Of red cards and retribution

Last night's Kansas City-New England match was a unique affair that not only pitted two conference rivals, but a pair of clubs that had met only two weeks ago. And anyone with a modicum of memory can easily recall what transpired two weeks ago in Barbeque City had to know that there was blood in the water prior to the match.

For those without elephant-like memories, here's a brief synopsis:

During the 12th minute, Hercules Gomez went in on a late hard tackle Steve Ralston near midfield. The Revolution skipper suffered a broken right fibula, and is likely finished through the remainder of the 2008 season. Curiously, referee Alex Prus did not warn or card Gomez for his actions.

So going into last night's game, there was considerable buzz that the Revolution themselves were ready and willing to administer justice themselves to the Wizards' striker.

Behold Khano Smith in the 42nd minute. With his team already down a man due to the questionable red card issued to Gabriel Badilla in the 26th minute, the Bermudan international chased down Gomez deep into the Revolution right corner and violently undercut him with a hard slide tackle. The momentum of Smith's slide forced both players into the sideline signage, and, to no one's surprise, Smith was shown the red.

Astonishingly, Gomez was not injured on the play, but there was little doubt surrounding his assailant's motives.

After the match, Shalrie Joseph was quite candid in his remarks about the incident. He said that it was most definitely payback for the reckless tackle on Ralston. Despite the fact that the Revolution were already playing a man down, a message needed to be sent that you simply don’t get away with injuring the skipper without consequence.

Was it smart? Absolutely not. Smith’s red card forced his club to play two men down, and also eliminated him from appearing in Thursday’s playoff match against Chicago. Due to the nature of the tackle and the circumstances surrounding it, it’s likely that Smith will be suspended beyond Thursday.

Was it justified? Yes. Smith’s slide tackle no doubt furthered his clubhouse cred among his teammates and coaches. Steve Nicol knew it was reckless. He may not have agreed that the timing of it was particularly keen, but I’m sure the Scot was not too angry with it.

But that’s football. You have to watch out for your own.

*******

For all the certainty of Smith’s red card, there was considerable time devoted to discussing Kevin Stott’s red card to Gabriel Badilla in the 26th minute.

After an unmarked Claudio Lopez caught up to a long ball and easily entered the area, a lagging Badilla raced to tackle Lopez. Upon reaching him, Badilla’s right arm made contact with Lopez, and the K.C. striker pirouetted to the pitch in attempt to elicit a penalty .He succeeded beyond his wildest dreams.

Not only was the penalty awarded, but Badilla was sent off for what should have been a yellow. Yet, Stott felt that the situation warranted the red, and the Costa Rican was shown the door.

According to the official’s match report, Badilla “denied a goal opportunity by foul.”

In the interest of fairness, I tried to get Stott’s take on what he saw, and made request to speak with him. However, the request was not returned, and thus, we may never know what exactly compelled Stott to administer the red to Badilla.

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: Revs outlast Rapids on a late goal, 1-0

This is a grand time of the year. Though the calendar indicates summer's concluded, the days are still somewhat warm, and the leaves begin to turn astonishing pigments of orange, yellow, and red. Yes, fall has greeted us at the front door, and soon, we will be carving pumpkins, raking leaves, and retiring the lawnmowers ‘til spring.

But before then, SMS wanted to elaborate on a term that he has recently coined. Now, before said term is shared, SMS wants to give due credit to one of his college professors for the inspiration behind this phrase. For it was four years ago, during one of SMS's favorite courses - Courts and Public Policy - that his professor, Dr. Schmeling, noticed that with the cool air blowing through the open class windows, "Halloween weather" was upon us.

So with that, Sunday Morning Striker declares that said weather is also "Revolution weather." Why? For a few reasons.

One, as a sports fan in general, this is the time of year where the Red Sox start tanking it (thankfully, they held on and clinched the AL East on Friday night), the Patriots, though off to a tremendous start, are still in the toddler stages of the NFL season, and with the Bruins...wait...does anyone still care about the Bruins? Exactly. The Revs are playing critical games as the season winds down - games which they typically win, if you look at the recent history of their September stats - which is very un-Red Sox like. Though there is some sadness that the regular season is almost reaching its finale, it's quelled by the excitement of another playoff run. The tickets are already punched; it's just a matter of where they finish, and who they play. Simple.

Second, there's a little something extra on the line this season. You may have heard about this little trophy called the U.S. Open Cup – the oldest of its kind in the U.S. - which the Revs will be playing FC Dallas for this Wednesday. It's the club's shot at its first piece of braggable hardware. How lucky are Revolution fans right now for their beloved club to be in contention for three trophies? In addition to the U.S. Open Cup, the Supporter's Shield (top MLS club) and the MLS Cup are all within grasp.

Third, as a history buff, the fall reminds SMS of tales of the Battle of Yorktown, perhaps the decisive battle of the Revolutionary War. The battle began on September 28, 1781 and concluded on October 17th. After this battle - a battle in which a team of American and French forces defeated an embarrassed General Cornwallis - the war, which by now had reached year six, and the British were losing their resolve. This battle served notice that the colonists were in this for the long haul, while the British were simply losing interest. Think of it like any previous Revolution-Toronto FC match up, and the fourth goal was scored. After the first three, you knew Toronto wanted nothing to do with the affair. They just wanted to pack up and go home. Same thing here with the British. (And both wore red…not a coincidence!)

In general, it's worth nothing that the ragtag continental armies despised fighting during the cold winters; so much of the strategy and planning of battles usually took place before the cold set in (which made Washington’s crossing of the Delaware River on Christmas Day 1776 that much more brilliant – the Hessians and British wanted nothing more to do that day than to feast while a wicked snowstorm had just blown through Trenton, NJ). Thus, fall was great opportunity to stage battles, as the air was often dry, and the weather seasonable enough to endure weeks upon weeks of battle, if necessary.

Speaking of “Revolution weather”, the Revolution and Rapids kicked off Saturday night under –what else- cool and breezy early-autumn conditions! The last time these clubs met was back on August 16th, in what essentially proved to be a glorified game of keep away, as Revs chased and chased en route to a disastrous 3-0 result in Commerce City.

