Diary of a Losing Club 8/19

(Photo:Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

If you're like me, you probably have an unhealthy interest in popular culture, an obese pet, and a subscription to Soccer America's informative daily e-mails. I could probably speak on the first two at an embarrassingly great length, but this blog isn't about Snooki's recent arrest, nor about my beloved feline Boostie.

No, this post is about soccer. I mean, this isn't called "The House of Soccer" because we talk about our crushes on Justin Bieber. Or whether to align ourselves with Team Jacob or Team Edward. That's not to say these issues aren't important. They are. But, let's get real, there's really no debate. Justin Bieber is a hottie. How could you not have a crush on him?* And Jacob is waaaay hotter than Edward. Case closed.

(*Well, apparently my younger cousin, who plotted to marry Mr. Bieber, has since fallen out of love with him. Sigh. To be teeny-bopping twelve year old.)

Wow, I'm getting distracted. Back to the soccer stuff.

On Tuesday morning, my AOL inbox warmly welcomed an e-mail from Soccer America entitled, "Section 1: SA ranks MLS backlines..." Needless to say, it an e-mail was one I read with much anticipation.

According to the rankings, L.A. has the best. No real surprise there. They're followed by Columbus and RSL. Again, no surprises.

Call me biased, uninformed, or Brian, but I was actually surprised to see the Revolution ranked 14th out of 16th. Seriously? Are they that bad? Only Philly (15th) and DC (16th) were ranked worse.

Here's what Soccer America had to say:

"14. NEW ENGLAND. Preseason: 6. The smooth central partnership enjoyed by Darrius Barnes and Emmanuel Osei last season has seldom been revived, and while right back Kevin Alston is as tenacious as ever, left back has been a rotation of rookie Seth Sinovic, Chris Tierney and recently Cory Gibbs. Yet recent results are encouraging; the Revs won all their SuperLiga group games by 1-0 scores, and they’ve beaten D.C. and Houston by the same result in their last two league games. "

My first beef with this assessment is this: no stats. We know that Barnes and Osei haven't been on the same page much this season. We know that sending a centerback to do a wingback's job (Gibbs on the left) usually doesn't work. And we know that the left back spot has been a carousel of curious selections (Khano Smith? Really?).

The first half of the season was a horror show. It was goals galore for the Goats, Sounders and Salt-Lakers. At the half, the goal differential was an frightful -13. That kind of number usually gets alot of teams a head start on the November tee times.

Since then, however, the backs have actually performed quite well. Before last night's showing in Chi-town, they'd only conceded a pair of goals since they were ravaged by RSL. That's two goals in seven games, homeslice. It was all good. D-Barnes and Alston were back to their 2009 selves. And I was optimistic. I started to like this club's chances down the stretch.

Then, Wednesday night occurred, and it became crystal clear why the local lads were ranked so low. Marco Pappa, Freddie Ljunberg, and Rev-killer Calen Carr all ran over the back four like the bulls in the streets of Pamplona. And the Revs were gored.

Its all reminded me of why this club was so awful earlier this season: the backline. Cory Gibbs is serviceable in the center, but he should be performing better than a player of his pedigree. Put him on the wing, and he tends to peace out for hours on end.

There's no debate that Kevin Alston is an All-Star defender. There are pictures and video to prove it. He's heady, speedy, and at times whimsically creative. But am I the only one who watches him and wonders if he'd be better in the midfield?

Darrius Barnes was hurt for much of the first half, so all he could really do is appear in those videos on the Gillette Stadium big screen teasing the crowd that they need to cheer louder. He's probably the only defender that hasn't been embarrassed all season.

Meanwhile, can someone orchestrate a mediation between Osei and Matt Reis? This is Osei's second season, and yet, him and Reis communicate about as well as Kate and Jon. It should be an easy problem to fix.

Then, of course, there's Chris Tierney, who probably isn't in the speediest wingback in the league. He's grown into a classic utilityman, playing everywhere but striker and keeper it seems. And, of course, there's Seth Sinovic, who seemed to channel Jay Heaps early on before his form started to resemble Manny Motajo and he was sent to the bench by Stevie Nicol.

What can the Revs do? Here's a thought: switch Pat Phelan to centerback. Hey, it's not as crazy than Khano at left back. Larentowicz 2.0 played pretty well in that capacity against LA last month. Of course, that leaves a huge hole in the middle. Here's another thought: slot Jason Griffiths into Phelan's spot.

Despite their recent form, the Revolution backline, as a whole, is still shakier than one of those vibrating leather chairs you pay like two bucks to sit in at the mall. Well, at least the malls I go to. Maybe it's a southeastern New England thing.

If Stevie Nicol still thinks his club has a shot a the postseason, then the defending has to improved, like, immediately. And if tinkering is what it takes, then so be it. The backs, whether it's Phelan in the center, Osei on the right, and/or Alston on the left, have to play better as a unit. Otherwise, we may not see another Chicagoland showdown come late-October.

SuperLiga to the rescue

(Photo: Chris Aduama)

Steve Nicol probably isn't the biggest fan SuperLiga. You can sense it in his post-match pressers.* There are probably a bajillion different things he'd rather have his team doing on a Wednesday night. Volunteering at the animal shelter. Bowling for charity. Throwing Silly Bandz parties. Pretty much anything that does not involve his team getting subjected to vicious slide tackles and ninety minutes in the thick August humidity without league points at stake.

(*That's not to say that Nicol isn't happy that his team's currently on a bit of an unbeaten streak. I'm sure he's beyond pleased about it. But you could tell that after Marko Perovic and Kevin Alston each picked up injuries during last night's game, Nicol wasn't exactly bonkers about this tournament.)

But as much as the gaffer may not give a googly-moogly about these extra-MLS matchups, the tournament has obviously benfitted his team tremendously over the past month.

You could say that the Revs rebirth started before SuperLiga. In fact, you could say it began on July 10th, when they shocked the Galaxy 2-0. Granted, Landon Donovan and Omar Gonzalez both missed the match, but the heart of the matter is that the Revs beat the best team in league in convincing fashion.

After the match, Darrius Barnes talked about carrying the momentum into SuperLiga and really making a run in the tourney. Winning was important, no matter what the forum. The team's victories up until that point could be counted on one hand. A win, nevermind a series of wins, would mean the world to this group of hard luck lads.

So that's what they did. They followed up that victory with a 1-0 win against Pumas, a game which featured one of the sloppiest first halfs played by the Revs this season. Yet, somehow, Zack Schilawski managed to get a hold of a goal in the 18th minute, and Revs got themselves together in the second frame to hold off a charging Pumas for the remainder.

And their ferocious form continued against the Fire. They grinded out another 1-0 victory thanks to Marko Perovic's late-match blast and solid defending from the Tierney-Barnes-Osei-Alston back four. It wasn't pretty. Thankfully, style points weren't factored.

Days later, the Revs picked up their third straight 1-0 result against the alliteratively-named Monarcas Morelia, this time with Sinovic at left back, and Shalrie and Sainey on the bench to preserve their status (both received yellows in the Pumas match) for the semifinal. You may remember that Steve Ralston was supposed to play his final match that night, but due to some unforseen circumstances*, never appeared on the pitch to help his team out. Nevertheless, Steve Nicol pulled a rabbit out of his hat and a spot in the semifinal was secured.

(*According to a few people I talked to familiar with the situation, the appearance was scrubbed after some insurance issues -Rally had an offer in hand to coach in H-Town - surfaced. Not to lay the blame on anyone/any entity, but these are the times when a little forethought could have gone a long way. The fact that an MLS legend couldn't even stop onto the pitch for a final hurrah due to legalities is a farce of the highest order. Having said that - Steve Ralston Testimonial, anyone?)

It was all going so well. A few players probably wished that these were league games. Conveniently, a league game presented itself in Philly over the weekend, where the local lads resumed their league form by promptly conceding the first goal of the game, courtesy of Sebastien Le Toux. It looked like the old Revs were back until Perovic's dead ball brilliance emerged in with twenty minutes to go.

