have been the worst of them all. A 4-0 loss to San Jose on Saturday put the Revs behind Columbus in the table for the first time in a few months. New England looked slow, unimaginative, and somewhat disinterested on Saturday. The fixture congestion, coupled with the loss of Dube and Parkhurst absence for the Olympics, seems to really be wearing on the team.

The Revs have another match against DCU midweek. It is their chance to use their game in hand, and retake the top spot in the table. The congested schedule may be the contributing factor to the recent poor form, but it is no excuse. It isn't time to panic yet, but if they drop any more points this week, and against Toronto on the weekend, then it may be time to put the hand on the button.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Transfer Window Closed

For weeks now New England fans have questioned the teams depth, and wondered if any help would be coming via the summer transfer window. In the midst of the most challenging part of the schedule, it appeared pretty glaringly this week that the Revs needed some help heading dow the stretch. With a bad loss at home to Chicago, and an even more embarrassing exit from the Open Cup, the Revs showed a chink in their armor for the first time all season. Just a week after winning Superliga, fans were left wondering what the future held.

Early in the week we had reported that the Revs were in pursuit of Costa Rican defender Gabriel Badilla. Multiple reports out of Costa Rica, and even quotes from Badilla, had him coming to the Revs soon. However, today the transfer window shut, and no official news on the signing was announced. We will withhold judgment on this development until things are made more clear. However, it is still a bit disconcerting that no official word has been made.

There was also a rumor this week that we did not see very viable, so we did not report it. Benny Feilhaber was supposedly being pursued by the Revs, and he was interested in MLS. However, he has since signed with Danish club Aarhus.

Corey Gibbs was also rumored to perk the Revs interest. The 28 year old US international had decided to come back to MLS after numerous injuries had hampered his European career. Again, the player singed elsewhere. Colorado announced his signing a few days ago.

We also heard another long shot rumor of Eddie Lewis being signed by the Revs, but again it was only a baseless rumor.

The Revs did make one move however. Today the Revs traded the number one allocation position to Toronto for allocation cash. Toronto quickly used the position to snap up US U-20 player Johann Smith, who had been playing for Bolton in England. It is possible that this move was made because the club realized that it could not find any suitable upgrades with the allocation position. Being a couple hundred thousand dollars under the salary cap means that it is unlikely that they made the move just to afford Badilla under the cap. It is doubtful that he would earn more than the team had under the cap.

Again it seems that Nicol, Burns and Tornberg have made a move for the future. They have still not shown the willingness to panic, and make a signing for the sake of making a signing. It is quite possible that they are only waiting for the right situations to come along, before they use their allocations, be it cash or position. It is also possible that they made a run at Benny Feilhaber, and once they found out he could not be signed, they realized that their allocation position was not as valuable as cash.

While the Revs seemingly have not made any moves (aside from the potential signing of Badilla), does the team have enough for the rest of the season? If Badilla is truly coming in, then I think it addresses a serious need along the backline. Still, this is the deepest team in MLS, and the best team in MLS. It isn't time to panic...yet

Glory Glory Revolution!

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Revs Give Up On USOC

When I looked at the two lineups before the game last night, I already knew the result.

It is clear that Nicol places the value of this tournament very low on his list of priorities throughout the season. As much as the nostalgia of this tournament tries to grab at its viewers, it never gains any momentum. Even the Cup holders couldn't be bothered to play a first team in a semifinal, against a potent DCU side.

So my question is, if the Revs don't care about this cup, then why should we?

Monday, August 11, 2008

Badilla 'Packing Bags' for New England?

According to this article in la Republica, 24 year old Costa Rican international defender Gabriel Badilla has signed on with New England. Here is a portion of the article:

El defensor morado Gabriel Badilla, alista maletas para viajar a la MLS.
La dirigencia saprissista logró vincularlo al equipo del New England Revolution, y Badilla partirá para los Estados Unidos el 22 de este mes.


Back in the early part of the year it was reported that the Revolution were pursuing the Central American defender, but talks stalled through the spring. Now it looks as though a deal is all but made official, and the Revolution will see some help on a struggling back-line.

The article states that he would not join New England until the 22nd, so we are still over a week away from seeing him in training here. However, his ability could prove important down the stretch. The Revs are in the beginning of their most testing part of the season, and could use some serious help on the back-line.

We intend on doing a profile of the player if/when the signing is made official.

