BRIAN: I have no idea. Seriously. To the best of my knowledge, there were no bribes involved, so all I can say is that I must have somehow convinced the right people along the way that I knew what the heck I was doing. “Like legit,” as my 13-year-old cousin would say.

RevsNet: “ESPN Sportswriter Brian O’Connell” has the sound of that sunk in yet? After your amazing success at climbing up the soccer media ladder what will be your next challenge, are you already working on it?

BRIAN: Hahaha I never thought I’d get to ESPN so it’s still kind of surreal. I’ve never really dwelled on it and thought to myself, “wow, I get to write for ESPN,” because to me, it’s still writing, which is something I love to do. As for my next challenge – it’s hard to pinpoint one. I’d love to do anything that involves expanding soccer coverage for MLS through different mediums like TV, radio, or podcasts. My dream is to be the Adam Schefter of MLS. That dude is everywhere.

RevsNet: What do you do with all that ESPN money? Do you have a general yearly contract, or do you get paid by the article or word count?

BRIAN: Pay off my credit cards and student loans! As far as my arrangements with ESPN, it’s a yearly deal, but I hope to be back next year. I’ve really enjoyed writing for them, and they’ve really done a lot in the past year to give the Revs their proper due.

RevsNet: You are also now a leader (and president) of a local historical institution, the New England Soccer Hall of Fame. Please tell us about what you do there, and how you are working to make it to bigger and better or at least more visible to the sporting public consciousness?

BRIAN: What don’t I do is the real question! Not to take anything away from the rest of the board, but the president’s job is to really highlight and promote the organization whenever possible. Although I preside over our meetings, I also act as official spokesperson/ambassador whenever we do outside events like the National Soccer Hall of Fame inductions. So it’s really about spreading the word, more than anything else. One thing we’ve got to do is become more visible around New England, and in the past year, I think we’ve done better. We had over 100 attendees to our induction ceremony in October after averaging between 50-60 in the past three years. The ultimate goal is to build a museum to display the hundreds of exhibits we’ve collected over the years. The sport’s roots run the deepest here in New England, and I think that a museum is long overdue to honor soccer’s history right here in New England.

RevsNet: Which Revs player, media member or team official has been the most influencial in your career?

BRIAN: Revs player – I’ve always enjoyed talking to Jay Heaps, and I’m not just saying that because he was just named head coach. During his playing career, he’d be the first guy I sought out in the locker room because he always provided great insight. Even then, you could tell he was a student of the game. He knew exactly what went right, what went wrong, why it worked, why it failed, etc. Media member – why, the incomparable Tony Biscaia, who opened the door to soccer media six years ago (Ed: Thanks Brian, your check is in the mail.) He gave me a shot at something I had never done – soccer writing – and not only allowed me to grow as a writer, but showed me the ropes as a media member. If I don’t meet him, I’d probably still be writing about baseball, which isn’t a bad thing because I love baseball. But I just couldn’t see myself not writing about soccer. Just two different levels of awesomeness. I’ve also enjoyed collaborating with Sean Donahue, who not only was someone who I also leaned on early as a newbie soccer writer, but someone who also has a tremendous amount of great ideas. Plus, he’s a heck of a writer. Frank Dell’Apa is the don of soccer journalism here in New England, and he’s always been helpful when it comes to providing insight. Very few people know the soccer writing world better than Frank.

RevsNet: If you were Don Garber for a day, what would be one change you would implement and why?

BRIAN: I’d change two things: 1. goal line technology with the caveat that it didn’t open the door for instant replay. 2. Higher salaries for younger players. If you want the best the country has to offer, make it worth their while to play in MLS rather than jumping ship and toiling in leagues abroad that you’d need a degree in geography to find.

RevsNet: For any aspiring young sports journalists out there, what have you learned that you would like to pass on? Is a college classroom education necessary? After your first hand experience in the sports media world, what could you teach your former teachers?

BRIAN: Above all else, you have to be accurate. Next, you have to be fair. Without those two elements, you might as well be writing a personal journal or posting on a message board. As far as a college education – I think it’s essential, especially today. That’s not to say you can’t get succeed without it. Some people don’t need it, but most of us could use it. To me, getting instructions in a classroom setting and learning from people who’ve been in the business benefited me tremendously. I actually miss the classroom experience. To this day, I still talk to my journalism professors whenever I’m challenged by a situation or story. And in saying that, there’s very little I could teach my former teachers. My two favorite journalism professors have a combined 60 years of experience between them. I doubt I could teach them anything they hadn’t already learned 20 years ago.

RevsNet: Are grammaire and speeling importan or is it just the thought and idea that counts? Do you consciously try to challenge your readers by approaching things from a different perspective?

Brian: The idea’s always important, but if you can’t spell or get the grammar straight, your readers won’t take you seriously. It’s an instant FAIL when it comes to credibility, even if your idea is brilliant. One thing about readers – especially those who follow soccer – is that they’re smart. They really are, which is one reason why I enjoy soccer writing so much. You have to bring your A game when you’re covering soccer. When it comes to columns, one thing I try to challenge my readers to do is read between the lines, especially on an op-ed. Sometimes, it’s what’s NOT being said that is just as important as what’s right in front of you. I also enjoy writing about unpopular opinions (I personally think that neither team should be awarded a point at the end of a 0-0 draw, which may be something I’ll write about in the offseason, as well as the need for an MLS cheerleader swimsuit calendar).

RevsNet: Any questions we haven’t asked that you would like to answer?

BRIAN: Please do. Yes. Why haven’t you asked me what I think about the lack of Portuguese restaurants in Foxboro? I mean, I know it’s not New Bedford of Fall River, but c’mon – is it too much to ask for just one – ONE – within a five minute drive of Gillette?

RevsNet: Thanks for your time and have a marvelous off-season.

PS: Any idea who the Heaps assistant coach will be? Have you interviewed for it yet?

BRIAN: No idea. And I’m too nervous to submit my resume. I mean, what if they don’t like me?

Metro Boston, by way of comparison, boasts some 7.6 million souls living within commuting distance of the city center and, by extension, Gillette Stadium where the bottom dwelling Revolution played 17 MLS matches to an average throng of 13,222.

While seven and a half fans filed into Foxborough for every one that showed up at the 17,000-capacity Fiscal Stadium, it is possible that the latter group made more noise. Of course, given the results, the supporters of Andean version of Rangers had a lot more to cheer about in 2011.

And now New England’s first Designated Player has apparently been offered better terms for his services from a tiny club in Talca than with the Revolution in Major League Soccer, this development, along with other contract negotiations with players who performed well or at least tolerably in an otherwise dismal 2011 seem, from an outsider’s point of view, hard to figure.

When the hardest of hardcore fans called for the Revolution to be “blown up” they weren’t counting on a number of the few effective players present on a poor team apparently being low-balled back to where they came from.

The Fathead poster sent just after Xmas might be a harbinger moving forward. On it are Kevin Alston, Diego Fagundez, Benny Fielhaber, Shalrie Joseph and A.J. Soares. If you add Matt Reis and a few others, you basically have the group that will be on hand to be poked a prodded the first day of training camp January 16th. Will there even be enough players to have an 11 v. 11 scrum, should the two Jays, Heaps and now Miller, want to give the lads a runout?

Without new signings or re-signings, the current core of the team includes a speedy fullback who often punches below his potential, a kid who can’t drive yet, a creative player who craves support, a great stalwart currently on the back nine of his career and a second-year center back with a new ankle, at least that is what is on the poster.

It is certainly possible that Coach Heaps spied some proficient talent on his trips south of the border and they might be of a higher quality, or have less mileage than the current internationals but as it stands now, with less than a fortnight before training camp opens, the Revs have perhaps six MLS-level starters inked and set to go and truthfully, the jury is still out on Diego the phenom, Alston the former phenom while A.J. Soares is a work in progress.

Joseph and Reis, certainly stalwarts and proven entities, are on the downward side of their careers and deserve to be surrounded by good teammates to properly showcase their still high-level skills.

Feilhaber is potentially as good an all around midfielder as the team has ever had, or at least up near the Steve Ralston neighborhood, but he too needs people to play off of, otherwise his abilities will be totally wasted.

In other words a significant upgrade is needed to even get back to the late-season 2011 level what with the apparent shedding of three starters, plus a failure to re-negotiate with the rehabilitated Perovic.

Another way to look at it is that the bar has now officially been set high by those in charge, imagine a team with Caraglio + Lekic + Perovic + Zerka as well as the aforementioned. Yes, further good level players would be needed, particularly at the back, but if those players are allowed to leave then each replacement needs to be an improvement, since signing the incumbents would hardly have busted the cap, particularly with Shalrie now being a true DP.

By their actions and their public assurances that signings are imminent, Biello, Burns and Heaps have mounted the proverbial gibbet and could well be left dangling for public mockery should they be unable to procure sufficient replacements through scouting and the draft, both a risky business in the best of times. But the bar has been set, the gauntlet thrown down and the next few weeks will likely tell the tale.

Jay Heaps is, as others have said, an extremely intelligent individual. Beyond that, he has a Duke history major’s insight into the way decisions are made. In many ways his academic achievements are as impressive as his athletic and he certainly impressed Coach K who likely could tell Jose Mourinho or Bruce Arena a thing or two over fine Porto or Bud Light – whatever. Heaps definitely possesses both a conscience and an analytical bent and I somehow doubt if he flies as much by the seat of his pants as the previous administration, which will probably prove to be a pretty good thing.

Below is an interview with Chris Tierney from the final days of post-season training. Reading it now, many of his insights apply, particularly as background for the season and task ahead. He has much in common with his new coach in terms of smarts and thoughtful answers.

JIM: I assume that players in MLS generally are aware that the league is developing and growing in ways that even as recently as five years ago weren’t imaginable. How does this affect you as a player, thinking about both your short and long term plans, or is this something that you even think about?

CHRIS: Oh yes, it is something we definitely think about, I mean the league has continued to grow in the years that I’ve been here and it has become more livable for us, I think a lot more players are approaching playing as something that they can do as a (long term) career, a way to actually earn money as opposed to more of a hobby, or trying to make ends meet, which was very different. I mean, when I came into the league I made $12,000 my first year which isn’t livable but the minimum salary now is forty grand which is much more livable for guys coming into the league so, like I’ve said, it is a really exciting time to be a part of this… if MLS were traded publically, I’d definitely be buying stock in it right now, so it is a great time to be a player. With the new CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) that was signed last year there are a lot more rights that the players have. There’s still definitely a long way to go but…

JIM: Excuse me, but how long is the current CBA for?

CHRIS: I think that it is a five-year agreement but I’m not certain…

JIM: But it is multi-year, not just for a season or two?

CHRIS: Yes, so there has been a lot accomplished. There was a lot we were hoping to get in the CBA that we got but there is still a long way to go for this league but it is still young and there are markets that need to catch up with the big market teams in order to make (MLS) really legit and competitive.

JIM: Thinking about the difference even when you were coming up, the idea of stocking teams from the college draft was still viable, that has really shifted despite the fact that many good players are still coming out of college, now there are 18, soon 19, eventually 20 rosters to fill. How does that affect the players themselves, particularly the U.S. born players, thinking about their futures versus people being brought in from other countries?

CHRIS: I think that for better or worse the college system is going to start to decline as you see the academy programs that are coming up, the MLS-sponsored academy programs like the Revolution Academy and the other teams where it is really beneficial for players to go early and not go to college. You start playing with better players at a younger age and you have a better chance of getting yourself first team experience and making more of a career out of it.

JIM: Do you sometimes think, at least hypothetically, when you are training and you look over and there is Fagundez at sixteen years old, what it might have been like for yourself at sixteen to be exposed to consistent training at this level?

CHRIS: He’s obviously such a talented and exceptional case, but he’s only going to get better and better (and) playing with fully grown men with professional experience is going to make him such a better player that… (well) he just couldn’t get this training elsewhere and now he’s seen first team action and that experience is only going to continue to make him better and better. That’s the idea, to get younger players in earlier and get them first team experience and get them acclimated to living life as a professional soccer player and that is only going to increase the quality of the league. You’ve already seen the result of that with all these young players that are coming in (to the league) and playing real minutes and making an impact.

JIM: The mental adjustment must be tremendous for someone like Diego, or for anyone who doesn’t have the background of being around older people as a sort of social equal.

CHRIS: Yeah, definitely, it’s a huge adjustment. Coming out of college, for me, was really an adjustment and I was at a high quality, Division I program like UVA which was a very professional setting, so I can’t imagine what it is like being sixteen years old and having to live life on your own and worry about making money and dealing with that sort of stuff, so it is a credit to him but, yes, it is a huge adjustment. But I think you will see managers, like Stevie Nicol did this year, they’ll bring these players along slowly and give them time to adapt and let them get their feet wet here and there but, at the same time, keeping in mind that, hopefully, players like Diego will have long careers ahead of them.

JIM: Yes, because you do see so many young players in leagues outside this country who come in at fifteen or sixteen and they just crash and burn. There aren’t too many Messis or Rooneys who can adapt, a huge number are left hanging.

CHRIS: There is definitely a management aspect with those players that you really have to be careful about putting too much pressure on them or having too high a set of expectations, as in the Freddy Adu effect, you saw with him where he came into (the professional ranks) at such a young age, with so much expected of him that it was almost impossible for him to live up to those expectations.

JIM: Thinking now about going forward with the coaching change, do you have any general opinions about the direction that would be interesting and productive for you as a player?

CHRIS: (You mean) in terms of the type of manager?

JIM: Yes, getting somebody who is completely unfamiliar with the team and comes in and shakes things up, or somebody who is familiar with the team… I would think that those things, on the one hand, don’t matter because you are professionals and you show up to work regardless, but one the other hand, leadership matters.

CHRIS: Yes, they definitely matter; every player has, I think, a style of manager that they would prefer. But, you know, I can see pros and cons to both (possibilities), I think getting a young manager with some new ideas and new players would be a good thing but also having a manager who has been in MLS and knows the league is crucial, I think. There are plenty of directions that the team could go with but hopefully they will make a decision that, like I said, (will) bring some fresh ideas and gets us moving in an upward direction because these last two years have been really difficult for us. Whether that (has been) a result of management, I’m not sure but it can’t hurt to start bringing in some new faces and let someone else have a shot at it.

JIM: In relation to that, with the core of the team that exists now, not knowing if Joseph is going to stay or not, but (with) basically the core starters, do you see any different playing style being employed, perhaps making more sense with the talent at hand or, again, is that just a question of you show up and the manager tells you how you are going to play?

CHRIS: Again, the playing style is up to the manager, we played a style of soccer that Stevie liked to play and he was very successful with it for ten years but whether or not we get in new players who are capable of playing a different style, that is up to the new manager and the front office to work that stuff out, so I think the core group of guys that we have are quality players and I think the group that we have here are technical guys that will want to pass and want to play soccer that way but there are so many factors in this league. You play at home on this Astroturf where the ball is pinging around and it is difficult to play a passing, possession brand of soccer, especially at home, so there are a lot of factors that go into it but I’m sure the new manager will come in and assess what we have and adjust the playing style accordingly.

JIM: It is interesting and important that you play sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, whatever it is, matches on a particular surface that forces you to tailor the team to that.