Last night, the first half featured a disheveled effort. To add to their woes, Puebla savagely assaulted Nyassi, Joseph, and Mansally, curiously without reprimand. Instead of retaliating, Mansally had the match of his season, as he found space often and regularly threatened in the second half, with his 56th minute goal giving the home crowd hope of another SuperLiga final.

That hope, of course, was rudely interrupted two minutes later when Puebla equalized despite a disputed handball seen by everyone but the referee. The score stayed one-all before penalties were employed to determine the winner.

The Revs converted their penalties and Reis made a heady save on a low shot from Edgar Lugo, and all of sudden, it was back to the Super Liga Final.

A month ago, this team had just had their collective tails handed to them by Real Salt Lake. It's one thing to lose one or two-nil. Five-nil is comprehensive humiliation. It's a Dustin Diamond homemade video. It's the kind of stuff that makes you wish you could ask for a do-over.

But, the Revs didn't plan on getting a time machine to fix it. Instead, they looked ahead and defeated a sleeping giant, then paraded their newfound confidence in a tournament they won only two years ago. Instead of playing tentatively, they've picked their heads up and battled through some fierce competition.

Look, let's not kid ourselves: the playoff ship left port a long time ago. This is a team that sports a 4-9-3 record and currently hovers perilously close to the Eastern Conference cellar. The likelihood that it will somehow find maximum points from now until November and magically maneuver itself into the postseason is My Little Pony stuff.

That being said, there are a slew of games that still remain. How this team performs down the stretch will tell us how hungry they are to forget the failures of the season's first half. How ready they are to show us it a complete aberration. It will tell us what this team, despite the injuries, hard luck, and the multi-goal massacres, is really made of going into next season.

There's no doubt SuperLiga has recharged this club. Yeah, they're not league games, but the tournament has proven to be something far, far more important. It's become an oasis. A place where the losses don't sting as much. Figuratively, of course. A place where the long-lost chemistry has finally been located. An opportunity to breed confidence, a trait that this club had sorely lacked during the spring and early summer.

Steve Nicol may not like SuperLiga. But without it, it's fair to say that his club could have been in far worse shape without it.

Missing Michael Parkhurst

(*I was originally going to title this piece "Forgetting David Beckham." And all was going quite swell until I developed a sudden aneuryism about halfway through my first sentence. Darn. Therefore, here's what I hope proves to be a more enlightening piece.)

Michael Parkhurst was special. And not in a demeaning, saracastic kind of way. I mean special in a good way.

It wasn't just the fact that he accumulated league awards - Rookie of the Year, Defender of the Year, MLS All-Star - the way a former child actor accumulates hours in therapy. Nor was it the amazing storyline of a local kid who attended the very first Revolution match and went on to excel on his hometown club. Heck, it wasn't even that wonder strike from center circle during the 2007 season finale.

All of those ideas are relevant and compelling, yes. Anecdotal, sure. But none of those little factoids are sole reason why Michael Parkhurst was such a talent to behold.

What made Parkurst special was that his uncanny knack for being in the right playce at the right time. He understood the ebb and flow of the game better than all but a few of his peers. He knew when to give space, and when to go in for the kill. He was cerebral to nth power.

I know it's difficult, if not darn near impossible, to quantify this aspect of his game. However, we can look toward some statistical evidence that Parky was a supremely gifted center back.

The first statistic is the fouls committed category. It took him nearly three years to blemish to fouls committed category. Three years for his first foul. Did I mention that he was a center back? That's like Amy Winehouse being clean for an entire week.

And Parky never shied away from contact. Rarely was he caught out of position. In fact, he was often in the precise position when an attack pressed forward. He was like a cat ready to pounce on a ball of yarn. A cat with a double-doctorate in geometry and spatial studies.

Another statistic that goes hand in hand with the fouls created category is the card accumulation. Although he finally proved to be human and committed his first MLS foul in 2008, he never picked up a card. In fact, his club was awarded the fair play prize from MLS, as the Revolution squad as a whole committed the fewest yellow/red card transgressions. Although the entire roster deserves kudos for that distinction, the zero cards for Parky is an accurate reflection of his remarkable discipline in such a crucial spot on the pitch.

But like I said, his "specialness" - and yes, we are all special in some way - cannot be accurately measured via statistics. Rather, I think the best indication of how important he was to the Revolution is that his Steve Nicol, his former manager, may have to overhaul his club's tactics to address Parky's absence.

The weight placed on shoulders of a sole center back can is heavier than two Ronaldos. The margin for error of a lone CB is slimmer than Lindsay Lohan. A shift of weight ten degrees the wrong way, and the punishment can be a back-breaking goal. And while the crowd may unjustifiably jeer the keeper, a stand up center back will carry that guilt for the remainder of the evening.

And Nicol, one of the league's most brilliant managers, saw that Parkhurst's time on Route One was running out. He drafted a convalescing, yet promising, center back named Rob Valentino from San Francisco in the first round of last year's SuperDraft. Later in the year, Nicol brought in Gabriel Badilla from Costa Rica, a pretty high-profile signing for a club that rarely entertains such deals.

While Valentino recuperated, he never saw first team action. And Badilla's arrival was less than stellar, to say the least. In only six matches, he nearly rivaled Parky's nine fouls with seven of his own.

Of course, Parky played 23 more matches than the Costa Rican. More importantly, the normally stalwart Revolution back line disintegrated, as the club fluctuated between the 3-5-2 and the 4-4-2. Injuries, call-ups (including that of Parkhurst himself for the Summer Olympics) and a flood of fixtures made the defending third appear circus-like down the stretch. All the while, Parky kept his end of the bargain, and never seemed to waver from his responsibilities.

However, one man cannot steer a storm-battered vessel alone. The Revolution failed to reach MLS Cup for the first time since 2004.

As expected, Parky packed his bags and signed with the Danish club FC Nordsjælland, and left behind a gaping hole at the center back slot in New England.

Which brings us to the club's current condition. With Parky gone for good, the club's employed a four-man backline in each of its preseason matches rather than the customary 3-5-2. I know this isn't entirely suprising, as the Revs are apt to undertake a great deal of experimentation during the preseason. But this year, given Parkhurst's departure and the club's depth in the rear, there's been a considerable amount of buzz that the 3-5-2 may be scrapped altogether.

Depth is one thing; sheer talent is another. If you asked Steve Nicol, he'd likely choose a fit Michael Parkhurst over three capable CB candidates. Although he's denied the idea of a preferred formation over the years, it's clear that the three-man back line, featuring Parkhurst as its centerpiece, is the one that Nicol's achieved the greatest success with during the past four seasons.

Whether the current crop of defenders can seamlessly mesh and reform its stingy self as a four-headed beast remains to be seen. Can Valentino and Badilla (or Jay Heaps, if necessary) man the middle effectively? If not, will Nicol have to scour the international seas to find a Parkhurst clone?

It may take some time before we know. Yet, the very real possibility of a tactical shift amply underscores how special Michael Parkhurst truly was.

MLS South idea, continued

So I was at the – wait, guess – yep, I was at the boosktore this afternoon, where I found an interesting book called “Under the March Sun” by Charles Fountain. It's a well-written book about the history and traditions surrounding spring training baseball. Naturally, I had to check out the first couple of chapters because 1. I love baseball and, 2. To improve upon my MLS South idea.

It turns out that one of the godfathers of spring training was a guy named Al Lang, a Laundromat owner in Pittsburgh who had to move to the Sunshine State in order to improve his health in 1910. Something about the air in Steel City just wasn’t, um, clean. I know, hard to believe.

Now, it turned out that Lang, a lifelong fan of his native Pirates, wanted to bring baseball to his new home in St. Petersburg. Lang was an affable man who made many friends wherever he went. Some of those friends happened to be in the Pirates organization, the first club he tried to attract to sunny St. Pete for the spring. They declined. Something about there being distractions – like beaches and bars, I guess.

But eventually, Lang found himself as the town’s mayor for four years, and was able to land some pretty big fishes. First, the Boston Braves came down in the 1920s. Then, two of the biggest teams in baseball promised to make the newly-designated Sunshine City their spring home: the St. Louis Cardinals and Babe Ruth’s New York Yankees.