UPDATE: Reported here in the Diario Extra, by MARCELINO RIVERA SALAZAR. According to the report, Revolution GM Craig Tornberg met with Saprissa officials. Velara, Saprissa Vice President, said that a deal has "99% possibility."

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Noonan to Columbus Official

Updating an earlier post:

The trade of Pat Noonan to the Crew has been completed. The Revs receive a first round pick in the super draft next season, allocation money and the teams have swapped allocation positions. The Revs moved from 10th up to 3rd in the allocation standings.

story from mlsnet.com

Like we stated before, it is ridiculous that the Revs are allowed to trade a player that they opted not to sign 8 months ago.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Join, or Die?

It seems somewhat fitting that a show of unity, and protest against a governing body, would begin here in New England. It also seems a bit fitting that the team which represents our own American Revolution, would be at the forefront of such an action. Seeing a group of players, from two separate teams, unite after a cup final is something very special and unprecedented.

At the conclusion of last nights Superliga Final, in Foxboro Massachusetts, both teams stayed on the pitch and exchanged jerseys. To football supporters, the tradition of jersey sharing has become very normal. However, the practice has almost never been done after a one-off match, especially in a final. This led to a very interesting scene, as Revolution players were celebrating their victory in Houston Dynamo orange. Player to player on the Revs were adorned in the bright orange jersey, and the whole situation seemed to be a bit confusing at first. It wasn't until I saw Josephs dreds, and an orange shirt on his shoulder when I realized that they were all Revolution players.

In another show of protest against SUM, when the trophy was presented, the players immediately took the cup over to it's supporters in the Fort to show their love for the fans. It seemed as though a presentation was scheduled on the podium, but was thrown for a loop when the players took to trophy and ran over to the supporters section.

Prior to the game, it was reported that the players from both teams had agreed to split the winnings for Superliga. This was done in protest to the story which came out weeks early which revealed that the winning players in Superliga would only win a fraction of the reported 1 million dollar prize. Just hours later Don Garber spoke out and squashed the action by stating that it was against the collective bargaining agreement.

Few times in players union/management disputes, in any sport, have players shown the type of level headed solidarity. Often times players unions have made rash decisions that seem only to help themselves, without any consideration for it's fans or the sport in general. What was witnessed last night was something to behold. After 110 minutes of open play football, and 16 penalty kicks the Revolution and Dynamo stood together, united for themselves, but also for its fans and the game of football. It would have been easy for either, or both teams to mail it in last night, given the small amount of financial incentive. However, what you saw was a show of pride an honor, as both teams laid everything on the line. Playing with grit, determination, and the type of nervous energy that can only happen in an important cup final.

If the players union can continue to make rational decisions as it did yesterday, then they will go a long ways to helping this sport, and to garner support from its fans. Maybe other unions in sports and society can look at this movement as something to idolize, and try to embrace. Although I may be coming off as a bit altruistic, the show of solidarity last night was a protest that worked, and should help them gather some momentum heading into the next collective bargaining agreement in two years.

CAMPEONES!!!!!!!

GLORY IS OURS!!!!

Last night our New England Revolution became the first American team to hoist the Superliga trophy. In the liga's second edition, the final tried to match that of its previous year. Frenetic play, sublime goals and late drama contributed to a fantastic cup final, and a great ending to an exciting tournament.

Forget America's Super Classico, or LA/San Jose. Ignore those from New York who will tell you that they have a large rivalry with DC (you have to actually beat them every now and then NY). You can also look past our own rivalry with Chicago. Houston vs. New England is proving to be an feud expressed with class and intensity. For the third straight year these two teams have met in a cup final. Revs have finally taken one back and helped solidify a true rivalry as the two class organizations in MLS prove their quality on the pitch.

The football was admittedly, very ugly. The frenetic pace of the match provided a sort of nervous energy during the game. Though the quality of technicality was a bit lacking, the match itself was extremely intense. From minute one both teams came out with an intent to score quickly. Both teams came out to play like champions, and both teams left everything on the field.

The Revs were not to be denied in this final. After falling behind by a goal twice, they battled back and leveled the scoring each time. The second equalizer came in the final extra time period. Then the two teams met in penalties again. After Khano Smith's missed penalty to win it, it looked again as though the Revs were going to let this trophy slip through their fingers. However, Corey Ashe hit the cross bar in sudden death penalties, and the Revs were able to hold another cup above their heads, for the second year in a row.