Soon after the Gillette Stadium audio system blasted the ubiquitous “Welcome to the Jungle”, the Rapids kicked off at 7:38pm ET. A surprising subplot took shape when the Revolution marched onto the pitch without their sniper, Taylor Twellman, who was nursing a strained groin. To make up for the loss, the Steve Nicol surprisingly employed the 3-4-3, with Steve Ralston inserted as a forward.

Early on, it was the Rapids that threatened, as the Revs struggled to form an attack of some sorts. Nearly ten minutes after Gun n’ Roses blared, a brief assault was organized in the 9th minute. Adam Cristman pickpocketed a lazy Rapids pass deep in their own end, took a touch, and fired a shot from the right channel that forced Bouna Coundoul to make the save.

Just seconds later, the theatrics sparked up when Tony Sanneh dramatically fell like he’d been shot in the hindquarters after he ran into a stout Jay Heaps. Sanneh remained on the pitch for some time, drawing as much attention to his condition as possible. Amazingly, referee Ricardo Salazar took the bait and Heaps was awarded a yellow for his non-efforts. As Sanneh hobbled off the field, Medhi Ballouchy entered for his Oscar-worthy teammate.

Halfway through the first frame, the Rapids had the Revs on their heels, occupying the land in front of the lighthouse for a better part of the first twenty five minutes.

Then, a quick counterattack was commandeered by Captain Ralston in the 26th minute, but after sidestepping a defender and racing into the D, his shot was stopped cold by Coundoul.


Although Colorado controlled possession for much of the first half, the Revs attack sprung to life briefly in the waning minutes when Shalrie Joseph, Khano Smith, and Ralston all orchestrated invasions of Rapids territory. But it was all for naught, as the local lads failed to penetrate the goal line before the frame concluded.

Entering the second half, Nicol’s troops came out poised to spoil their guests’ stay in Norfolk County, and what better way to say “get the heck outta here with your foolish flopping” than a quick goal? However, the Rapids rejected the proposition and continued their first half ownership of the adidas Teamgeist ball.

However, in the 55th minute, the Revolution mounted a mild attack in which Ralston kicked it back to Dorman and fired a deflected shot on a vulnerable Coundoul. Fortunately for the keeper, he was in perfect position, as the ball magnetically found his mitts as he literally sat in the 6-yard box.

At the hour mark, the Revolution attack began to show its teeth, as it found more and more opportunities near the lighthouse in the second half. Though the home side threatened with a pair of corners, Coundoul kept the ball away from the net.

On offense, Rapids threatened on a dangerous free kick in the 71st minute after Cummings powerfully headed the ball goalward, until Larentowicz deftly blasted the ball out of the vicinity

With the scoreboard on snooze at 0-0, the Rapids continued to fall like gray dominoes, hoping to draw the attention of Salazar. Apparently, they had forgotten that 1.) The object of the game is to put the ball in the back of the net, and 2). By the way, you’re still three points short of a playoff berth.

To their credit, the Revs ooohhhed the crowd in the 77th minute after a couple of quick attacks, but failed to deposit the pill through the Colorado goalmouth. Pat Noonan harnessed a high ball and booted it to Cristman on the doorstep. Unfortunately, the rookie crashed before he was able to put an appendage on it.

In the 83rd minute, a spirited Matt Reis repeatedly pushed forward his large mitts as he implored his teammates to salvage a late goal with the clock winding down.

And as the autumn breeze began to pick up in the 88th minute, the Revs answered the call to arms. Joseph, stationed mere yards after the halfway line, fed a ball forward to a streaking Smith on the left wing. The Bermudan cut inside, split two defenders, and boomed a shot into the net for the late-match tally at 9:22pm ET under the waning gibbous moon that glowed above the Stadium. It was the only goal needed, and after four minutes of stoppage, the Revs walked off the pitch proud with another home victory.

THREE PENNY ANALYSIS: Well, it had all the makings of a lackluster performance early on, but the Revolution truly found a way to win. The first half was all Colorado, and despite the Revs outshooting them (2-1) and having the advantage ok corners (4-1), the possession was clearly in favor of the guests. The Revs best chances in the first sixty minutes came from close-range free kicks, where Twellman’s absence was especially felt when Ralston’s lobs failed to meet a teammate’s noggin.

With the free kicks only giving brief promise, the Revs would simply have to keep attacking – and did just that in the final 15 minutes. Whether it was weariness from chasing the turbo-charged Ralston or from flopping so often, the Rapids were exhausted, and Kenny Smith made them pay dearly with his next-to-next-to-last-minute heroics. The defense held its part of the bargain in the second half, and the Revs put it altogether for the win.

And not to be overshadowed is the fact that they ride this momentum into Frisco on Wednesday for the US Open Cup final against FC Dallas.

Random soccer-related thought, Part 1: The Rapids, in their grayish-blue road kits, sported a look that can best be described as throwback Philadelphia Phillies road jerseys.

Random soccer-related thought, Part 2: And say what you will about Fernando Clavijo, but the man knows how to dress. By the way, how was he not listed in GQ’s “50 Most Stylish Men” issue? But fear not, for the soccer gods, though mysterious, smile upon these sorts of matters.

O ye trifle not with the soccer gods: Medhi Ballouchy was issued a yellow card in the 67th minute, after his predecessor, Tony Sanneh, convinced referee Salazar to award one to Jay Heaps on a highly-suspect foul in the 10th minute.

Back, and better than ever…well, at least they’re back! A couple of Revolution haikus for you to chew on…

Twellman out tonight
Ralston steps in to replace
3-4-3 indeed

Match stuck at zero
For a long eighty eight minutes
Then Kenny seals it.

A silver Revolution jersey? Last week, the Patriots, donned the incredibly useless silver alternate jerseys against the Bills. By useless, I mean they are essentially the white jerseys without being washed. Seriously. They look like the unwashed version of the white jerseys. SMS is not the only one who thinks this.

Anywho, this reminded SMS that the Revs also wore silver jerseys at one time. Though he does not have any photographic evidence to corroborate this claim, he does distinctly remember his intent to purchase one at the local Sports Authority back in 2000 after seeing them on TV. Unfortunately, being the poor college student that he was, SMS was ten dollars short of the $45 retail price, and thus the shiny shirt was never purchased. Seven years later, SMS simply wishes he had mowed a few more lawns and picked it up a few days later. Sigh…

Who oversees grammar at MLSnet.com? Recently, SMS received an e-mail from MLSNet.com promoting their charitable efforts in fighting malaria, a deadly, mosquito-transmitted disease that affects many children on the African continent. While the cause is certainly worthwhile –SMS himself sent in a donation - the e-mail was oddly-titled “Enter the MLS WORKS for Nothing But Nets Sweeps.” Huh? What’s MLS doing? Or what is it not doing? Aiyeeeeeeeeee!