CHRIS: Yes, people really underestimate the impact of that surface out there, the turf, it is so fast and it is so difficult to possess the ball, you know, you are taking extra touches, if you look at the teams around the league that have to play on turf full time, you won’t see the prettiest brand of soccer that you might see in Salt Lake and LA, where they are playing on these huge pitches with nicely wet, freshly cut grass. It is a different brand of soccer, for better or worse and it is what it is, it has it’s advantages for us at home but, like I said, the playing style is the result of the manager coming in, so we’ll see and, hopefully, (it will be) a style that suits us and helps us get some more results next year.

The above quote, taken from a Tweet by FSC pundit and former player Eric Wynalda known for being hyperbolic and perhaps unfair, may be the word in the MLS Street about the state of the New England Revolution in the aftermath of the recent dismissal of Steve Nicol.

Taken all in all the Ayrshire gaffer likely drove to training at Foxborough about two thirds the number of times he traveled to Melwood, the home for the world famous Liverpool Reds where he toiled with distinction for 14 seasons. Here, with the Revolution, he labored for ten, mostly on the uptick, often making good purses out of the uneven mixture of silk and sows that the ownership’s fiscal policies and fortune allowed him to obtain.

With both clubs his tenure was marked by a fierce devotion to the cause, significant success and a combination of affability and grit that earned him the everlasting respect of the vast majority of his colleagues, his coaches and players, including the likes of Bob Paisley, Kenny Dalglish, Alan Hansen, Paul Mariner, Taylor Twellman and Shalrie Joseph, to say nothing of this supporter and sometime scribe.

Around those who cover the team he spoke a version of English that challenged even multi-linguists like Jankauskas and Stolica but his body language could verge on the inspired, particularly when he was asked a foolish question or while fumbling with the earphones while sputtering “cheers” at the termination of his obligatory, in-game interviews on TV. On the other hand, in guest shots on ESPN, he made himself perfectly understandable, making it crystal clear that he picked his spots, choosing to relate to people on his own terms.

While he likely needed to go, if only because coaches and managers take the chop for the failures of the whole, those who remain are, as far as football goes, lesser folk and in need of an equally sharp-ended reality check if the Revolution’s fortunes hold hope for improvement.

Robert and Jonathan Kraft understand a world where everything is mandated, set up and controlled through the college draft. The Patriots pick players from a fish bowl; no one with serious gorilla ball aspirations seeks a career outside the NFL and every single one of them has been scouted to the point of full cavity searches. MLS, on the other hand, is a lesser destination at best, so finding and then convincing a foreign player of any consequence or potential to come to the far Massachusetts suburbs to play on plastic-coated concrete requires a sell job that the Pats owners have never had to do, save at the outset, when they wooed, well, Pete Carroll (remember, they inherited the Tuna).

Further, the Krafts much lauded smart business tactics work in the NFL where low-balling means $2 million instead of $3 million, so one less Hummer or a bit less bling for a slightly declining interior lineman. Use that approach in MLS and you are undercutting people’s ability to fill a grocery cart or buy a refrigerator to put said trolleys’ contents in; no wonder players have left for greener pastures pissed off or worse.

Juan Luis Borges once described the Falklands/Malvinas war between Argentina and England as “two bald men struggling over a comb.” When it comes to the soccer side of things, the Kraft Sports Group’s method of negotiating salaries is a Dickensian approach in that reduces players to squabbling over the monetary equivalent of a tonsorial tool.

As I said, my suspicion is that the Revolution ownership has a sophisticated understanding of the closed shop world of the NFL, but it may be beyond their comfort zone to go outside the kind of business dealings they know best, as in; “sign here or you can take your skills to the Arena League.” It is true that they have to pay the porkers millions, but when you consider the percentages the hardball approach is philosophically the same.

To use a now nauseatingly overused term, everything in MLS requires a “Moneyball” approach to the world game.

The question now is if this understanding will arrive in Foxborough with the new coach. At this juncture, it is impossible to say but with the league as a whole moving away from the colleges as the main source for players, New England needs to catch up or risk continuing its’ present decline towards competitive irrelevance.

To be fair, it is true that there have been a number of foreign signings over the past few years, to wit, listed A to Z: Assengue, Augustine, Badilla, Baker, Caraglio, Castro, Coria, Dabo, Domi, Jankauskas, Lekic, Mansally, Niouky, Nyassi, Osei, Perovic, Stolica, Zerka. Yet, as of this writing, only Caraglio, Lekic and Zerka seem capable of impressing themselves as top-level MLS players and they all still fall under the category of “potentially.”

Again, to be fair, if Marko Perovic does return to the Revos fold as rumored and Coria, Mansally and Nyassi improve and thrive under the tutelage of a new coach that would be seven out of eighteen successful foreign signings in four years, not a bad haul at all for MLS.

If I were Steve Ralston, or any other candidate for the position, I would arrive for my interview knowing all of the above, plus the following facts to cement my argument for change.

In 2003 the NFL had 13 foreign born players out of 1,695. There are more recently but mostly from Canada. The NBA in 2011 was made up of 20% non-US players. At the beginning of this past season 234 of 846 baseball players with Major League contracts were born outside this country. In 2008, 80% of NHL players were “foreigners,” of course when more than 50% of all the NHL players are from Canada the stats are a trifle skewed but nonetheless there are a great many from far-flung Western and Eastern Europe. As for MLS, well this past season 99 different countries, plus the United States were represented on squads in an 18-team league.

While it is unclear how many scouts the other “Big Four” Boston teams employ to look in foreign lands there is no question that the Revolution should, considering where the talent that makes a difference is coming from going forward.

To make a point for the future with a positive from the past, what do these eleven players have in common, besides possibly being the best All Time Revs side? All of them arrived by allocation, draft or trade and not foreign scouting and all grew up in the US club/college system, which provides a similar informational base as for the NFL draft.

But that was then and now is now.

I chose this group to represent the most effective team, not necessarily the eleven best individuals who have played here. Also, they all had to be players who excelled while they were actually active with the Revs. If you wanted to opt for a 4-4-2, I’d remove Larentowicz, slide Ralston outside and add Carlos Llamosa to make a back four, but the stat would be the same, the cool Colombian arrived here via the Dispersal Allocation Draft when the Fusion folded.

Matt REIS (GK)

Michael PARKHURST (CB)

Jay HEAPS (RB) Mike BURNS (LB)

Shalrie JOSEPH (CM) Jeff LARENTOWICZ (DM)

Clint DEMPSEY (RM) Steve RALSTON (AM) Benny FEILHABER (LM)

Taylor TWELLMAN (Striker) Joe-Max MOORE (F)

In other words, to form this team, which I should think everyone would agree is a good one, all Revolution execs had to do was pick up the phone. Like the NFL, they knew what they were getting, even with the gamble that is the draft.

It doesn’t work that way anymore.

After presenting the above, if interviewed, I would give the background research below based on the three categories of player acquisition. I have taken the liberty of being highly selective and listing players who have played a significant part, either positive or negative, while with the Revolution. There are, with apologies, omissions.

Via MLS Drafts – Allocation, SuperDraft and Supplemental:

Kevin ALSTON (2009 -) Generation Adidas – MLS SuperDraft / Imad BABA (1996 – 2000) MLS SuperDraft, traded to Colorado / Adin BROWN (2002–04) signed after Allocation Dispersal Draft after other teams passed on his high (relative) contract, left for Norway / Michael BURNS (1996-00) assigned by MLS in the Inaugural Allocations / Alex Pineda CHACON (2002) via Allocation Dispersal Draft / Ted CHRONOPOLOUS (1996-2002) via Inaugural Draft, traded to MetroStars / Clint DEMPSEY (2004–06) MLS Superdraft, left for Fulham (UK) for transfer fee / Mamadou DIALLO (2002) via Allocation Dispersal Draft, traded to MetroStars / Andy DORMAN (2004-07) MLS SuperDraft, left for Saint Mirren (SPL) after acontract dispute / Benny FEILHABER (2011 – ) via Allocation Draft for returning U.S. Internationals / Guiseppe GALDERISI (1996, 1997) via Inaugural Draft, then traded to Tampa Bay / Ariel GRAZIANI (1998) Allocation from MLS, then traded to Dallas for Leonel Alvarez / Eduardo HURTADO (2000) Picked up on waivers from MetroStars, then released / Shalrie JOSEPH (2003 – ) MLS Superdraft, currently negotiating new contract / Alexi LALAS (1996-97) Inaugural Allocation / Jeff LARENTOWICZ (2005-09) MLS Supplemental Draft. Left as a free agent after salary dispute / Carlos LLAMOSA (2002-05) MLS Dispersal Allocation Draft, released / Joe-Max MOORE (1996-99, 2003-04) via Replacement Allocation for injured Giuseppe Galderisi, then left Everton “by mutual consent” and returned to Revs to retire after injury / Pat NOONAN (2003 – 07) Via MLS SuperDraft, option not picked up / Oscar PAREJA (1998) Allocated by league, traded to Dallas for Damien / Michael PARKHURST (2005-08) Generation Addidas-MLS SuperDraft, left as a free agent for Denmark / Steve RALSTON (2002-09, 2010) via Allocation Dispersal Draft. Left on a free transfer to A.C. St. Louis (Div II), returned to Revs for one game before retiring after injury / James REILY (2005 – 07) MLS SuperDraft, left unprotected in Expansion Draft / A.J. SOARES (2011 – ) MLS SuperDraft / Chris TIERNEY (2008 – ) MLS Supplemental Draft / Taylor TWELLMAN (2002 – 10) MLS SuperDraft, retired after injury.

Now via trade or free agency:

Chris ALBRIGHT (2008–10) via trade for allocation $. Traded to Red Bulls / Leonel ALVAREZ (1999-01) via trade for Ariel Graziani. Contract not renewed / Leo CULLEN (2001 – 03) Traded from Miami, left to pursue college degree / Raul DIAZ ARCE (1998) Traded from D.C. United. Traded to San Jose / Joe FRANCHINO (2000-08) from LA Galaxy as cost for acquiring Luis Hernandez. Traded to LA / Mario GORI (1999) via trade with Miami. Traded to Columbus / John HARKES (1998-2001) Traded from DC for draft picks. Traded to Columbus / Wolde HARRIS (2000 – 03) Traded from Colorado for draft picks. Traded to Kansas City / Jay HEAPS (2001-09) Traded from Miami for Brian Dunseth / Daniel HERNANDEZ (2002-03, 2005-07) Traded from MetroStars then transferred to Necaxa (MEX), then re-signed by Revs, then waived, now with Dallas / Brian KAMLER (2002-04) via trade from MetroStars. Chosen by Salt Lake in Expansion Draft / Ivan McKINLEY (1997 – 2000) traded from Tampa Bay, then to Miami Fusion / Mauricio RAMOS (2000) traded from Tampa Bay, left for Oriente Petrolero / Matt REIS (2003 – ) traded from Galaxy for a draft pick / Giovanni SAVARESE (1999) Acquired via trade from MetroStars, left for Perugia (IT) / Diego SERNA (2002 – 03) Via trade from MetroStars, left for Atletico Nacional (CO), then returned to MLS and the Galaxy / Jurgen SOMMER (2000 – 02) signed from Connecticut Wolves after coming to MLS via the Columbus Crew. Retired / Andy WILLIAMS (2001 – 02) Traded from Miami, then traded to MetroStars / Mauricio WRIGHT (2000 – 01) Via trade from San Jose, left for CS Herediano (CR).

Finally, actually scouted in other countries, in some cases by the league, particularly in the early days…

Jose Manuel ABUNDIS (2006) Scouted by the Revs. Left for Queretaro (MEX) / Michael AUGUSTINE (2011) Scouted by Revs at Abjua (Nigeria). Waived /Gabriel BADILLA (2008-10) Scouted by the Revs at Saprissa. Released and returned to Saprissa (CR) / Jose CANCELA (2003–06) scouted by Revs at Saprissa, had to leave when Jose Vegara’s All-Tico policy went into effect. Left unprotected in Expansion Draft, picked by Toronto / Milton CARAGLIO (2011 -) Signed as a loan from Rosario Central. Scouted by video / CASSIO (2005) Scouted by Revs at Olimpia Ascuncion (PAR). Waived, now with Adelaide United (AUS) / Mauricio CASTRO (2008-10) Scouted by the Revs at Olimpia (HOU). Released / Franco CORIA (2011 – ) Scouted by the Revs, on loan from Chacarita Juniors / Ousmane DABO (2011) scouted by Revs while without a club. Retired / Didier DOMI (2011) Scouted by the Revs at Olympiakos (GR). Retired / Diego FAGUNDEZ (2011 – ) signed from Revs Academy / Alejandro FARIAS (1997) Scouted by Revs (MLS) from Boca Juniors (ARG). Returned to Nuevo Chicago (ARG) / Edwin GORTER (1998-99) Scouted by Revs from NAC Breda (HO). Traded to Miami Fusion / Richard GOULOOZE (1998-99) Scouted by Revs (cousin to coach) while at Cambuur (HO). Returned to NEC (HO) / Steve HOWEY (2004) Scouted by Revs at Bolton (ENG). Waived, returned to Hartlepool (ENG) / Edgaras JANKAUSKAS (2009-10) Scouted by the Revs from REO Vilnus (LI). Waived, now at Fakel Voronezh (RUS) / Avery JOHN (2004-08) Scouted by the Revs, formerly played in Ireland, then for Steve Nicol’s Bulldogs. Went to Miami FC, USL / Rajko LEKIC (2011 – ) Scouted by the Revs from Silkeborg (DEN) / Kenny MANSALLY (2007 – ) Scouted by Revs from Gambia U-20’s while in Canada / David NAKHID (1998) Scouted by Revs from Joe Public (T&T). Left for Malmo FF (SWD) / Beto NAVEDA (1996-98) Scouted by Revs (likely the league) from Quilmes. Left for Maccabi Acre (ISR) / Joseph NIOUKY (2010) Scouted by Revs from Port Autome (SEN). Released, now with Jersey Express (USL) / Sainey NYASSI (2007 – ) Scouted by Revs from Gambia U-20’s while in Canada / Emmanuel OSEI (2009-10) Scouted by Revs from Liberty Professionals, waived / Marko PEROVIC (2010-11) Scouted by Revs from F.C. Basel, tried out came on a free transfer. Option declined in mid-season 2011 / Iljia STOLICA (2010 – 11) Scouted by Revs from Buducnost Podgorica (MONT). Released / William SUNSING (2000-02) Scouted by Revs and signed from CS Herediano (CR), left to play for Deportivo Saprissa (CR) / Walter ZENGA (1997-99) Scouted by Revs, left to pursue acting career, returned as player-manager, fired / Monsef ZERKA (2011 – ) Scouted by Revs via video after release from Greek club Iraklis after their relegation.

It would be interesting to do this exercise with, say, Real Salt Lake or Seattle, to name only two.

Case closed, I hope Ralston, or whoever, tells this to the interview committee.

Most MLS teams that miss the playoffs continue training for a week or so after the season and, despite the departure of Head Coach Stevie Nicol, the Revs are no different.

I caught up with defender Darrius Barnes to see how things are going.

JIM: I’m interested in the transition from one coach to another, at present unknown and how it affects you guys on the team, not so much emotionally, I’m sure that differs individually but professionally. I know that last year, you trained after the season as well, what do you set yourself for goals for the next couple of weeks?

