Taylor T. and Tony C.

(Photo: Patrick Fraser )

An interesting thought came to me while listening to Taylor Twellman during last night's SuperLiga broadcast. No, it wasn't whether Jay Heaps, who typically handles the color duties for the Revolution broadcasts, was plotting a return to the playing field. It wasn't that, I promise.

Rather, it was something else. Something entirely different. It deals with premature endings to talented careers. Brilliance cut short. You see, it occured to me that Taylor's career has taken an eerily similar path to that of another Beantown legend.

Many Red Sox fans, young, old and in between, know about the tale of Tony Conigliaro, or "Tony C." as he was better known in and around the Hub. He was a young, supremely talented outfielder from nearby Swampscott, Massachusetts. The quintessential local kid who dreamed of playing for the hometown Sox. After thirteen teams tried to court him, his dream came true when he signed with Boston out of high school. Less than two years later, at age 19, he made his Major League debut.

It didn't take long for the Boston faithful to realize that a star was in the making. He hit 24 home runs that first year - the most by a teenaged player in MLB history. The following year, he led the league with 32 dingers, and by that point, Tony C. was becoming the most popular Sox player since Ted Williams.

By the time he was 22, he had already smacked 100 home runs , becoming the youngest American League player to do so. Life was good, real good for Tony C. As a ballplayer, his ceiling rose higher than the heavens. He appeared destined for greatness.

And so it went, until August 16, 1967. On a hot, sweltering New England night, with his team in the midst of an improbable pennant race, Tony C. stepped into the right-sided batter's box at Fenway Park. The Sox were playing the California Angels. Jack Hamilton was on the mound for the Halos.

Those in attendance say that a second after Hamilton's delivery, they could hear the sound of the ball exploding into Tony C's left eye socket. Teammate Rico Petrocelli said it resembled "the sound of a tomato...hitting the ground." The slugger lost consciousness on impact and fell to the ground. It would take over a year before he'd set foot inside the batter's box again.

In 1970, he came back, and posted decent numbers. Thirty-six home runs and 116 ribbies, strong enough evidence to earn Comeback Player of the Year. It was his best year as a major leaguer. But, it was an all-too-brief renaissance.

Sadly, Tony C. would never be the same. He joined the Angels in 1971 and became a part-time player out on the West Coast. He retired after the season. Four years later, he attempted a comeback with the Sox in 1975. But with his eyesight betraying him, he was forced to retire, once and for all, at age 30.

After his playing career, Tony C. took a broadcast job in San Francisco. Like his playing career, it was cut short after suffering a heart attack and stroke in 1982. After eight years of deteriorating health, Tony C. passed away in 1990.

***
Revolution fans will tell you that they knew from the start that the kid taken second overall in the 2002 SuperDraft was going to be special. And it didn't take long for him to prove it.

Taylor racked up a league-leading 23 goals that first year in Foxboro, at the tender age of 22. He was a runner up for league MVP, and became the first scoring champion in Revolution history.

There would be more moments of brilliance. He cracked 15 goals in an injury-shorted 2003 season. He won the MVP in 2005. He scored goals for the national team, and nearly earned a nod from Bruce Arena for Germany '06. The following year, he put together 16 goals. Taylor Twellman could not be stopped.

Then, on August 30, 2008, Taylor's career came crashing down to earth. Halfway through the first frame against David Beckham and the L.A. Galaxy, Khano Smith sent arching pass ahead. Taylor chased it down and as he approached the ball. So did Galaxy keeper Steve Cronin, who charged ahead to collect it. A fraction of a second later, Taylor bravely put his head on the ball. A fraction of a second after that, Cronin's fists met Taylor's forehead flush.

It was a rare moment where opposite reactions converge. You see, the ball bounced through for the goal. The crowd, of course, erupted. But seconds later, they saw their hero, the poacher, lying on the field and covering his eyes, writhing pain. And they quickly hushed to see if Taylor would get up and dust himself off.

He did, of couse, because Taylor is a tough, stubborn-minded individual. Nevermind that his lacerated forehead required stitches. Forget that he had sustained his fifth documented concussion. Taylor Twellman was going to continue on.

And so he did. He finished the game, and played in three more league games afterward, all the while battling post-concussion symptoms. But once the playoffs arrived, it was time to shut it down. His damaged brain needed rest.

He came back for a brief spell in 2009, scored a pair of goals, and was shelved for the season. A second comeback was attempted this season, but was cancelled before he could even train fully with the club. With time to kill and the World Cup on the American sports radar, Taylor became an in-studio analyst for a local sportcast.

At age 30, Taylor Twellman must wonder whether his career has reached its conclusion. He must look back at that fateful night two Augusts ago and ask how differently his career, nevermind his life, would have transpired had he arrived at that Khano Smith ball a split-second earlier, or later.

Maybe he could have dodged out of the way. Or maybe Cronin could have stopped his approach and retreated back to his line. There are endless variations of how that moment could have played out differently, and I suspect that Taylor's examined each of them.

One thing Taylor probably doesn't question is whether he should have chased that ball. He did. He had to. He ran to that ball as fast as his legs could propel him because that's what Taylor Twellman has always done. For him, it's always been full-tilt, full-time.*

(*I know the phrase is more famously attributed to former Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi, but anyone who's watched Taylor over the years absolutely knows that the same could be said of Taylor.)

Whether he returns to the pitch next year, or decides to hang up his boots for good, one thing is abundantly clear: we're left wondering the same thing about Taylor that we wondered about Tony C. We witnessed greatness cut short, and as a result, we will always wonder what could have been.

Twellman is this generation's Billy Gonsalves

Taylor Twellman is greatest footballer New England’s seen since Billy Gonsalves.

There, I said it. I understand that Gonsalves has been given the distinction of being “the Babe Ruth of American Soccer” by many soccer historians. He played in two World Cups, won eight Open Cup championships, and reportedly scored over 100 goals in his illustrious career.* He is a legend. So, yes, I understand that’s saying a lot.

(*Unfortunately, soccer stats weren't tracked as well during Gonsalves career as they are today. According to two sources, Gonsalves had close to 100 goals in eight seasons of his 25 seasons as a footballer. Sadly, we may never know how many more he scored.)

However, Twellman’s play over the course of his seven Revolution seasons is enough for me to designate him as the best soccer player New England’s seen since Gonsalves' retirement in 1952.
Sometimes, it takes years after the culmination of a career to fully appreciate a player’s legacy. Now, I am not in the business of writing premature obituaries. Despite the fact he doesn’t appear primed to register a single preseason minute anytime soon, I understand that he’s still on the active roster.

But in light of Twellman’s ongoing neck pain – which may or may not be symptom of post-concussion syndrome – you have to wonder whether the 2005 MLS MVP will ever be healthy again to play top flight soccer in the States.

It’s tough to say at this point. Twellman’s condition is being held under lock and key by the Revolution organization, and justifiably so. However, it has been reported that his most recent concussion, which occurred last August after a violent collision with Los Angeles goalkeeper Steve Cronin, was the fifth known concussion suffered during his career.

Five concussions in anyone’s life – athlete or otherwise – is a considerable toll to be taken on any person’s brain, nevermind one of this country’s most physical players.

And it’s because of that physical, not to mention exceptional, play that Taylor Twellman simply raked. In 171 regular season matches, he struck for 99 career goals – an incredible success rate for any center-forward, MLS or otherwise.

As a result, his club, a formerly hapless bunch, flourished. With Twellman up front, the Revolution never failed to reach the playoffs. They earned four Eastern Conference Championships, not to mention U.S. Open Cup (2007) and Super Liga (2008) Championships. His uncanny scoring knack almost single-handedly delivered his team to an MLS Cup Championship in ’07.

But perhaps more importantly, he gave New England soccer fans an identifiable face to associate the sport of soccer with. His image plastered on posters, travel mugs and magazines, he gave soccer-playing kids a local hero to look up to. Little leaguers had David Ortiz. The U-10s had Taylor Twellman.

On the pitch, he was rarely afforded the same superstar treatment by referees. He was often mercilessly shoved, kicked, and tackled as countless referees could only offer “play on” shouts. Undeterred, he played with wild abandonment of his own personal safety. He speared headfirst into goalkeepers. He cannonballed into seas of sharp elbows, hard shoulders, and crunching boot studs. And throughout it all, he remained fearless. He never backed down. His bruised and battered body committed itself to putting the ball in the ol’ onion bag by any means possible. But there was always a price to be paid.

He was stitched up, concussed, and bloodied many, many times and in that, there is a sad injustice. Despite his success, he never attained the attention poured out to his nearby sporting peers. He never acquired that marketable nickname so many Big Four athletes are doled out. His club was rarely discussed on sports radio. Sports pages devoted little more than three inches to his endeavors, and only on a semi-regular basis. Outside of the soccer realm, he was just another anonymous soccer player not named David Beckham.

Yet, American soccer fans know better. They know him as a supreme talent who just missed a trip Germany for the 2006 World Cup. Though he had to settle for the “alternate” designation, he’s still known as one of the best goalscorers MLS has ever seen. They know him as a guy who played hurt – and he was often hurt – and with heart. A guy who refused to give an inch in the box. A stubborn attacker. A guy who regularly created headaches for opposing defenders and goalkeepers.

And perhaps it is only fitting that should the circumstances force Twellman to call it a remarkable career that one of his final masterpieces exemplified the way he played the game.

The score was 0-0. The potent tandem of David Beckham and Landon Donovan looked keen to cash in. But Twellman would have none of it. Looking to redirect a Khano Smith cross from the left, Twellman launched headfirst into Steve Cronin’s path. The striker's forehead met the ball, and the keeper’s fists nearly simultaneously. Twellman crashed down hard. The crowd gasped in horror. The dazed striker needed to be picked back up. The ball needed to be picked out of the net. The crowd erupted.

Maybe I'm making too much of Twellman's present condition. I don't know. But what I do know is that it shouldn’t take retirement to fully appreciate the magnitude of Twellman’s career.

After all, he is this generation’s Billy Gonsalves.

Hey, who shut the window?

While a resurgent Chicago Fire club was busy picking apart the New England Revolution Thursday night, a larger storyline was looming for the guests. When the final whistle signaled the conclusion of that series – 3-0 aggregate to Chicago - it may have also signaled the demise of an era for the Revolution.