US Women’s National Team Update: The WNT faced off against Brazil on Thursday, and for a little added drama, manager Greg Ryan boldly benched Hope Solo in favor of Briana Scurry. Owing to Scurry’s overall record and previous play against the formidable Brazilians, Ryan played the percentages and went with the ’99 World Cup hero rather than Solo and her 290-minute shutout streak. SMS said it in his Running Diary and he’ll say it again: Dance with the one that brung ya! Predictably, the experiment failed, the US went down early 0-2, Shannon Boxx got tossed, and the Brazilians never looked back, as they thrashed the Americans 4-0. Thus, the best team in the world will not be playing for the World Cup, and poor SMS will have to settle for watching the third-place game on Sunday.

Greg Ryan is a great coach – his record proves that – but his decision to bench Solo was a dumb, dumb mistake. The early goals (one of which was an own goal by Leslie Osborne) seemed to deflate the US, as they failed to establish any prolonged attack before Boxx was sent off. After that, it pretty much became elementary: the US was not coming back, and Brazil did well to ensure that. Kudos to them, and though the US will always be my team, SMS will be rooting for Brazil in the finals.

SMS Alma Mater Update: The Anchorwomen clashed against Springfield College on Tuesday night, but were blanked 3-0 by the Pride. Then, on a date that SMS had circled on his calendar, RIC played #23 Western Connecticut State University on Homecoming Weekend. SMS proudly sported his RIC hoodie and hat, and though the Anchorwomen were shutout 3-0 by Colonials, the home team played their hearts out in the face of much stiffer competition.

That being said, while the Anchorwomen sport a “they can do better” record of 3-5-1, their schedule is laced with nationally-ranked opponents. SMS personally admires the lack of cupcakes in the schedule, and feels that the sharp competition will only improve the play of the Anchorwomen over the next few years.

Sunday Morning Striker will be reporting back after the Chicago match where he will discuss the US Open Cup Finals, the farce that became the MLS national TV schedule, and the amazing parallels between the Red Sox and Revolution.

Got a question, concern or deeply-held grievance? E-mail the Sunday Morning Striker at SMSRevs@gmail.com.

Sunday Morning Striker: Revs blast FC Dallas, 4-2 - No videotape required!

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock or recently awoken from a lengthy coma, you’ve surely been inundated with the news of Bill Belichick’s less-than-savvy video surveillance tactics. Reportedly, the Pats head coach sent a video assistant to film their opponents’ defensive coaches in an attempt to decipher their defensive signals at halftime.

The shrewd undertaking committed by one of the best head coaches in NFL history has certainly left the region buzzing about the embarrassment and shame this incident has cast on the New England Patriots organization. It’s one thing to be clever – within the rules. But after the NFL specifically addressed this type of incident during the preseason, everyone in the league was well aware of the crackdown that would soon follow on the practice of videotaping the opponent’s sideline.

Luckily, Sunday Morning Striker has it under good authority that Revolution manager Steve Nicol has not resorted to such unsportsmanlike methods.

But, as he often likes to do on Friday afternoons at the office, SMS began to imaginalize: What if Nicol did unleash an anonymous Revolution employee to scour the secrets and strategy of FC Dallas during this weekend’s match? (cue the Wayne's World "doo-doo-doo-doo...doo-doo-doo-doo..")

After tough first half, the players and coaches head to the locker room, whereby Anonymous Revs Employee hands over an ominous tape, the contents of which could be potentially damaging to the former Dallas Burn.

Nicol (pointing to the VCR): Laddy, cue the tape.

Audio: "Can you believe the hotel rooms? Two words: mini-bar."...."I dunno, he was saying something about his girlfriend's missing panties..." "Wrecked'em? Damn near killed him!"

Nicol: Fast forward it a bit...

Audio: "I am stuck on band aid brand cuz band aid's stuck on me..." "...The Foxy Lady? How far is Providence from here?"

Nicol (clearly agitated): a little further...

Audio: "Fifth row...third seat from the left...blonde hair..." "Nice..." "Damn, I got burned by both Stephen Jackson and Drew Brees did nothing for me last week? 16 combined points? What the ---"

Nicol: Bloody hell! (Ejects the tape and slams it to the ground.)

(End imaginatory sequence)

So, as you can tell, this premise would fail to accomplish much, if anything, in soccer. The audio, though intermittently entertaining, would only lend itself for blackmailing purposes.

Wait a minute...maybe it would work in soccer!

Back to reality, a revitalized Revolution attack warmed the cool New England air Saturday night, as they emphatically throttled FC Dallas 4-2.

While the Revs had been soundly defeated by DC United in the nation’s capital less than a week previous, the supporters must have arrived at Gillette Stadium wondering whether a repeat performance was about to occur.

Adding more uncertainty was the fact that manager Steve Nicol had to watch this one from the locker room, as his red card during last week’s loss resulted in suspension from this match. Temporarily taking over the Revolution reigns was none other than the Ipswich Town legend himself, Paul Mariner.

Any such fears of an encore were not easily erased when Dallas’ (herein after “the Gondoliers” for their red-striped kits) potent trio of Carlos Ruiz, Abe Thompson, and newly-acquired Brazilian playmaker Denilson stalked the eastern end of the pitch. Yet, the trio of Avery John, James Riley, and Michael Parkhurst kept them at bay early on.

Though the backs kept their end of the bargain, it was the forwards that had to deliver as well if the club was to pocket a critical three home points. Pat Noonan answered the call when he took a pass from Khano Smith on the left flank and flicked the ball into top shelf for the opening goal of the match in the 29th minute.

The Gondoliers turned their attention toward salvaging the equalizer in the 35th minute when Dax McCarty launched a long, floating free kick into a hive of striped and navy gentlemen. As the players all jockeyed for the ball, it was Ruiz – el pescado - who impeccably timed his jump and headed it right into the back of the net. (Note: I wonder the Spanish word for – ah, forget it)
Steve Morrow’s boys kept the pressure on the backs yet again during a mad scramble in front of the net when the ball dangerously bounced around like a Mexican jumping bean. Then, when it appeared that the final bounce appeared goalward, Parkhurst ended the chaos by athletically heading the ball over the bar in the 37th minute.