DARRIUS: Mostly a mentality, you have just got to come out here and be professional, to get the training done just like if we were in the playoffs or during the season. But mostly it is a mental (thing), it’s not something that you want to be doing right now, you don’t want to be here training for not being able to play games on the weekend, so it is kind of a motivation to maker sure that we have a good season next year, we don’t want to be training when the season is over, just for the fun of it, we want to be training because we are getting ready to compete in playoff games and getting ready to compete to try to win a championship. So we are coming out here and putting the effort in just as if we were in playoff mode…

JIM: Yes, I noticed there was some hard contact and tough play…

DARRIUS: Yeah, yeah, everybody is here competing and everybody is giving their full effort and putting everything they can onto the field even though the season is over with but you make sure you are putting the same effort in and getting ready to push each other (as if you were) mak(ing) a playoff run.

JIM: You probably have heard Jurgen Klinsmann’s opinion that the MLS season is too short, now there are other people who follow the game in other parts of the world who say those seasons are too long. Teams are sometimes playing 70 games a year, all told. What is your opinion about that, where is the balance for you?

DARRIUS: I feel like the MLS season is long enough, I mean if you have a different job and you are going to work every day, close to 365 days a year (it is different) but this game is so taxing on our bodies that you have to find time to give your body a rest, so I feel like there should be a median, somewhere between the MLS season and the European season, especially with all the competitions (like the) Champions League that some of the MLS teams are playing in, along with the MLS season (and playoffs), I mean you can tell which teams are playing in both competitions towards the end of the MLS season, they get drained a little bit, so I definitely feel that somewhere a median between those two leagues would be (best).

JIM: Suppose they extended the season to 40 games, or 38 games, it would mean that, say, here in New England you might be playing in very early March or very late November. That is pretty much impossible.

DARRIUS: Yes, exactly. That is where I find a problem with trying to extend the MLS season, I mean today we are here practicing in the bubble because it snowed last night, so in climates like here, in Toronto, Vancouver, places like that, you never know what you are going to get (for weather) so it would definitely be tough.

JIM: Would you consider it a real disadvantage if, for instance, it meant that teams like the Revolution had to play their first and last two or three games on the road, it seems like that would be a tremendous disadvantage.

DARRIUS: Yes, I could see that being a disadvantage, especially if your team was on the bubble, the fringe of the playoffs and you needed those last two or three games to get into the playoffs and you are playing them on the road. You can ask anybody across the league that playing on the road is definitely tough within itself, so playing with that pressure on you and you are trying to make a playoff run and playing those games on the road could definitely be a disadvantage but you know, in this league and in soccer generally you are going to be faced with adversity, so it is something you have to deal with.

JIM: In your college days did you have a coaching transition, anything like what will be taking place here?

DARRIUS: Yes, I actually did, my first two years at Duke I played under John Rooney and then he retired and John Kerr came in, who used to play here, coached at Harvard and played at Duke, so its’ definitely something that is a little different, I mean when you have to deal with a coaching change, because you get used to one thing, I know a lot of people here were either brought in or drafted by Stevie, so it is going to be a change for everybody here. We don’t know who the new coach is going to be, we don’t know what the mentality is going to be, everybody just has to be ready to go when their number is called.

JIM: When something like this happens, does it make the team focus on itself more, I mean you guys are now the legacy, in the sense do you feel, in a funny way, even more of a connection with the team when the coach is let go (as you said, he brought you here)?

DARRIUS: Yes, it is tough because we felt like we kind of let him down because we definitely hadn’t played up to our standard this year as a team and in the end result, that reflects on Stevie and he ends up losing his job because of that. So we definitely feel a sense that we let him down and we have to go out there and show what we can do, show what we are capable of, what we really didn’t show this year during the season.

JIM: Not meaning this in any negative way but you know the old saying that you can’t fire the players so do you guys as professionals understand that it is this crazy imbalance, somebody has to go to the chopping block for everyone.

DARRIUS: Yeah, it is unfortunate that somebody has to sacrifice their job in a situation like this but our jobs are on the line too, (when) the new coach comes in, he may like some of us, he may not, depends on what type of playing style he’s looking for, so we are definitely out there with something to prove, too.

JIM: With the long offseason in this league, you won’t get back until literally mid-January, what do you do, after resting for a little while, what do you do to keep it going?

DARRIUS: I definitely take a little break to recharge the batteries a little bit and there’s a place I work with, I go back to North Carolina, try to get away from this Boston weather a little bit. I go down to Raleigh, North Carolina (where I’m from)…

JIM: I just published a book with Duke in Durham, so I’m really familiar with the area…

DARRIUS: Oh yeah?

JIM: It is a great area.

DARRIUS: Yes, so I’ll go back there, hang out with the family over the holidays and I work out at a place called Athletic Performance, which is a sports-specific training facility, I have trainers there who fix me up.

JIM: It is a real soccer hotbed.

DARRIUS: Yeah, exactly, so there are a lot of players training (there), a lot of professionals train there, so I do that and every once in a while I mix it up a little bit, do some variety, some pilates and yoga and things like that, just to get a variation so you don’t get bored during the off season.

JIM: Here, with the Revs, you guys are training at a very high level, you are pushing each other, so when you touch the ball, every time, there is somebody in your face and that is basically simulating what goes on in MLS-level games. When you get away from this level, how do you duplicate that pressure for yourself, so the training pushes you?

DARRIUS: You can’t, you really can’t duplicate it. The most you can do is what some players (do) and go overseas and train for a little while, get set up with their agents for overseas training, but if you are training on your own it is just really hard to duplicate that, so you just have to make sure that you are fit coming in and then that is what the pre-season is for, to kind of get that repetition and then you get back up to speed a little bit, so that is one thing we do here in New England, is kind of ease into the season, kind of raising the level each week, so hopefully everybody will go home and stay fit and try to stay sharp and work on little technical things that you can do to bring back that routine. But, ultimately, when you get back for pre-season that is when you get the game level again.

JIM: What are some of the other things that you, personally, are really interested in doing during the off-season, besides just chilling and maintaining your fitness?

DARRIUS: Just spending time with my family, I’ve been up here the whole season and I’ve only seen my family once, so just going back there to see my family and getting some southern food, going home for Thanksgiving, mostly that is what I’m looking forward to.

JIM: That’s great I’m going down there, to Durham, in a couple of weeks myself.

DARRIUS: Well, you enjoy it, it is great.

Chegou ao fim a época para estas duas equipas, mais uma vez a equipa da casa o Toronto FC não conseguio chegar aos playoffs, quanto ao Revolution fez senão a sua pior época da sua história.

Começou mal e acabou mesmo bem mal, quatro derrotas um empate nos ultimos cinco jogos. Mais uma vez os jogadores do Revolution deram uma palida imagem da sua qualidade, a verdade é esta, pouca qualidade neste plantel.

Mas vamos ao jogo em si, até pareçia que o Revolution ia brindar os seus adeptoscom uma grande exibição, que logo aos 8 minutos de jogo uma boa triangulação entre Benny Feilhaber, Monsef Zerka, com este a meter em Milton Caraglio, e este á meia volta a rematar de primeira para boa defesa de Milos Kocic.

O Revolution vinha disposto a resolver este jogo o mais rápido possivel. Logo de seguida foi a vez do marroquino ao service do Revolution, fugir pela direita do seu ataque a passar por Ashtone Morgan e a rematar para boa defesa do guarda redes do Toronto FC.
Era um bom começo dos comandados de Steve Nicol.

Mas na resposta o Toronto FC cause marcava, Danny Koeverman reçebe um passe de João Plata e remata forte para boa defesa do guarda redes do Revolution Bobby Shuttleworth. Mas aos 18 minutos de jogo mais um erro da defesa do Revolution,e a equipa da casa chega ao golo.

A bola metida para a entrada da area do Revolution mas Darrius Barnes não foi bastante lesto a despachar a bola e Nick Soolsma “rouba-lhe” a bola remata forte e colocado para o primeiro golo do jogo.

Com este golo sofrido esperava-se que o Revolution fosse á procura do empate, e foi o que aconteçeu, os rapazes que viajaram desde Foxboro estavam dispostos a a vender cara a derrota. E antes do árbitro mandar todos para o descanso o Revolution ia chegar á igualdade.

E aos 41 minutos de jogo e na marcação de um pontapé de canto apontado por Benny Feilhaber com conta peso e medida e Monsef Zerka a desviar de cabeça para o fundo da baliza de Milo Kocic.

Era um resultado justo para estes primeiros 45 minutos, foi uma primeira parte com poucas oportunidades de golo, com as equipas a jogar muito no meio campo.

E o Revolution não podia ter começado melhor, os segundos 45 minutos, que logo na primeira jogada adianta-se no marcador. Jogada rápida dos visitantes com Benny Feilhaber a meter a bola bola para a area e o argentino Milton Carraglio a desviar para o fundo da baliza.

Esta dado a reviravolta no marcador, num estádio que o Revolution nunca consegui vençer, ficava a duvida no ar se seria desta que a equipa de Foxboro ia levar os trez pontos de Toronto.

Mas como de costume o Revolution ia consenter mais um golo nos minutos finais, e foram nada menos do que 15 os jogos que o Revolution entrou nos 80 minutos a vençer mas nunca coseguio aguentar a vantagem até ao apito final.

E aos 83 minutos do jogo o Toronto chega á igualdade, bola metida na area por Eric Avila, com toda a defesa do Revolution a ver a bola passar e ao segundo poste Danny Koeverman foi só empurrar para o fundo da baliza. Estava feito o resultado final, mais uma vez a defesa do Revolution com dois erros defensivos consentio dois golos, e foi assim toda esta temporada, cada erro defensivo o Revolution pagava sempre muito caro.

Foi uma temporada para esqueçer, ou talvez para lembrar a Sunil Galati e Brian Billelo e a Michael Burns que o MLS está cada vez mais competitivo, e só com bons jogadores é que qualquer treinador poderá fazer algo mais.

E já agora por falar en treinador, segundo consta Steve Nicol estará de saida do Revolution, numa curta conversa ao telephone com o ainda treinador do Revolution, este afirmou ao PT que á altura da nossa conversa não havia conversações para a renovação do contrato que chega ao fim no final desta temporada.

O mesmo aconteçe com o capitão Shalrie Joseph que pareçe estar de saida, segundo consta o Revolution não está na desposição de renovar o contrato do Shalrie Joseph, que aos 33 anos vai rumar a outra paragons, segundo consta as verbas exejidaspelo atleta não condiz com as finanças do clube, e que Shalrie Joseph é o jogador mais bem pago do Revolution, e bem o mereçe porque é um jogador que não sabe jogar mal.

Foi uma vitória da melhor equipa, foram trez e podiam ter sido mais, a equipa visitante controlou o jogo do primeiro minuto ao ultimo.

O Revolution fez talvez o seu pior jogo da temporada, não consegui criar uma única oportunidade de golo, não conseguia fazer trez passes consocutivos, foi mau demais para ser verdade.

Perante o seu publico e no seu ultimo jogo no seu estádio era de esperar muito mais, era um bom jogo para os jogadores do Revolution mostrarem ao seu treinador, e ao seu diretor desportivo que podia contar com eles para a próxima temporada. Mas não foi o que aconteçeu, correu tudo mal ao donos da casa, nada saia bem nem ao veterano capitão Shalrie Joseph, que tão bem soube ostentar aquela braçadeira durante 4 temporadas.

Do outro lada estava uma equipa que queria assegurar um lugar nos playoffs, e foi o que aconteçeu com estes trez pontos, e fizeram por mereçer esta vitória.
Agora resta saber se o Columbus Crew consegue ainda o primeiro lugar da sua zona, mas a jogar como o fizeram neste jogo podem muito bem chegar lá.

O jogo foi práticamento controlado pelo Columbus Crew, que teve nos dois pontas de lança duas setas apontadas á baliza de Bobby Shuttleworth. Emilio Rentaria e Andrez Mendoza são doi avançados que dão que fazer a qualquer defesa, são muito moveies, trabalham muito bem a bola, e combinam muito bem.

Não fosse a boa exibição do jovem guarda redes Bobby Shuttleworth até podiam ter sido mais, foi talvez o único que se salvou desta tão modesta equipa do NE Revolution. Mas o Revolution resisti até ao minuto 30, com Emilio Rentaria a tentar meter a bola por çima de Darrius Barnes, mas a bola foi com pouca força e o defesa do Revolution atrapalhouse com a bola e deixou-a fugir para Andrez Mendoza que rematou forte e colocado para o primeiro golo do jogo.

Mais um erro da defensiva dos comandados de Steve Nicol, mais um golo sofrido, foi mais um erro infantile desta tão fraca defesa, como tantos que tem aconteçido ao longo desta temporada.

O intervalo ia chegar com a equipa da casa a perder pela margem minina, com alguma sorte, diga-se a verdade, pois a equipa forasteira trocava muito bem a bola mas encontrou um jovem guarda redes numa noite que queria mostrar service, e mostrou que o Revolution esta bem servido de guarda redes.

Nos segundos 45 minutos esperava-se uma reação da equipa da casa, mast tal não aconteçeu, e não foi de admirar que o Columbus Crew chega-se ao segundo golo.
Decorridos 59 minutos de jogo mais um erro infantile da defesa do Revolution, com uma bola perdida muito perto da area do Revolution, e Dilly Duka a rematar de primeira sem possibilidade de defesa do guarda redes do Revolution.

Mas ainda os jogadores suplentes e equipa técnica do Columbus Crew ainda não se tinham sentado e já os dois pontas de lança fabricavam o melhor golo na melhor jogada da noite.

Com Sebastian Miranda a ganhar uma bola a meio campo e a meter na direita em Emilio Renteria com este a passer como uma flecha por Chris Tierny e a cruzar para o coração da area e Andres Mendoza sem deixar a bola bater no relvado e a fuzilar o desemparado Bobby Shuttleworth.

Para fechar a contagem nada melhor do que um golo de fazer levantar um estádio, foi uma vitória justissima do melhor conjunto, coisa que o Revolution nunca o foi neste jogo nem esta temporada.

No próximo sábado o Revolution termina a temporada defrontando em Toronto a equipa local pelas 12.30 da tarde e poderá ver este jogo no canal de televisão Comcast Soccer Net.

A number of years ago I made a series of trips to photograph a couple of hundred minor league baseball parks all across the country, from Aberdeen, Maryland to Wichita, Kansas (sorry, no “Y’s” or “Z’s”) literally from coast to coast and border to border.

In my travels I found out many things about professional sport in the United States, the most interesting being that at minor league level, from short season single “A” to “AAA,” just one notch below the big show, people go to games because they like baseball and want a fun evening out, not because they have any deep attachment to the teams, the players or how well they are doing in the Pioneer or SALLY League standings.

That said, by the mid-1990’s minor league baseball was burgeoning as it had in the immediate post-WW II period, with attendance records being set and new ballparks being built all across the land. Almost every game I attended had a healthy crowd that paid low prices for their seats but spent big money on beer, hot dogs and souvenirs. This has continued to be the case up through the present day.

MLS started up in the midst of this boom and many of the original teams sought to catch on through some of the same tactics; low prices, loud announcers, flashy uniforms, dippy contests and mascots, crazy rules and silly names like Clash and Wizards; everything that might make a purist vomit yet give a family of four a cheap night out with some sport thrown in.

Fast forward to 2011 and sample the atmosphere at places like Portland, Philadelphia or, gasp, Red Bull Arena and one might think they were in Buenos Aires, Istanbul or Glasgow, albeit without the aggro. Of course if they went to Gillette Stadium, where the castrati rule and everybody gets their fifteen seconds on the Jumbotron, it can seem sixteen years and still the same, in fact even more sanitized, thanks to the now no longer new stadium and the fact that many of the crustier fans have drifted away to their couches and pubs for their soccer.