In hindsight, it's remarkable that a bruised and bandaged Revolution improbably sat atop the conference for four months. They captured SuperLiga success. But the reality of those injuries eventually caught up with them. To be frank, they overachieved. For after SuperLiga, the team became a pumpkin, and struggled to muster only two victories after August 5th.

For the past seven seasons, the Revs have been blessed with a wonderful core of players. Taylor Twellman, Steve Ralston, Jay Heaps, and Shalrie Joseph have all contributed mightily to the four-time Eastern Conference champs. The same goes for Matt Reis and Michael Parkurst, who came aboard in 2003 and 2005, respectively. The Revolution cannot call themselves anything but extremely fortunate, despite the lack of League hardware in the trophy case. So few are the times in which a successful club can retain its best players for such an extended period.

But the curtain call on this remarkable seven-season run may have culminated last week. While the club’s postseason screeched to a painful halt, the offseason arrived, and delivered an unwelcome elephant to the room.

So, about that elephant. Have Michael Parkhurst and Taylor Twellman played their final Revolution matches? Parkhurst’s contract expires at the end of the calendar year and the centerback is likely to attract international attention once the transfer window opens. Although Twellman has two years remaining on his current agreement, he may seek a transfer after his failed bid to Preston North End earlier this year.

The odds that MLS can match any offer put forth by a European side for Parkhurst are not good. In fact, MLS has a better chance of having themselves bailed out by the government than keeping its repeat Fair Play award winner stateside. Any reasonable offer abroad will put the MLS’s best figure to shame. So with the ball in Parky's box, there is little the league can do other than to set forth its best offer and look away in embarrassment.

However, Twellman’s situation is far different. Because he is under obligation until the end of 2010, his hands are effectively tied at the moment. He cannot do much other than to solicit enough interest to up the reported $2.5 million fee Preston was willing to splurge in January. That offer, you may remember, was flatly rejected by MLS. It will take considerable effort to increase the figure. But somewhere a club lacks a lethal striker, and somewhere, said club is willing to overspend for said striker.

If both players decide to move, the task of finding reinforcements will be made that much more difficult. MLS strikers with nearly 100 career goals in the tank are more difficult to find than a Disney starlet without embarrassing photos. And while the procurement of a solid center back may have been already addressed with the Gabriel Badilla acquisition, there’s no guarantee that the Costa Rican will approach the level uncanny precision that Parkhurst picked apart attackers without collecting an extensive collection of fouls.

There's no denying that the present run of success will diminish should the top and bottom of the Revolution find greener pastures. They've been leading actors in the Revs recent run. Should they leave, they will only be the latest in a series of talented footballers to jump across the pond.

Clint Dempsey and his uncanny swag departed after the '06 campaign. His transfer to Fulham seemingly was the harbinger for future exits. Andy Dorman, Pat Noonan, and Avery John all waved goodbye during the previous offseason. Their absences were certainly felt in the second half of '08, when the club tumbled down a steep 2-11-5 finish.

Unless the Revolution front office can secure the services of top-flight talent during the winter months, the remaining pieces - Heaps, Joseph, Ralston and Reis - will struggle to keep that era from rapidly fading into oblivion.

Not locked, stocked or reloaded

It's hard to say who's suffered the worst during the previous thirty days: the investors on Wall Street or the footballers at Patriot Place.

On September 29th, the Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted 777 points in one day, the largest one-day point loss ever. Equally catastrophic events occurred five days later when Steve Ralston cracked his right fibula, and all but ended his 2008 season.

While the Dow climbed back up 936 points nine days later, the Revolution saw no such recovery on the pitch. They lost 2-1 to D.C. United the following Thursday on national television, sinking into the depths of third place in the Conference. From there, they lose their final match of the season against Kansas City, 3-1, after losing two players to red cards. The month of October's record reads a little something like this:

0-3-1

Wait. It gets worse.

During said season finale, defender Gabriel Badilla was booked for a questionable offense when he brought down Claudio Lopez in the box.* Damn red cards. Adios, Senor Badilla for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. That was bad.

(*Now, I understand why referee Kevin Stott had to give Badilla the red. There's no question Badilla was beat. Accordingly, he hauled Lopez down in an obvious attempt to deny him a goal-scoring opportunity. Award Lopez the kick if you will, but Stott has to consider the ramifications of the card, within the context that both clubs were playoff bound. He calls an MLS game just about as well as Britney Spears stays clothed.)

But wait. It gets even worse.

Not twenty minutes after Badilla's ungraceful goodbye, Khano Smith and his recklessly energetic 6-3 frame barrel spikes-first into the legs of Hercules Gomez, thus warranting the soft-spoken Bermudan a red card of his very own. Because of the egregious nature of his foul, he is likely cooked for the remainder for the entire postseason, if not, longer. He will be roasted.

There's more.

On Tuesday, the Revolution proclaimed Taylor Twellman out indefinitely due to post-concussion symptons that have plagued him since Steve Cronin sent him a double-fisted jab while trying to parry a shot. A fearless Twellman made a bid on the very same ball with a header, thus resulting in a dubious brace: the goal and subsequent concussion.

Let's break out the abacus and do the math. That's one, two, three...three starters out for Thursday night. Paul Mariner up front, anyone?

Congress just doled out $700 billion to fix Wall Street. Unfortunately, Ted Kennedy forgot to ask for the pork necessary to help bail out the Revs.

But it's not all bad. The Dow gained nearly 900 points on Tuesday. And the Revolution still have to play a postseason series to play come Thursday.

*******

Was Saturday night's debacle the final MLS match for Taylor Twellman?

At the beginning of the calendar year, Twellman was the subject of a month-long transfer rumor that had him going to Preston North End for a reported $3.5 million fee. Calls were made. Figures were discussed. In the end, the striker would stay put, much to his initial disappointment.

But after an injury-riddled season in which he still managed a share the team lead in goals (8), the consensus is that he may test the international waters yet again this offseason. And quite frankly, if a transfer is discussed, his best chance to move may be this January.

Why? The reason is two-fold: 1. The Revs can win without him. Despite his injuries, the club resided in the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference for nearly the entire season. 2. His scoring rate is still impressive. Even though he was limited to 12 starts (16 games total), he still managed to bag eight goals. Plus, he's 28-years-old, which means that if he's going to move, this winter might be the last opportunity to do so.

Personally, I hope Saturday wasn't his final MLS match. I think he still has something to prove. He's endured four MLS Cup losses, and I think that bothers him tremendously. Oh, and he's still one goal shy of the career century mark. As much as there may be to play for abroad, he still has a great deal to play for here in New England.

Ten preseason stroylines

If the bustle of preseason player movement is any indication, the 2008 season will likely fail to transpire the same way its predecessor did. After all, with key departures (Andy Dorman, Pat Noonan, and possibly Avery John) and the arrivals of Chris Albright (LA), Mauricio Castro (Honduras), it’s fair to say that this isn’t your older sibling’s Revolution anymore. Which, of course, leads us to a categorical listing of a few questions – ten or so, to be exact- worth contemplating throughout the season.


1. How will Taylor Twellman's flirtation with the transfer wire affect his play?

No doubt, Twellman was not happy about being held back from such rich deal with Preston North End after the club's $3.5 million bid was rejected by MLS. But with full knowledge of his true worth on the international market, will Twellman sulk and have an off year? Or will he light the league on fire in hopes of furthering his value once the transfer window opens back up in August? That's the question that will have the greatest impact on the Revolution’s success.

2. Who will replace Pat Noonan up front?

Right now, the early favorite has to be second year forward Adam Cristman. The former Cavalier had an impressive rookie season (4 goals, 4 assists in 28 games), and looks the most capable of assuming Noonan's former role. But don't overlook a pair of dark horse candidates. Sainey Nyassi and Abdoulie Mansally are both intriguing options should Cristman struggle. That being said...

3. Will the attack flounder without last year's second-leading scorers?

Without Noonan and former attacking mid Andy Dorman, the team's attack could very easily stagnate. There's no doubt that both exits put the club in an unenviable position of trying to duplicate the success it had for the first two-thirds of the 2007 season. Noonan and Twellman shared an almost telepathic understanding of each other on the pitch, while Dorman set the league on fire in the first half of 2007. The loss of both may signal some unwelcome early-season growing pains.


4. Which rookie will make the greatest impact in '08?

The freshman in the catbird's seat right now is first rounder Rob Valentino. The Bay Area product spent all of last season recovering from a preseason injury, but his height (6-3) could suit him well on a vertically challenged back line. Should the club switch to a 4-4-2, Valentino's chances of making the First Kick starting XI would obviously increase greatly.

5. Can Wells Thompson and Adam Cristman avoid the sophomore jinx?

Ah, the dreaded follow-up year after the rookie season. They don't coin it the sophomore jinx for nothing (see: Khano Smith and Ryan Latham). Cristman and Thompson solidified their spots by midseason, and never let them go. This season, the weight is squarely on them from the get go. Can Thompson, who struggled in the postseason, improve on the right? Can Cristman handle a season’s worth of abuse that Twellman regularly gets barraged with? These will be interesting questions for the sophomores going into the 2008 season.

6. Will the Revolution abandon the 3-5-2 this year?

Manager Steve Nicol has stated that he’s going into the preseason with an open mind to see which formations work best given the team's personnel. A glance at the roster right now lends itself to the idea that with a bulk of defenders, and some questions in the midfield, it's entirely possible that the 4-4-2 may be the formation of choice this season. However, don’t be surprised to see the return of the favored 3-5-2 sometime during the season, especially if Honduran international Mauricio Castro proves to be the playmaker he’s been advertised as.

7. How will Mauricio Castro fit in with the rest of the squad?

When the Revolution announced Castro's signing earlier this week, the consensus could have been summed up in one word: finally. Not so much for the player per se, but for the fact that a glaring need - i.e. the attacking playmaker - had been filled, at least on paper. From most accounts, Castro, 26, is an aggressive player not at all afraid to charge the box, and is also very good on the dribble. Additionally, the former Honduran National Teamer (four caps) has experience taking free kicks, and - get this - he's not past his prime. Castro could very well become the showstopper that the Revolution has been missing since Clint Dempsey left last year.

8. Will Joe Franchino return to his glory days?

The former skipper will look to rebound from a tough year in which he spent the bulk of 2007 on the injured list. But will the combination of age and recent injury prevent him from becoming the Joey of old in 2008? It won't be an easy road to plough. But if anyone can do it, it's the gritty veteran that The Fort boisterously chants will kick the opposition’s you-know-what (rhymes with: grass).