With SMS’s bladder about to burst due to a couple of Aquafinas and a pre-match soft drink, he hoped for a quick Revolution strike to put them up before the close of the first frame. Minutes later, the whistle mercifully blew - but without the hoped-for goal.

Now, SMS is going to share with you a secret of his. During halftime, I feel the need to stretch the legs and leave the confines of his generously-sized, cupholder-equipped throne from his section 102 dwelling. In order to accomplish this, I walk down the East ramp to the ProShop, where he is tempted to purchase numerous Revolution items and apparel. The ongoing question is “do I need this?” as he touches various jerseys, hats, and hoodies. Successfully keeping my impulsive buying habits at bay –therapy has done wonders - I returned to my seat, and like the homer that he always is, hoped for a gaggle of Revolution goals in the second half.

It looked promising early. The Revs had taken control of possession in the opening minutes of Half Two, as the attack “ooohed” and “ahhhhed” the crowd with a few prolonged possessions in FC Dallas real estate, but these endeavors failed to produce.

However, their efforts were rewarded in the 65th minute during a hasty counterattack which saw the ball transferred between Jeff Larentowicz and Steve Ralston, who paced close by on the right. Ralston took the pass from Larentowicz, and devilishly pushed the ball middle to Pat Noonan, who one-timed it past Dario Sala for the double.

Goal number three nearly came in the 74th minute when Taylor Twellman tried to join his strike partner on the scoresheet by taking the ball mere yards in front of Sala. But, Drew Moor stood his mark up, and smothered the attempt before it even approached his keeper.

The Revs continued to press, and with less than fifteen minutes in regulation, a frustrating scene occurred when no less than four Revolution players touched the ball within ten yards of the box – and no shot to show for it. Amid the tantalizing affair, Ralston burrowed through defenders, took a close pass from Twellman, and fired the ball off of Aaron Pitchkolan. Undeterred, the captain cleaned followed up on the deflection, re-acquired the ball, and fed the goalmouth at minute 78.

A touch of late-match drama unfolded when Ruiz struck again from a quick pass from Dominic Oduro and quickly headed it top-shelf, thus narrowing the gap to one goal in the 84th minute.
The goal energized the Hoops, but their aggression on offense left them painfully out of position in the 90th minute when Smith corralled a deflected ball yards before the box and powerfully heeled it inside the far post for the final goal of the match just before regulation expired.

Stat of the Match, Part 1: The Revs scored four goals for the first time since they scored four against Toronto FC back on April 14th.

Stat of the Match, Part 2: Khano Smith scored his first goal in nearly a year. His last one came on October, 14 2006 vs. Columbus.

Stat of the Match, Part 3: FC Dallas hasn’t won at Gillette Stadium in over four years. Their last win at the Razor came on July 16, 2003.

Stat of the Match, Part 4: The Revs tallied three yellow cards during a five-minute span during the closing minutes, when Adam Cristman (83’), Shalrie Joseph (86’) and Matt Reis (88’) all received bright yellow presents from referee Kevin Stott.

Stat of the Match, Part 5: The Revs will face FC Dallas again on October 3rd for the U.S. Open Cup Final. With their win Saturday night, New England is now 19-9-1 all-time vs. FC Dallas.

Random Soccer Related thought: Shalrie Joseph and Asante Samuel – separated at birth?

The OH-BAY-BEE Sweet Play of the Match: Khano Smith twice turned Gondolier defenders down the left flank, but the most notable one occurred in the 43rd minute. After taking a pass from Parkhurst, the Tall One, being closely marked by Pablo Ricchetti, turned him left as the Bermudan went right and fired a shot on Sala. Though the shot was stopped, the play was sweet. SMS was amazed to see young kids waving t-shirts and hoodies in approval despite the cool temperatures.

G-Unit signs a DPA before the September 15th roster freeze: While the Revs were busy booking plane tickets back to Serbia for Dusan Petkovic, the soon-to-be-signed-before-injuring-his-ankle defender, G-Unit made a monster signing by agreeing to terms with rap star Jim Jones. The move is significant because of Jones’ street cred paired with catchy lyrics.

This signing got SMS wondering: what if the Revs signed a big name soccer star? Oh wait a minute…that would actually require paying more than the going rate for rookies and sophomores. SMS’s bad…

Adam Cristman can’t find Uzbekistan…for real: After sorting through Thursday’s mail, SMS was pleasantly surprised to find the Revolution’s own Adam Cristman in Sports Illustrated’s “The Pop Culture Grid” section. Among the categories, the rookie forward says that Lindsay Lohan was his favorite celebrity scandal of the summer, Red Stripe is his favorite beer, and “Goodnight Moon” was his favorite book as a child.

In the same section, Rapids midfielder Pablo Mastroeni offered his own PG-13 responses: One Night in Paris was the last DVD he bought, his dad’s magazine stash was listed under “Favorite book as a child”, and finally, with the summer over, Pablo can now “ditch (his) banana hammock.” Ugh, after reading that, SMS just vomited in his mouth a little bit.

SMS Alma Mater Soccer update: The RIC women had three matches on the schedule this week. The first one, a home match vs. the U.S. Coast Guard Academy on Tuesday, was postponed due to torrential rain.

The second match, also at home to Wheaton College on Thursday night, was a disheartening affair that featured an overwhelmed home side doing their best to keep the 15th ranked Lyons at bay. Unfortunately, RIC fell hard to Wheaton, 5-0.

On Saturday, they traveled to UMass-Boston and played the Beacons up in the Hub, where they returned to their winning ways, taking a 4-1 victory. Laurie Lindsay chalked up a double, as teammates Brittney Godbout and Jessica Cardinal each tallied a goal in the Anchorwomen win.

Revs wish for home crowds like that seen at Wednesday’s Brazil-Mexico match: Yours truly was present for Wednesday night’s Brazil-Mexico match, and was absolutely floored when he entered the stadium to find over 67,000 fans on hand to watch a soccer game. Yes, this was truly an amazing sight, one that I had never witnessed in person, as I stared in awe upon a sea of canary yellow surrounding the pitch.