Lang loved his baseball. He tried everything he could to wean the ballclubs to make St. Pete their home away from home. He paid the travel expenses of the entire team AND the writers. In his mind, any dateline with “ST. PETERSBURGH, Fla.” was free publicity for his beloved town. Many other teams followed the Braves, Cards and Yanks to Florida. At one point, 14 of the 16 the league’s clubs camped in Florida. And Al Lang is perhaps the man most responsible for the success of springtime ball in on the peninsula.

Similarly, I believe the same endeavor taken by Lang nearly 100 years ago could be applied to MLS. Lang was a visionary who saw baseball as a means to attract tourists to St. Pete, and by extension, Florida. He paid for everything knowing that the rewards could be reaped. When people talked about the Yankees – Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, and Mickey Mantle – during March, they also mentioned St. Pete. And the people came. People from all over the country came to St. Pete for one reason: baseball.

There’s no doubt in my mind this can be applied to MLS. In fact, the pitches already exist where a club could camp down there right now. U.S. Soccer has its IMG Training Academy in Bradenton – there’s one locale already. You probably fit two or three MLS clubs at the facility. There’s the Miami FC facilities. There’s also boatload of state universities where clubs could train on the school’s soccer pitches.

It just takes some initiative. It takes someone recognizing the potential rewards of hosting an MLS club during the spring. The pros interact with the college or youth teams at IMG. In turn, the pros are given soccer-spec facilities, a much smoother training and preseason schedule, and plenty of outdoor training.

So how long will it take for MLS to recognize the benefits of a common spring destination for its clubs?

*

Speaking of spring destinations, the Revolution kick off the first of three (...!) preseason matches tonight at Nelson Field in Austin, Texas. You may remember Austin as being the home city for one of the more interesting seasons of The Real World. I know this because I still have a crush on Johanna.

But anyway, tonight’s match will likely involve the obligatory mix of veterans and rookies for both halves. Perhaps some tactical tinkering. And probably alot of miscommunication, which is to be expected in any club's first match of the spring. Overall, you really can’t make much of a club’s performance in its first (or second) preseason match.

So what can we gain from tonight’s match? Unfortunately, the match won’t be broadcast via radio. Or the telly. Maybe military spy satellites. Instead, it will be “covered” exclusively vua the Official Revolution Blog, which is too often the only source of information during the club’s ongoing preseason adventures.

And I have no real problem with that. Some info is better than no info. It’s actually one of the very few outlets where I can stay up to date on the local XI. The only thing is, it’s written by the club’s communications department. So, of course, it’s accurate. But it’s also biased. We’ll know who did well. We’ll know who surprised (in a good way). We'll know who deserved a gold star on the soccer skills chart.

But what we won’t know is who looked out of shape, lethargic, or just plain pathetic. We won’t know who isn’t fitting in, or if the Aztex are having their way with a top-flight team. And its occasions like these where the independent media perspective would come in pretty darn handy.*

(*I’d like to think that my buddy Frank Dell’Apa is down there, but as far as I know, his primary responsibilities are keeping him in Beantown with the Celtics and their newest headache Stephon Marbury. That’s a darn shame – Frank’s The Don of soccer journalism here in New England.)

And I’ll tell you, as a journalist myself, if my ticket, accommodations and my wad of ones were taken care of, I’d give it to you straight up. I’d give you the clean and the dirty. Who looked good and who got pwned. But most importantly, I’d provide a completely unbiased perspective, which is exactly what’s been missing for much of the preseason.

Back to business

Within the confines of a rural indoor sports complex, a collection of twenty odd professional footballers convene on a large green carpet, stretch their muscles, and kick around dozens of soccer balls for the first time this year.

Yes, the New England Revolution, under the guidance of manager Steve Nicol and his assistant Paul Mairner, return to their pitch away from home this morning, the first of many winter training sessions that await in 2009.

Though many professional athletes grow accustomed to a lifestyle that offers the best of the best - facilities, equipment, amenities - there is something completely unglamorous about the scene. The turf feels like a thick-bristled welcoming mat. The locker rooms are a five minute drive away, up north at Gillette Stadium. Heck, there aren't even benches.

Giving further humility to all involved, an old, musty smell permeates the entire complex. The cold New England air pervades through walls and ceiling. Journalists and spectators grip their hot coffees close. It is dark due to the low-voltage lights that hang above, giving it the all the atmosphere of a Soviet missile silo.

As usual, there are the familiar faces. There always are when it comes to a club who's employee turnover is comparable to that of Google's. Shalrie Joseph, Steve Ralston and Taylor Twellman are back. So are Jay Heaps and Matt Reis. All have painfully fallen short of MLS Cup glory on multiple occasions. In the back of their minds, they must wonder: will this finally be our year?

Sprinkled among the veterans, you'll also find a fresh crop of players all readying to make their professional debuts. There's first-round pick Kevin Alston running laps with his new mates, along with Zack Simmons defending a backyard-sized goal and Ryan Maxwell limbering up. They'll soon realize - if they haven't already - that this isn't college anymore. No more four month seasons. Goodbye, cute co-eds and frat parties. It's ten months of straight soccer from here on out.

And sometimes, amid all the familiar faces, distinct voices, and practical jokes, you begin to notice those who's not here.

Michael Parkhurst's mop of dark hair is bouncing around a Danish training ground. Khano Smith's mischievous laugh cannot be heard from Seattle. The strong-legged Adam Cristman is busy battling defenders in Barbeque City. The jokes that the affable Doug Warren cracked are missing. The absence of these familiar personalities are sharp reminder that no team, not even the Revolution, can stay together forever.

But there's no sense on dwelling on it. There is work to do.

Mariner gathers a group of lads to one corner to work on abdominal exercises. There, they lie on the backs, point their toes toward the ceiling, reach for them, forcing them to flex their cores. Back down. Up again. Back down. Up again...

Nicol takes another group for passing drills. Five players form a crude, close-quartered pentagon. The ball is traded with alacrity between alternating players. One player - a rookie - stands in the middle, desperately trying to disrupt the flow of the game.

Goalkeeper coach Gwynne Williams tutors his charges. He peppers their large leather mitts with close-fire. They sprawl. They leap. They get whacked in the face.

Despite all of the action, it's still early for full scrimmages. So, after an hour and a half of stretching, drills, and running, the players retreat to the cramped sidlelines and down a variety of colored sports drinks. Minutes later, after the sweat evaporates, the cold hits them. They quickly don their long, oversized winter jackets. Some chat with reporters. Others escape quietly to the exit, where team caravans are idling outside in the parking lot.

And thus, the closing bell has rung for the first of many Revolution preseason training sessions. The players, coaches, staffers and journalists will be here back tomorrow, ready to do it all over again. And again in the days and weeks thereafter, until the first day of spring - March 21st -affords them the real thing.

Bring the Hulk to Foxboro

I believe it was last week, while tuning into a replay of the Porto-Nacional Portuguese Liga match, that, as I am wont to do while watching Portuguese football, began to fantasize about a player lacing up his boots for the Revolution.

Last week, the player of my affections was a scruffy Brazilian striker named Givanildo Vieira de Souza. During the match, he scored a goal and nearly clinched another minutes later after putting ball inches wide of the right post.

Yeah, ok, so you may have gathered by his surname that he's Brazilian. He's supposed to be good. But, due to his uncanny resemblance to actor Lou Ferrigno, de Souza is better known as "Hulk."

And the Hulk is quite a talent. The 22-year-old was just signed by Porto over the summer, after spending three years in the J-League with Tokyo Verdy, Consadole Sapporo and Kawasaki Frontale. He racked up goals by the bushels - he scored 70 goals in 104 matches. In his first twelve matches for Porto, mostly off the bench. He's scored five goals already. I'll say it for you: Wow.

Considering that J-League competition is often considered on par, if not higher, than that found here in MLS, you can only imagine the kind of stats he'd put up Stateside. He'd make Landon Donovan look like a pub league player. His name would create instant buzz. Boston loves larger than life characters. See David "Big Papi" Ortiz and Glen "Big Baby" Davis.

Of course, a player of Hulk's talent won't come cheap. Porto just paid eight million Euros to Kawasaki for the Brazilian. But hey, aren't that what designated player allocations are for?*

(*Unfortunately, I cannot confirm or deny that Revolution brain trust knows what a DPA is.)