9. How will U.S. Open Cup, SuperLiga and CONCACAF Champions League obligations affect the team?

The recently-minted MLS schedule shows that there is only one regular-season match in July - an appropriate July 4th tilt in Hollywood. Other than that, the month is devoted to sweltering summer training sessions and extracurricular tournaments, which, should the club fare well and advance in these tourneys, could lead to late-season bottleneck of matches. Given that, the club's depth will be tested like never before. Oh, and to compound the problem further: World Cup qualifying will likely cost the Revs the services of Twellman and Michael Parkhurst at some point this summer as well.

10. Can Chris Albright stay healthy?

It was a heck of a trade the Revs pulled that brought the former National Teamer to Foxboro. Albright gives the club more of that magic word: versatility. He can play in middle, in the back, or up front in a pinch. But injuries have dogged Albright in recent years (missed all but five games in 2007) enough to put a giant question mark over his head. Can he stay healthy enough to make the impact that's expected of him?

BONUS: Where's Avery John?

If you know, please let Nicol know as well. Because according to the gaffer himself, he hasn't heard from John in quite some time. The only thing we can go by at this point is the rumor mill. Pick one to adhere to: He's going to be traded to Columbus. He's going to sign a deal overseas. He's going to open up a used car dealership (okay, I made that last one up). Through it all, it appears that the strongest possibility is that he’s simply played his final match for Revs.

Scrooge England Revolution?

Cheap.

It's a pretty unflattering term. But, in the past two weeks alone, I've received numerous e-mails from Revolution fans "commenting" (and I use the term advisedly, since there may be children reading this) on the transfer bid for Taylor Twellman, Andy Dorman's departure, and now, Pat Noonan's club option being declined. Despite the varying topics, there's one prevailing theme among the fan feedback:

The Revolution organization is cheap.

It's not a completely unfounded (or recent) argument if you consider the club's recent track record of contract negotiations with its own players. When given the chance, the club has repeatedly refused to shed its cheapskate label, despite the fact that an unused designated player allocation and some leftover cash from the Clint Dempsey transfer are beginning to attract moths.


That being said, let's take gander at the club's track record when it comes to player contracts.

Exhibit A: Taylor Twellman. The club’s all-time leading scorer signed a four-year contract that, on average, pays him close to $400,000 annually, which isn’t chump change by any means. However, when English side Preston North End reportedly offered as much a $2.5 million transfer fee for the Best XI striker last week, it was apparent that he was clearly worth much more. Twellman's value, in terms of both the club and the league, has greatly risen over the last year alone, and though he signed his contract extension prior to last season, a market adjustment would appear to be warranted for such a vital component of the Revolution machine.

Exhibit B: Shalrie Joseph. Another player at the center of a transfer bid - this one made by the illustrious Celtic FC. The Scottish club made multiple offers for everyone’s favorite Grenadian, and at one point, reportedly offered as much as $2 million for his contract. Naturally, the bids were rejected each time, though all parties involved stood to benefit greatly from the proposed transfer. Embittered by the proceedings, Joseph declined his appointment as club captain prior the start of the 2007 season, as the failed transfer and ensuing contract negations had soured him. After interest cooled, Joseph, perhaps seeing little other alternative, signed a contract extension in August for a figure that probably wasn't even close to the amount money he would have received abroad.

Exhibit C: Andy Dorman. Can you believe that the newly-baptized Buddie was making a schoolteacher's salary ($30,870 according to MLS Underground) last season? Neither can I. After a pretty good season during which he became the club's second leading scorer, you have to believe that the underrated attacking midfielder was due for a pay raise when his contract expired at the end of the year. Instead, the club balked at his requested figure (which, according to reports, wasn’t unreasonably high), then waved goodbye to another crucial piece of their successful playoff-caliber puzzle.

Exhibit D: Now comes Pat Noonan. The highly-regarded striker and childhood friend of Twellman has partnered up front with his old buddy for the past five seasons –all of which the Revs have clinched playoff berths. It’s hard to dispute that the attack is remarkably better when both are on the pitch. Granted, Noonan has had some difficulties staying healthy at times, but when he's fully fit and ready to go, there aren't many better forward lines in MLS. Plus, it’s safe to say that a certain Tecmo Bowl-playing pal would not be pleased if Noonan were to walk.

In hindsight, the recent streak of success of this club has enjoyed must be further appreciated given the organization's tightwad tactics. It's almost an aberration (albeit a fantastic one) that amid all of this player unrest, this club has still made it to three consecutive MLS Cups. But it would be foolish to think this trend will last forever, nevermind the foreseeable future.

This season has the potential be a big year for the Revs. But it also has equal chance to reek of a rebuilding year in which a playoff appearance would be impressive enough. Dorman's presence will be missed, and should Noonan go as well, no rookie or newcomer would be able to adequately fill the respective voids on such short notice.


In essence, Revolution fans are tired of it all. Tired of having their talent club come up short. Tired of seeing management failing to extend itself beyond the “we gave it our best effort” excuse in terms of signing new players. Tired of shortchanging its better players. Tired of reading about the Red Sox and Celtics doling out the necessary cash for big names to improve their teams while the local XI continues to ride the backseat of the New England sports bus.


Most importantly, they’re tired of the organization not doing enough to not only make their club better, but by extension, not doing enough to promote the game of soccer in a region jam-packed with sports fans.

Revolution Hardball

"My salary would have tripled what it is now," said Twellman, who has completed one year of a four-year contract worth $395,000 annually. "There has to be an adjustment and the fair thing to do would be either to sell me or adjust my pay accordingly." –The Boston Globe, 1/11/2008

Is anyone really happy to be playing for the Revolution? I mean, seriously.

It seems that at any given point, whether in-season or off-season, somebody’s airing his dirty laundry over contract discussions, or lack thereof in some instances. If it’s not the franchise’s all-time leading scorer, then it’s the league’s best holding midfielder. Sometimes, it’s former starting midfielder. Other times, it’s a certain freestyling midfielder/forward. At some point in time, you’ve just got wonder aloud:

Aren’t there any happy footballers in the Revolution locker room?

For all the accomplishments these players have achieved (winning just about everything but an MLS Cup) in the past three years alone, you would assume that players’ attitudes toward the organization would be a lot less – what’s the word I’m looking for - inflammatory.

Instead, it’s the polar opposite. Twellman’s recent comments regarding discussions of a possible $2 million transfer to an English club is just the latest in a soap opera comprised of less than diplomatic (i.e. negative) comments from Revolution players made through the media. In fact, the aforementioned comment is just a preface to the following comments made within the same Boston Globe article.

"Something's got to give," Twellman said. "They made me sign a contract for the minimum salary [in 2002] and I've jumped through every hoop with a smile on my face.”

It doesn’t take a doctorate in psychology to understand that Twellman is as happy about his paycheck as Nancy Grace is over the disappearance of another missing six-year-old. The metaphorical reference to a circus animal only obviates his feelings toward the franchise.

Normally, the general consensus tells us that the public has simply had enough with whiny, overpaid athletes. After all, how many more houses on each continent does David Beckham actually need?

Yet, it would be one thing if Twellman’s grievances were just an isolated incident. But we all know that isn’t the case. The average Revolution fan can count on two hands how many players have publicly addressed their concerns over contract discussions in the last year alone. Even Fido could tell you that this is becoming a rather disturbing pattern that fails to speak well for a professional club’s front office.

And with Twellman, a player who's never been shy with the media when it comes to his displeasure with players, opposing managers or the organization that he plays for, his comments regarding how contract negotiations proceeded are actually quite damning to the front office as a whole. In essence, it appears that if the following account of how negotiations developed is indeed accurate, you would think that Chris Matthews himself was conducting the discussions if you read into this final blow from his Globe article.

“They said I hadn't scored for the national team, and now I've scored six goals, then they said I never received an international offer of any magnitude, and now I have that offer. Now, they can either re-sign me and make a long-term commitment to me, or they can make money off my sale and I'll be gone. They can't withhold me from making three times as much money as I make here."

Ouch. I hope Mike Burns, Sunil Gulati and Brian Bilello get some ice for those brand new black eyes before they begin to swell.

The Revolution organization has never apologized for how it conducts business because it will immediately point to four Eastern Conference Championships in six seasons. That string of success ain’t bad at all. Although the club has fallen short four times of the ultimate prize, I’m sure the front office gang can still parade those glass championship trophies to the cocktail parties while the guests gather round the caviar dip and snicker. All joking aside, there’s no doubt that this club has accomplishments to be proud of, including its very first championship (The US Open Cup) this past season.

But the manner in which the front office handles its players has festered into a problem that will eventually doom the squad on the pitch before long. The last thing a successful organization like Revolution need is field full of unhappy players.

A word of advice to said front office: despite the warm success the club has attained with the frugality and hardball tactics that reportedly encompass a contract negotiation, it may not be the best idea to tick off your franchise player. Call it a hunch.

That being said, it may be time for a fresh approach toward player negotiations. In the organization’s defense, the ink on Twellman’s MLS contract just barely dried before his current gripe. To the best of my knowledge, no firearms or subliminal threats were made to coerce him into signing a fairly rich contract extension last March. However, it’s imperative that the club keep its players – and, dare I say, its star players in particular – happy while the team is still pretty good. Players that have performed extremely well and remained loyal to the club, like Twellman, deserve to be kept happy- within reason, of course.

Barring injury or a phalanx of locusts inhabiting the Neponset River, Twellman will approach the magical 100-career goal mark sometime this summer. Instead of the obligatory car or chopper doled out as a reward, why not give the face of the franchise something he can truly smile about?

Taylor-Made Disaster?

According to ESPNsoccernet’s Frank Dell’Apa, New England Revolution striker Taylor Twellman may soon join former compatriot Clint Dempsey abroad by plying his trade across the Atlantic. Preston North End of the Coca-Cola Championship has reportedly offered a $1.7 million transfer bid for the Revolution’s all-time leading goalscorer.

The 27-year-old striker, undeniably the face of the New England franchise, has been strongly courted by the English club, who are currently fighting off relegation as they dwell in the Coca-Cola Championship cellar. Although initial reports have MLS scoffing at the club’s bid, it is expected that the English club are prepared to up the ante to an even $2 million.