When MLS started in 1996 there were far fewer places for people to go to watch games. Fox Sports World, now Soccer Channel, started a year later in 1997 and Gol TV didn’t launch until 2003. ESPN was only marginally involved in soccer and the internet wasn’t a viable source for streaming matches at that point. All of this has, of course, changed, providing an ever-expanding alternative to attending live MLS matches.

While the salary cap has been a limitation in terms of acquiring the kind of players needed to directly compete with what can be seen daily on TV, some MLS clubs have been able to adjust to the new realities by investing over and above what players can be paid. Scouting and soccer-specific stadiums are obvious examples, larger coaching and training staffs, greater cultural adjustment, logistical and language support for foreign imports and young players, less so but critically important.

Although designated players have grabbed the headlines, bringing in competitive, combative, youngish to mid-career foreign signings or prospects with something to prove has turned out to be the best way to put on enough of a spectacle on the field that it transfers to the stands and makes people want to come back, as supporters of the team, not just fans of the game.

In the Revolution’s case there seems to be some headway being made with the likes of Caraglio, Fagundez, Feilhaber, Lekic, Soares and Zerka becoming regulars as the season has progressed (admittedly a bit of an ironic term). Certainly there have been failures and misjudgments but, going forward, there are six or more, reasons to hope for improvement, particularly if more good players are added to the base.

However, atmospherically this hasn’t happened at Gillette Stadium and perhaps never will. The majority of people who trek to the matches out in the hinterlands are, in effect, like the “prawn sandwich brigade” once decried by Roy Keane, the former captain of Manchester United. While folks don’t go to Revs games to bask in the glow of a consistent winner as at Old Trafford, they do see their trip as a fun evening with soccer as the focus and not the result. They are fans of the game, not the team and don’t identify with its’ fate. This is in opposition to Bill Shankly’s dictum of the game being more important than life and death, a credo that most people who call themselves supporters certainly understand if not subscribe to.

In many ways the experience for the corporately and inappropriately christened, “best fans in MLS,” is precisely like that of anyone who attends a Bruins, Celtics, Patriots or Red Sox sporting event; the entire presentation of the match is micro-managed to a fare-the-well, from advertising everything under the sun in an over-excited voice to leading canned cheers, ex. “deeeefense.” I’ve been near-blinded and deafened by the Jumbotron at the “New” Boston Garden. I remember the last Pats game I ever attended where 60,000 corporate shills dressed as fans waved “Bank of America” emblazoned towels at the opposition when prompted by the omnipotent, marginally hysterical stadium announcer.

To be fair, I’ve also been to Pats games where an opposition touchdown was greeted by a full fifth of Jim Beam flung at the helmet of the ball carrier from the BU Field equivalent of the Fort. And who can forget the drunken horde of knuckle-draggers that carried the better part of a metal goal post out onto Rte 1 only to have it tangle in some high-tension wires. Bruins games? Back in the day, when the old Garden had boxes full of individual fancy chairs, I recall an entire section of boys from the office all decked out in suits, coats and fedoras two-handing one another over the head with the plush seats that they had been sitting on seconds before. Then there were the ever-present puddles of puke that dotted every concourse from Foxborough through Fenway to Causeway Street.

Unquestionably the Kraft family did the right thing when they decided to clean up the goings on around Patties games at the old stadium but when they built their new pleasure palace for Tom-Tom and his pals the decision to create a cookie cutter, squeaky-clean atmosphere has almost completely strangled the unique, participatory nature of watching soccer.

Go to a game at any of the world’s great venues for atmosphere like La Bonbonera in Buenos Aires, Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in Istanbul, Celtic Park in Glasgow and now Jeld-Wen Field in Portland – the crowd sets the tone for everything, not the announcers, not the mascots, not the Rev Girls, not the adverts on the PA or the sycophantic sheep mugging on the Jumbotron. It is a simple yet potent blend of the quality of the players, the refs, the weather and the crowd left to their own devices, nothing more and is a far more nuanced and rewarding “game-day experience” than the plastic, packaged, suburban scene we have in New England.

These are hard words and written with regret but after witnessing a 21,000 crowd that had all the pubescent vigor of a Harry Potter preview, followed a week later by less than half that with no energy at all, the unavoidable conclusion is that as far as MLS goes the folks at Foxborough are decidedly in the wrong century.

Two quotes appeared on the same page in this week’s Sunday Boston Globe sports section and with apologies to Greg A. Bedard and Frank Dell’Apa who dug them out and wrote them up, they bookend the team’s current problems and potential solutions straight from the horse’s mouths.

“At the beginning, he was really helpful in a football sense. I needed to talk to someone, In any business I’m in, I try to find the people that I think are the smartest or know more than I know, and ask their advice on things…” Robert Kraft, Revolution investor/operator, speaking to Greg A. Bedard about Al Davis (10/09/11)

“Fans don’t come out and support, which is our fault. We don’t produce enough good players out there that are exciting, that are good enough for them to come out and support… you can hear a pin drop (last) night and it’s frustrating playing in front of a dead stadium, playing in front of people not supporting you. It takes a toll… It’s just frustrating being a part of this right now… we’re not good enough and we’re not putting a good product out there. And we’ve got to change that for next season.” Shalrie Joseph, Revolution captain, speaking to Frank Dell’Apa after losing to San Jose (10/08/11)

Mr. Kraft, meet Mr. Joseph, now please sit down and listen to what he has to say.

Ryan Guy signed on with the Revolution on 9 June of this season and only began to play with some regularity over the past fortnight. He brings speed to a lineup sorely lacking in that department, plus the ability to strike a low, hard but playable cross while moving towards the byline. During his time in Ireland he displayed a good strike rate for a winger/midfielder, scoring 25 goals in 139 appearances.

I spoke with him after training before the San Jose match.

JIM: You played for four years in Ireland?

RYAN: Yes, I played there for four years, exactly right out of college I went straight there.

JIM: And your decision to go, since you were drafted in the second round by Dallas of MLS, was that based on thinking that you might get into the European pyramid?

RYAN: It was, I’d say first and foremost it was the dream of playing in Europe, secondary to that was the fact that at that time with… MLS and the way contracts were going there with developmental contracts there was a very high percentage chance that I would have been on very little money…

JIM: Very little, most likely…

RYAN: Yes, so the opportunity to get a lot more money over there was also alluring to me but I’d say really the dream of going over there and playing there and coming into the pyramid of European football was the main motivating factor.

JIM: We have a league in this country, it has been here for 16 years and it is pretty good, yet we have a base of young players whose dream is to go elsewhere. How would you approach that if you were a general manager, or a commissioner, or an investor?

RYAN: Well, I think the league is going in the right direction, I think first and foremost, we have to get the minimum salary up to something equivalent to Europe. I think the standard of soccer here is growing in the sense that kids are going to want to start playing here because of the level, I think the level factor is closing, the gulf is closing between here and Europe and that is very important and then the money factor as well. I think those two are probably the biggest things between Europe and here because fan support here is wonderful now. You can go to any game basically here and see equivalent supporters to England to the Premier League and middle…

JIM: And there’s no risk of getting beaten up.

RYAN: Exactly, that’s right, exactly right, which is very (important).

JIM: When you say that, I often think that for young players, you can turn on the TV and you can see games from all over the world which, when the league started wasn’t the case, that is a huge difference and how do you combat that, I mean when I walk through town in Boston, or wherever I am in the States, I see kids with Arsenal shirts, I see kids with all kinds of shirts from all over but I don’t see that many kids with MLS shirts, how do you combat that?

RYAN: Well, I think that is the business aspect of the game. I think getting more games on ESPN, getting on to the network stations even. Unfortunately America is such an advertising culture that you have games like football, baseball and basketball that are so… (structured) around advertising and TV timeouts where that doesn’t happen in soccer. But once I think when the culture morphs to being able to handle 45 minutes at a time without commercials, or just seeing the billboards on the TV, once that becomes enough, I think then you’ll start seeing bigger support as well, selling more shirts, selling more scarves, things like that and I think really, that it is just a matter of time (and) maybe just a cultural shift as well.

JIM: You are a west coast person and I read in one of your bios somewhere that you did some acting. How did that come about?

RYAN: I was minoring in theater in college, so I got a chance to do some theater productions and a little bit of acting here and there; it was fun.

JIM: What sort of roles?

RYAN: Well, let’s see, what did I do? I played in some heady drama, I played a laptop, a talking laptop, think Beauty and the Beast meets Steve Jobs and Apple and then I was also an imaginary friend, a schizophrenic imaginary friend, so I played a lot of fun roles, it’s not much different than playing on the field. You know, you’ve got to have that alter ego on the field…

JIM: Yeah, the acting, the acting (can be) fabulous… When you went over to Ireland (and Europe) and you tried out for various teams and ended up playing for Saint Patrick’s and at the time the team was all full-time professionals, so one off the things U.S. players always talk about is when they go to Europe, or Latin America for that matter, they are competing (for places) against teammates whose livelihoods are totally on the line, a very different situation than college. There is an edge. Here, most of the U.S. players, perhaps yourself included, are middle class kids.

How do you deal with that cultural shift, thinking about being an actor?

RYAN: You basically just have to get into the mindset and it is easy when you are ingrained in that culture and you see how it is and you become that. All of a sudden you are thrust into this culture that is that, it is clawing, tooth and nail to get whatever you can out of the game and that is your livelihood. You’re next to these guys every day and you pick up a lot very quickly as long as you can…

JIM: Well, you have to be able to give it back, too…

RYAN: Right, exactly, exactly and you take it and fortunately, soccer is kind of a unifying force, everyone (there) does play and everyone knows how to play the game even if it is a little bit different in styles, but middle class? I think in America that is equivalent to the class that plays soccer in Europe. (At least) mentality-wise, obviously, I think that money is a little bit different of an issue but the mentality, you know, their parents are very supportive, just like ours are here. Their towns are very supportive, just like ours are here, it is different but similar.

JIM: So, there is an infrastructure behind it, in a way…

RYAN: Yes, there is, they’ve got the club structure in place, I’d say albeit not as professional as we’ve started them here but again, just different. All of them are connected to professional (teams) at some stage and I think that both could probably learn from one another in the way it works. I think it is definitely shifting over here, having the (MLS) academies and things like that. I think that is helping a lot and I think that it is also another aspect that will bring the kids of America wanting to play for MLS teams, they’ll grow up playing for a youth team of the Revolution, of the Galaxy, of whatever team it is.

JIM: Certainly, even pre-Diego kids are now talking about the fact that the Revs have development teams and so forth and so that does have a certain amount of clout. Thinking about the game itself for you, you came here with the idea of playing what position? What is your ideal place on the field?

RYAN: I seem to be finally playing on the outside, on the right, that is typically where I’ve been playing. I also played quite a bit of striker over in Ireland but I like playing (outside).

JIM: I notice you had a pretty good goal-scoring rate.

RYAN: I scored a few goals over there, which was nice but I like also to help out with the goals and to put crosses in, to get to the byline and swing them in, I tend to be most efficient when coming from the outside.

JIM: And thinking of the game itself here, on the field, what have you seen as the major difference between the way you were playing in Ireland and playing here?

RYAN: This is a very athletic league, the ball moves very fast and the people move very fast as well. I think that is one marked difference, the game in most of Europe and in Ireland as well, is very similar to English football where it is very technical. Every player on the pitch has an impeccable touch, although their athleticism might not be up to American standards. I think having other sports such as football, basketball and all these other very active and athlete-focused sports have helped soccer morph into that in America. I think (that the) European style only helps the American style because we are kind of born and bred athletes and if we can incorporate that pure technique that a lot of European countries (have) I think that will really help.

JIM: And does that technique come from playing as a kid, banging the ball off the wall and trapping it a thousand times, playing in the street, or can that technique be learned in an organized, academy, club kind of situation, do you think?

RYAN: I think it is a multitude of things, a lot of it is just watching soccer, like you say, in Europe it is on all the time. It is all that people talk about, so people are watching, watching, watching; constantly seeing things done the right way. And then also, like you said, playing in the streets, just playing. They’re not going to go out and throw the football around, they aren’t going to go out and play catch, it is going to be playing with the (soccer) ball and I think that is probably the biggest thing over there, that is what makes that little bit of a difference in technique.

JIM: Again, one of the complaints made about soccer here is that it is institutionalized at the very beginning, kids start playing for clubs and teams when they are tiny and that unless they happen to get a coach or sign up for a club that has a culture that respects the idea of playing with the ball for its’ own sake, they turn into automatons.

RYAN: Right, that is true.

JIM: How do you break that?

RYAN: It is going to be the immersion in soccer (culture). In one way, I think it is good having that because earlier on you weed out the people who don’t really want to be doing this for a living and when kids, or adolescents focus on (the game) and say this is what I want to do, then that is the time to kind of switch on and say what do I need to be doing to be different, to stand out in a crowd of, yeah, automatons. It’s watching, it’s going to professional games, seeing players, seeing what they do, it is doing anything that you can. It is definitely possible and, again, I think that we are moving swiftly towards that.

JIM: Finally, what has been the biggest surprise for you, coming back after having played four years in Europe?

RYAN: Definitely the support, you know the support has been fantastic everywhere. I mean we are getting average between 15 and 20,000 fans (wherever we play) and I would say when I left the average was easily under 10,000 easily. To see all the soccer specific stadiums, to see places like Portland and Vancouver coming into the league…

JIM: That game at Portland must have been amazing.

RYAN: It was fantastic, I mean I’ve played in big stadiums in Ireland and Germany and it was definitely as good (atmosphere), probably better, probably better and that is definitely the greatest part of coming back, just seeing America as a soccer nation, finally.

Ambas as equipas praticáram futebol de pouca qualidade, a jogar só para cumprir calendário, estas duas equipas tinham obrigação de praticar melhor futebol. E para mostraram aos seus respetivos treinadores que tem qualidade para fazeram parte do plantel para a próxima temporada, mas não foi o que aconteçeu.

Com um futebol aos repelões, com muitos passes perdidos por ambas as equipas, deram uma pálida imagem do que pode ser um jogo de futebol. E não foi preçiso esperar muito tempo para se ver o primeiro golo do jogo. Pontapé longo do guarda redes da equipa visitante, para a entrada da area do Revolution, com o central Ryan Cochrane a falhar o corte e Chris Wondolowski a rematar para o fundo da baliza.

Foi um golo tirado a papel quimico do golo da jornada anterior, com o mesmo jogador a cometer mais um erro que voltou a dar o golo á equipa visistante. Não se compreende como é que este jogador continuar a titular do Revolution, é mesmo o central mais fraco do plantel, é um jogador sem qualidade para jogar no MLS.
E só aos 36 minutos é que o Revolution fez uma jogada com prinçipio meio e fim, bola metida por Kevin Alston na esquerda para Monsef Zerka, com este a meter para o çentro do terreno para Benny Feilhaber e este a rematar forte mas com a bola ainda a tirar tinta da baliza á guarda de David Bingham.

Pouco depois foi a vez do jovem Diego Fagundez a reçeber uma bola de costas para a baliza e a fazer um pontapé de biçicleta mas a bola passou mesmo a razar o poste da baliza dos visitantes. E o arbitro mandou toda a gente para os balneárioscom a equipa visitante na frente do marcador, foi a equipa menos mau destes pobres 48 minutos.