Forget another mediocre, non-eventful draft where the Revolution scrape together another freshman class. After Marcus Tracy elected to bypass MLS, there isn't a bona fide star in the making in this year's draft.

So, if I had any say in the matter, here's what I'd do: trade the picks - all of them - to the rest of the league for allocation money. Use the money to go buy a colorful character like Hulk. Come early March, I'd guarantee you'd find alot more navy blue seats filled in Foxboro, and bunch of goals being fetched out of opponents' nets.

Not that Porto would ever give up Hulk less than a year after signing him. It would make absolutely no sense. The Dragaoes would have to be Rusty Pierce crazy to do something like that. Like I said, the whole premise of this post is based entirely on pure fantasy...

Then again - why not negotiate a summer loan?

Videira finds his way back to New England

At about this time last year, alot of soccer people - myself included - were readying themselves for the upcoming SuperDraft. Like many, I leaned heavily upon Buzz Carrick's annual Top 10 collegiate prospects report to see who's stock was CVS Caremark Corporation(CVS) and who's was RiteAid (RAD).

At the four spot in under the Top 20 overall Draft Prospects was Duke's Michael Videira. Among midfielders, Videira was ranked number one, with Carrick effusive in his praise for the Duke senior:

"Videira is about as sure a thing as you'll find in this year's midfield pool. The Blue Devil is a big, active player with good feet and range. He battled an injury much of this year but was still third-team All-American. A three-time Hermann Trophy semifinalist and three-time All-ACC selection, Videira has a remarkable college resume. His career tally of 15 goals and 32 assists shows his game-changing ability. A former U.S. U-18 and U-20, Videira was on the Generation adidas target list last year."

But there were whispers. Videira, a sure-fire first round pick, was going to 86 MLS and test his luck overseas. On draft day, his stock slid until the Revolution gambled and took him in the second round. Manager Steve Nicol understood the risk, but felt that gambit was worthwhile given the caveat that New England owned his MLS rights for two years should the former Blue Devil fail to catch on in Europe.

As expected, Videira flirted with the idea of playing European football. Eventually, he landed with Hamilton Academical (Scottish Premier League) months later in August. Not exactly the upper echelon European side the midfielder likely had in mind.

To make a short story shorter, Videira spent more time on the Scottish pine than pitch, and the club released less than four months later. With little certainty besides the promise of playing Revolution, he decided to return to the States. The Revolution formally announced his signing yesterday.

When I heard the news of the signing, I was a immediately reminded of Videira's quote from Mike Biglin's post-draft piece.

"I couldn't be happier that I went to the Revolution,'' said Videira. "So, for some reason if things don't work out in Europe, at least I'll be coming back and have a chance to play at home. That's much better than if I was in some random city.''

If that isn't a piece of prescience, then call me Miss Cleo.

So here we are, less than a year later, and the Revolution's prodigal son has returned. Some will say that Videira's selection was a masterstroke. A double-banked shot to sink the eight ball. The Duke star, after a year's absence, eventually returned home to play for his home club. With the departures of Khano Smith and Adam Cristman, Videira's chances of carving a starting role are far greater this year.

It's also fitting that his arrival coincides with the recent realization that Steve Ralston is not as bionic as many of us thought. The veteran midfielder sustained two serious injuries last season, and the club floundered in his absence. Whether he knows it or not, Videira will likely be called upon to assume Ralston's role sooner rather than later.

How this move plays out will be one of the most interesting storylines of the 2009. Not only does Videira bring a high pedigree to the pitch, but he is also another local kid - a Portuguese kid playing in a region with a high density of Portuguese - looking to make good for the Revolution, much like Michael Parkhurst.

I'm high...on Marcus Tracy

Oh man, what a weekend.

I finally got a Christmas tree...less than two weeks before Kris Kringle shoots down my chimney. I blame the left. No, just kidding. I actually blame school, work, and MTV for running that Emmy-worthy Britney Spears special like 792 times within the course of the week.

(*Darn, that documentary was still enteraining even after the 571st time. Poor Brit...I just wish the media would leave her alone. LEAVE HER ALONE!)

Sorry. I got a little off track. I tend to do that after busy week.

So anyway, another thing kept me distracted from staking the tree into the corner of the living room. The sports demi-god known as ESPN carried the NCAA men's soccer tournament on Friday and Sunday. How could I resist?

I couldn't.

Friday brought an upset of biblical proportions. Thirteen-seed North Carolina, hoping to ride the coat tails of its women's side, must have thoroughly scouted one-seed Wake Forest, who also happened to be the defending champs. Either that, or they must have talked to Bill Belichick about cameras and stuff, because wow, they not only figured out Wake, but they dismantled them for a good eighty minutes. The remaining ten minutes...okay, they held on.

Everybody loves an upset. But in this case, I am not part of that everybody.

I am in the minority because I have taken to scouting Wake striker Marcus Tracy. After watching him dazzle during last season's championship quest, he became my soccer version of Tim Tebow.* I love Tim Tebow. I love Marcus Tracy. I wanted him to win.

Anyway, it all began last year around this time. He had a sensation tournament. I could have sworn Tracy was going to go pro after last season. He would have been an easy early-first rounder, if the not the overall number one. Instead, he stayed in school (smart dude, on so many levels) and came up again for the Hermann Trophy consideration.

Although Tracy wasn't the leading scorer on his own team - that distinction belongs to Cody Arnoux - I believe he is one of the best strikers in college soccer. Let me amend that. He is the most technically sound striker in college soccer.

You see, unlike many one-dimensional forwards who simply take sound passes and shove them into the net, Tracy's can dish just as well as he can finish. He's got good pace. He's good in the air. He's tall, but not awkward in the box. He's good with his back to the goal. He can make a mean Spanish omlet.*

(*Okay, that last one's pure conjecture...as far as I know. But you get the idea.)

We all know Steve Nicol knows about this kid. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he's got an extensive dossier on this particular Demon Deacon. *

(*Nevemind the ENTIRE Wake team. The Demon Deacs may as well drop the pretense and call themselves the New England Revolution Youth Academy. I mean, Nicol collects former Deacs the way my little cousin collects Webkinz.)

Now, the ball is in the Revolution's box.

They've got the ten spot in next months draft. They've got a solid striker in the bank already with Taylor Twellman. But, who's to say Taylor won't take off to Tottenham or Tranmere Rovers or elsewhere before First Kick '09?

That's where Tracy should come in. Because with or without Twellman, the Revolution need another goalscorer. Steve Ralson - bless his heart - isn't a goalscorer. I know he finished second in scoring last season, but let's face it - he's not the long-term solution should Twellman take his bright boots to Britain after the holidays.

Tracy, from what I've watched, has the resume. He's scored in college*, he's shined in the postseason, and he's got the technical skills to make the jump to the next level. In short, he'll likely be a top-5 selection.

(*That's just waaaaay too easy...)

So the Revolution must do what they need to.

Trade up from ten.

Draft Tracy.

Confessions, missing players, and a ROY debate

I'll be honest: I'm not a huge fan of my last post. Don't get me wrong. I still believe in the ideas set forth, and how younger players could miss their chance in MLS without a Reserve League to hone their skills. It's just that...well...I was passionate about the League. I loved it. I thought that when it was handled correctly - Sunday morning matches on practice pitches - it was a stroke of genius. But I don't think I articulated my arguments well enough yesterday.

I thought the League had tremendous potential. Free admission for professional soccer was just the tip of the iceberg. Post-match clinics for the many younger children on hand could have been instituted. First-team players could have signed autographs during halftime. Free tees for all kids. Heck, you could have even played a doubleheader, with the U-19s playing a mini-scrimmage afterward.

In essence, it was a great opportunity to attract fans on a grassroots level. The chance to advance the game for little in these tough economic times. Seriously - what's more family-friendly than a sporting event with free admission and space to steer the strollers?

The Reserve League was a no-brainer. The decision to banish it was brainless.

***

Thanksgiving must be near because the turkeys are definitely gobbling about Wednesday's MLS Expansion Draft.