Whether MLS accepts nothing less than a substantially higher bid (think somewhere in the neighborhood of Dempsey’s MLS-record $4 million figure) for one of its biggest stars remains to be seen, but the prospect of Twellman departing New England for old England will undoubtedly rattle the relatively-quiet offseason ambiance of a club that fell two goals shy of an MLS Cup victory less than two months ago. Should the league ultimately decide to take the money and run, it would undoubtedly leave a crater-sized hole for a club that has already lost two primary goalscorers (Dempsey to Fulham and Andy Dorman to St. Mirren) in the last year alone.

If Preston North End gets its multi-million dollar wish, the Revolution would realistically be stricken from any real chance at a return engagement to the postseason this year, nevermind a fourth consecutive trip to the MLS Cup. During Twellman’s time in New England, the Revolution never failed to reach the postseason, thanks in large part to Twellman’s remarkable performance on the pitch. In fact, it was Twellman himself who single-handedly starred as the Revolution’s driving force throughout last year’s playoffs when he scored all three of the club’s post-season goals.

Moreover, the possibility of Twellman playing abroad would greatly alter the organization's immediate plans toward potential player acquisitions, not to mention long-term plans as well. It would also force the organization to create a contingency plan to cope with the tremendous loss of one of the league’s best players. Whereas the club would have entered next week’s MLS SuperDraft primarily hunting for an attacking midfielder and, perhaps, some taller defenders, they now have the monumental task of trying to locate a franchise forward to replicate Twellman's Best XI production should he jump ship. That said, the time may have come for the organization to start dusting off that unused designated player allocation in search of an international high-caliber striker.

Twellman's importance to the club, both on and off the pitch, cannot be overstated. During his six-year tenure, the former 1860 Munich (Germany) castaway not only became the club's all-time leading scorer, but the universal face of the franchise as well. His likeness has graced countless pocket schedules, advertisements, and promotional materials, thus becoming the most visible footballer in New England. Nowhere in the region, save for Tom Brady, has a single player risen to become the avatar for an entire franchise. It’s fair to say that should the club lose Twellman, it would also have lost a better part of its own identity in the process.

And like Brady, Twellman is more than just a pretty face plastered on the walls of children’s rooms across New England. After arriving in 2002, he led the Revs in scoring every season, save for the 2004 campaign when he finished second (9 goals) to Pat Noonan (11 goals). At 26, he became the youngest player in MLS history to reach the 75-goal plateau, besting the previous mark set by Jason Kreis, who was 29-years-old when he notched that magical mark. Since his rookie season, no player has scored more goals (91) in MLS; should he stay the course in the States, he would likely break the league’s all-time goalscoring mark (112) before the age of 30. With a resume such as his, it’s no wonder a struggling club like PNE is willing to upfront millions for the talents of an extremely potent striker such as Twellman.

Simply put: without Twellman, the Revolution, a perennial playoff team since his arrival, could very well fall to the bottom of the MLS table faster than you can say future hall of famer. Without the player it has so heavily relied for the past six seasons, the club would likely struggle to create the offensive spark it already lacked down the stretch last season. The current need for a complimentary player or two to take the weight off the striker’s shoulders becomes immediately moot, as the club would instead have to switch gears completely and begin the tedious search for an MVP-caliber striker should Twellman wave Foxboro goodbye.

In short, any move for Twellman outside of New England would spell disaster for a team that has been on the cusp of a championship multiple times since the his arrival in 2002.

Can Preston North End afford MLS' asking price for Twellman when it’s all said and done? Perhaps. Can the Revolution afford to press on without its best player? Not a chance.

Revolution storm soggy Red Bulls, 1-0; march on to EC Championship

"Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."

With the remnants of Hurricane Noel bearing down on southeastern New England Saturday night, the aforementioned United States Postal Service motto could have easily applied to the proceedings between the New England Revolution and New York Red Bulls, as the clubs sloshed about the soggy pitch. Yet, it was the Revolution who better weathered the elements to clinch the 1-0 aggregate victory.

After last week’s defensive affair by New England during Game 1 in the Meadowlands, the Revolution reassured the crowd that this was no such match when Avery John pushed forward and fired the first shot of the evening on Red Bull keeper Jon Conway, thus proclaiming the home team’s intentions in only the 6th minute. Minutes later, Steve Ralston cut into the box and laced a shot that just went wide of the far post, putting the Red Bulls on their proverbial hooves by the nine minute mark.

For all the signs of a well-assembled attack on the part of the Revolution, the Red Bulls did not go quietly about their business after Juan Pablo Angel lined up and fired a screamer from 30 yards that flew inches above the bar in the 14th minute.

But the Revolution quickly took the ball back and menaced the Red Bull backline when Pat Noonan chipped a floating pass from the right en route to Taylor Twellman that sailed mere inches too far ahead of Twellman’s neon yellow boot, as the ball bounced past the byline.
As if New England’s attack wasn’t the only issue on the mind of New York manager Bruce Arena, more trouble materialized when Claudio Reyna, who had taken a handful of hard knocks already, had to be substituted for by the 27th minute.

Interestingly enough, it was only minutes later in the 35th minute that the Red Bull attack finally found its footing when they nip/tucked a set of passes that culminated in Jozy Altidore dashing down the right flank before he sent a seeing-eyed pass inside the box into the path of Angel before Jay Heaps snuffed it out at the last millisecond.

Clint Mathis, who had come in for Reyna only ten minutes prior, added to the Red Bull pressure when he took a pass inside the box, nutmegged his defender, cut inside, and pushed a shot that harmlessly bounced off the side of the goal in the 38th minute.

Although the first half concluded with the match still knotted at zero, it surely wasn't due for lack of trying, as both clubs pieced together quality chances. Though the Revolution had put more shots on net (3-1), the total shots taken was about equal (6-4), illustrating both clubs’ fervent desire to acquire the first goal of the series.

With both clubs playing technically sound soccer, it appeared that the deciding factor would boil down to which backline would make the first mistake. The defending had been superb throughout the first, and both clubs played smart, possession soccer.

Carrying over the confidence acquired during their late-first half attack, Dave van der Bergh tarried into the left channel and crossed to Angel, who headed the ball right into Matt Reis’ breadbasket, keeping the match scoreless in the 52nd minute.

However, the resurgent Red Bull attack was brought to an abrupt end in 56th minute, on an innocent looking play when Heaps and Angel challenged for a long ball near midfield. But as Angel came down, his chin connected with Heaps’ knee, causing the Argentine to immediately fall to the pitch in writhing pain. After being down for several minutes, Angel was able to walk back to the bench with some assistance, though his immediate return remained in question, as Arena tried to hold out hope on his star striker’s return.

Taking advantage of New York’s precarious situation, New England took the Red Bulls by the horns, as they sparked up their attack while Angel tried to convince team doctors that he was just fine. However, after it was determined that he had sustained a concussion, Arena had no choice but to pull his primary playmaker and insert John Wolyniec.

But before the substitution could be made, New England capitalized on the temporary man advantage when Shalrie Joseph fed a long pass to Ralston, who split the defenders and broke through the midfield, and as he charged through the box. With a defender closing in and Twellman to his left, the captain send a last-ditch pass to the rain-soaked striker, who deftly chipped it the off of Conway’s hands as it spilled into the corner of the net in the 64th minute.

New York frantically tried to respond quickly by attempting to reignite their offensive spark. But without the services of Angel and the fleet-footed Francis Doe (who was unable to even suit up for the match due to an abdominal injury) the weight of the attack fell on the shoulders of Altidore and Dane Richards, whose star had cooled in the second half.

Any thoughts of a Red Bull comeback eventually dissipated as New York struggled to tailor their offense without Angel. Adding to their frustrations, the Revolution back line held up its end of the bargain by duly cooling any semblance of a late-match offensive. Even with five minutes stoppage added to the clock, New York’s attack sputtered toward the finish line, as New England was able to wrap up the Eastern Conference Semifinal win, 1-0.

Sunday Morning Striker: Hi-Liters make their mark, beat Revs, 3-2

If you happen to be reading this from a residence/semi-permanent location within New England, you've surely been inundated with advertising images of numerous pumpkin-themed products. Pumpkin pies, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin candles, pumpkin bagels, and even pumpkin-flavored lattes have been flashed before your eyes on TV and in-store signage.

Now, if you like these products, then you have much in common with Sunday Morning Striker. For SMS delights in many Autumn-related goodies and sights, which also happen to include pumpkin-themed foods, candles, drinks, and actual pumpkins! Companies like Dunkin Donuts exploit SMS's appreciation for the pumpkin flavor by heavily promoting their Pumpkin lattes and muffins which you can combo up for a discounted price.

Like the brainwashed media gadfly he has become, SMS has unsurprisingly caved into the pumpkin craze and taken to a strict pre-match regiment of a Dunkin pumpkin muffin and pumpkin spice coffee for RIC Anchorwomen games. After all, with free admission and the lack of big guys in florescent orange jackets telling you that you've got to part with the beverage in your hand prior to entering, SMS takes advantage by brining in his delightful fall-themed fare. (Note: SMS realizes that RIC would rather have you purchase food at the concession, to which he does at halftime for the ubiquitous soft drink/coffee and hot dog. But in spite of free admission and no strict food or beverage policies, SMS contributes to the alumni fund to keep this good thing going.)

Yet, it seems as if every fall, there is another pumpkin-based product out there to pull a few extra Washingtons out of the wallet. I mean, c'mon: pumpkin lattes? Great idea, but you've got to admit, it's becoming a bit much. Of course, there can never truly be enough pumpkin themed foods in your author’s humble opinion, as SMS awaits the day where he can purchase pumpkin soda, pumpkin sushi, and pumpkin cereal. Mmmmmmm...

And to take the fall weather a step further, how fantastic is it to watch soccer with a backdrop of fiery reds, oranges and yellow leaved maples and oaks? SMS used to think, prior to his awakening, that football was the ideal fall spectator sport. While this is true to a point, absolutely nothing beats fall soccer at the alma mater.

Speaking of pumpkins, SMS hopes that the Revolution buggy doesn’t turn into one once the clock strikes midnight on the regular season. So far, they've played to a 2-2-2 record since September 9th, which is hardly encouraging since their competition in that span (with the exception of DC United) all had worse records than the Revs. Two more muffins remain on the schedule; it would seem to be prime pickings for a playoff bound team to gather some steam going into the playoffs.