Interestingly, there were also a few Revolution players also present for the match, and stated that they had wished the same turnouts for their matches. An insightful piece from The Boston Globe’s Frank Dell’Apa detailed the same:

"It was unbelievable, from the time we got there 30 minutes before the game," said midfielder Shalrie Joseph, a native of Grenada who has played more than 10 international matches for his national team. "It was one of those atmospheres that as a soccer player you'd love to play in.”

Of course, it would be ideal to see these types of crowds at Revolution matches. But the organization did itself no favors that night - there was little advertising or promotion of the Revs during the match. In fact, I overheard some spectators nearby ask whether there was a pro team that played here.

The Revs front office could have easily promoted the club before 67,000 hardy soccer souls, but for unknown reasons, bypassed this golden opportunity. The only hint that pro soccer team played at Gillette was a breif flashing of the Revolution logo during halftime, without any mention of ticket deals, prices, or any other pertinent info. And people wonder why there aren’t more fans for Revs games…

SMS Monthly Book Recommendation: For those of you who may wonder what the big fuss about David Beckham is about, pick up John Carlin’s “White Angels: Beckham, Real Madrid, and the New Football.”

The book is exceptionally written, and the author’s personal football allegiance to Real Madrid gives the story a unique personal touch. In addition, it also explains Beckham’s worldwide popularity, the characters behind the scenes of the world’s most visible (note: profitable) side, and the human element of how a group of superstars like Zidane, Ronaldo, and Becks, despite their amazing collective talent, can fail against lesser sides.

US Women’s National Team feature: The women played a tough match against North Korea on Tuesday, as they drew 2-2 during a rain-soaked affair. Abby Wambach and Heather O’Reilly scored during what could be argued as the most competitive match this year for our women.

Three days later, the Americans faced the aesthetically-pleasing Swedish squad under drier conditions, and easily beat them 2-0. Wambach struck again, this time with a pair of goals, giving the US a critical three points in group play, thus placing them atop the Group B standings with North Korea.

The women will kick off against Nigeria on Tuesday morning at a more reasonable 8:00am local time, as opposed to the prior 5:00am start times for the North Korea and Sweden matches. For those of you who care, I diaried both matches from my lovely living room couch before the sun came up. Needless to say, my work productivity slipped this past week.

Join us again after the New York match, where SMS will report back on what facial expressions Bruce Arena will have cooked up for the camera. That alone should be entertaining. But like you, SMS is greedy – I want the goofy reactions and the three points! Perhaps the stars will be correctly aligned for both! Additionally, I will detail another no-fail idea of how the Revs can bring more fans to Foxboro.

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: Revs spanked by DC, and the return of the Khano Smith Heckler

So there I was, sipping a caffeinated beverage while taking in Revs match versus DC, when a vaguely familiar voice bellowed.

“…oh no, don’t give it to him! Don’t give it to him! He’s gonna screw up!”

The sentiment and voice were remarkably familiar from a previous Columbus-Revs match back in June. So I listened carefully again to see if this was the voice I heard before.

“Oh God NO!!! Don’t give it to him! Give it to DC before you pass it to him…oh no…”

As the player heckled took the ball down the left flank, it was confirmed…

“Smith!!! Smith!!! You are THE worst player in MLS! You are HORRIBLE!”

The Khano Smith Heckler was back!

Yes, it surely isn’t 100% fair to Kenny, who undoubtedly works hard in training, and has shown flashes of a potentially dangerous left-sided mid. But then again, the criticism isn’t insanely misguided, as the tall Bermudan has occasionally raised some question mark balloons above players and fans alike.

Now to my point: vocal criticism, however biting or flattering, is a good thing. So, while I feel for a player like Khano getting verbally lambasted, it nevertheless is a clear indicator that fans honestly care about this time. And it sure as heck beats the silent, Wall Street Journal-reading spectators (yes, SMS actually sat behind a fan catching up on financial news as Pat Noonan tapped in the first goal of the night last Thursday vs. Kansas City). Sadly, the distracted spectator is not an isolated incident: SMS has observed many observers simply reading a soft cover novel or polishing their crossword skills while a match was being played!

Sometimes it pains me to hear harsh, exaggerated criticism of a player, because there is no way that Khano Smith is the worst player in MLS. SMS can think of at least ten more players much less proficient on the ball than the Bermudan. But, at least the sentiment shows that people care, and are willing to make it known that they disapprove of a player. They care…we all should care. This is our team. Better to be criticized and talked about than wallow in the silence of indifference.

Disclosure: Now, SMS personally does not go out of his way to criticize a player at length, but rather, often offers encouragement to a navy blue performer with the ball (“C’mon, Kenny!”).

In other news, what a beautiful day for an ugly match! The soccer gods must have been pleased with the way the Revs had been playing this year, since, amazingly, no home match this season has been rained upon. But, despite the warm and sunny conditions, the Revs wilted, as DC United took the reigns early and often.

With the sun beating down on the dark, navy (i.e. heat absorbing) seats, SMS’s back was cooking like swine on a skillet. SMS also sweat profusely through his light green t-shirt, certainly giving an unflattering appearance to the lovely lady Revs fans.

The Revs kicked off to start the match, and soon after, the proceedings took an early sign of promise when Khano Smith unleashed the first shot of them matchless than two minutes after the opening whistle. Sure, it started out promising…then again, so did SMS’ writing career!

Another promising opportunity occurred in the 14th minute as Steve Ralston stepped up on the right and found an open Andy Dorman. The attacking mid, with an open view of the goal, took a couple steps and fired a shot that died almost immediately after a DC defender but a leg on it and blocked it away.

Ralston tried to jump-start the offense again in the 17th after a mini-attack that resulted in a free kick from about 35 yards out. Ralston sailed a kite toward goal but went high above the bar.
Neither team looked particularly astute on the ball, as the Revs and United traded the ball with alarming regularity. After all, weren’t the Revs in first place, and DC toiling nine points behind New England in fifth place?

Apparently, DC failed to get the memo on the standings, when an unfortunate series of events took place on the green frying pan posing as a pitch before the home crowd.

In minute 22, United midfielder Clyde Simms put the ball on net that Matt Reis smothered for the save. Then, Josh Gros tip-toed toward a horizontal Reis clearly holding the ball and kicked the ball right out of the keeper’s grasp and into the back of the net. Despite the obvious flagrant foul by Gros, referee Alex Prus upheld the sinister goal, giving the road club the early lead. (Interestingly, the mini-highlight reel of the match on MLSnet.com does not show the controversial goal).