With three more competitions to go in this calendar year, the mission is still not over. The Revs have achieved glory in one tournament, but could immortalize themselves in the months to follow.

Next up is Shitcago in league play. With a seemingly comfortable lead in the league table, and games in hand, this could help solidify us at the top of the table for at least a few weeks with a victory. However, let us celebrate another fantastic Cup win as the Revs have proved their class yet again.

GLORY GLORY REVOLUTION!!!!!!!

Noonan to Columbus Deal Done?

According to goal.com's Kyle McCarthy:

The Pat Noonan transfer saga is apparently over. The former Revolution striker is expected to re-sign with the league and head to Columbus via trade, sources close to the deal tell Goal.com.

http://www.goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=806782

What do you think of the deal? We think it is ridiculous that a club still "owns" the rights to a player that it declined an option on 8 months ago. We think a lot of MLS player acquisition rules are flawed, but that is another article for another day. We want to know what you think.

Thursday, July 31, 2008

The Iron Donkeys

Last night's disgraceful performance by Atlante may have marred an excellent match, but your New England Revolution endured. The Revs were able to take the physical play and run with it. Atlante decided to resort to goonish tactics as the game wore on. Critics of Superliga will be able to jump all over this. One thing that we can take out of this, is that these two teams really wanted to win. Only one knew how to win, however.

Whether it was due the frustration of losing, the non-penalty on Larentowicz (handball), or just terrible refereeing altogether, Atlante could not keep their composure. A flurry of cards (both red and yellow) at the end of the match showed Atlante to be truly pathetic and childish.

We here at GGR have decided to rename Atlante from the Iron Colts, to the Iron Donkeys. It seems to be more fitting. Teams that cowardly throw cheap-shot punches at the end of games are nothing more than pathetic donkeys. Keeper, and Captain Frederico Vilar shows true leadership when he sucker punches random Revs players after the final whistle. He then is interviews by Spanish language television after the match and says this:

"We can't talk. We are in a dangerous country. A very dangerous country."translated from spanish

Talk about having his head up his own arse. The first thing I always do in a dangerous country is sucker punch a few people, and act like a complete fool. That usually helps me survive dangerous situations.

It is sad that a disgraceful ending had to be the lasting memory of a great Revolution victory. The Revs handle the situation with class and dignity. Heaps was handed a red card at the end of the game, and will miss the final. Other than Heaps' infraction, the Revs handled the cheap shots and dirty play well, and focused their energy on the field.

New England were able to outlast a very talented Atlante side. Atlante actually looked to be the more technically gifted team, but were unable to focus their aggression in the right way. While other Mexican sides backed away from New England's physical play, Atlante tried to step up and play them just as physical. Unfortunately they did not do it the right way. Instead of hard legal challenges, they resorted to elbows and late tackles. Atlante decided to throw punches, instead of trying to score goals. The Iron Donkeys displayed a pathetic tactic, and rightfully lost. They only have themselves to blame, and their coaching staff, organization and fans should be embarrassed.

Interestingly enough, these two teams could possibly meet in the CCL group stage. After this match, and the preseason friendly that was also marred by red cards and stupid fouls, there could be a real ugly feud going on between these two teams. I shudder to think how the matches will turn out if/when they meet down the road.

Well, it is on to another final against Houston.
GLORY GLORY REVOLUTION!

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Noonan Close to Revs Return?

goal.com

Pat Noonan is close to re-signing with the New England Revolution after leaving the team during the off-season, sources close to the deal tell Goal.com.




Reaction:
Noonan has seen limited time since his move to Norway. Mostly due to injuries, which has been a major problem for him in recent years. New England really does not need a forward who cannot run or finish, especially if such a player cannot keep fit. While the team could use more production out of it's forwards, Noonan is likely not the answer. Since his first two seasons with the Revs, he has not been able to find that goal scoring touch. He could provide some depth for the crammed schedule coming up, however.

There was also this story on July 3rd in the Columbus Dispatch that suggested the Columbus Crew were looking to acquire Noonan's services for the remainder of the season. Could the Revs possibly be stepping in the way of that, so they could acquire compensation from Columbus (or another team) in a trade?

Idle Strong

Twenty-five days ago, New England played their last league match verse the LA Beckhams. After that 2-1 victory the Revs were seven points clear of Columbus who had played three less games than the Revolution. Since that time the Crew have taken only five points in four matches. Now the Revs are two points clear and have a game in hand on Columbus. With a win this weekend Columbus would move top of the table by a point, but would have played three more league games than the Revs.