In related news, the Revs hosted the pumpkin muffin Crew (7-11-10) on Saturday night. Recent history tells us that if the previous to matches are indicative of anything, it’s that the Revs back line will cough up a late-equalizer, thus knotting one of the best clubs in MLS against one of the worst.

Anyway, at 7:38pm ET, the Revs trotted onto the pitch in a 4-4-2, with midfielder Steve Ralston dropping to the back and Andy Dorman relegated to the cool air surrounding the Revolution bench. The Hi-Liters (a.k.a. the Crew, for their…heck, if you don’t know why they’re called the Hi-Liters, then maybe you shouldn’t be reading this) commenced the match in gleeful fashion as they passed the ball about for the early-evening entertainment.

By the tenth minute, the Revolution had grown weary of the Columbus passing clinic and jump started an assault. Khano Smith delivered a cross that just missed its connection with an oncoming Steve Ralston having been beaten to the ball by Columbus keeper Will Hesmer.
Shortly thereafter, the Crew sprung to life with a threat in the 16th minute, after they were awarded a free kick just beyond the D. Tim Ward fired a rising laser that rose just over the bar and out of the danger.

However, the Revs found the scoreboard first in the 26th minute when Ralston launched a corner directly to the noggin of a well-positioned Taylor Twellman, who sprung from Hesmer’s welcome mat and glanced the ball into the net.

The lukewarm Columbus attack managed to press into Revolution territory in the 33rd minute, when Eddie Gaven put a ball right toward Matt Reis before the keeper cradled it. Thus concluded the one of the few abrupt, yet harmless Crew mini-me attacks.

In the final minutes of the half, Columbus continued their short sojourns toward Reis and came back yet again in the 42nd minute, as Robbie Rogers whipped a threatening cross that the red-kitted keeper adeptly extinguished, as the Crew trudged back upfield yet again without finding the back of the net.

During halftime, SMS refreshed himself with a double fist of coffee and diet Pepsi, as the official friends of SMS were frantically texting him with such tempting messages as “hot chicks at the bar…meet us there in five.” Readers, SMS bypassed another evening of beautiful females and interdisciplinary banter among his blokes about anthropology, women’s studies, and sports to deliver this extremely-biased match report!

As Half Two kicked off, the Crew inserted their Argentinean striker, Guillermo Barros Schellotto, in an attempt to ignite their stale attack. The move paid immediate dividends, and the Columbus had its pedal back to the metal early on in the second half.

Anywho, with the Hi-Liters dominating possession, the Revs tried to answer back with a quick attack in the 55th minute, but Young Wells Thompson was caught well offside. Shortly thereafter, Pat Noonan raced toward goal before giving it up to strike partner Twellman, who guided a rocket just wide of the far post in the 57th minute.

The Crew finally put on their hard hats (SMS couldn’t resist) and jackhammered through the Revs backs when Schellotto harnessed the ball in the box, and fed it forward to Robbie Rogers, who initially flicked the ball off the right post. Unluckily, the deflection went right back into the box, and Gavin cleaned it up with an easy-as-pumpkin-pie goal in the 61st minute.

The Revs backs had their hands full yet again in the 77th minute, when Gaven raced down the left channel, and caught up to the ball just before the ball passed the byline. The midfielder then took the motionless ball right on the line, looked up, and beautifully delivered the ball to teammate Stefani Miglioranzi, who raced toward goal and easily pushed the ball past the defenseless Reis for the go-ahead goal.

Shortly thereafter, Nicol made a late-match substitution as he inserted Andy Dorman for Thompson to try and revitalize the stale Revolution attack in the 82nd minute. Amazingly, it worked – though indirectly - as Ralston took the ball, and initiated a little give and go to Shalrie Joseph inside the box, then quickly took the return pass and nailed it home toward the far post in the 83rd minute.

But the joy from the equalizer didn’t last. Schellotto, the bane of the Revs back throughout the second half, strolled past the halfway line, took the ball from 25 yards out, turned his defender, and fired a groundhog through yards of open real estate that just escaped the paws of Reis into the left post in the 86th minute.

Allotted four minutes of stoppage to send the crowd home happy, the Revs tried to form a late attack. The opportunity came from a free kick awarded just inside the D, as Ralston and Larentowicz stood before the ball. Then, Larentowicz stepped up and fired a curler that died on impact at the Crew wall, as the Revolution faded quietly into the cool New England night, giving up a sour 3-2 loss to the Crew.

Stat of the Match, Part 1: The last time the Revs beat Columbus was during last season’s final regular season match, winning a 1-0.

Stat of the Match, Part 2: For the third consecutive game this season, the Crew tallied a goal at 85th minute or later goal against the Revs.

Stat of the Match, Part 3: The sixth-place Crew has now scored three goals against the Revs twice this season. The only other club to record three or more goals twice against the Revs this season is first-place DC United (3-0 on 8/5, and 4-2 on 9/2).

Stat of the Match, Part 4: Since clinching a playoff berth on September 15th, the Revs are 1-2-1 in MLS action.

Stat of the Match, Part 5: After coming in as a 2nd half sub, Guillermo Barros Schellotto took only one shot on goal – the game-winner in the 86th minute.

THREEPENNY ANALYSIS: The Revs looked good early, despite intermittent Columbus attacks, and looked poised to impose their will going into the second half up 1-0. But when Schellotto entered the match in the second half, the momentum slid toward the Crew, as the Argentinean became the offensive catalyst that the guests had lacked in the first frame.

The Revs struggled to contain Schellotto, and the striker showed no mercy, as exemplified by his amazing 86th minute game-winner in which he simply took James Riley to school on, and then fired a missile that lodged itself into the left corner of the net. The Revs just could not find answer to his artistry, and just failed to spark anything offense thereafter.

Once again, the Revs failed to wrap up what should have been at least one point against a much lesser squad.

Random soccer-related thought: After scoring his 90th career MLS goal Saturday night, SMS strongly feels that there should be some sort of club-sponsored countdown banner devoted to Taylor Twellman’s march to 100 goals.

Trick or treat! The Gillette Stadium pitch came to the match disguised as a football field.

Sunday Morning Striker End of Season Award announcement: Prior to the match, the team trophies were handed to the club’s top performers. In recognition of this event, SMS has created his own award: “Most Improved Player since an SMS bashing.”

All season, SMS harped on a certain left-sided midfielder who’s more known for his wild crosses and shot than his curiously-stylish “brohawk” hairdo. A gentleman who, to his credit, kept at it, and actually put together a nice streak of well-played matches down the stretch. The man who nearly put a Rodney Harrison hit on Jay Heaps after scoring his first goal of the season against FC Dallas.

So without further ado, the winner of this year’s award goes to…Khano Smith!

SMS Alma Mater update: The Anchorwomen began the week on a rough note, with a heartbreaking 1-0 double-overtime loss to Roger Williams University on Columbus Day Monday. Freshman keeper Maddie Pirri did well to keep RWU off the board until Hawks forward Amanda daCunha spoiled the clean sheet performance in the 104th minute.

RIC then traveled to Bridgewater State College and dropped a tough 3-2 loss on the road. Brittney Godbout and Kerry Donahue trallied a goal apiece in the losing effort, as the maroon and gold came up a goal short.

Finally, the victory that eluded them all week was finally achieved on Saturday afternoon at the RIC Soccer Field, where Donahue and Krista MacKinnon scored the fist two goals against Plymouth State University. But PSU answered with a pair of its own in the second half, knotting the score at two, and sending the match to OT. But Abby Hummel ended the OT on her own account, with a wicked shot that lodged itself into the far corner for the much-deserved 3-2 win.

US Women's Nation Team feature: The WNT saw its first action since the World Cup on Saturday night as for the first of three consecutive matches against Mexico. Unfortunately, the match was not televised live from Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, and with the Revs-Crew match starting at half an hour prior to US-Mexico, SMS was relegated to following via MatchTracker during half time at Gillette. Luckily, our women thumped their Mexican counterparts 5-1, after initially going down 0-1 in the sixth minute.

SMS really doesn't want to go there, but he will: The whole Hope Solo controversy, which has been skewered, stewed, baked, fried, boiled, broiled, grilled and roasted by the media, has led SMS to conclude that there really is no such thing as bad publicity. Don't believe SMS? Go ahead - try to order a Hope Solo jersey from ussoccerstore.com.

Join us again after the regular season finale against Toronto FC, where SMS will revisit his pre-season predictions, and comment on how close he was to predicting the exact record of the Revs this season, among other prognostications. Want a good laugh? Just see how far off he was in his prediction of the first Revolution player departure!

Sunday Morning Striker: Red Bulls and Revs draw 2-2, and Red Bull causes late submission (again!)

Recently, Sunday Morning Striker attended two soccer matches within the span of four days, which may be some sort of record (note: it isn't...four in one day is the current record). The lucky pair was Brazil-Mexico and Revolution-FC Dallas. Now, if you attended both of these matches as well, the crowd involvement was night and day, apples and oranges, Britney and Christina. The former was one filled with drums, sambas, and a sea of canary yellow. The latter was another run of the mill, sterile crowd, save for the Fort and the non-stop crying baby two rows behind me.

But back to the overwhelmingly pro-Brazilian faithful: such is the sunny, colorful disposition of Brazilian soccer fans (futbol fans, to be more accurate - the words "Brazil" and "soccer" go together like Paris and Pele), and the vibe throughout the crowd was electric and highly-infectious. Never, in all of SMS's life, has he attended an event containing a bevy of 68,000 passionate fans, almost none of whom used their seats for sitting, but rather standing the entire 90 minutes.

This got SMS thinking: what can be done to amp up the atmosphere at Revolution games? What can be learned from Brazil-Mexico crowd a few Wednesday nights ago? Some suggested free tickets for the scantily clad Brazilian women for the rest of the season. This could work. But SMS have a much better (note: family-friendly) answer.

Now, before I elaborate on this no-fail idea, be advised that SMS is a man of the people. It would be much more financially rewarding to pitch the idea directly to the Revs for a lucrative, incentive-laden deal, have them counter it, which in turn would bring SMS's roster of lawyers to negotiate a fair deal to which SMS rides to Revs games in a limousine for the rest of his days.

So here it is - two words, but one fantastic idea: Revolution Song Girls.