Nicol’s boys tried to respond in the 29th minute on a Ralston special to Noonan, who missed wide of the goal on an impressive header near the goalmouth.

DC counterattacked soon after said missed header, Guy-Roland Kpene snuck infiltrated the Revs defense and delivered a perfect ball to teammate Luciano Emilio before the Brazilian struck true for the second goal of the match. While DC’s first goal was clearly sour, this one was truly sweet.

The best chance of the first half came in the 39th minute when Taylor Twellman made a brief cameo in the Revolution attack when he headed a brilliant Ralston corner kick that the striker headed on a sure fire strike. Unluckily, DC’s Ben Olsen was perfectly positioned right on the goal line and cleverly headed the ball away from the goalmouth, as the Revs shook their heads in disbelief.

Just before time expired in the first half, Ralston delivered a signature corner kick from the left and the ball menacingly bounced between United and Revolution players alike. Jeff Larentowicz finally took a hold and pushed the ball forward mere yards in front of goal before the ball lightly kissed the woodwork.

In an interesting move, Nicol sat Dorman and inserted Adam Cristman in his spot, putting three forwards on the pitch in an attempt to rejuvenate his maligned club.

The move proved to be in vain, as DC instead began to play more fluidly and the Revs sputtered on the attack, often times peppering keeper Troy Perkins with token lollipops that fell softly to his arms for easy saves.

When the Revs actually made brief cameos in the United end, the sequence often died a slow death. A fine example occurred in the 55th minute as Smith took the ball near to the op of the box, evaded a defender, and back-heeled a gorgeous short pass to Shalrie Joseph racing down the left flank. Unfortunately, the Grenadian tried to cut on a dime and launched a ball from a tough angle that did nothing but invoke Perkins to look up and watch the ball fly well above him.

To make matters worse, the Emilio struck again when he spearheaded a quick United counterattack of a free kick near center circle. As he barreled down the heart of the Revs defense, he beat defender Avery John and went mano-a-mano with Reis and buried the ball past the bald keeper, giving the roadside a 3-0 lead at the 76th minute. At this point, stationed behind the DC goal, SMS penned “game ovah” in his notebook at 5:41pm ET.

Though the Revs tried to press to spoil the clean sheet, they had no answer, as their District of Columbia counterparts played inspired and sound football.

One final chance to attain a goal before the rest of the crowd headed out took place at the 89th minute. Cristman took a long pass and delved into the center of the box before flicking a low-caliber shot that skipped wide of the woodwork.

Minutes later, the match was thankfully euthanized at 5:58pm ET, as the Revs dropped an unattractive loss to their Eastern Conference rivals, with the scoreboard flashing a disturbing 3-0 score.

Stat of the Match, Part 1: The loss on the home FieldTurf marked the first loss on the fake stuff all season. Previously, the Revs were 5-0-2 on the home carpet.

Stat of the Match, Part 2: Tom Soehn is 1-1-1 vs. New England in his managerial career.

Stat of the Match, Part 3: The Revs dropped their first game to DC in over a year, with the last loss coming on June 3, 2006 (1-0, at RFK Stadium)

Stat of the Match, Part 4: The shutout loss was the first versus an Eastern Conference club since opening day at Chicago back on April 7.

Stat of the Match, Part 5: Jeff Larentowicz turned 24 on Sunday, and was given a yellow birthday card by Prus in the 65th minute.

Sour Play of the Match: See first goal of the game, courtesy of Joshua Gros. Rest assured, the soccer gods are preparing their lightning bolts with Gros’ name on them as I type this.

Smart Play of the Match: In the 28th minute, Khano Smith found himself on an island on the left with no one open near the box. Instead of a trademark wild cross, Smith adeptly whipped the ball right at his defender as the deflection scurried past the goal line, leading to a corner kick.

Speaking of Smith - not too harp on the guy too much- but SMS will now be running a semi-regular item on Smith’s sometimes-comical escapades. This week, said escapade occurred rather early – the 8th minute, in fact – when the Bermudan released a mallard of a cross from the left high above any teammate under twenty feet tall.

Random soccer-related thought: While SMS sat in section 103 among some phantom fans, he noticed a group of five foreigners with Revolution caps. How I arrived at this conclusion cannot be explained, but the Revs would be wise to initiate a highly visible marketing campaign at the Wrentham Outlets mere miles north of the Stadium.

Why the outlets? Ask anyone who shops there on a regular basis (including SMS). There is a vast amount of foreign-speaking customers who regularly stroll between the fine outlet stores in search of great deals on brand name clothing. And of course, we all know how much soccer is a global game, with Americans perhaps being the last first-world nation to get the memo.

So would it hurt to put some Revolution signage in the outdoor walkways and indoor rest room hallways?

Revs marketing department: my agent is presently standing by awaiting your calls.

What about a home field advantage? With the 4:00pm kick off time under hot conditions, SMS already felt a bit of apprehension when he saw the road club decked out in white, and the Revs dressed in navy.

Now, I know that the all-navy kits are the Revs home strips, but isn’t there something that can be done to allow the Revs to come out dressed in their whites unis? Did anyone think for a second that in addition to the boiling FieldTurf, the all-navies actually absorb even more heat?

The NFL has a rule that in summary states that the home club has the choice of uniform, whether it be darks or whites. However, the home club must notify the road club 48 hours in advance of what uniforms the home club will be wearing. So, although home clubs traditionally wear their dark jerseys at home, and white jerseys on the road (the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins are the notable exceptions to this trend), the home club always determines who wears what come game day.

That being said, if such a rule is in place - or if there is wiggle room within MLS rules that states that the home club can choose the strips - then why did the Revs choose to wear the navy blues? For that matter, why do the Revs continually wear all-navy under the hot, mid-summer afternoon sun when they would be much better served by wearing the white jerseys?

Tradition is one thing; an added home field advantage is another. Of course, this is somewhat of a moot point now that the remainder of the club’s home tilts all take place during the evening, with no more afternoon games on the regular season schedule. Next year, let’s get the players in white unis for the afternoon games!

Beckham Watch: You may or may not have heard, but David Beckham continues to nurse an ankle injury that has delayed his official MLS match debut through this past weekend. The timetable for his recovery, according to Becks, is 7-10 days, which puts his MLS on-field arrival in Foxboro into question.