I always get kick out of reading the Unprotected List press release. It contains, as you may imagine, the names of all players left unprotected by their clubs, ready for the taking. In essence, each of these players has been told, "Listen, it's not that you're a bad player. It's just that we really don't mind seeing you leave without reimbursement. That's all."

This year, it's Seattle that gets to bgein its Christmas shopping early (or late, depending upon your point of view/financial situation). Boy, I bet they can wait to pick up Gordon Kljestan.* Or Andy Gruenebaum.**

(*Wait, you mean we drafted Gordon Kljestan??? I thought it was Sacha Kljestan? Great googly-moogly! Fire that intern immediately!)

(**Because who doesn't want a keeper who gives up 80-yard bombs from the opposing keeper?)

Of course, if I were an MLS general manager, the unprotected player list is a HUGE trump card. Think about it. These are all the guys that your opponent is willing to give up FOR NOTHING. Yes, I meant to put that in all-caps. FOR NOTHING. That cannot be overstated. If a team needed speed on the right prior to the 2008 season, any GM could have likely picked up postseason wunderkid Dane Richards for peanuts. Yep, he was on last year's unprotected list. I understand that not everyone needed a right-sided mid. But the idea of using this list to one's advantage seems lost in the minds of a few MLS GMs, in my humble opinion.

Another great thing about the unprotected list: figuring out who the heck some of these players are. I'll stick to the Revolution's list since this blog is located in New England.

Who is Mauricio Matamoros, and where did they keep him? Seriously? In a storage unit deep inside the underbelly of Gillette Stadium? Because I've covered the Revolution all season, and not once did I meet or see Mr. Matamoros.

Now, I can confirm the existence of Jose Angulo. I met him during the preseason, but shortly thereafter, disappeared almost as fast as Kyle Helton.* But lo and behold, Angulo still appears to be property of the Local XI.

(*I saw him during the preseason as well, but apparently vanished before the regular season. I never received an correspondance from the Revolution advising of his departure. In fact, the whereabouts of Helton, one of the nicer guys in the locker room, became a running joke between Sean Donahue and I whenever a regular was left completely off the starting XI and substitution list without explanation. "Hey, where's [insert applicable name here]?" "I don't know...maybe he's playing alongside Helton tonight.")

Granted, I don't know the particulars of roster spots and its unspoken loopholes, but how is it that these two players were kept "hidden" from the roster list throughout the season? Seriously. That's not a rhetorical question. I would honestly like to know. Drop a comment below. Enlighten me.

Before I get off this soapbox, I have to say that I was startled to see Argenis Fernandez on this list. I would have thought the Revolution surely would not have given up on him after paying him a reported six-figure sum this season. Apparently, my thoughts are all ludicrous this morning.

In the meantime...God Bless the MLS Unprotected List!

***

I'm terribly late in posting this thought, so I'll skip right to the point: there is no way in the depths of Hell, or the idea thereof, that Sean Franklin should have won this year's Rookie of the Year.

Let's start with the obvious: he was a regular on the worst defensive club in the league. Wait, I don't think I made myself clear: he was a regular on the worst defensive club in the league. In fact, thanks to the wonder of MLS Primetime Thursday, which might as well have been renamed "LA Galaxy Primetime Thursday", I saw alot of Franklin. He wasn't terrible. But Rookie of the Year material? Really? Maybe he saved his best games for the local broadcasts.

No one can argue that this year's rookie class was shallower than an episode of My Sweet Sixteen. I mean, the fact there was no true frontrunner speaks volumes about the situation. No particular rookie established himself enough to create a buzz throughout the year. Kheli Dube (New England) and Geoff Cameron (Houston) played well in the first half, but later faded. Roger Espinoza (Kansas City) and Tony Beltran (Real Salt Lake) made some noise late, but again, it wasn't for the entire season.

In hindsight, a more fitting idea would have been to split the Award in in halves: Rookie of the First Half, with an accompanying Rookie of the Second Half. If you think I am taking this idea seriously: Welcome to blog! Hope you enjoyed this post!

But in all seriousness, Franklin was not the best rookie in the league. So who was? I'd say, from start to finish, a better argument could have been made for Dube. Four goals and four assists in 21 matches isn't fantastic. But in terms of production, he was pretty good among this year's freshmen. In fact, his numbers were about the same as last year's uncontroversial winner, Maurice Edu.*

(*I understand that Edu was central mid, and Dube a striker, which of course, accounts for more goal-scoring opportunities for the latter. So by no means am I insinuating that Dube is as good or better as Edu, who was talented enough for Rangers to pay $5 million for his services this past summer. I'm just comparing seasons, not abilities.)

I won't get into hypotheticals, which would bolster the argument for Dube, who played hurt for much of the second half. Nor will I get into which players had the tougher schedules, with the Revolution committed to U.S. Open Cup, SuperLiga, and CONCACAF Champions League. Hypotheticals are useless. If Khano Smith had 75% more coordination and a right foot, he'd be Tony Sanneh. But that isn't the case. All we can go on is the body of work. And based upon that, Dube is more deserving of the Rookie of the Year.

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.

That's a wrap!

I didn't witness it.

Luckily.

I was fortuitously trapped in class while the New England Revolution were getting scorched by the Chicago Fire last night at Bridgeview. Cuauhtemoc Blanco and his fellow Screen Actors Guild of soccer players thrashed a depleted, suspended and broken-boned bunch of footballers that really had no shot from the beginning to the piercing tune of 3-0.

Let's be real: you cannot survive in the postseason without your top three scorers. You can make it to the playoffs, sure. We all know MLS rewards mediocrity by inviting more teams to November than it rejects. But do well enough to advance? It would be like doing Ocean's 14 without George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon. It can be done. Like MLS, moviegoers embrace mediocrity.* People will watch. But it'll tank. Big time.

(*I think if people are honest with themselves, they'll find that alot of movies are just bland. People complain about paying $11 to see a movie. That amount is nothing compared to seeing a major sports event. If movies were, on the whole, better than they are, no one would complain about forking over a Hamilton and his buddy Washington to see a flick. )

From the scoreline, it appears as if Fire manager Denis Hamlet was just toying with the Revolution during Game 1 after drawing 0-0. Showing them the pig ear - here ya go boy - then proceeding to stuff it in the trash, then kicking the dog in the rear. Three times. That's what the Fire did to the Revolution. Game 1 was a taunt. A glimpse of false hope. The bunny at the dog track that the greyhounds chase. That was Game 1.

Game 2 was reality. The makeshift side assembled by Steve Nicol gained Gabriel Badilla from suspension, but lost Game 1 starter Chris Tierney after the rook suffered an injury in training during the week. Then, Jeff Larentowicz was taken out by John Thorrington* on a tardy tackle in the 39th. With the insertion of Pat Phelan at der Kaiser's central mid role, the Revolution officially lost any chance to salvage the game, even though the score was still 0-0 at that point.

(*Whenever something happens in a Revolution-Fire match, Thorrington always seems to have a role in it. Dude's omnipresent. I can't tell you how many times play stopped during Game 1 where I checked to see who was involved. It was always Thorrington. Each time. I swear, it's like five guys on the Fire have 'Thorrington' on the back of their jersey.)

But in all honesty, who was going to score? Slyde? Sainey Nyassi made an appearance SportsCenter's Top 10 last night when he megged his mark with a threatening shot that a diving Jon Busch diverted away from goal in the 58th. Busch got the nod, even though the shot itself was worthy of the highlight reel.

Down 0-3, Chris Albright obviously had enough. Adding insult to injuries, suspension, and on-pitch apprenticeships, the blonde right back was shown his second yellow in the 83rd minute. Unfortunately for the Revolution, they did not play better with ten players, unlike the Rhode Island College Anchorwomen on November 1.

Minutes later, the Revolution's season officially ended.

If you want to be slapped with perspective, get ready to turn your cheek. The last time the Revolution were relegated to watching Eastern Conference Finals on television, W's approval ratings appraoched 87%.

Seriously.

*******

It's not all bad news this morning.

One side that still has a match ahead of them is the Rhode Island College men's soccer team.

The Anchormen will be playing Plymouth State University tomorrow for the Little East Conference title at RIC Soccer Field.