No segundos 45 minutos o Revolution entrou desposto a dar a volta ao aconteçimentos, e aos 56 minutos o Revolution empatou a partida. E o Revolution chega á igualdade, remate forte de Ryan Guy com o guarda redes David Bingham a defender para a frente e Benny Feilhaber a rematar acrobáticamento e a fazer um belo golo.

Pouco depois Milton Caraglio podia ter aumentado a contagem para o Revolution mas o remate sai mesmo á figura do guarda redes dos visitantes. O jogo conheçia a sua melhor face, e na resposta o San Jose cause marcava, foi o africano Khari Stephenson a apareçer isoladoe a rematar para grande defesa de Bobby Shuttleworth. Os visitantes deram o aviso do que poderia vir, e a defesa do Revolution tremia todas as vezes que o San Jose se aproximavam da sua area.E aos 82 minutos de jogo os visitantes chegaram á vitória, boa jogada de entendimento entre Simon Dawkins com este a meter para Sam Cronin e este de primeira a servir o ponta de lança Chris Wondolowski e este a responder com um bom golpe de cabeça e a bater o desemparado Bobby Shuttleworth.

Estava feito o resultado final, mais uma derrota para a equipa do Revolution, que mais uma vez pouco ou nada fez para ganhar o jogo. Não se comprende como se pode jogar tão mal,ou talvez se compreenda, porque os jogadores por esta altura já devem saber que o treinador Steve Nicol deve estar de saida, e nunca é bom para um plantel saber que o seu treinador vai embora no fim da temporada.

E por falar da saida de Steve Nicol, volto a dizer que não será o maior culpado. Será que se pode trabalhar com um presidento Sunil Galati que tambem é presidento do United States Soccer Federation, e tambem exerçe funções de professor de uma universidade? Penso que é muitos trabalhos para uma só pessoa, algum vai ficar por fazer com qualidade. Depois á dois diretores que tambem tem muita culpa no cartório, Michael Burns, e Brian Billelo, que pouca qualidade de jogadores deram a Steve Nicol para formar uma equipa.

Para a o próximo sabado á mais, desta feita o Revolution vai fechar a temporada no seu estádio frente ao Columbus Crew pelas 7.30 da noite e poderá ver este jogo no Comcast Soccer Net

Teve uma estreia para ficar sempre na memória deste jovem jogador, Diego Fagundez com apenas 16 anos já é a nova coqueluche dos adetos do NE Revolution,fazer um um golo estreia a titular não é para todos, mas Diego num exçelente golpe de cabeça fez o único golo da sua equipa. Vai ser um exçelente ponta de lança este jovem jogador, tem todas as qualidades neçessárias para vingar no futebol professional, tem dois bons pés, joga be de cabeça, e sabe muito bem se movimentar na area.

Agora resta saber por quanto tempo Diego Fagundez vai ficar por aqui, geralmento o que tem aconteçido com outros jogadores, como Clint Dempsey, e Andy Dorman a jogar na Inglaterra, Michael Parkhurst a jogar na Dinamarca. E não vai ser supresa para ninguem se em 1 ou 2 anos este jovem jogador siga as pisadas de outros atletas que tambem vestiram a cores do NE Revolution.

Mas vamos ao jogo que teve em si a maior assistençia da temporada, 21,202 espetadores, e era um jogo que o Revolution queria ganhar para dar uma alegria aos seu treinador e aos seus adeptos.

Mas foi a equipa forasteira que criou a primeira oportunidade do jogo, quando Fredy Montero cruzou para o “gigante” Nate Jaqua, mas foi a atenção de Matt Reis que tirou a bola mesmo em çima da cabeça do avançado do Seatle Sounders.

Poucos minutos volvidos foi a vez do Revolution por á prova as qualidades do veterano guarda redes Kasey Keller, livre apontado do lado direito por Benny Feilhaber com a bola a desviar num defesa e a enganar o guarda redes dos visitantes, mas com o veterano Kasey Keller com uma espantosa defesa desviou a bola para canto.

E aos 19 de jogo Diego fagundez podia ter inaugorado o marcador quando apareçeu isolado na cara do guarda redes do Seattle Sounders mas a experiençia de Kasey Keller levou a melhor sobre a juventude de Diego Fagundes.

Logo de seguida foi a vez de Diego Fagundez com um soberbo passe a isolar Ryan Guy que ao ficar isolado rematou para nova boa defesa do guarda redes do Seatle Sounders. O Revolution ia perdendo oportunidade atráz de oportunidade, e isso ia-lhe custar muito caro.

Mas aos 34 minutos de jogo o Revolution chega ao golo, pontapé de canto apontado por Benny Feilhaber com a bola a encontrar a cabeça de Diego Fagundez e este a saltar mais alto do que toda a defesa da equipa visitante e a rematar sem possibilidades de defesa para o guarda redes Kasey Keller. Foi sem duvida a maior ovação da noite no estádio Gillette, depois da apresentação deste jovem jogador.

Mas foi sol de pouca dura, ainda os adeptos do Revolution ainda não se tinham sentado e já os forasteiros empatavam a partida, bola metida para a area do Revolution com Rayn Cochrane á vontade tentar controlar a bola e esta passa-lhe por baixo do pé, e Fredy Montero não se fez rogado e empatou a partida.

Demasiado façil para o avançado da equipa forasteira, um erro infantile de um defesa que quanto a nós não tem lugar em nenhuma equipa deste campeonato, e quando é titular nunca consegue aguentar o jogo até ao fim, e este jogo não foi exçessão.

E chegariamos ao intervalo com o jogo empatado a uma bola, castigo para o donos da casa que perderam golos mais do sufiçiente para ir para o descanso a ganhar por uma comfortavél margem. Mas como quem não marca acaba sempre sofrendo, e foi o que aconteçeu, logo no iniçio do segundo tempo.

Bola pontapeada pelo guarda redes Kasey Keller com muita força para a entrada da area do Revolution, com o portugues AJ Soares a falhar o corte e a bola a ressaltar para o ponta de lança Fredy Montero e este a rematar fora do alcançe de Matt Reis.

Estava feito o resultado final, e apartir dai o Revolution cause que desapareçeu do jogo, e os forasteiros foram controlando o jogo a seu belo prazer. E iamos chegar ao final da partida sem que o resultado sofresse qualquer alteração, o Revolution perdeu o jogo mas ganhou um ponta de lança que vai dar que falar.

Já por vária vezes em conversa com outros colegas em Foxboro falavamos deste jovem jogador e a pergunta era sempre a mesma , quando é que Diego Fagundez vai entrar no onze de Steve Nicol? Quanto a nós peca por tardia a entrada de Diego neste onze do Revolution que tão pouca qualidade tem, mas como diz o ditado antigo, mais vale tarde do que nunca.

No próximo Sábado o Revolution reçebe o San Jose Earthquakes pelas 7.30 da noite e poderá ver este jogo no Comcast Soccer Net.

Não foi um grande jogo de futebol, foi um jogo morno numa tarde bastante fria, mas soube bastante bem esta vitória dos comandados de Steve Nicol. Foi a primeira vitória em oito jogos, cinco empates e duas derrotas era o balançe dos ultimos sete jogos, e esta vitória relança o Revolution na luta pelos playoffs.

Quando faltam seis jogos para o termos do campeonato, o Revolution não tem muita margem de manobra, terá de ganhar pelo menos cincos dos seis jogos que faltam, e esperar que segundos vão perdendo alguns pontos. Podia ter sido a melhor semana desportiva em resultados para o Revolution,é que na passada quarta feira o Revolution fez os melhores 30 minutos desta temporada.

Ao intervalo no jogo com o Philadelphia Union o Revolution vençia por um concludente resultado de 4-1, mas nos segundos 45 minutos voltou á forma de jogar dos anteriores jogos, e ainda teve muita sorte de sair com um ponto de Philadelfia, e com um resultado de 4-4.
Mas vamos ao jogo deste passado sabado, poucas foram as oportunidades de golos nestes primeiros 45 minutos, as duas equipas num sistema tático, isto é num 4x4x2, as duas equipa encaixaram muito bem uma na outra.

Com muito pouco espaço no meio campo era uma constante perda de passos das duas equipas. Mas na primeira vez que o Revolution criou perigo fez golo, e foi talvez a melhor jogada de todo o jogo.

A bola foi metida em Milton Caraglio este de calcalhar meteu em Moncef Zerca, com este a cruzar com conta peso e medida e a encontrar a cabeça do capitão Shalrie Joseph e este foi só dizer que sim e a bola só parou no fundo da baliza de Kevin Hartman.

Estava feito o primeiro golo do jogo, eram então decorridos 14 minutos de jogo. A partir do golo o jogo ganhou mais emoção, mas era jogado mais com o coração do que a cabeça.

Logo de seguida foi a vez do Dallas FC por á prova a atenção de Matt Reis a um remate de meia distance de Brek Shea, e pouco depois foi a vez do brasileiro Maicon Santos rematar de cabeça após um cruzamento da direita de Break Shea, á figura de Matt Reis. E aos 35 minutos Jackson outro brasileiro ao serviço do FC Dallas reçebeu um passe de Daniel Cruz com este a rematar á meia volta mas encontrou no caminho o guarda redes do Revolution.

E foi mesmo já nos descontos que o Revolution podia ter aumentado a contagem, quando Zach Loyd fez um mau atraso para o seu guarda redes e encontrou pelo caminho o ponta de lança Milton Caraglio que passou pelo guarda redes, mas quando fez o remate já não tinha angulo e rematou ás malhas laterais.

Na segunda metade os forasteiros entraram com vontade de chegar o mais depressa possivel ao golo que lhe desse o empate, e logo na primeira jogada Maicon Santos de cabeça fez o que pareçia impossivel rematar por çima da baliza do Revolution.

Na resposta Rajko Lekic ao reçeber um passe de Benny Feilhaber remata forte e colocado para grande defesa de Kevin Hartman para canto. E os forasteiro arricavam cada vez mais, e deixavam mais espaço perto da sua baliza e o Revolution por duas ocasiões podia ter chegado ao segundo golo, a primeira por Milton Caraglio que rematou por çima da barra, e logo de seguida foi a vez do defesa do Revolution Darrius Barnes com um remate de longe para a defesa da tarde de Kevin Hartman.

Nesta altura o jogo era de paradea e resposta, os donos da casa apostados em defender o 1-0, e os forasteiros a tentaram a todo o custo o golo do empate, mas ao fazelo deixanvam muito espaço para o contra ataque da equipa da casa.

E foi num destes contra ataques que o Revolution “matou”o jogo eram decorridos 84 minutos de jogo, quando a bola foi metida na area e Kevin Hartman desviou a bola para canto, canto este apontado por Benny Feilhaber para o primeiro poste com Ryan Cochrane a desviar para o segundo poste e ai Rajko Lekic a empurrar para o fundo da baliza.

Ainda com 6 minutos e mais os descontos para se jogar o FC Dallas ainda bem que tentou chegar ao golo, mas as forças já iam faltando e o desçernimento nesta áltura já não era o melhor,e a defesa o Revolution desta vez não façilitou e o Revolution ia averbar os trez pontos.

Foi uma vitória do querer, foi uma vitória do trabalho, os jogadores do Revolution sabiam que nada menos do que os trez pontos estaria tudo acabado,e que seria o adeus aos playoffs. Quanto ao FC Dallas não fez um grande jogo, esta equipa presentemento é a segunda equipa mais bem classificada deste campeonato só atráz dos milionários do LA Galaxy, era de esperar mais .

Na proxima sexta feira pelas 11 hora da noite o Revlution defronta o Portland Timbers e podera ver este jogo no Fox Soccer Chanel

Waiting for Irene to pass gives one pause to contemplate how the remainder of the season may play out for the Revolution and, more important, what the future holds.

Milton Caraglio’s two goals gave a glimpse of what might be forthcoming forward-wise on the pitch an equally edifying statistic from the Revolution’s past Saturday night encounter with the Red Bulls were the comparative attendance figures in two MLS derbies played on Saturday night: NE v. NYRB – 18,882 / Portland v. Vancouver – 18,627, plus the cumulative 2011 attendance average for the New York “superclub,” which thus far, after 12 home matches is 18,796.

In other words, the supposedly sad sack New England franchise outdrew the flavor of the year Timbers by 255 souls, and surpassed the average attendance figure for their hated, uber-corporate rivals down I-95 by a full six folks.

Of course there are all sorts of qualifiers at play here; many people came to the game at Gillette because of Thierry Henry (who didn’t play) and Rafa Marquez (who tried to). Portland certainly could have sold many, many more tickets for their match, if Jeld-Wen Field had the capacity. Like Portland, NYRB has their own gorgeous stadium fixed up specifically for proper football. However you slice it, Gillette is a gorilla ball-specific carbuncle, as relevant to contemporary MLS as Arrowhead or The Meadowlands used to be.

In Foxborough a large number of fans were using up their flex-pack seats, which means they likely won’t be back. The same number, 18,627 folks have packed in at Portland 13 times now and will likely do so for the remaining matches. Red Bull has drawn up to 25,000 and will likely do so again this season. Saturday night’s game was the second largest crowd at a Revolution match all season and with four home dates left, there may not be another of similar size.

Although both the Revs and Timbers are on the outside looking in, playoff-wise, Portland is better placed to qualify and if they did it is certain there wouldn’t be the miniscule crowds that show up to support the Revs in the postseason. Who knows who will show up for the playoffs in the Ironbound jewel but it will certainly be larger than one might expect at Gillette based on the numbers when the Revs were competitive. One could go on and on.

It is the potential here that is at once encouraging and troubling. With a stadium located in the far suburbs, without any public transportation and in the latter stages of what is easily New England’s worst season since the bad old days of the late 20th century, almost 20K showed up on an August night in high vacation time for an attractive opponent. If you take away all the past doubleheaders and other padding, 18,882 is a very respectable number for a stand-alone Revolution match and, indeed, holds up league-wide. Perhaps most important, by many accounts, very few of those in attendance were members of youth teams or other kiddies groups, pony-tailed and in braces, let in at group rates to rattle about in the big bowl for a one-off, often disinterested night under the Foxborough moon.

The point is that with a significant uptick in imagination and commitment this sort of attendance could be built upon; long-term by gearing up the apparently dormant relocation hunt for an urban stadium site, near public transport; short term by seriously trying to bring Mohammed (potential fans w/o cars) to the mountain (Gillette) via bus, rail, carpool or whatever can be cobbled together to encourage the plentiful Metro Boston area twenty/thirty-something’s to trek through the suburban sprawl and help to provide the atmosphere currently animating places like Portland, Seattle, Toronto and Vancouver and even Red Bull Arena.

Indeed, with what seemed to be a packed Fort present for the match it was ironic that management chose to leaflet the throng with a familiar message posted atop Section 143, “In an effort to ensure an enjoyable atmosphere for all of our fellow fans, we request that you refrain from using inflammatory language during games, including: swearing (including in coordinated chants and songs) and, sexist, homophobic, racial, obscene or abusive language or gestures.”

While it is laudable to want fans attending games to feel safe, secure and comfortable, all three of these terms require an advanced degree in psychology to usefully interpret, or at least the sagacity of an experienced, big-city cop on the beat. Neither of these qualities appears to apply to either TeamOps operatives or FPD and therein lies the rub. Just like scouting players you need to spend money for experience and as a wise person once said, if you pay someone the minimum wage and offer them the authority to say no, those employed will likely do so, every time.