RSL is now the inform team in MLS, but still sit six points behind New England as the third highest point total in MLS. They have played 19 matches (two more than the Revs). With RSL's current form, it is possible that they could pose a threat.

Chicago seems to be the only other team within shouting distance right now, and they are still 7 points behind on the same amount of games. They have recently acquired star American striker Brian McBride, but he will not report to the team until after the Olympics. The match on the 9th verse the Revs and Chicago is going to be very key. New England could potentially put Chicago out of the Supporters Shield race with a victory over the Fire.

The rest of the teams in MLS seem to be treading water. No team has made a significant push in the last month. Toronto, and LA are really struggling. DC had been idle for Superliga after their blistering league form. However, they followed up a disappointing Superliga performance with an equally bad showing against Houston last week. Dallas and Chivas have been mediocre, and have lost key players to transfers. Kansas City and Colorado continue to be underachievers this season, and don't look to be contenders.

Does this mean that the Revs only real competition for the Supporters Shield will be RSL, Columbus and Chicago? It would seem so at this point. New England has a very busy month coming up, but with the rest of the league refusing to try and gain ground on them things look to be working out for the Revs without even playing a game in over a month.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

The Brink

As we see it now, on July 24th, The Revolution sit atop the MLS table, and in the semi-finals of both the US Open Cup and Super Liga. In a month they begin CONCACAF Champions League play in a qualifier against Joe Public FC (T&T). Are the Revs on the brink of something extraordinary, or will we be left empty handed yet again?

I understand that the Revolution put an end to their woeful ways last season when they finally broke through, and won the USOC. However, 4 MLS Cup losses, and a number of disappointing international performances have Revolution fans a bit humble, if not cautious. As it stands today the team is in a position to do something no MLS side has ever done, win a treble, with even the possibility of a seemingly impossible quadruple.

There have been 8 Double winners. DC ('96, '97 and '99), Chicaco ('98, '03), LA ('02, '05) and Kansas City once in 2003. DC came the closest to winning the treble in 1997, but lost in the USOC final to Dallas. Without getting too nostalgic over the history of MLS sides I feel it necessary only to put this into context.

Of course this is a case of putting the cart before the horse here, however. The Revs still have a lot to do in all of these competitions. They play Atlante FC (Mexico) next Wednesday in the semifinal of Superliga. They are going to have to finish out this competition without star defender Michael Parkhurst, who is on call for the Olympic team, and likely without star striker Taylor Twellman, who has yet to come back from a series of injuries this season. Couple that with recent injuries to Mauricio Castro, Jeff Larentowicz, scary concussion suffered by Pat Phelan and the shock retirement of Chase Hilgenbrink and the Revs are left a bit short handed heading into the most congested part of their schedule.

Beginning with the Atlante game, the Revs have the potential to play 11 matches in 39 days, including Semifinals and Finals in both Superliga and USOC, and the qualifiers against Joe Public FC for the CCL. In that time the Revs also have critical league matches at home against both Chicago and DC, and away matches against DC and second place Columbus. While most teams in the league have failed to gain much ground on the Revs since their break for Superliga, the lead for the Supporters Shield is hardly comfortable.

There are also scheduling issues with the USOC. They are scheduled now to play Chivas in league play on August 11th @ home. Then the very next day they are scheduled to play their USOC semifinal against DC @ RFK. The USOC Final is scheduled for Sunday August 24th. The previous day New England will have been @ Toronto, and then two days later (26th) will be traveling to T&T for their opening leg qualifier verse Joe Public.

With media members and fans touting the depth of this team for the last few weeks, there will be a sure test of depth from now until September 6th. They do have over a week off to rest right now, but their days off will be few and far between come next Wednesday. The month of August will likely tell us where this team stands in all competitions. Of course the USOC and Superliga will have been completed by then, but the league and Champions League will still be in full swing.

I did waiver for the last few days over writing this type of post. However, I think it as good a time as any to look forward for the rest of the season. This is the only prolonged break that the team will have until the end of the season. With August being the most congested, and at the same time most critical, month of the season it is prudent for us to understand just what this team can accomplish. More important than thinking about what the team can accomplish, is to realistically look at how they are going to have to go about it. There is a real shot for this team to make history, but there is also the likely-hood that they could end up empty handed at the end of the season. Things don't have to be that absolute however. If the team were to win one or two trophies this season it would still be looked at as a successful campaign. Some may set their expectations a bit high right now, but they have to sit back and realize what this team has to go through to get there.