This year's Anchormen boast an 11-5-4 record, and are 5-1-1 in LEC play. They started the season slow after going 0-3-0 (and being shut out in all three), but caught fire in early-September and never looked back, finishing their remaining 17 matches with a record of 11-2-4. Their defending was superb, as they allowed only 16 goals this season (0.76 GAA), and certainly took advanatage of their home pitch, where they went undefeated (8-0-2). All of these stats point to what should be a thrilling game for Anchormen tomorrow afternoon.

One season ends, another continues. The drama that is postseason soccer.

Foxboro finale?

Shortly after Thursday night's First Leg of the Eastern Conference semifinals, it dawned upon me that it was likely my last visit to Foxboro for soccer football. Barring a New England EC semifinal victory (possible) and a Kansas City upset over Columbus (impossible), the Revolution have played their final home match of the season.

It's been a crazy, but fun season. I witnessed the first match of the season in section 103 with my mother, as we nearly succumbed to frostbite amid the 30 degree temperatures. With hot chocolate and seventeen layers of clothing acting as our only defenses, we survived to watch the Revolution beat the Dynamo 3-0.

In June, the soccer gods rewarded the region with another visit from Brazil. Even without Ronaldinho and Kaka', A Seleção thrilled the crowd but failed to beat an inspired Venezuela, losing 0-2. To me, there is no greater sports thrill than watching Brazil in person. The crowd. The seismic rumbles that reverberate throughout the stadium during the cheers and chants. The scantily-clad Brazilian mamis. All proof that God is indeed a football fan.

Doug Warren captivated us when he made his first start in nearly three years against D.C. United. A 2-1 victory for the Revolution, but more importantly, it was a testament to patience and class. And no one on the club deserved it more than Dougie, who is one of the absolute nicest guys in professional soccer.

Lastly, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the 4-0 loss Joe Public FC. Yes, it was likely one of the ugliest Revolution matches I’ve ever seen. Defenders looked like matadors. Midfield was shakier than the San Andreas. But it Gregory Richardson’s night. The Guyanan international single-handedly owned the pitch with a hat trick and an assist in one of the most singular performances I’d ever witnessed. The kid is going to be a star someday, wherever he plays.

*******

Prior to the match, Sean Donahue and I traded updates on our school’s soccer teams. After mentioning the Anchorwomen’s 1-16-1 record, I was surprised to learn that Bryant’s men’s team is 1-14-1. Of course, the Bulldogs’ record is largely attributable to the fact that 2008 marked their first season in Division I.

Nevertheless, I took an odd solace that the Anchorwomen were not the only club in the state that sported an unflattering record.

*******

While driving home for the Revs-Fire match with my final game in Foxboro nothing but a memory, I reflected on what my purpose was, as a soccer writer.

If you had told me five years ago that I'd be a credentialed member of the soccer media, I would have laughed right in your face – the kind of laugh where spit comes out because you’re trying to contain it. My face would have turned bright red, and tears would have escaped my eyelids. It would have been LMFAO to the one trillionth degree.

I’ve told the story of how I feel into this gig many times.* And last night was one of those nights where, as I briefly gazed upon the darkness of the night sky and saw the stars twinkle brightly through the top of my windshield on my way home, I smiled. That smile must have lasted seven miles* between 495 and 95.

(*Check the Thanksgiving entry in the November 2006 archives for the tale. I was pretty green back then.)

And it lasted through Sara Bareillis’ “Bottle It Up” blared through the car speakers.

I do it for love
Love,
Love,
Love*

(*I know that the context of that song has NOTHING to do with soccer, writing, or sports. But its timing just felt appropriate when it came on the radio.)

I thought of a John Updike quote I recently read that - to paraphrase - a writer who writes solely for money is a vulgarity. You can tell who does it for the paycheck, however small it is nowadays. I’ve always been a firm believer in this litmus test for sportswriters: if you don’t smile once – just once – because of something you witnessed on the field, you’re in the wrong profession. Attend a career workshop. Hire a life coach. This job is either not for you, or has passed you by.

Which brings me to my next point.

*******

If there’s a reporter’s press box etiquette guide out there, I’d like to see it. And amend it.

While pounding away at my keypad crafting a sidebar last night, I overheard a conversation between two middle-aged writers on the other side of the box.

“I hope this is the last soccer game I have to watch this season,” said one.

“Me too," said the other. "I can’t believe I’m stuck here writing about this. And for who? The 5,000 or so people who were here? Ridiculous…"

“Seriously, who really cares about this? Does anyone actually care about soccer around here?”

Okay. I get it. You don’t like soccer.

You probably don’t understand it, either. That’s fine. I don’t understand a lot of things. Like mechanical engineering, for instance. But, I don’t barge into my brother’s classes and rip the field of engineering out loud. That would be extremely insulting to everyone on the room.

So don’t insult me. My job is to write on soccer. By disrespecting what I do, you are disrespecting not only me, but pretty much everyone else in the room.

So please, try to exhibit some class.

Next, if you don’t like soccer, don’t care for it, and would rather see it played elsewhere, like on the moon, fine. I don’t force my opinions on anyone. But failure to keep those thoughts to yourself in a room full of soccer reporters makes you sound like a bitter jackass.

Lastly – why are you here? If you don’t like your assignments, then go work for another publication. Don’t infect the box with your negative attitude which, I’m sure, was appreciated by no one but your tag team soccer hater. If you have nothing nice to say…

So, I hereto propose the following amendment:

Please refrain from broadcasting negative opinions and views about the event you are covering. Keep in mind that your peers likely enjoy what they do, and any disparaging remarks about the event may be construed as disrespectful.

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.

The war on conservative football

With six clubs given last rites and proper burials during the previous fortnight, the MLS regular season is now officially over. The postseason is here.

But very soon, without even glancing at the calendar, the leaves (or lack thereof) on the trees, or Blackberry(TM), you'll be able to tell what time of the year it is through mere observation of an MLS playoff match. Behold: sides from across the country playing tenuous and fraidy-cat football. Cue the chicken.

BRUCK, BRUCK, BRUCK BRAWWWWWWK!

Thank you.

Based upon geography and the Fates, I will fashion my argument around the New England Revolution. Mind you, they are most definitely not the only club that practices safe soccer. There are other guilty parties. I won't name names.* But one would think that the Revolution, after four unsuccessfull MLS Cup bids, may have altered their approach after the first two losses in 2002 and 2005. The following years proved this theory patently false.

(*Who am I kidding? Chicago Fire, FC Dallas, D.C United - I'd name more, but the remaining teams from last year's postseason, quite frankly, didn't have the sufficient talent to play scared. Instead, they resorted to playing badly.**)

(**And was last year's postseason a living and breathing argument that far too many clubs qualify for the playoffs? I mean, really - did New York's 2007 season really justify a playoff berth? Did Chicago's? Was there some sort DPA postseason quota that Don Garber forgot to tell us about?)

This postseason, the Revolution will likely return to its Pat Buchanan-like ultra-conservative 4-4-2 mode, as Ralston has been relegated to cheerleader. Meanwhile, perhaps unbeknownst to Steve Nicol, the club actually has a decent player in Mauricio Castro to occupy Ralston's role as the attacking mid. He did it earlier this year. Here's a thought: why not try it again?

What's this? Oh yes, my fault. It's the postseason. That prospect is far too risky.

Even with a healthy Ralston, Nicol went back to his cautious ways when he employed the 4-4-2 during last season's playoffs. As if the 3-5-2 has an annual expiration date of November 1st.

The result? Three total goals through 360+ minutes of postseason football. All three were scored by Taylor Twellman. That, my friends, is what you call awful and predictable football. Just awful. The kind of awful that should only be broadcast between the hours of 12am-5am, when the children are fast asleep. The fact that the Revolution still managed to reach MLS Cup last year was, quite frankly, more attributable to the lack of quality pre-MLS Cup competition(see: the aforementioned New York and Chicago clubs) rather than their form, as uninspired as it was.

The stakes are obviously heightened in any sport's postseason. I understand this. But tentative players and second-guessing managers make for some bad football. The kind that grows stale in the breadbox, and sour in the fridge. It deserves to be thrown in the rubbish, not broadcast on national television.

There's only one November. It should not be an ugly month.