Now, SMS understands that soccer purists may initially scoff. “There are no cheerleaders in soccer!” you say. Let SMS amend that for you - there are no cheerleaders in (Eastern European) soccer. But there are cheerleaders in Mexican soccer, and there are definitely cheerleaders in other MLS organizations, such as Colorado, Columbus, and Chivas USA has the ChivasGirls. But what I propose are not cheerleaders - SMS proposes song girls.

Song Girls would amp up the crowd between short stoppages in play (prior to goal kicks, free kicks, corners, as well as during halftime). Hey, watch where you throw that tomato! Anyway, after the tendonitis kicks in, ice down the arm and consider this: it would be run by a person knowledgeable in soccer, thus, there wouldn't be cheers during the run of play. A perfect display for the song girls would be prior to a corner kick. Think about it: Steve Ralston calmly jogs toward the flag, the song girls would come out, right behind the opponent's net, and wave their shiny navy and silver pom-poms in anticipation for the kick. The Revolution Song Girls would, of course, also appear in dance and song after a Revolution goal, and SMS already has visions of Khano Smith bowling over a few Song Girls as part of his goal celebration (just ask Jay Heaps about this). This would rank high on many fans’ entertainment scales.

Those of you who aren't forced read this column might retort, "Hey, wait just a minute, Sunday Morning Striker! Didn't you mention back in May during the Columbus match that the soccer gods frown upon cheerleaders?" SMS’s answer to that is this: there's a difference between song girls and cheerleaders. Trust me. You see, Revolution song girls would bypass the standard, cleavage bearing cheerleader tops in favor of tight, Revolution-branded sweaters (Adidas Climacool during the summer months) with matching short skirts, thus projecting that wholesome, girl-next-door image. There's your primary difference. In any event, just to be sure, SMS has circulated a memo to the soccer gods themselves humbly requesting their approval of song girls.

Next time: why the Revs need to ditch the costumed Slyde mascot and employ a real, live fox for its matches...and I'm not talking about Jessica Alba, though SMS wishes he was.

In other news, the Revs kicked off against New York on the football-lined pitch of Giants Stadium Saturday night. With only five matches remaining, the second-place Revs looked to secure three points in the hopes of overthrowing the current king of the hill, DC United, for the Supporter’s Shield.

The home team wasted absolutely no time establishing their rhythm, when the inexperienced but electric Francis Doe crashed his way through the Revolution backs in the first minute and immediately challenged with a quick flick into the box. Luckily, Avery John snuffed out the threat as he poked the ball away.

Though the Red Bulls came out charging, the proceedings settled down after the fifth minute, as the hard artificial surface at Giants Stadium produced the ubiquitous hyperactive bounces that both teams failed to control in many instances.

Accordingly, the Revs’ first legitimate threat appeared in 21st minute from none other than the dead ball, as they were awarded a free kick from about 35 yards out. Steve Ralston booted it right in the path of Claudio Reyna, and though the blocked kick directly went to Jeff Larentowicz nearby, the follow up comically hit Reyna yet again, and the threat soon dissipated.

Still failing to attack from the run of play, the Revs took advantage of another dangerous free kick in the 22nd minute. Ralston this time looped a curling ball to Taylor Twellman as the striker rose above his mark to head it point blank past Waterreus. 1-0 Revs.

Coincidentally, the Red Bulls unsuccessfully tried borrow the blueprints on the Revolution goal when Reyna launched a free kick that met the skull of Doe, who headed the ball wide of net in the 25th minute.

Then, in a pressure-cooker sequence, the Energy Drinks crashed the Revolution end when they put together a dangerous attack in the 35th minute that ended in a shot saved by Reis. On the ensuing corner kick, Juan Pablo Angel beat the keeper but Michael Parkhurst, playing inside the far post, thumped it right back out to keep the equalizer at bay for the time being.

But Parkhurst couldn’t preserve the goose egg alone in the 37th minute when the Red Bull attack finally reached its boiling point. Dane Richards bravely took Avery John one-on-one on the right and lifted a perfect ball to Doe, sitting right on Reis’ doorstep, and nailed home the equalizer.

New York began the second half much like the first, and controlled the bouncing ball almost at will, which forced Reis to bail out his teammates on a couple of quick Red Bull attacks. Though the defending corps dangerously bent, the keeper managed to keep the proceedings tied for much of second half.

During a seemingly innocuous sequence in the 70th minute, New York defender Chris Leitch swept a ball right to a teammate deep in his end. But the ball was grossly misplayed, and Twellman, still retreating upfield, intercepted it, took a quick touch, slid the ball toward the far post, and into the net. 2-1 Revs.

Now masters of their own destiny with the one-goal advantage, the Revs tried to solidify their defending for the remaining twenty minutes.

But with only six more minutes left in regulation, Angel broke free and went barreling forward all alone on Reis, and deftly put the ball right past the keeper for the equalizer.

Curiously, the final minutes took the appearance of a Quentin Tarantino flick – unpredictable with lots of violence, as both clubs traded possession and fouls. For reasons unknown, Richards took down Shalrie Joseph hard just after the Grenadan cleared the ball out. Then, Larentowicz and Reyna began to trade elbows and shoves alike soon after. Even Angel, who was awarded an early yellow, brazenly bated the opposition with a few shoves. With a fun filled four additional minutes of stoppage time, anything was liable to happen to either side.

Unfortunately, stoppage time was about as funny as “Get Fuzzy” for Twellman, who suffered what appeared to be a bothersome leg injury. The gritty forward, never one to call for a substitution, was writhing in pain and had to be taken out for Wells Thompson two minutes into stoppage time.

Adding insult to injury, James Riley was called for a questionable foul deep in the Red Bulls end, giving New York one final chance for the go-ahead. Angel took the free kick from 30 yards, but the Revolution wall astutely blocked it, as the ball never approached the area. The match ended seconds later, and the continuously bouncing ball was finally given a well-deserved reprieve.

Stat of the Match, Part 1: The Revs are now 11-1-3 when scoring the first goal this season.

Stat of the Match, Part 2: With Taylor Twellman’s double, the Revolution have now posted back to back games in which one of their own chalks up two goals. Last Saturday, Pat Noonan scored two against FC Dallas.

Stat of the Match, Part 3: Red Bulls Francis Doe, playing in only his second match Saturday night, has only seen action against the Revs this season. His first MLS match: August 25th against New England.

Stat of the Match, Part 4: With Angel’s 84th minute equalizer, the Revs have now allowed the tying or go-ahead goal in the final fifteen minutes four times this season.

Stat of the Match, Part 5: Though they were outshot by New York nearly 2 to 1 (NE-12, NY-21), the Revs managed to salvage a point, despite their 2-4-2 record this season when their opponent outshoots them.

Hidden indicator of the match: During the last two matches played by New York and New England, both team’s pitches had football lines on them, and in both games, the Revolution scored two goals. Moreover, SMS had a serious headache after watching both matches due to said football lines.

Injured Becks gets no love: Gazing upon the local bookstore’s magazine aisle, SMS encountered the cover of Radar, in which Becks and Posh were prominently featured as one of the mag’s “100 Most Overrated” celebrities.

Now, SMS has heard this tired argument before. In fact, pretty much everyone who’s ever watched soccer for more than ten minutes has. No one who knows the game disputes that Beckham isn’t the best player in the world right now. At one point, during the late-90s and early-2000s, an argument could be made that he was one of the top ten players in the world at the time. But now, it’s obvious that although he’s till quite good, he’s not in anyone’s top-10.

However, the funny thing is that this argument is at least five years old. The claim that Becks is overrated is a lot like stating that Paris Hilton has just become a no-talent attention whore. Tell us something that we don’t already know. Yes, Beckham is overrated as a player, but who is going to knowledgably say that Becks is one of the best players in the world. He’s not. We know this. What’ll you tell us next, Radar? That Britney Spears is an unfit mother?

(Note: Interestingly, for the second consecutive year, a certain Sunday Morning Striker did not appear in this issue of Radar, and thus dispelling any discussions that he is overrated as a soccer journalist.)

Final York Revolution update: The “other” Revolution, they of the Atlantic Baseball League, finished second in their division to close out their very first season. They finished the second half of their season (the ABL oddly separates records for each half of the season) with a very unrevolutionary 32-31 record, which afforded them a head start on their offseason tee times. Additionally, it allows SMS to emphatically state, for the final time in 2007 that “our Revolution is better than yours!”

SMS Alma Mater update: The Anchorwomen began last week in convincing fashion, as they soundly defeated intrastate rivals Salve Regina, 5-1. SMS took in the proceedings at RIC Soccer Field, and during the second half counted…one…two….three times in which the Seahawks meandered past the half-way line toward the RIC goal. Jessica Cardinal netted a double, and Brittney Godbout collected three points (1 goal, 2 assists) in the victory.

Hoping to ride the momentum of their five-goal effort, the Anchorwomen looked to seal another victory against UMass-Dartmouth Saturday afternoon. RIC got on the board first courtesy of a Godbout goal in the 44th minute, but UMass tied it in the second half from a Sarah Killingbeck goal at the hour mark. The two clubs then headed to overtime knotted at one, but Killingbeck struck again in the 97th minute, giving the Corsairs the eventual 2-1 voctory.

US Women’s National Team feature: In case you haven’t noticed by now – and if you haven’t, shame on you – the US Women are playing in the FIFA Women’s World Cup, and are heavy favorites to win it all.

Last week, during their final group match, Lori Chalupny scored in the very first minute against Nigeria, and the game ended 1-0 in favor of the US. Though the match appeared to be a cakewalk on paper, pitting #1 US against #23 Nigeria, the opposition did well to neutralize Abby Wambach and Kristine Lilly, while also testing Hope Solo with some wicked shots. Nevertheless, the win clinched first place in Group B, and a date against England the following Saturday.
Saturday arrived, and in the first half, England had the US’s backs against the wall, and dominated possession, though they were unlucky to find the back of the net. In the second half, the US finally appeared, and scored three goals in the course of a wild 12-minute span that saw Abby Wambach (48’), Shannon Boxx (57’), and Kristine Lilly (60’) all score. With the victory, the US advanced to the semifinals, and will face Brazil on Thursday.