Despite the uncertainty, the scene itself will be exciting to bear witness to, whether the Spice Boy graces the pitch or the bench. The entire “inner bowl” of the Gillette Stadium will be packed, as the match has been sold-out. With a potential of 30,000 spectators on-hand to catch a gander of the former Galactico, it will be a scene that should not be forgotten anytime soon.

On a personal note, the LA-Revs match will be the first one for Chris, the Official Brother of SMS. After many failed attempts to get him to Gillette for the Revs last year, the cost of the Beckham Four-Pack is well worth getting my younger sibling to watch this great sport first hand.

And so what if it takes a household name like Beckham’s to get the generally non-interested crowd to MLS venues – it’s ok. Whether or not Beckham’s on the pitch, the fact of the matter is that soccer games will be watched by those who have yet to experience the beautiful game. That in itself is just awesome!

To those of you new to our sport, and are taking in a game because you’ve read the tabloids and watched countless hours of Beckham-related items on Entertainment Tonight and E! News, let me be one first to formally welcome you to this wonderful sport.

Oh, and don’t forget: we have some other great players in this league not named Beckham, y’know!

MLS Magazine review: Since SMS is in the business of beating dead equine further – and business is good with Beckham around – I decided to pick up the latest issue of Major League Soccer Magazine at the ProShop in between the halves.

First and foremost, though the cover price was $4.99, the ProShop was hawking them at an inflated $10.00 price. Hey, where else can you get a “collector’s edition” of the mag for twice the cover price? Boy, was I had like a senior citizen at the slots!

The publication itself is fantastic. The layout of pics, quotes, articles and contests (win a Beckham England jersey) was far better than some of the posers on the newsstands that are nothing more than a collection of oversized photos and annoying multi-font blurbs about stuff no one cares about. (*Cough* ESPN The Magazine *Cough*)

A treat appeared at the back of the mag in the form a fresh Jimmy Conrad piece. Editors, do us all a favor, and bring any future Conrad articles closer to the front pages, please. Pay him exorbitant fees to get him to write regularly as well. Sincerely, SMS.

SMS Providence Soccer League update: In order to satiate my never-ending hunger for live soccer, I drove through Providence’s East Side en route to Gano Street Park to catch an amateur game soon after the Revs-DC match.

So I didn’t know what the names of the teams were since much of the banter around me was in espanol, but I can tell you with much certainty that the guys in the black-and-white striped kits beat the guys in the white kits, 2-0 during the 7:00pm match.

Despite the language barrier and general unfamiliarity with the league and teams, I highly recommend attending a match there on a beautiful Sunday afternoon (they also play on Saturdays as well). Like many ethnic soccer leagues, you’re not just treated to one game, but multiple games that encompass an entire afternoon. Plus, it’s free soccer!

US Women’s National Team Feature: Her face may not be as recognizable as Kristine Lilly’s or Briana Scurry’s, but one of the latest additions to Greg Ryan’s World Cup contingent is none other than Santa Clara University grad Marian Dalmy. Those of you at the US-Mexico tilt at Gillette back in April may remember her: she made her WNT debut during the 5-0 win against an overmatched Mexican side. An interesting note to Dalmy’s appointment to the World Cup roster: with only two caps on the media sheet, she is the least-capped player on the roster.

The regular SMS piece will not appear after the Harrisburg-Revs U.S. Open Cup match, but will return following the LA match next Sunday. Never fear though, SMS will return soon and will have plenty to say about the elephants and caged tigers on Route 1 for the arrival of the Beckham circus next weekend. So kids, bring your cameras, and ladies, be sure to practice your kiss-blowing techniques – for SMS will return the flashbulbs and alluring gestures with a wink and a smile!

The Revolution Midseason Report

With the mid-way point officially arriving moments after the Red Bull-Revs match in the New Jersey swamplands, enough has transpired to where an accurate assessment can be made of the local XI. The club finished the first half with a 7-3-5 record, teetering in first place with a one-point lead in the Eastern Conference standings.

There have certainly been surprises, both good and bad, as well as the expected, which one would anticipate when the core roster has remained fairly consistent for the past three years. That being said, let's take a first half snapshot of the footballers from Foxboro.

SUPERLATIVES

Taylor Twellman: Twellman (whose star deservedly warrants a better nickname than “TnT”) got off to a remarkable start, scoring seven goals in seven games, and at one point, was the primary contender for the Golden Boot honors. However, the striker was called to national team duty in back-to-back tournaments (Gold Cup and Copa America), thus limiting his MLS schedule. Despite the nearly month-long absence, he still ranks third in goals (7), and with the major tournaments out of the way, it won't be long before he re-discovers his goal-scoring groove, and remind those concerned why he is one of the best forwards in the league.

Steve Ralston: Like a fine wine, Ralston only seems to get better with age. The Revolution captain, an MLS mainstay since the league's inception, is having one of his finest seasons this year. In May, he catapulted Chris Henderson as the MLS all-time games played king (324 and counting), then leapfrogged former Tampa Bay teammate Carlos Valderrama for the MLS career assists title (115) with his helper on Andy Dorman’s goal vs. RBNY over the weekend. All the while, Ralston, in typical fashion, has made the club better with his acumen for controlling the tempo of the game and commandeering the attack. Suffice to say, this club is nowhere near first place without Ralston on the pitch.

Shalrie Joseph: There have been periodic stretches during the course of a given match when the Revs attack has looked rather disheveled – that is, before Joseph finds the ball, and reorganizes the assault. Since there are no statistics for intangibles, it's hard for an outsider to judge the true worth of the Grenadian mid. But under closer inspection, it's easy to see why his services have been requested by the likes of Celtic FC. In the same vein as Ralston, the first half would have transpired much differently without his presence.

Andy Dorman: Don’t look now, but the attacking midfielder has already accumulated more goals (7) at the half-way point than he did all of last year (6). Some of that is obviously due to his being thrust into Clint Dempsey’s former role, but the Welshman has certainly been up to task in filling Deuce’s shoes the best he can. Barring injury, there’s no reason why he won’t be able to maintain his form, which will certainly have other clubs abroad knocking at the door at One Patriot Place from now until the end of the season. Well on his way toward his finest MLS season yet, the front office would be wise to re-sign the lanky mid before he tests the waters in free agency after the season ends.