Possible games against Mexico's two best teams, or even the possibility of playing the team which has beaten the Revs in each of the last two MLS Cup Finals. A match at RFK in the USOC semifinal, which is never easy. Three critical league matches verse DC, one against Chicaco, and home/away matches verse second place Columbus. They must also go out to San Jose, and up to Toronto, which are too away venues that are very difficult to play in. Joe Public FC may not seem like a tough squad on it's face, but given the time they have to play the games, it could spell real trouble for the Revs Champions League endeavor.

Cherish the time now Revs fans, as the team is sitting in a situation that we could only dream of. Remember our past, but do not fear it. Competitions are there for our taking, but do not have an excess of expectations. It is O.K to expect the best out of your team, but realize just how hard it is for teams to do just what the Revs could possibly do this season. No matter the results, it is clear that this team has a very interesting road ahead of itself. These next few weeks are going to be an extremely fun and interesting time to be a Revs fan. Let us all hope for the best. Let us all dream of Glory.

Glory Glory Revolution!

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Young Revs

This is a segment that we will be trying to update quite frequently. Although the Revolution Academy is in it's very early stages, there are still some players that we can focus on. We hope to get a better picture, and more in depth analysis into the Academy as we move forward into the future. Any contributions to this segment would be greatly appreciated.

For now however there are some young players to be very optimistic about. We will start with the two young Gambian players, Kenny Mansally and Sainey Nyassi. Both of these players were scouted by the Revs, and ultimately signed after the U-20 World Cup last summer (2007). After only making brief cameo appearances for the club at the end of last season, the two have made dramatic impacts for the senior club already at their young age (both 19 years old).

Mansally (striker) has shown his ability to work off the ball, and create space up front for the midfield to move through. His willingness to go at the goal is also encouraging. He showed signs of goal scoring in the preseason, but has yet to make a huge impact on the score sheet. He has scored just two goals this season in 11 games, but when you watch his contributions on the field, you understand just how valuable he has been in opening up space for Adam Christman and Kheli Dube.

Nyassi has been equally, if not more impressive this season. As an impressively athletic right midfielder, he has shown his willingness to run at defenders in MLS and wreak havoc up and down the right sideline. His speed and athleticism have couple with his strong technical ability to allow him to open up vast amounts of space for the likes of Shalrie and Ralston to dominate the middle of the field. He has been proficient in winning the byline, and setting up many goals and scoring chances for the strikers on the field. One can only imagine how many goals Twellman could have netted this year, if healthy, with the balls being swung in from Nyassi. Nyassi, like Mansally, has 2 goals and 1 assist on the season so far.

Another young player who has begun to contribute for the team is left back Amaechi Igwe (20 years old). The USA youth international has shown at times his willingness to attack from the back, and stretch the field with long attacking runs. His defensive postures sometimes finds him out of position, and left trailing the attack, but his willingness to play physical and use his athleticism seems to have Nicol impressed, as well as the fans who have big hopes for the young defender. He was drafted by the club in the '07 Superdraft.

Two little known American players were also acquired by the Revs in the off-season. Former Valencia youth player Brandon Manzonelli (18 years old) decided to make his way stateside after trialling for Man City and Blackburn in the BPL. The young American starlet signed with Valencia at the age of 16, and had great success with their U-18 squad. The attacking midfielder signed a development contract with the Revs in May and has since seen time on the reserve team, and for the senior team in both USOC matches.

The other young American player is 19 year old midfielder Brandon Tyler. The defensive midfielder signed a development contract with the Revs in April of this year after spending much of last year training with Uruguayan club Centro Atletico Fenix. He has also spent time with the reserves, and found time in both USOC matches.

21 year old Costa Rican striker, Argenis Fernandez was signed by the team in the off season. While he failed to make an impact with the club this season, he was loaned out to Costa Rican power LD Alejuelense for the remainder of the season. His future with the Revs may seems a bit uncertain now, but he also showed his ability at the U-20 World Cup last season like his two Gambian teammates.