Join us again after the Colorado match in which SMS makes few more inane points, lists a few crazy stats, and will advise of the soccer gods’ decision on the song girls idea, as well as touch upon the concept of “Revolution” weather. Remember, no one is forcing you to read this! Plus, SMS always backs all of his claims and opinions with the iron-clad guarantee of 100% correct, or the next one’s free. Got a question, comment, or deeply-held grievance? Send an e-mail to SMSRevs@gmail.com. Please know that Sunday Morning Striker may, just may, choose your e-mail on a completely arbitrary basis for publishing right here on Revsnet.com.

Sunday Morning Striker: DC is Vic Mackey, and the Revs were just token One-Niners

Can you believe that summer’s practically over? Sunday Morning Striker can’t. With the lifeguards on Rhode Island state beaches already having blown their whistles at brazen swimmers and sea gull chasers for the last time, SMS sat on his back porch yesterday, reflecting on a summer that undoubtedly breezed past us much too quickly.

Its is here in New England, where summer unofficially lasts from Memorial Day to Labor Day, that many vacationers sprawl to the region during the summer months with hotel and car reservations set for such destinations as Martha’s Vineyard, Cape Cod and Nantucket. It's been said that New England, with its warm weather and picturesque beaches is in the fact the ideal summer vacation spot - and far be it from me to disagree with such notable vacationers as past Presidents (Clinton and the Bushes) and celebrities (David McCullough, Paul McCartney, Bill Belichick).

And talk about spectacular weather! It was largely rain-free for the most part - no doubt the reservoirs and lawns suffered. Despite the lack of rain, there were no lengthy water bans to speak of in the southeastern sector, which almost becomes a rite of passage in recent summers. New Englanders were truly blessed with weeks upon weeks of beautiful weather during these past few months. Sure, it was humid and unquenchably hot at times, but then again, it’s summer. It’s supposed to be hot!

There really is nothing quite like summer in New England, and watching the Revolution play on the warm summer afternoons and nights is a huge added bonus. (Note: SMS is of the opinion that MLS should not align its season calendar to EPL and other European leagues. Rest assured, this topic will be addressed in a future article.) Of course, these summer months of watching soccer are naturally sweetened when your clubs flirts with first place, and having its tickets punched US Open Cup Finals is like the bubble gum at the center of the blowpop.

Plus, being treated to Ireland-Paraguay, CONCACAF Gold Cup matches, and of course, a visit from bench-ridden Beckham and the L.A. Galaxy only made the summer that much more memorable. Granted, although the time has come to store away the brightly colored polo shirts and Tony Montana white pants in favor of darker hues and dungarees, let’s not soon forget what a wonderful time this summer was.

And guess what? It’s also back to school for all you educational types! Guess who isn’t going back? The Sunday Morning Striker! Hahahaha, suckers! (Note: I kid, I kid - SMS is currently undertaking massive plans to return to school to obtain his Master’s degree in English come Spring 2008.)

Lastly, in conjunction with summer’s departure, it’s worth mentioning my nomination for The Summer Anthem – you know, that radio-friendly tune that gets played so often during the months between June and August that you can’t escape it anywhere on the FM dial. For SMS, that song was Rihanna’s “Umbrella”, which will forever evoke memories of Summer of ’07 for yours truly.

Anyway, the leaves are already beginning to turn their brilliant colors here in Rhode Island, and will falling weeks thereafter. But before they do, let's enjoy the last few weeks of hospitable September weather. What’s that? Only three regular season home matches left!?! Aiiiiyeeeeeeeeeeee!

In other news, DC United and Revs kicked off on Sunday afternoon under sticky, late-summer conditions at RFK Stadium, with only one point between them in the Eastern Conference. The last time these teams faced off, the United absolutely dismantled a hapless Revolution side to the tune of 3-0 back on August 5.

You may recall that the Black and Red began the season as slumbering giants while the rest of the East played hopscotch and dodgeball around them. Now they’ve awakened, and they’re in a baaaaaad mood –kind of like Michael Chiklis in The Shield. Remember when Chiklis once played the part of Tony Scali, an affable, pasty police commissioner in the early-90s drama The Commish? That was what DC was during the opening matches of the 2007 MLS schedule -lovable and unthreatening. Now? They’ve transformed themselves into the slimmed-down, ask-questions-later crime fighter. Let’s just say you don’t want to be Terry Crowley or a One-Niner on Vic Mackey’s watch. Did you see what Vic did to Guardo in Season 6? That’s pretty much what DC did to FC Dallas in Dallas last week. Yeah, you read that score line right: 4-0, DC United. So with DC’s guns blazing and Miranda Rights long forgotten, what would this mean for the Revs going into Sunday’s match? Let’s find out.

(Note: the Revs kicked off the first half sporting their road whites, which appeared to have boded well for the side considering the especially hot and humid temps and DC’s astonishing decision to wear their heat-absorbing black unis. Then again, this may have worked perfectly given the above comparison to Mackey, who has an affinity for wearing a black leather jacket in sunny southern California, the locale where The Shield is set.)

Despite the scientifically-proven advantage, the Revs nearly met disaster in the 3rd minute when DC’s Mark Burch swept a grenade into the box that Avery John chested down dangerously near the goal mouth with United’ Josh Gros buzzing nearby before Michael Parkhurst skied the ball out of harm’s way.

Minutes later, Cristian Gomez fouled Steve Ralston a few yards before the box, leading to a free kick for the Revs in the 10th minute. Despite the favorable spot, Ralston was unable to convert the attempt, as the ball sailed well over the goal.

Soon after, Emilio streaked through the Revs midfield after Shalrie Joseph coughed up the ball. The Brazilian marched forward and fired a rocked that fortunately bounced off the side netting.
By the 21st minute, Steve Nicol was commenting that both teams were playing “average football”, which may have been a kind assessment, since it appeared the match had more of a DC flavor than a Revolution aftertaste.

But by the half hour mark, it became increasingly apparent that the Mackey-like home side was in first place, as they continued to attack and intimidate within the guest suite, threatening to confiscate the opening goal. And they did just that in the 31st minute when Fred harnessed a gorgeous pass from Jaime Moreno right before the box, and fired the ball right past Reis for the one-nil advantage.

With the scoreboard smiling in DC’s favor, the Revs tried to find the equalizer amid the muggy conditions. Off a free kick in the 37th, Ralston unleashed a threatening pass into the box that somehow found Jay Heaps, who was able to take the bouncing ball and flail a low-voltage shot on net before midfielder Devon McTavish headed the ball above the bar to safety.

The Revs created yet another opportunity in the 40th minute when Khano Smith whipped a nice pass forward to Taylor Twellman, who headed the ball toward the far post. Unfortunately, said post, like any nonsentient entity, coldly denied the attempt, and the Revs frustratingly trotted back upfield soon after.

As time began to wane in the first half, and the tide appearing to have turned in the Revolution’s favor, Smith barreled down the left before unleashing a swift pass to Twellman. This time, Twellman took the pass, turned, and cleverly rocketed the ball in mid-air past Troy Perkins in the 45th minute. 1-1, Anyone’s match.

SMS won’t lie – he flipped the channel to USA-Brazil during halftime. Hoping to catch a glimpse of Bob Bradley’s boys as the local eleven sipped Gatorade in the locker room between halves, SMS was quietly swearing under his breath at the timing of the match. Unfortunately, it was a lot of pregame stuff, and when the match commenced, the second half in DC almost kicked off almost simultaneously.

The momentum amazingly salvaged prior to the finish of the first half, the Revs tried to do their best to keep the match under their control in frame two. In minute 48, Twellman took a deflected Smith pass off of Bryan Namoff and passed it right to his striking partner Pat Noonan, who misfired on the shot well off net.

Keeping the pressure on the United backs, Ralston laced an outswinging corner kick in the 55th minute that fortuitously deflected off of Bausch toward the goalmouth. Amid a fury of black and white shirted players, Jay Heaps footed the ball past the goal line for the go-ahead tally. 2-1, Revs.

At the hour mark, DC suddenly regained their offensive form as Gomez sent a pass forward to Luciano Emilio in the box. The Brazilian quickly turned to his left and pushed the ball toward to Moreno, whose quick shot was adeptly stuffed by a crashing Heaps. But the ball serendipitously deflected back to Moreno and only one man to beat this time – Reis himself- Moreno chipped the ball into the twine for the equalizer. 2-2, Anyone’s match.

Riding a tsunami of offensive chances, DC counterattacked in the 68th minute as Ben Olsen charged down the right flank and skipped a pass back toward Gomez sitting in the middle of the box. The striker deftly took it, and shot hard into traffic before the ball deflected off of Emilio and into the back of the net. 3-2, DC.

After the goal, Nicol became instantly heated, both literally and figuratively, and vehemently protested that a foul should have been called on Olsen against Smith just moments before he took the pass from Moreno. Referee Abby Oklulaja felt the criticism was especially undeserved, and casually sent the gaffer to the showers prematurely for the R-rated remonstration.

With two fresh subs (mmmm…subs) in for the Revs, one such sub- Wells Thompson – hooked a ball from the left toward Twellman, who immediately played it toward Ralston on his right. Unluckily, Ralston wound up and fired the shot just wide of goal in the 76th minute.

In an effort to reignite the attack, Paul Mariner, coaching in Nicol’s absence, inserted speedster Sainey Nyassi in the 83rd minute.

And no sooner did SMS finish off the previous sentence when Brian Carroll raced down the left flank and kicked a pass right toward a gatecrashing Emilio, who powerfully headed the ball into the back of the net in the 83rd minute. 4-2, DC, and SMS was hearing.

The Revs were given a token four minutes of stoppage time, but failed to find the necessary two goals needed to draw. Once the final whistle mercifully blew, DC had padded their first place lead with an additional three points over their rivals to the North.

Stat of the Match, Part 1: In three matches thus far, the Revs have acquired exactly one point against the United.

Stat of the Match, Part 2: Before Sunday afternoon, the last time the Revs tallied multiple goals (excluding own goals) was back on August 2 vs. Kansas City (2-0).

Stat of the Match, Part 3: The last time the Revs coughed up four goals in a match was back on May 26th vs. Kansas City (4-3).

Stat of the Match, Part 4: Matt Reis has a 3.00 goals against average against DC this season. Against the rest of the league, his GAA is 0.66.

Stat of the Match, Part 5: DC’s Luciano Emilio has now scored four goals in two matches versus New England this season. However, SMS can confirm that there is no truth to the rumor that Jay Heaps said afterward “I guess I have to just tip my cap and call Luciano Emilio my daddy.”