With the team blowing leads in four of the last five matches and headed for an early end to the season, even the most patient of supporters can be forgiven some colorful language whether in the form of organized chants or individual venting. As one fan pointed out, if the rules are enforced with enthusiasm both coaches and most of the players on the pitch would be out in the parking lot by halftime.

All this kerfuffle over swearing makes me think of a recent home video that has become a worldwide hit on YouTube. A normally quiet, thoughtful, small business owner from Buenos Aires, Santiago “El Tano” Pasman, (ironically also called “el pacifico”) is captured going slowly but not silently ballistic in front of his TV set as his beloved River Plate stutters, staggers and stinks their way through their final match in the Argentine first division, doomed to at least a season of degradation in the second.

“Tano” is a term in Argentina used to describe someone of Italian descent, and the seven-minute version available in both Spanish and English subtitles features language and references that could curdle the sweetest of milk in a millisecond. One phrase that is repeated constantly instructs various players, coaches, club presidents and other dignitaries to return to their familial roots deemed by Pasman to be of dubious reputation. I leave it to individual readers to watch on their own but you have been warned, specifically that there are terms employed that are far more offensive in the States than in Argentina.

As an aside, I’m certain both of New England’s Argentine players, Caraglio and Coria have seen the video and have chuckled knowingly; it has well over seven million hits.

Pasman’s son recorded his dad’s sufferings as part of a family effort to convince him to calm down for the sake of his health. When a friend saw the results he offered to edit them and the short, seven-minute version on the Internet is a classic example of the link between the words fan and fanatic. Regardless of whether the humor gets lost in translation the way in which the carefully turned out, balding, even kindly middle-aged man turns into a non-stop epithet machine as a result of the poverty of his team struck me as a perfect representation of the frustration any serious supporter feels when their season is going badly. It is just that most of us endure such moments either in private on the couch, or in the relative anonymity of throngs of the “fellowship of the miserable,” such as are found in Kops, Curva Suds, Chicken Runs and Forts throughout the football world. This is the principal reason for the huge gatherings behind the goal, it isn’t just that they are the cheap seats; it is a support group, in the best sense of the term.

In perhaps the most familiar part of the video for Revs fans Pasman, forced by his wife to take a tranquilizer washed down with wine, begs his team to, “…make just three passes, just three, that’s all I ask for, not ******* Barcelona with 28!!!!!”

In his view, articulated with the full force of every curse word he can possibly articulate, each player is of the most dubious ancestry, the coach is a thief and violates small animals and the upper management of the team is unspeakable in their turpitude.

He shouts at all the various River players, comparing them to castrati, demanding that they run, some of them preferably “all the way to Europe, never to come back,” at times he cries out climactically, like Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally, “Yesssssssssssssssssssssssssss!!!” when they make a good move, only to be cut cruelly short by an even louder, “Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!” as River inevitably loses the ball.

Later, when the impending result becomes inevitable he wails mournfully, waving his arms aloft and sinking into his ottoman like a corpse being lowered into a tomb, “Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!! We are in the B (the second division), we are in the B, we are in the B!!!!! Nooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

And so on. If you haven’t seen it, Google “Tano Pasman watches River Plate.” It can be viewed with English subtitles and is now so popular that there is a compilation, “Tano Pasman and Hitler; the championship of the screamers,” fusing two viral videos, one a fictional account of the last days in the Fuhrerbunker (remember “Hitler discusses Martha Coakley and Scott Brown?”), the other short documentary that proves Bill Shankly’s dictum that football isn’t like life, it is much more important.

In the midst of his torment Pasman is socialized enough to turn to his wife at one moment to ask, “May I break it?” referring to what appears to be an ash tray that he ritually stomps on, in the style of a traditional Jewish wedding.

Speaking for myself, I have never had such grace and have smashed putters and rabbit ears, hurled Gallo wine jugs and beat upon the plastic seats at Foxborough like a mourner gone berserk. It all goes with the game and those in charge need to be sensitive, indeed, to respect such passionate excesses, every bit as much as they are concerned for the delicate ears of little Chucky and Muffy and their affluent parents who pay the bills.

While the Revolution do not have the Damoclean threat of relegation hanging over their collective heads, it does seem time to begin to think and play for the future. With a small core of players to build on, what more can be expected of the season but to try various combinations and make every effort to retain those who seem to have an upside.

And now, with the combination of MLS scheduling and Irene interference, we are at a kind of ersatz close season where the future can usefully be weighed. Hopefully, those in charge will use this opportunity usefully.

Rookie midfielder Stephen McCarthy is a thoroughbred in terms of the development system in the States. Born in Hawaii, he played youth soccer with the Dallas Texans and subsequently with the DFW Tornados and Carolina Dynamo. He played college soccer for Santa Clara and North Carolina, two of the very, very best programs in the States.

With his height, 6’, 4” and his distinctive semi-mullet, he is highly visible in the middle of the park for the Revolution. I caught up with him after a recent training session.

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JIM: This is your first season as a pro and if this were college the season would be long past, how has that affected you, what do you do to maintain or build on what you have experienced?

STEPHEN: Yeah, it’s crazy. The college season is about to start and it will be ending about the same time as ours (in MLS). It is definitely long and as a rookie it is tough to stay mentally in it, so I think most importantly I try to stay mentally in shape by focusing on each week (and) the weekend and trying to gauge my weeks towards the games instead of stopping thinking about it. But then physically, it is also taking a toll because everyone has got some knocks by now but you just have to (take) ice baths and towards (the end of) the week (get) massages, things like massages and stuff that we didn’t have in college and so it is nice to have something that you can really get your legs back and that really helps.

JIM: One thing that people often mention when they come out of college and turn pro is that suddenly your days are empty, you aren’t going to class, your lives are now your own and, in some ways, that makes it harder to concentrate.

STEPHEN: Yes, that can definitely be true…

JIM: Not that you are out boogying all the time…

STEPHEN: Yeah, you know you do have a lot of free time and you have to use it the right way. You can’t be out on your feet doing things each day, you have to rest and eat right and take care of yourself and it can be tough without anyone telling you what to do.

JIM: Michael Parkhurst once told me that his first year he was chewed out for taking long walks in the parking lot of the hotel.

STEPHEN: Yeah, it will do that; I guess it will get you (laughing)…

JIM: Without referring to height too much, I would imagine that squashing in a plane, they aren’t flying you in first class, right?

STEPHEN: No, sometimes I get the window, or emergency exit row, which is nice…

JIM: Sometimes…

STEPHEN: Sometimes (but) planes don’t really bother me I could fall asleep while travelling really almost anywhere, so I like to just kick back and pass out.

JIM: So, in terms of the difference between playing here and playing in college obviously there is speed of play and all those kinds of things, what have been some of the surprises for you versus some of the things that seem to be effortless in transition?

STEPHEN: I think it is all the mental changes that you don’t really think about much until you are at this level that you really have to worry about your position a lot while maybe in college you can let that slide a little, be out of position a couple of times but you really can’t here so it is constantly thinking am I in the right position, do I need to get closer to whoever and am I in the right spots. Otherwise it isn’t that much different of a game, you’ve played it and you know that you have the touch and everything but it really is trying to get yourself positionally, and in the right spots and in the right shape.

JIM: And thinking about reading the game as well as your teammates. When you were in college, at UNC, you played with some players for four years, now with some players, you’ve only been playing for a few months and, as with Milton (Caraglio) and other new players, only for a couple of games. So how do you build on that in learning how to read one another?

STEPHEN: It is tough, especially in this league where players are in and out every week, so you really have to take the training sessions as if they are games and really try to learn as much as you can (each and) every day. (For example) Milton did something today where he back footed it to me and I had no idea that it was coming but then I remembered, don’t forget that in a game, if it comes to him he’ll probably do something like that, you just have to really think and be focused throughout the week, like I said.

JIM: I notice, coming to training fairly regularly, that you guys play a lot of games in training, that is to say sometimes an hour or more out of the 90-plus minutes that you are usually out there. Is part of the reason for that so that everybody has to trot out every move to everyone under all sorts of circumstances?

STEPHEN: Yes, I definitely think so, especially on this team it is mostly games, small-sided or it’s a little larger games (depending), you gotta do it, I guess, to learn how to read each other.

JIM: Well, I mean you think about gridiron football where they stop every ten seconds and plan it, you are playing a game as complicated, there are as many people and options on the field and you’re not stopping, so I would presume that the only way that you learn one another’s moves and tendencies, the only way, is just by playing.

STEPHEN: Yes, definitely, I think (that) Stevie too is a coach that likes to let players play, and he doesn’t really want to give a hard, set plan, he really wants players to figure it out on their own. He likes players that can do that and I think you really learn that in practice; that you have to figure it out for yourself.

JIM: Coming up as a younger player and now, as a professional, are there players that you model yourself after? Are there players that you think about whose qualities and style are ones that you would emulate?

STEPHEN: Yes, of course.

JIM: And, of course, there are heroes and then there are people that you copy.

STEPHEN: Yeah, I mean there are heroes that I have that I watch You Tube videos of and then there’s Shalrie and Benny that I look at in practice and say I want to try and be more like both of them.

JIM: And who would be the ones you watch on YouTube?

STEPHEN: Stephen Gerrard, (Patrick) Vieira…

JIM: The usual midfield suspects? But, and here we go back to height, are there any particular players in terms of height, that you look at and try to emulate, I mean, Peter Crouch would make no sense, he’s a forward, you are a midfielder.

STEPHEN: I still love to watch Peter Crouch, I mean anyone who is taller, and skinnier, gives me hope that I can be as good as them, Zlatan (Ibrhimovic), Peter Crouch, Patrick Vieira, I love watching videos just to see how their bodies move, to try to learn how to do what they do.

JIM: Do you do any lifting, are you thinking of adding weight?

STEPHEN: I’ve always tried to in the past, for years, but I’ve kind of accepted that I can’t put too much weight on so I have to just learn how to play as I am.

JIM: Because it would slow you down, or that you literally can’t put weight on?

STEPHEN: I literally cannot put weight on…

JIM: Man you should sell whatever you’ve got, you could make millions…

STEPHEN: I wish man, I wish.

Neste jogo até o Revolution começou bastante melhor do que a equipa da casa, leader da sua zona era de esperar melhor.

E foi com a ajuda de Kevin Alston que a equipa da casa consegui chegar ao empate, esteve numa tarde infeliz este lateral direito, que até aqui tem sido dos menos maus desta equipa comandada por Steve Nicol.

Com algumas perdidas flagrantes o Revolution mesmo assim consegui chegar ao intervalo na frente do marcador. A equipa da casa aos poucos foi sacundindo a pressão que os forasteiros foram inpondo no iniçio do jogo e aos 25 minutos de jogo Robbie Rogers obrigou Matt Reis a boa defesa. Na resposta Benny Feilhaber cruza atrazado para Zack Schilawski rematar forte para defesa apertada de William Hesmer.

Mas na resposta Matt Reis vai fazer a que foi a defesa da tarde, Justin Meram cruza para a area e o central Chad Marsall de cabeça reamata para a defesa da tarde.
O jogo era de parada e resposta, e foi já em çima dos 45 minutos que o Revolution abri o ativo,boa troca de bola entre Pat Phelan e Benny Feilhaber com este a rematar forte e colocado fora do alcançe de William Hesmer. Estava feito o primeiro golo do jogo, e veio numa boa altura, não fosse qualquer altura boa para marcar um golo, mas mesmo já perto da ida para o descanso nada melhor do que ir na frente do marcador.

Não seria justo dizer que este era um resultado justo, nada disso, porque a equipa da casa aos poucos foi equilibrando o jogo e a partir dos 15 minutos o jogo foi repartido, não havendo grandes oportunidades de golo para ambos os conjuntos. Mas tambem não ficava mal este resultado ao Revolution, porque durante toda esta temporada e em vários jogos tem sido ao contrário, em que o Revolution tem sido melhor e tem ido para o descanso a perder.

O segundo tempo começou com a equipa da casa a correr atráz do prejuizo, e não queria perder o primeiro lugar na classificação, e era preçiso marcar o mais depressa possivel, para não dar mais confiança ao Revolution.

Mas só com a infeleçidade do defesa Kevin Alston a equipa da casa chegou ao empate, era decorridos 54 minutos de jogo quando Andres Mendoza mete a bola para a area á procura de Robbie Rogers e o defesa do Revolution ao tentar meter a bola por çima da sua baliza mais não fez do que fazer um chapéu de abas bem largas a Matt Reis. A partir do golo o Columbus Crew começou a carregar ainda mais á procura do golo que lhe desse os trez pontos para continuar a comandar a sua zona.

E aos 62 minutos de jogo o central portugues AJ Soares teve nos pés o segundo golo do Revolution, mas fez o mais difiçil, a um metro da baliza este rematou e a bola foi bater na trave e ressaltou para as mãos do guarda redes do Columbus Crew.

E aos poucos a equipa da casa empurrava o Revolution para perto da sua baliza, e aos 75 minutos de jogo e na marcação de um pontapé de canto a equipa da casa adianta-se no marcador.

Canto apontado do lado do esquerdo por Josh Gadner para a frente da baliza e Julius James a saltar mais alto do que toda a defesa do Revolution e a fazer o segundo golo da sua equipa. Pouco depois o treinador do Revolution fez entrar o jovem Diego Fagundez, mas sem ainda ter tocado na bola e já o Columbus Crew “matava” o jogo fazendo o terçeiro golo.

E foi o reçem entrado Emilio Rentaria ao reçeber um passe de Robbie Rogers apareçeu isolado e não se fez rogado rematando para o fundo da baliza, estava feito o terçeiro golo para a equipa da casa.

O Revolution bem que tentou reduzir a desvantagem, mas a falta de sorte foi notória nestes minutos finais,mas foi a equipa da casa que ainda podia ter aumentado a contagem quando Imilio Rentaria parareçeu isolado rematou para boa defesa de Matt Reis. Não mereçia sair deste jogo sem pontos, o Revolution fez tudo para sair do estado do Ohio pelo menos com um ponto, na equipa de Steve Nicol Shalrie Joseph voltou a ser o melhor, acompahado de perto por Benny Feilhaber, que veio a render muito mais quando passou para o çentro do terreno.

Quanto ao argentino Milton Caraglio não esteve nada bem, algo pesado e muito trapalhão, vai ter de jogar muito mais do que isto para condizer com o seu ordenado, pois é o jogador que mais ganha nesta equipa do Revolution. No Columbus Crew, Robbie Rogers sem duvida o seu melhor jogador, Andres Mendoza enquanto jogou deu imenso trabalho á defensiva do Revolution.

Esta semana será uma semana deçissiva para o Revolution chegar aos playoffs, mas para isso terá de vençer os dois jogos.

O Revolution volta a jogar já esta quarta feira frente ao Houston Dynamo pelas 8 horas da noite, e no próximo sábado pelas 7.30 da tarde reçebe o Red Bulls, poderá ver ambos os jogos no Comcast Soccer Net.

By Jim Dow

The last month has offered a series of useful object lessons in the fact that in competitive sports, and in soccer in particular, the degree of similarity in qualitative levels can account for an enormous amount of the enjoyment on offer to the spectator.

A good example might be the following, with names withheld to protect the innocent. A certain WPS team took on a highly placed boys U-16 club side a few years ago and, to a degree, got their heads handed to them. A number of the professionals in question went on to perform admirably in this summer’s Women’s World Cup. From the point of view of sheer entertainment the U.S. Women’s matches were spellbinding and skilful, even if a significant amount of the latter came from certain Brazilian, French and Japanese players.