SURPRISES

Jeff Larentowicz: The former defender now moonlights as a defensive mid, and has performed outside of himself in that role. While last season was certainly an eye-opener for the former Brown Bear, who often looked horribly lost on the pitch at times, he has quite nicely come into his own as a more than serviceable center-half during the first half, before he suffered an eye injury vs. Toronto last month.

Adam Cristman: The rookie striker showed flashes of brilliance in pre-season, tallying six goals in six games, which had Revolution Nation buzzing with excitement. Expectedly, he has not been able to maintain that remarkable rate against regular MLS competition, but has shown his knack for putting the ball on net. With much of emphasis placed on first rounder Wells Thompson, Cristman, a third-round pick, has quickly become the frontrunner for MLS rookie of the year honors.

Wells Thompson: Speaking of the man they call "Wellsie", the apple of Nicol's eye during SuperDraft has already shown his versatility, with starts on both the left and right flank. Whether he becomes the solution on the left, or becomes Ralston's successor on the right, remains to be seen. He has shown to be a worthy first option off the bench this season, allowing Nicol the flexibility of inserting the rookie almost anywhere in midfield.

QUESTIONS

Khano Smith: Will he ever truly develop into the player that his biggest fan (last name rhymes with “pickle”) hopes him to be? This isn’t 2006, where Smith was injured for most of the season, thus allowing a built in excuse for his lack of consistency. This season, there are no excuses, and more to the point, we’re on Year Three of the left wing experiment for the former Bermudan striker. Once in awhile, the tall winger will tease you with the remarkable shiftiness and speed of a player more compact than him. But the remainder of the time, he has Revolution fans pulling their hair out at the recurrent stumbling and duck launching (see highlights of the 5/26 Kansas City match)

Willie Sims: It’s hard to believe that the Generation adidas player, selected in the 2005 SuperDraft, is entering his third year with the club this year. That in itself is an achievement, but in his third pro season, he has yet to distinguish himself among the club’s younger players. Four rookies have made their MLS debuts this year, while Sims, who played in nine matches last year, has yet to crack the first team. With the influx of talent from this year’s draft, Lil’ Will may seem himself phased out soon after the Revs win the MLS Cup in November. (Yes, I said that.)


Revolution backs: Last year, the club leaned heavily on its stalwart defending when injuries gathered like locusts, and when all was said and done, the club gave up an MLS-best 35 goals. This season, the defending has reprised its 2006 role at times, but at other times, has looked like a trio of matadors, simply allowing attackers to walk right by. As the matches become more critical down the stretch, the back line will have to ante up if the Revs hope to return to the playoffs.

Revolution coaching staff: Allow to me explain this one. Yes, the club currently reigns supreme in the Eastern Conference, but how do you explain draws to such illustrious clubs like Real Salt Lake and Columbus (twice)? Both of these matches could have been accurately viewed as “trap” games, and when said games arrive on the schedule, it is the coaching staff’s job to ensure that the club does take its seemingly overmatched opponent lightly. Two consecutive draws to two of the worst clubs at the time is telling of the level of preparation the club had for the each of the matches.

What will the second half of the season hold in store for the Revs? It appears they are on their way to another playoff appearance, at the very least, and perhaps another MLS Cup appearance if they stay healthy.

But anything can happen – just ask DC United, with the way their 2006 season transpired toward the closing bell. What’s certain though is that the club has the key ingredients – potent offense, sound goalkeeping, and decent defending – to make another run at the MLS Cup.

Is it time to pull the plug on the Khano Smith experiment?

While yours truly was reclining in a roomy blue seat in section 120 during Saturday's Revolution-Crew match, the following was shouted at length by a few enlightened fans during a series of Revs counterattacks:

"Don't pass it to Smith! Whatever you do - don't give him the ball!"

Of course, the sentiment is one that was surely researched at length, with critical analysis paid to Khano's weakness and strengths, various sample sizes of randomly-selected matches, and the climatological effects on left-footed Bermudan midfielders playing in New England's sultry early-summer humidity. In short, the comments were surely made after an exhaustive investigation.

So with that out of the way, the ensuing discussion is - in the wake of sub par performances -whether Steve Nicol's deployment of Smith on the left wing should be effectively suspended.

Smith, a forward by trade, was converted to the left wing by Nicol after discovering the Bermudan during the club's annual springtime journey to the island in 2005. After signing as a youth international soon after, Smith appeared in 23 matches that season, scoring three goals and chipping in two assists. However, since then, the third year veteran has been hampered by injury and inconsistency, and the former limited him to only ten matches last season.

At times, the tall (6-3) midfielder looks astonishingly adept on the left wing, flashing both the speed and moves atypical of a player of his physical stature. His size also leaves defenders with their hands full trying to defend a large, and at times, unshakeable attacker not often seen in MLS. This combination of size and speed, in some instances, offer a brief glimpse of Smith's potential.

Then there are times when he looks utterly out of place, resembling a kid trapped inside of a man's body. Recently, he has looked predictable; unsurprisingly cutting out rather than in and lacking the awareness to find open teammates. Surprisingly, through the course of the Columbus match, Nicol did not institute a single substitute, even after it became apparent that Smith was struggling against the back line of a last place club.

In essence, he is to the Revs what Wily Mo Pena is to the Red Sox: a player with tremendous potential, but has yet to develop in becoming consistent enough to meet the heightened expectations.

The club's overall depth on the left has always been a point of contention for fans and media alike. Joe Franchino served admirably in Smith's position last year, but it has become apparent that Franchino's lack of match time has indicated that he is no longer the weapon of choice at the position - which would, disturbingly, infer that Nicol believes Smith is the better performer. If this is indeed the case, it is a troubling indication of the club's inability to find a suitable player for the left wing spot, even though the team has a bevy of young left-sided prospects - most notably, Wells Thompson.

The question whether Thompson is heir apparent to iron man Steve Ralston on the right flank, or is the solution on the opposite side, remains to be seen. If the former is true, then a primary concern for Nicol and Co. should be to find a suitable replacement as soon as possible. If the latter is indeed the case, then the reason why Smith was not pulled Saturday night is clear, as Thompson was already busy manning the right wing in the absence of Ralston.

In any event, it's become apparent that Khano Smith experiment on the left flank will likely conclude with an obligatory plume of white smoke.