In the future this segment will be reserved mostly for youth players who have yet to become regulars with the Senior team. Right now it is nice to look at the team and point out just how many good young players they have. Nyassi, Mansally and Igwe already look to be future staples with the team. While Manzonelli, Tyler and Fernandez are also very talented players who could find themselves contributing to the team next year or the season after. It is exciting to see the forward thinking of Revs personnel management, and hopefully we will have good news about talented young players coming through the academy soon.

As stated above, please feel free to contribute any information about the Academy players and younger players in the organization.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Superliga: Match 1

Superliga Group stage
7/13/08
vs. Santos (Mexico)
Result: W 1-0

The Revs opened up their first ever Superliga competition with an impressive performance over Mexican 2008 Clausura Champions Santos Laguna. Kheli Dube scored the loan goal of the match in the 70th minute on an assist from Steve Ralston. Sainey Nyassi had won the bi-line and put the ball in front of goal, and Ralston flicked it onto Dube who threaded it into the back of the net.

The performance was over-all very impressive. Dominating performances from Ralston and Joseph, helped the Revs secure the middle of the field. Their success was helped large in part by Nyassi's ability to stretch the Santos right hand side very thin. Nyassi bombed up and down the line taking on defenders and running Santos ragged.

Michael Parkhurst was uncharacteristically unsure of himself last night. Vuoso turned him around like a top, and Parkhurst's distribution was shocking. The slick passing, and great off-ball movement of Santos exposed a few of the Revolution defenders at times.

The turf seemed to slow down the Santos passing game, and slowed their ability to carve out passes, dribbling and shooting in the offensive third. The physicality of the Revs, and their sheer athleticism, really threw off Santos. Although Santos appeared to be the most impressive technically skilled team of the match, the Revolution out played them from whistle to whistle. They intimidated Santos, and ultimately the speed and Athleticism of a 19 year old Gambian carved through the Santos defense.

It will be interesting to see how they match up with Pachuca on Wednesday. I believe that if they come out with the same physical intensity that they will be able to get a good result against a team that is traveling across the country to play in just three days.

Hilgenbrink asks "WWJD?"

Chase, we hardly knew you.

It was announced on the team website today that 26 year defender, Chase Hilgenbrink, has retired from professional soccer. He made the decision to enter the seminary in pursuit of becoming a Catholic priest.

The moves comes as somewhat of a shock to us, as we had no idea of his ambitions in this endeavor. The decision to retire opened up a roster slot, for which the team used the opportunity to promote 25 year old Zimbabwe native, Kheli Dube. Hilgenbrink had made 4 appearances for New England in MLS matches, and appeared in both US Open Cup matches.

In his limited time with the team, Chase helped supply a thin Revolution defense with serviceable ability at the back. Now the Revs find themselves very limited in the defensive options. Only recent acquisition Pat Phelan, and rookie Christ Tierny have even seen first team action this season in MLS. Valentino and Brill have seen time in USOC games, but have yet to see the pitch for MLS matches.

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Reimagined

So we have had some troubles getting regular posts up. We have also been dissatisfied with the quality of our original material. We intend this blog to be more than just pre/post game posts. Hopefully from here on out we can provide you with some thought provoking material, and insightful ideas.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Blog Launch

Welcome Revs fans,

We are excited to finally launch our long planned fan blog for our New England Revolution. We intend on taking a completely biased view of MLS from the New England side of the pitch. Our aim is to provide you, the fan, with as much up to day information and insight into our favorite soccer/football team. There will often be strong opinions expressed on this blog, and we encourage all of our readers to input feedback through blog post comments, and email (glorygloryrevolution@gmail.com). Remember that this blog is for you, and the more input/criticism we receive, the better. We do not intend to be intentionally controversial, but we will not shy away from our beliefs and opinions about this team and MLS as a whole.

Soccer is a fans game. It was made by fans to be watched by fans. Around the world teams are defined by their great supporters, and often the successes and failures of teams are linked to their fan support. From the grounds inside the Shankly Gates, to the roars within La Bombanera, to the passionate cheers of the supporters in The Fort, there is a connection between club and team that is not represented in any other sport. We wish to help facilitate that link between the fans and their beloved team. This is our game...this is your game, and your team.

We are not a supporters group, nor do we intend to be. We will however acknowledge the great supporters groups of the region, and try to help them become more accessible to the public. We encourage members of New England's supporters groups to send in lyrics for their songs and events schedules, as will will be happy to help post them on our site to spread the word to the masses (as much as we can).

Thank you for visiting, and we hope you come back for more!
Glory Glory Revolution!!!!!!!!!!!!