The fact is, the games were absorbing with an edginess that had previously been missing from women’s soccer and were well worth watching both as contests and as spectacle.

Looking back a number of years, the best MLS game I’ve ever seen was the Revolution/DC United Eastern Conference semifinal in October of 2004. Could the talent level of the two teams involved hold a candle to a bottom third Premier League match played in mid-February mud? No, but who cares, within it’s own relative setting it was as much a classico as Barca/Real or River/Boca. It was, as the Brit commentators like to say, riveting, end-to-end stuff.

Perhaps the most absorbing football match I’ve ever attended, including a World Cup quarterfinal, derbies in London and Buenos Aires and a Libertadores Cup Final, was a promotion battle between then Third Division Huddersfield Town and Newport County in 1983. If Huddersfield could manage a win they would go up into the then heady heights of old Division Two and the crowd was in full Yorkshire voice.

The old Leeds Road ground was a urine-drenched, grim, dark dump that made the urinals at the old Foxboro Stadium seem squeaky clean. The sight lines were terrible, the beer warm and the pies, well the less said the better. Despite the fact that both teams were made up of a combination of cloggers, no-hopers and the odd good player the circumstances brought the best out of all concerned and the entire match was played at a high tempo and with considerable skill.

While I can only attest to the quality through hazy memory the issue really is that the game held me spellbound from the kickoff to final whistle despite the fact that the circumstances were dead against it. On the day the teams had everything to play for and were perfectly matched. It was wonderful to watch.

What made me think of all this was the recent parade of packaged mis-matches during the horrifically bogus World Football Challenge that saw good MLS sides served up like sushi to pre-season walkthroughs by the likes of Man United, Man City and Barcelona. The results were horrific, lop-sided and, more to the point, as uninteresting as baseball on a hot summer’s day, or gridiron football anytime, much, much better for the Revs, for example, to take on Chivas, USA with the debuts of Caraglio and Fagundez.

That said, the beauty of soccer is that unlike other US pro sports, it isn’t a closed shop. Through competitions like the CONCAF Champions League MLS clubs can engage in meaningful competitions that actually provide some kind of significant measurement of progress, or not. The World Football Challenge simply serves to slake the thirst of Euro-posers to go to the stadium in the latest kit of their favorite team. Anything else is just $$$$.

At the same time, spectators don’t have to endlessly tune in to a steady dies of Arsenal/Chelsea/Liverpool/Man C&U in order to see terrifically interesting games. MLS can provide that, presuming that each club is fully committed to make every effort to keep up with the others in competitive terms. Currently, with the Revolution, that is the real challenge.

When Benny Feilhaber dropped into Steve Nicol’s lap everyone wondered how he would be utilized in the present New England set-up. After over half a season, it still isn’t clear. Watching the Brazilian-Californian midfield maestro it is clear that he is one of the most talented, skilled players to ever wear the New England shirt. The question is, will the current administration and personnel be able to take advantage of what he brings to the party. Hopefully, the remaining weeks of the schedule will make it clear, playoffs or no.

I spoke to Benny recently after training.

JIM: One of the things that I’ve noticed watching you play before you came here and now that you are with the Revolution is that you seem to have the ability to anticipate where the ball is going to move on the pitch. You know, in the rest of the world they say that the ball always moves faster than any player, yet here, in MLS it seems that the players seem to outrun the ball. I don’t know if you consider that a fair observation but I’m interested in your feelings about that, is that skill something that grew up with, did you work towards acquiring it?

BENNY: Well, I don’t think it is something that you work towards, I think it is something that you grow up with; I think it is kind of innate. Obviously I was born in Brazil and watched football from a very young age in Brazil, I saw how people played, I played on futsal courts with all my friends, just from looking at the way other people played and playing with those other people, I remember when I was six years old I would play with ten, eleven, twelve year olds, you know, and so I’m not going to be able to run down people like that so you start learning how to do whatever you need to do to get the ball where you want it. I think that definitely had a factor in the way that I play today. I don’t like to keep the ball too long on my feet, (although) sometimes it stays there too long, to be honest…

JIM: Life is like that…

BENNY: Yeah, but it is good to get it off your feet and get moving, and get other players moving for you and then getting it back in better spots, so, yeah, that is kind of the way I’ve always thought about that being the right way to play the game.

JIM: So if the telephone call came tomorrow and a voice says, well the bad news is you aren’t going to be on Klinsman’s team but the good news is that you are going to take over U.S. Soccer, would you take all the academies and put the kids onto the streets and into the salons de futsal?

BENNY: I don’t think the reason why Brazil and Argentina and (other) South American countries have that kind of play(ing) style) is necessarily because there are so many kids playing out on the streets and they kind of learn it in that sense (because) they play so much. If you look at European countries you have plenty of European countries where it isn’t like that, there aren’t a bunch of futsal courts everywhere where people are playing but they still know how to play the game. The Dutch (for example) play toca toca just like all the South American countries, so there are plenty of teams and countries in Europe that play that way, so I think it is a good step, the academies actually in the US, because it really gives (young) players the right tactical sense for the game at an earlier age.

I grew up playing here in YSO from six to eight, then I played on a travel team from eight to ten and then club soccer from ten to eighteen and then played college from eighteen to twenty… and through it all it isn’t that you are guaranteed that you are going to have great coaches all the way, so I mean that is a great step, I think, for creating that kind of tactical sense in U.S. soccer to have those good coaches implemented early on.

JIM: So, without naming names or anything like that do you feel that perhaps in your case you came into the whole pyramid of US Soccer development with a certain advantage of having had this background, this base to build on of a freer approach to the game?

BENNY: I don’t know if I’d call it an advantage, it’s just different than what other people had. People could say that it helped me but people could also say that it was a disadvantage. You could say that there are things that I had to learn more quickly than other guys because of the fact that my mentality wasn’t as such, my mentality at an early age was kind of I want the ball at my feet, I want to play here, play this, I don’t want to run as much and you know the American mentality is to really work hard and fight for the ball and do this and do that, so there are things that helped me but there are also things that I had to overcome, so I think I’ve to some extent kind of taken a little bit from both and that’s kind of the player that I am today.

JIM: It is interesting that you mention that there is this idea that in this country there is this huge emphasis on speed because, on the other hand, if you look at all the great teams around the world that play slowly, they are actually very, very fast.

BENNY: Yes.

JIM: You cannot play slowly, build up carefully, without being fast, in a sense.

BENNY: Yes, I think it is about quickness, I think if you take Brazil, they slow you down, slow you down and all of a sudden there are in with one, quick change of speed and they’re behind you, so you can say the same about all the teams that play like that, Spain, Argentina, all those teams. You know Argentina has got the ball in front of you, in front of you and all of a sudden Messi is running behind you, so it is a methodical way of playing but there definitely speed is a huge part of the game wherever (and however) you play.

JIM: Now, playing in this league and playing with the Revolution and being a player who wants the ball and, in fact, that the ball comes to a great deal, what are some of the strategies that you use in terms of distributing the ball? Do you look for particular combinations? I noticed the other night, against Kansas City, there were a couple of beautiful combinations with Shalrie, really nice triangles, is that something that you are building on here in training, or do you just play it as it lays, so to speak?

BENNY: To be completely honest, I’ve never really, typically, picked anybody out to try and play balls to. If I think one guy is in a better position than another and I try to get him the ball and it is a more dangerous play, then I’m going to go to that guy.

Obviously me and Shalrie kind of know how we like to play, so I think we find each other a good deal in games, I think it is just the way we like to play and we position ourselves and what not so that the ball does start to come from me to him and him to me more than maybe so other guys. But I’m definitely looking for other guys and if I see somebody who is better positioned than Shalrie I’m going to play it to that guy, so… But it was good to link up with him, I think the play that you mentioned with me, him and Rajko where he got that shot off was probably our best play in the (Kansas City) game, to be honest, our best sequence… But for me, the most important part is when I do have the ball that guys (are) making runs and checking for the ball and wanting the ball as well, then I can get the ball to them, hopefully, in dangerous positions.

JIM: There is a general criticism about the Revolution that they don’t appear, and you would know better because you are on the field, to make runs for each other. Everything seems to be reactive, after the fact, so to speak. Is that possibly a question of an extreme emphasis on defense, or is it more a question of not knowing as yet, how to play off and for one another?

BENNY: I think it is a little it of the defensive aspect because if you look at the Kansas City game, for example, the two halves were completely different. In the first half we were trying to play, we played rather well. I think I saw that we had more, just barely, of the possession. I mean we played pretty good football, better than what we had been playing in a while. In the second half, because we had that (one goal) lead I think we kind of thought, OK, we’ve gotten the lead instead of keep playing the same way, we kind of just wanted to hold onto the lead and you know, the further it gets on in he game the less time there is, the more and more we think, we’re that much closer, let’s not take any risks, no chances, so we tend to drop back a little more and that’s not necessarily the right thing to do because the more you drop back, the more the ball is going to be with the other team. But I think it does have that kind of defensive emphasis and that’s why we are dropping back a little bit more and probably has a bit to do with our lack of confidence right now in winning games. We’re trying to do everything we can to win games and just getting guys behind the ball and that’s sometimes not necessarily the best thing to do.

JIM: The surface that you play games on here, in New England versus the surface that you train on here, i.e. good, even grass, versus the surface that you played on in Kansas City, by all accounts a good, natural one, what are your feelings about artificial turf?

BENNY: I’ve never liked artificial turf, but to be completely honest, the turf here is actually one of the best I’ve ever played on. It isn’t like playing on grass, grass is always going to be better than turf, it is more… there’s no funny kicks, funny bounces, your foot doesn’t get stuck, I’d much rather play on grass than turf but this turf is actually something that hasn’t given me any problems, it is actually a really good surface.

I trained a lot in Denmark on that kind of surface but it was much, much worse than the field here and I had problems consistently with ankle injuries and knee injuries and all that stuff and here I don’t get that stuff. Playing on it once a week isn’t as bad as it sounds, I guess, it’s nice that we get to train on grass and then…

JIM: What if they just put this training surface on a tray and just rolled it in?

BENNY: Yeah, well it would be too spongy then (laughing).

JIM: Do you prefer being in the middle or on the outside and roaming? It seems like you do both very well but I’m curious which you prefer?

BENNY: Well my natural position has always been center mid, I think I’d rather play center mid for most teams, when it comes to playing on the left I’m also really comfortable because I’ve played so much here, with my Danish team, on the National Team, so I’m used to playing on the left. The only thing that is frustrating for me sometimes is when you are on the left and you don’t get the ball as much as you would like and then what happens is, I tend to come inside too much because I want to try and find the ball and then there’s no one on the left, so just that urge to want to get the ball draws me inside and sometimes that’s not what is best for my team. I’m comfortable playing on both (sides).

JIM: With all due respect, there should be this little sign that says, “Give Benny the ball…”

BENNY: I don’t know about that, I think that you can’t help a team playing individually…

JIM: No, no, I mean in the sense, as they say in football, going through you…

BENNY: I think that there are several guys that can make plays on this team, you definitely cannot have the mindset to go through any one player, whether it’s me, Shalrie, Rajko, whoever, it doesn’t matter who it is, you can’t go through one player, it is always, I think, in everybody’s head, you know the guys that can make this pass or that pass, and obviously, you want to get the balls to those guys but you need everybody doing their part and that includes everybody making the passes that they have to make, getting the ball when they have to, making the runs when they have to make them, or else it doesn’t work, you definitely can’t do it with two, three, four guys.

JIM: You have played here, you’ve played in Denmark, in England, you’ve played for the National Team, how would you characterize not so much the level of MLS but the style. Or is there a style?

BENNY: Out of everywhere I’ve played their style is most similar to the Premier League, it isn’t as physical, and not as technical and not as tactical being that the Premier League is the best league in the world… but it is the one that it is the most similar to, you know Germany and Denmark are very similar (to one another) in the sense that there is more of a slower pace, it is more of a possession oriented (style) while the Premier League is very direct, don’t get me wrong, there is possession in the Premier League but there is a very objective (intent) let’s get the ball and get it up, get a cross and put it in the box and it is similar to the MLS style where people want to hold on to the ball but they (also) want to get to the goal fast.

So it is more of a direct (style) and especially the way that we tend to play, our team here, you know Stevie wants to get us going in the right direction, getting balls in the box, getting headers and that is similar to the Premier League.

Só não foi melhor estreia foi porque o Revolution sai derrotado deste jogo, Diego Fagundez, este jovem de 16 anos entrou quando faltava pouco mais de 20 minutos para se jogar, marcou um golo e esteve no penalty que resultou do primeiro golo da sua equipa.

Tem tudo para ser um “grande” jogador, tem dois bons pés, é rapido, e tem uma mentalidade que faz inveja a muitos adultos, este jovem tem futuro no futebol.

Mas vamos ao jogo em si, as duas equipa entraram em campo com o mesmo despositivo tático, isto é num classico 4x4x2, por isso não foi de admirar que cause toda a primeira parte fosse jogada a meio campo, e as oportunidades de golo foram poucas ou nenhumas. Mas na primeira oportunidade os forasteiros marcaram,bola metida da direita do ataque do Chivas em Nick LaBrocca, com este a meter para a frente da baliza e Alejandro Moreno a ser mais rápido do que todos o jogadores do Revolution e a desviar para o fundo da baliza.

Estavam decorridos 31 minutos de jogo, mesmo com mais posse de bola os forasteiros pouco ou nada tinham feito para mereçeram este golo, mas o veterano guarda redes do Revolution não fica isento de culpas no golo, pois foi pouco lento a atacar a bola. Pouco mais a acresçentar aos primeiros 45 minutos, o Chivas USA foi para o descanso na frente do marcador, mas o Revolution não mereçia estar a perder ao intervalo, não por ter sido melhor, mas por o que as duas equipa fizeram o empate ao intervalo seria o resultado mais justo.

No iniçio do segundo tempo foi o Revolution que esteve mais perto do empate, quando num cruzamento de Benny Feilhaber, com o ponta de lança do Revolution o estreante Milton Caraglio de cabeça rematou muito perto do poste esquerdo da baliza á guarda de Dan Kennedey.

Pouco depois foi a vez de Shalrie Joseph por á prova o guarda redes do Chivas, quando num remate de cabeça o guarda redes defendeu mesmo em çima do risco do golo com uma grande defesa. E como quem não marca acaba sempre por sofrer,e o Revolution acabou por sofrer o segundo golo num contra ataque rápido.

Bola metida em Nick LaBrocca com este a rematar mas a bola bateu em Darrius Barnes, mas a bola ressaltou para o mesmo Nick LaBrocca e á segunda foi de vez, na recarga Nick LaBrocca rematou e a bola só parou no fundo da baliza de Matt Reis.

Com este golo Steve Nicol fez entrar Kenny Manssaly e o jovem de 16 anos Diego Fagundez, e ai o Revolution teve em Diego Fafundez o homem do jogo. E poucos minutos depoi de ter entrado Fagundez começou a dar imenso trabalho á defensiva contrária.

E foi numa jogada de Diego Fagundez e quando este passou por Michael Umana foi derrobado e o árbitro peremtório mandou marcar grande penalidade, que Shalrie Joseph transformou no primeiro golo do Revolution. E a partir dai o Revolution criava oportunidade atráz de opotunidade, mas por alguma falta de eficáçia,e por outra encontravam sempre o guarda redes Dan Kennedy que fez uma exçelente partida.