The AND1 OH BAY-BEE Play of the Match: Readers, SMS has betrayed you by failing to note these types of plays in which youngsters wave their tees in the air as if there are no repercussions. Though he couldn’t discern one particular play of this variety Sunday afternoon, SMS was impressed with MLS debutant Sainey Nyassi, and his trademark speed in the waning minutes of play.

True, Nyassi is a just a newcomer with much to prove before his induction ceremony in Oneonta, but SMS was excited every time the Gambian touched the ball. Mark my words: Sainey Nyassi will become a bonafide MLS star before long.

Mexico-Brazil at Gillette Stadium: Forgive my flair for the dramatic, but Wednesday, September 12, 2007 will go down as one of the most important days in the annals of the Sunday Morning Striker. For on this day, SMS will bear witness to two of the world’s greatest players: Brazil’s supremely-talented Kaka and Ronaldinho.

The occasion may unfold to become a story the grandkids about given Brazil’s scarcity in the region - this will mark only the second time in over fourteen years that Brazil has visited New England. The last time was back in June 1993, for the U.S. Open tournament, when A Selecao faced off against the US in New Haven, CT.

Why 50 Cent will never play left back for the Revs…or any other team: Recently, TMZ.com, an occasional guilty pleasure of SMS, reported that Fiddy was brushed up a bit by a Tyra Banks bodyguard on the “Fashion Rocks” red carpet, to which the Vitamin Water pitchin’ rapper got ticked and angrily retorted, “What the (bleep) is wrong with you? How are you gonna bump me?” said the muscle-bound, already-been-shot-at-nine-times rapper in response to the push.

With a reaction like that, it’s fair to say that oft-fouled (and borderline assaulted at times) Taylor Twellman is more of a man than Curtis Jackson.

Yeah, it’s almost autumn, but seriously, it’s way too soon for this stuff: SMS eyeballed a “Make their holiday wishes come true” Christmas banner at the top of “My eBay” page. Last I checked, there were still 105 shopping days left ‘til Christmas. Yikes.

SMS Alma Mater Soccer update: Yes, after nearly two months without regular updates of local sides not named the Revolution (the fortunes of the RI Stingrays were previously chronicled by Saturday Morning Striker), the college soccer season is well underway, providing fodder for regular updates.

In order to avoid any ambiguity, SMS will state for the record that he attended two colleges during his late-teens and early-twenties: Community College of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College.

Now, with that being said, it’s pretty hard keeping track of one club, nevermind four clubs (both schools have men’s and women’s soccer – it is the 21st century, after all). So, I’m defaulting to one club: the side that SMS watched for very first college soccer match. The club that SMS has officially adopted to update for the masses is…the Rhode Island College women’s team, colloquially known as the Anchorwomen! Yes, they are the lucky few that get a regular plug from the Sunday Morning Striker himself! It’s a wonderful day to be an Anchorwoman!

Ahem…on to the action…the Anchorwomen tied 2-2 to St. John Fisher College during their August 31st season opener at the generically-named RIC Soccer Field in Providence, RI. Lindsay Laurie and Gina Calenda scored for the good guys in a game that, despite the final score, was completely dominated by the home side.

Four days later, the Anchorwomen tasted victory in another fantastic performance in which they scored four goals over Johnson and Wales University, with a final of 4-1.

Finally, on Saturday afternoon, they dropped their first match of the season at Clark University, 3-1. Jessica Cardinal scored an early goal for the guests, but it was all Clark Cougars after that, with three unanswered goals thereafter. The Anchorwomen currently hold a particularly linear 1-1-1 record, and look to clinch victory on Tuesday when they face off against the U.S. Coast Guard Academy at RIC Soccer Field. Take a guess who will be in attendance?

For those of you who wish to jump on the Anchorwomen bandwagon while there’s still room, you can catch all of their home games live and in living color at the official RIC Athletics website (www.ric.edu/athletics).

As side note, I highly encourage you - if you’ve never done so - to head over to your alma mater and support the school’s student-athletes, whichever school or sport it may be. I can tell you from a personal standpoint that my heart filled with so much pride as I sat atop the aluminum bleachers, watching my fellow RIC classmates on the pitch. I’m truly humbled and proud to report on their 2007 season.

US Women’s National Team Feature: Hope you have your coffee supply is stocked and the bagels in fridge are fresh, because tomorrow morning’s Women's World Cup match vs. North Korea kicks off at 4:55am ET. If you’re a die-hard like myself, you will bypass your buddy TiVo on this one and wake up with the birds and catch the game as it unfolds.

SMS recalls a quote from his favorite comic book title as a teen – Generation X – in which Jubilee stated to Husk, her early-rising teammate, “Only garbage men and psychos are up this early…” Since we all know SMS’s profession cannot be categorized as “sanitation engineer”, I suppose that makes me a psycho. But we already knew this, right?

Join us back soon after the FC Dallas match at Gillette Stadium, where SMS hopes to be discussing victory rather than defeat. Though victory is crucial in these late-season affairs in which few points separate first and fourth place, don’t forget: this is also preview of the U.S. Open Cup Final, which will take place in Frisco, TX (which is, in fact, Dallas for MLS purposes) on October 3rd. Therefore, a hearty thrashing of the Hoops is in order come Saturday night to set the tone for the rematch in October.

Sunday Morning Striker: Belated and Abbreviated...Revs beat Red Bulls, 2-1

Under a hazy New England dusk, the Revs and Red Bulls kicked off Saturday night’s match with a mere six points between them in the Eastern Conference standings.

With the football-lined pitch as their springboard, the Revs immediately broke deep into the New York end when Adam Cristman paced down the right wing and flicked a quick shot to the left of Jon Conway, who hauled it in with ease in the first minute.

The local lads continued to attack and in the eighth minute, nearly saw their early efforts rewarded when a fully-recovered-from-the-flu Steve Ralston looped a dazzling corner that was thwacked by Jeff Larentowicz point-blank on the Conway piñata in front of the goalmouth.

The Red Bulls finally answered with an attack of their own in the 14^th minute as Matt Reis stepped up and detoured a Jozy Altidore shot that had its ticket booked for the back of the New England net.

Like a well-trained army, Steve Nicol’s boys immediately counterattacked seconds later when Cristman again penetrated the already porous Red Bull defense, and required Conway to once again save his teammates collective neck with a sure-handed save in the 15^th minute.

Amazingly, the guest’s lackadaisical defense almost led to their premature undoing in the 17^th minute. Cristman once again reappeared in the Red Bull area with ball in tow, and in a desperate attempt to abort a dangerous shot, “defender” Chris Leitch tugged away at the rookie’s adidas Climacool kit and brought him down. Referee Baldomero Toledo caught the sour display, and duly awarded the penalty.

In accordance with Revolution PK protocol, Shalrie Joseph lined the ball up the required twelve yards in front of the keeper. The Grenadian took a few steps back, and charged forward with a medium-caliber shot to the left and low that unmercifully clanked off the woodwork, keeping the score knotted at nil-nil.

Soon after the heart-wrenching miss, the clubs played back-and-forth-ball for the next ten (or so) minutes, as the Red Bull attack began to find its footing on the FieldTurf.

Despite being denied previously, Altidore boldly crashed the Revolution area and left Avery John in his wake as the youngin’ pushed the ball past the suddenly-defenseless Reis for the first goal of the game at the 30 minute mark. 1-0, Red Bulls.

Though the Revs attacked early and often, it began to appear that their offensive swagger had hit a bit of a funk until the 42^nd minute. As the home club reassembled their assault, Joseph, centered in the middle of the attack, played the ball wide to Khano Smith on the left. Smith then took a touch, and played a beautiful ball to Taylor Twellman in the box before the striker took a close shot that just missed the net.

Yes, the score was 1-0 in favor of Bruce Arena’s boys, but the tempo of the match almost dictated that the scoreline should have been transposed, as the Revs had largely dominated the first half.

And no sooner did this theory begin to hold water in the opening seconds of Frame Two when, of all players, Reis fired up a quick counterattack when he launched a long ball that cut through the heavy, humid air and crashed near the heels of a fleet-footed Twellman in Red Bull territory. The forward cradled the ball, then weaved through the porous defense, and tapped it into the back of the net, giving the thousands of twelve year old girls on hand reason to screech and cheer, as the score evened at 1-1 in the 46^th minute.

At the hour mark, Nicol made the obligatory Wells Thompson-for-Khano Smith substitution, as the Revs continued to pressure the Red Bull backs.

However, the ever-dangerous Juan Pablo Angel - he of an MLS-second-best 13 goals - snuck through the box before Reis - he of an MLS-best nine shutouts - smothered the threat in the 61^st minute.

In the 67^th minute, the scoreboard still flashed the 1-1 score. Where, oh where, would the go-ahead materialize? Twellman attempted to help the answer the question when he uncharacteristically sent a pass from midfield to a stuck-in-sixth-gear Thompson on the right. The rook tried to cut down his angle before he sent a skipping shot that went wide of the far post.

By the 80^th minute, the home crowd had seen a largely well-played match by their hometown heroes. The entertainment value was already high at this point. But why not throw in a good laugh?

The chortling came unexpectedly after Red Bull substitute Carlos Mendes attempted to play the ball back to his keeper. Unfortunately, the memo must not have fully circulated, as the pass caught Conway flat-footed and well off his line, as the routine dump off slowly trickled into the back corner of the net for the universal punchline of “own goal.” 2-1, Revs.

The score remained 2-1 into stoppage time, and Bruce Arena was sporting that classic "stoic, yet goofy" facial expression he perfected during the 2006 World Cup. Nevertheless, the Red Bulls tried to wipe the egg of their faces on a hasty mini-attack that culminated on a Clint Mathis liner over the bar. Soon after Reis air mailed the goal kick, the match expired, as the Revs collected a well-deserved three points over their Eastern Conference foes.

Well, it’s 12:41am on Monday, and SMS deeply apologizes for getting this witless attempt at humor to you in a length of time that would only make a tortoise proud. He (SMS, not the reptile) just returned from National Soccer Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, and after four-and-a-half hours on the New York and Mass Turnpikes, he’s ready to retire to his bedchamber. Grandpa’s old cough medicine will remain untouched before bed tonight!

Join us after the road DC tilt, where, after nearly two weeks of recuperation, SMS will return in full over-analytical flight. See…zzzzz….you…(clears throat)….zzzz. (Goodnight!)