Joseph, Revolution issue statements on post-game comments

From the New England Revolution Communications Department:

STATEMENT FROM NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION MIDFIELDER SHALRIE JOSEPH

"I want to apologize for my comments after our game on Saturday night against Kansas City. I was still caught up in the heat of the match. I regret implying that we were looking for payback. I know my comments don’t reflect the feelings of my teammates or the club."



STATEMENT FROM THE NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION

“We apologize for Shalrie Joseph’s comments following our match on Saturday night. There was no concerted effort to single out any player on Kansas City’s squad. We would never condone such behavior or actions.”


******

I posted this because it was pertinent to my previous post, and wanted Shalrie's explanation to be heard here.

To be frank about Shalrie being frank Saturday night: I wasn't shocked at all to hear what he had to say. It was a brutally honest assessment of how much this team cares about each other, regardless of good (or bad) it makes them look.

From a corporate, pencil-pushing perspective, I understand that such comments are certainly out of line. I can appreciate that. But from a journalistic perspective, kudos to Shalrie for saying exactly what was on his mind, rather than the same recycled cliches that reporters often find themselves drowning in before and after matches.

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.

Free Paul Mariner

I've been in a goofy mood all week.

I don't know what it is. A lingering sinus infection may be the cultprit. Well, that, and I don't know, every one of the local teams losing - LOSING - this past week. The Patriots? 30-10 loss to the Chargers. The Sox? They haven't won since Fish & Chips day. The Revolution? Not only an embarrassing 1-0 loss to Kansas City, but Hercules Gomez manages to expell the club's MLS Cup dreams by undercutting Steve Ralston with a late-tackle. Even the Bruins - the same I club I hoped to play right wing for by the time I turned 21* - lost on Saturday night, 4-3, to the Nashville Predators.

(*In eighth grade, my teacher asked us to trace ourselves on large sheets of post-consumer paper and illustrate on that life-sized paper doll what we wanted to be. So I drew myself as a Boston Bruins player, and noted at the bottom "Age 21." Lofty goal for a wee lad like myself, who could barely stop himself on ice skates. The dream was clearly based on the assumption that the NHL was identical to the street hockey games I played with my neighborhood friends at the Perry-McStay Funeral home parking lot across the street.)

To compound matters, my television croaked on Sunday. My wonderous, 27" Magnavox, which projected soccer games from afar into my very bedroom, unceremoniously departed this plane of existence at approximately 4:27pm after I tried to reinstall my PS2 to said TV. A white spark eminated during the attempt. An artificial, plastic (?) odor seeped into my nostrils. I tried to revive the patient, but it never responded. R.I.P. Magnavox O'Connell, 1996-2008.

ANYWAY, this weird mood of mine was in full effect last night while I watched the USA-T & T (not to be confused with TNT Vacations) World Cup qualifier. I had to watch it on the big screen downstairs, which was fine. But it robbed me of my ability to watch from my desk, where copious amounts of related info are less than an arm length away.

Here's where it gets really nutty, though. Seems like there was this debate last night, and my dad wanted to watch it. Heck, so did I, even though I could have easily answered the questions for both candidates considering I've heard the same ones ad nauseam for the past 739 days, or whenever these guys announced their candidacies. And while I flipped back and forth between the game and the debate, a peculiar thought popped into my brain.

Now, Revolution assistant coach Paul Mariner is often a name that floats among the MLS universe whenever a managerial position opens. How he does not have such a job must be a state secret because there are some pretty darn clueless managers inhabiting space on the MLS landscape. I won't say who, but I will say that Mariner must have done something during his playing days to warrant this situation. I tried to find any damning evidence on YouTube, and older editions of When Saturday Comes. Nada.

Mind you, his presence here in New England is great. Him and Nicol have run one of the sturdiest ships in the MLS fleet. From what I've gathered, the players love ol' PM, and he would seem to be an ideal candidate for the job he doesn't, but should, have.

Eventually, someone important in MLS will wisen up. That's not to say that overtures haven't been made. The Revolution organization has kept Mariner in its stall with good reason. But, there will come a time when Mariner's contract runs up, and he will entertain offers left and right with the zeal unseen since the demand for TomKat's baby Suri photos.

What am I getting at?

This: Paul Mariner should be the next manager of the Revolution. Whatever it takes. Whenever Stevie Nicol steps down, resigns or is promoted to a front office position*, Mariner must assume the title. Let's face it - Nicol can't manage forever, although he is the league's elder stateman in the managerial conversation.

(*Which he'd be perfectly suited for. As a judge of talent, Nicol is without peer, and one could easily see him in a director of player personnel position either in MLS or abroad.)

Methinks it might be a good idea that Mariner's contract contain, if does not already, language that assumes he will be the next gaffer should Nicol wish to depart to greener pastures.

I'm at a loss as to the reason why Mariner hasn't already gotten the nod from another club. Maybe the Revs seem content to keep him under lock and key. Or maybe it's because his name just doesn't ooze the sexiness of a Ruud Gullitt. A Bruce Arena. A Juan Carlos Osario. Even a Fernando Clavijo, who I will bet dollars to doughnuts, will find another managerial spot before Mariner finds his first. If you know why this is, then please enlighten me and post it in the comments section.

Maybe it's politics. CNN claims it is politics. But I feel MLS is politics as well. To me, it's one of the main reasons why Mariner is not guiding a club of his own right now. Whether it's between Mariner and the Revs and/or the rest of the league, is anyone's guess. Whatever it is, it's an remarkable injustice that one of the best assistant coaches in MLS has not yet been given the opportunity to oversee a club of his own.

And there you have it. Politics and soccer, without a hint of partisanship.

Jeez, it has been a goofy week.

How the Revs can overcome LWR* (*Life without Ralston)

You may not have liked my previous post. It essentially spelled doom for the Revolution. Let me say I didn't enjoy writing it. Negative posts are not my forte'. So after I awakened on this bright and sunny New England morning, with beautiful colors splashed on the trees and my cat meowing with delight, I decided I'd infuse some positive thought here.

Gas is back under three bucks. Yummy pumpkin-flavored doughnuts and muffins are back at Dunkin. The Sox are positioning themselves for another come-from-behind series victory against the Rays.

Ahhhh...there we go.

With pleasant joy now flowing through my veins, I decided that the Revolution can overcome the loss of their prolific skipper. They can. Believe me.

Now, it won't be easy. But anything that is worth having is never easy.*

(*Or something to that effect. I forget which movie that's from.)

After donning the thinking cap for a few minutes, I've discovered a few possibilities that Steve Nicol could entertain for his starting XI WITHOUT sacrificing the beloved 3-5-2.

Ready? Here we go.

---Reis---
Albright-Parkhurst-Heaps
Nyassi-Larentowicz-Badilla-Joseph-Smith
Dube-Twellman

Okay, I cheated. This was the formation Nicol went with after Ralston was cruelly dispatched by Hercules Gomez. This version - to put it mildy - didn't apply itself very well. It provided stale entertainment for those wearing Revolution scarves in front of the telly. If it were a movie, it would have received two stars, which, according to my local paper, is flick worthy of the "more downs than ups" classification.

Let's try this one...

---Reis---
Albright-Badilla-Heaps
Nyassi-Larentowicz-Joseph-Parkhurst-Smith
Dube-Twellman

Yeah, that's right. Parkhurst in the midfield. There's precedent for it. In this circumstance, I believe that with Shalrie as the attacking mid, a role which he's been known to do a fair impression of at times, the attack is livelier. As lively as with Ralston? Heck, no. But that's a given. Whatever pathetic formation I may list without Ralston in the mix is not going to perform better. We must accept this as an undeniable and inalienable truth, my friends.

Another...

---Reis---
Albright-Parkhurst-Heaps
Nyassi-Larentowicz-Igwe-Joseph-Smith
Dube-Twellman

Yeah, that's right. I went there. I put Igwe in Ralston's role. What are you going to do - tell? It's kinda crazy, I admit, but these are thinning times. We must cut the fat. We cannot simply throw money at the situation, hoping it will get better. We have to discover more forms of reneweable energy. We must lessen our dependency on foreign oil...*

(*Heh. Wrong blog. Sorry.)

Next to last - I promise...

---Reis---
Heaps-Parkhurst-Igwe
Nyassi-Larentowicz-Albright-Joseph-Smith
Dube-Twellman

Why do I like Albright in the middle here? For the very same reason why I like my oatmeal lumpy - I just don't know. There's no supporting evidence that it tastes better lumpy than smooth. Nor is there any proof that Abright, a forward-turned-defender, would rouse the lads to goals unlimited. But, with Igwe on the left, the attack adds another dimension when he, as he so often likes to do, goes forward. In fact, I'll say it for the record - this club is better on the attack* with Igwe on the pitch.

(*I said "on the attack," which is not synonymous with "back defending." Those are two entirely different things.)

Finally...

---Reis---
Albright-Parkhurst-Heaps
Nyassi-Larentowicz-Mansally-Joseph-Smith
Dube-Twellman

Again, it's just another option. Options are usually good - except when they multiply like rabbits and morph into Cheesecake Factory menus. I've never seen Mansally act as an attacking mid - in fact, for this finale, I briefly contemplated placing Khano in the middle, Igwe on the left flank, and Dube paired with Mansally up front. But I thought such an idea was far too groundbreaking for our brains in the year 2008.

If these incredibly hazardous ideas illustrate anything, it's the vast importance of Ralston to this team. All of the above hypotheticals are really just bandages - none of them address the actual wound. But until someone can discover a superfast cloning scheme to bring about a Ralston clone* to pose as a remarkably-healed Ralston- after all, they can't bring in someone new thanks to the roster freeze - this team will be less formidable without the MLS Ironman man they call Steve Ralston.

(*...ah, forget it. Just too many variables. Ethical, moral and legal ramifications. The nature vs. nurture argument. The possibility of another Chuck Norris lookalike when Ralston's clone grows a beard. The list goes on.)

By the way, that high pitched whistling sound, accompanied by sudden crashing noise, you just heard? That was your I.Q. dropping 20 points.




Sorry.


I'll be making my way now...

Wizardry

POOF!

With an obligatory wave of their wand, with a nearly full moon hanging above, the Kansas City Wizards not only pick-pocketed three points from a superior New England Revolution, but also vanquished the MLS Cup fantasies of the playoff-bound club.

Yes, the plucky, 36-point Wiz, through one Hercules Gomez, in one brazen tackle, of one Steve Ralston, who suffered a broken tibia that will likely keep him out of action for the remainder of the regular season and postseason, effectively ended the Revolution dream of another MLS Cup berth this season.

To see hard evidence of this conclusion, look no further than the remaining 78 minutes of the match, whereby the normally potent New England attack looked so sterile that it could have verily become a collective candidate for Cialis, sans the bathtubs overlooking the ocean. And the normally inept Wizards, to their credit, seized the moment and tapped their goalscoring machine, centerback Jimmy Conrad, to provide the clincher moments after the hour.


The aforementioned is but a splice of what the Revolution can expect in the remaining two regular season matches, and the first round of the postseason. With Ralston gone, the local lads have not only lost their skipper, but any shot of returning to the MLS Cup finals for the fourth year in a row.

Without Ralston stationed in the middle, or anywhere on the pitch for that matter, the ball will have a difficult time finding Taylor Twellman, who scored all three of last season's postseason goals. For those who'd like a preview of what the coming matches will look like, just cut and paste a sequence of Twellman's exaggerated frustrations in or near the KC area from Saturday night, and play them on a ninety minute loop. Stagnant would be considered a compliment in describing how the attack will look in the coming weeks without Ralston.

Just look at the Revolution's form earlier this season without their skipper. It went 2-3-1 after Ralston suffered a separated shoulder during the 3-0 victory over Houston on First Kick. Moreover, the Ralston-less squad scored an anemic five goals during those six games. And while Twellman was sidelined with a knee injury during that period as well, it's hard to imagine how many many balls would have gotten to him if he were healthy. For an example of this, see Crew, Columbus, 6 Sept. 2008 - the last time Ralston missed a match with Twellman in the lineup. Final score 0-4, Columbus.

While many bobbleheads around the league will point to Guillermo Barros Schelotto as the favorite to take MVP honors this season, a case for Ralston has been building. Without him, the third-place Revolution have an astounding .250 winning percentage (2-4-2). As of today's date, the lowest winning percentage in MLS is Toronto's .350 percentage (7-11-9). Given those figures, one can easily deduce that the Revolution will find it difficult to convince the rest of the league that it is a bona fide MLS Cup contender without Ralston available.

To say that manager Steve Nicol his work cut out for him would be to say that Amy Winehouse has an affinity for controlled substances. It goes well beyond that. The roster freeze took place nearly a month ago. The Revolution must look in-house to address the short-term future without the man responsible, directly or indirectly, for nearly 40% of his club's total offensive output this season.

The piercing irony of the situation is that if the Revolution play .250 football into the postseason and thereby fall short of the MLS Cup final, it will surely solidify the argument that Ralston is indeed the most valuable player not only on the Revolution, but in MLS as well.

Get out your crying towels: Revolution qualify for the playoffs

I know that title sounds a tad ominous, but if you've followed the Revs for, oh, the past six seasons, you've cried in your beer and bitten your Revolution scarf during four of those years. I don't have to say it, but I will - the Revolution are perennial bridesmaids. Those darn Dynamo and Galaxy - they've worn white twice at the expense of the Revolution. Whores.

Of course, a shot at MLS Cup is better than reserving tee times at local links for November, which is probably what Landon Donovan and his buddies are doing right now. Timing is key, and while the Gals play entertaining, if not defensively deficient, football, style points have not been factored into the MLS table as of yet.

So it was mixed feelings that I read the press release that the Revs had clinched a playoff berth for the seventh consecutive season. Yes, it affords all of us more Revolution football into the heart of autumn and, hopefully, a shiny trophy to finally talk about around the dinner table at Thanksgiving.*

(*Seriously, you know how many times my relatives have come over for Turkey Day and asked "how'd the Revs do last Sunday?" Really? Don't you get the newspaper? Or have access to the internets? You know how they did - why are you tormenting me? Do you actually WANT me to sabotage your cranberry sauce next year?)

But, we know how this formula plays out: (LA + Houston)*2 + Revolution = New England heartache. Not that I profess to know for sure that Houston will reach MLS Cup anymore than I know that the Revs will reach it as well. In fact, I've already made the gross assumption that the Revs will simply advance through the semis and EC final on pure principle. This is wrong on many levels, none of which I feel obligated to expand upon at the moment.

The recently-unveiled "I Want the Cup" mantra should read "I Would Kill for the Cup" because it is that pressing of an issue. Of course, you can't have the latter - after all, what kind of example would that set for little Timmy? But if given the choice, I'm sure many of the Reis, Heaps, Joseph, Twellman and Ralston crew would opt with the latter, privately at least. The urgency behind this quest is higher than its ever been. Yes, they all do want this one - especially Twellman, who's post-MLS Cup emotions* often sum up the sentiment for the entire Revolution Nation.

(*Perhaps the best was last season, when he stood near the Dynamo net and stoically gazed upon the sea of creamsicle orange that converged upon the other side of the pitch. He looked like he was gonna have a Joe Biden moment. Heck, I was there, and I almost did.)

I said it last year, and I'll say it again: this may be the final chance for this group to finally touch the MLS Cup. I think it would be a horrible injustice if Rally ends his incredible career without winning it. DeRo's won it four times. LandyCakes won it thrice. Cobi won it twice.**

(**Shout out to brilliant reader David, who caught my mistake when I inadvertently listed DeRo and Landy as having won two apiece. Can't chalk this one up to lack of coffee - I was on the third java of the day after I published this one.)

Poor Rally's witnessed four defeats. Can we agree that the man is MLS? There since Day 1, played with Valderamma and the defunct Mutiny, came to New England, and to his credit, became even better after he arrived. He's been instrumental, for lack of a better term, during this recent seven-year run of success the Revs currently enjoy. Given that, instead of "I Want the Cup," I suggest a different mantra:

"Do it for Rally."*

(*And Reis, Twellman, Joseph, Heaps, and even Nicol.)