E quando tudo fazia prever que o Revolution ia chegar ao empate eis que os forasteiros aumentem a contagem. Aos 80 o Chivas “matou” o jogo, quando numa jogada de insistençia Alejandro Moreno apareçeu isolado frente a Matt Reis e rematou colocado e fez o terçeiro golo da sua equipa.

Mas o Revolution não baixou os braços, e ia chegar ao segundo golo, quando Kevin Alston meteu a bola para a entrada da area para Diego Fagundez com este a passar por um adeversário e a rematar colocado fora do alcançe de Dan Kennedy.

Estava feito o resultado final, mas o revolution nos ultimos instantes da partida teve oportunidades para vençer este jogo, mas é preçiso jogar todo o jogo com a mesma intensidade com que o Revolution jogou os ultimos 20 minutos.

No Revolution a estreia de dois jogadores, um que veio do Rosário Central da Argentina, Milton Caraglio, sabe jogar mas tem uns kilos a mais, vamos lhe dar tempo para poder treinar com os seus novos colegas. Mas a revelação deste jogo foi sem duvida o jovem de 16 anos Diego Fagundez, chegou viu e marcou um golo e a falta do penalty foi cometida sobre ele, este jovem tem futebol para jogar de caras a titular deste equipa do Revolution.

No proximo sabado o Revolution joga em Columbus, Ohio e vai defrontar o Columbus Crew, pela 7.30 da tarde e podera ver este jogo no Comcast Soccer Net

Resultado mais do que justo, o que não foi justo foi como aconteçeu o golo do empate para a equipa da casa, e foi só quando o Revolution ficou reduzido a dez unidades que o Sporting Kansas City consegui o empate.

As oportunidades repartiram-se pelos dois conjuntos, mas umas vezes os guarda redes se impunham, por outras foram os atacantes que não açertavam com a baliza.

O Revolution cause fez mais uma supresa neste que foi o seu terçeiro jogo consocutivo fora de portas, e foram estes jogos os mais produtivos desta tão fraca temporada, nada menos do que 4 pontos nestes trez jogos fora de casa.

Talvez ainda venha a tempo de se remediar de uma tão mau iniçio de época, mas como o ditado antigo diz, quando a esmola e grande até os santos desconfiam, e eu continuo a não acreditar neste plantel do Revolution. Mas a ver vamos, e no próximo encontro em casa, o Revolution vai ter de provar que estes trez jogos não foram só por mero acaso que conseguiram bons resultados.

Houve só uma alteração relativo ao ultimo jogo do Revolution em Colorado, foi a saida de Chris Tierney por castigo, Darrius Barnes sai do çentro da defesa para o lado esquerdo, e Franco Coria tomou o lugar de defesa central.

E foi o Revolution o primeiro a dar sinal de perigo, quando numa troca de bola entre Rajko Lekic e Shalrie Joseph, com este a rematar muito perto da baliza á guarda de Jimmy Nielsen.

Mas na resposta a equipa da casa cause marcava, jogada rápida de contra ataque com a bola metida nas costas da defesa do Revolution e com JP Sapong a testar a atenção de Matt Reis que fez uma boa defesa para canto. E como nada vai de feição a esta equipa do Revolution, aos 34 minutos Steve Nicol foi obrigado a proçeder a uma alteração quando Stephen McCarthy cai mal e se magou num ombro o que o empedi de continuar em campo.

E com a entrada de Kenny Manssaly para o meio campo do Revolution ganhou mais agressividade,e mais rapidez, pois este jogador e muito mais rápido e mais agressivo no bom termo da palavra.

E aos 38 minutos de jogo o Revolution passa para a frente no marcador, quando de uma reposição em jogo por parte de Matt Reis com a bola ir até aos pés do dinamarques Rajko Lekic, com este a desembaraçar-se de um defesa e a rematar colocado fora do alcançe do sueco Jimmy Nielsen.

Estava feito o primeiro golo da partida, faltava saber se o Revolution ia conseguir mais um resultado positivo, porque a partir deste golo os donos da casa como feridos do seu orgulho partiram á procura do golo da igualdade. Mas chegariamos ao intervalo com os visitantes na frente do marcador, foi uma primeira parte bem jogada por ambos os conjuntos, mas foi a equipa que teve um avançado mais inspirado que chegou ao golo.

Na segunda metade assisti-se a mais pressão por parte da euqipa da casa, que tinha que fazer pela vida, neste caso pelo o resultado, e teve que ir á procura do golo do empate, o que só veio a aconteçer já muito perto do apito final.

Não foi o empate com que o jogo terminou que mais ficamos desiludidos, mas sim como o golo aconteçeu, a bola foi metida nas costas do central portugues AJ Soares, para Omar Bravo e quando AJ Soares fez o carrinho desviou a bola para longe e depois sim se deu o inivitavel contato com o avançado da equipa da casa. O árbitro apitou para marcar o respetivo livre e mostrou o cartão vermelho direto ao central do Revolution, muito mals esteve o arbitro neste lance. Reduzido a dez jogadores e com oito minutos e mais os descontos para se jogar restava ao Revolution fazer das tripas coração e defender com unhadas e dentes este resultado.

Mas a pressão foi aumentando, e aos poucos o Revolution defendia mais perto da sua baliza, e como o ditado antigo diz, agua mole em pedra dura tanto bate que atá que fura, e furou mesmo. E eram decorridos 89 minutos de jogo e a equipa da casa chega á igualdade, bola metida para a area do Revolution e perante tantos jogadores o avançado Teal Bunbury foi mais lesto com este rematar para o fundo da baliza á guarda de Matt Reis.

Estava feito o resultado final, resultado justo mas com um sabor amargo para as hostes do Revolution, que acreditamos que se o Revolution tive-se chegado ao fim do jogo com o seu onze, o Sporting Kansas City não teria chegado á igualdade. Quanto ao juiz da partida errou na marcação do livre e o respetivo cartão vermelho a AJ Soares, mas mesmo assim teve trabalho positivo, não fosse este erro teria feito uma arbitragem de grande nivel.

No próximo sabado o Revolution reçebe a vesita do Chivas USA pelas 7.30 da tarde e poderá ver este jogo no canal de televisão Comcast Soccer Net.

Foi um jogo em que o Revolution teve uma eficácia de 100 por cento, dois remates dois golos, o que não acontece em todos os jogos.

Em muitos jogos remata-se muito e não se consegue fazer golos, joga-se muito e não se consegue qualquer ponto, mas continuo a dizer que mais vale jogar mal e ganhar, do que jogar bem e perder, mas quem joga bem está sempre mais perto de ganhar.

Mas foi um semana produtiva para o Revolution que na passada quarta feira foi até á capital e derrotou o DC United por 1-0, foi a primeira vitória fora de portas dos comandados de Steve Nicol.

Mas vamos ao jogo deste fim de semana, não era um jogo façil, não senhor, era uma vezita ao estádio do campeão em titulo,e é sempre um jogo muito difiçil, é que o Revolution já não vençe neste estádio á cinco anos. Mas foi os donos da casa que controlaram cause todo o jogo,e poucas foram as vezes que o Revolution criou situações de perigo perto da baliza de Matt Pickens.

Mas no primeiro remate o Revolution adiantou-se no marcador,lançamento longo de linha lateral por Kevin Alston, com a bola ir até Stephen McCarthy, com este a desviar para a frente da baliza e ai apareçeu Benny Feilhaber a desviar para o fundo da baliza.

Estavam decorridos 25 minutos de jogo, com a equipa da casa a ter de ir atráz do prejuizo, porque até então o jogo tinha sido cause todo jogado ne meio campo, com os dois conjunto a encaixair bem um no outro.Mas aos poucos o Colorado começava a empurrar o Revolution para mais perto da sua area, e não fosse o veterano guarda redes Matt Reis o resultado ao intervalo podia muito bem ser favoravél á equipa da casa.

No segundo tempo,e com algumas alterações operadas por parte do Colorado, prinçipalmento com a entrada de Omar Cummings para o lugar de Wells Thompson,a equipa da casa começou a criar várias jogadas com prinçipio meio e fim.

Mas era um dos dois irmãos gemeos,em campo que começava a dar nas vistas, estamos a falar dos irmãos Nyassi, Sanna Nyassi começou a ser um dores de cabeça para a defensiva do Revolution. E foi de uma fugida de Sanna Nyassi que nasçeu o golo do empate, quando este se preparava para rematar eis que apareçe Chris Tiernya desviar a bola para longe,e Sanna Nyassi a bater com o pontapé na perna do defesa do Revolution, e o árbitro assinala a marca de grande penalidade e o respetivo cartão vermelho ao defensor do Revolution.

Caleb Folan chamado a marcar,não perdouo, e restabeleçeu a igualdade no marcador, com alguma justica diga-se de passagem, mas com um tremendo erro do juiz da partida, foi o jogador do Colorado Rapids que bateu com o seu pontapé na perna de Chris Tierny.
Mas não foi de ademirar que a equipa da casa desse a cambalhota no marcador, o que foi supresa foi da maneira incrivel que aconteçeu o segundo golo do Colorado Rapids.

Foi o defesa lateral direito Kosure Kimura a fazer o segundo golo do jogo, eram decorridos 65 minutos de jogo, quando este á saida da sua area faz um balão para a area do Revolution e quando Matt Reis vai ao encontro da bola esta passa por çima da das mãos do guarda redes do Revolution, foi como se diz na giria, um monumental “frango”

E o Revolution em desvantagem no marcador, e reduzido a 10 unidades ia ser muito difiçil chegar pelo menos á igualdade, mas logo de seguida Steve Nicol fez uma alteração que lhe veio dar o golo da igualdade, foi a saida do dinamarques Rajko Lekic e a entrada de Kenny Manssaly.

E já foi no cair do pano enum contra ataque rápido do Revolution que a equipa visitante chegaria ao empate, troca de bola entre Benny Feilhaber e Shalrie Joseph com este a meter para area e Kenny Manssaly a ser durrubado e o árbitro a assinalar a respetiva grande penalidade.

Chamado a marcar o capitão do Revolution Shalrie Joseph não derperdiçou a oportunidade de igualar a contenda, e foi assim dois remates dois golos, e um ponto na bagagem para Foxboro. Esta semana foi a melhor para esta equipa do Revolution, 4 pontos em dois jogos fora de casa, foi coisa que ainda esta temporada o Revolution não tinha conseguido, mas foi dois resultados muito melhor do que as exibições.

No Revolution os melhores são sempre os mesmos, na baliza Matt Reis teve um falha impordoavel, mas foi mesmo assim o melhor do Revolution, seguido de perto por Shalrie Joseph e o brasileiro Benny Feilhaber, e Kenny Massaly no pouco tempo que estev em campo fez muito mais do que o ponta de lança Rajko Lekic, que quanto a nos não tem lugar neste tão fraco Revolution.

Na equipa da casa, o capitão Pablo Mastroeni foi um mouro de trabalho, bem acompalhado de perto por Jeff Larentowicz, o ex Revolution continua a ser o baluarte defensivo desta equipa, mas o melhor em campo foi mesmo o africano Sanna Nyassi.

No próximo sábado pelas 8.30 da noite o Revolution vai defrontar o Sporting Kansas City e poderá ver este jogo no Comcast Soccer Net

Sem dúvida que a equipa visitante foi sempre superior em todos os aspetos do que a equipa do Revolution, teve mais posse de bola, trocou melhor a bola, e como o resultado mostra fez trez golos, e podia ter feito mais um ou dois.

É que nos primeiros 45 minutos a equipa da casa não fez um único remate á baliza, não conseguiram fazer quatro passes consecutivos, mau demais para ser verdade.

E não foi preçiso esperar muito tempo para que os visitantes chegassem ao primeiro golo do jogo. Eram decorridos 12 minutos de jogo quando de uma jogada rápida de contra ataque, com Justin Mapp a fazer um cruzamento largo, e do lado contrário Keon Daniel a cabeçear para a frente da baliza e Carlos Ruis com um pontapé acobrático a fazer o primeiro golo da partida.
E diga-se passagem que os visitantes controlavam o jogo, trocando muito bem a bola em toda a largura do campo.

E aos 34 minutos de jogo o segundo golo dos forasteiros, e um golo tirado a papel quimico do primeiro. Livre apontado do lado direito como atacava a equipa visitante, com Danny Califf a meter nas costas da defesa do Revolution, com Sebastien Le Toux a cabeçear para a frente da baliza e o central Carlos Valdez a empurrar para o fundo da baliza á guarda de Matt Reis.

Estava feito o 0-2, resultado que seria muito complicado para o Revolution dar a volta, é que esta temporada os comandados de Steve Nicol depois de estar a perder nunca conseguiram dar a volta ao resultado. Mas logo na jogada seguinte o juiz da partida cometeu o seu único erro de todo o jogo, bola metida em Rajko Lekic e quando este se prepara para rematar é empurrado pelo defesa do Philadelphia Union, penalty que ficou por marcar.

Para a segunda metade Steve Nicol operou duas alterações, as saidas de Frank Coria e Sainey Nyassi, e as entradas de Darrius Barnes e Zack Boggs. E foi Zack Boggs que deu mais vivaçidade ao ataque do Revolution, que logo na primeira vez que tocou na bola fez um cruzamento que Kenny Manssaly rematou muito perto do poste direito da baliza á guarda de Faryd Mondragon.

E aos 54 minutos de jogo a melhor jogada do Revolution, Benny Feilhaber a meter na direita em Zack Boggs com este a cruzar largo e Chris Tierney a rematar sem deixar a bola bater no relvado e a açertar no poste direito da baliza da equipa visitante. E aos 60 minutos de jogo Keon Daniel obriga Matt Reis á defesa da noite, para dois minutos depois o Revolution fica reduzido a dez unidades por expulsão do brasileiro Benny Feilhaber, depois de ter cometido uma falta grosseira acabou por ver o segundo amarelo e o respetivo vermelho.

Se já era difiçil com onze, com dez ainda pior, e a partir do momento em que o Revolution ficou reduzido a 10 jogadores a equipa do Philadelfia Union passou a gerir o resultado.

E aos 78 minutos de jogo não fosse o veterano guarda redes a fazer uma nova exçelente defesa os visitantes podiam ter aumentado a contagem a remate de Gabriel Farfan. E já ao cair do pano a equipa visitante aumentou a contagem, Danny Mwanga ganha uma bola á entrada da sua area mete na frente em Sheanon Williams este a passar pelo central AJ Soares e a rematar fora do alcançe do guarda redes do Revolution.

Se nesta altura já não havia dúvidas quanto ao vençedor , depois do terçeiro golo acabou com qualquer esperança que restava ao rapazes do Revolution.
Resultado çerto, e nunca houve quaisquer duvidas quanto ao vençedor desta partida, muito futebol de um lado, e do outro pouco ou nada se vi, é que este Revolution está neçessitado de uns 7 ou 8 jogadores de qualidade.

No fim da partida fizemos uma pergunta ao treinador Steve Nicol, o que era neçessário para esta equipa melhorar? Caras novas, e está difiçil, porque já tivemos dois ou trez jogadores que estava tudo açertado e á última da hora assinaram para outro clube.

E é já esta quarta feira que o Revolution defronta o DC United pelas 7.30 da noite, e no Sabado pelas 9 horas da noite defronta o campeão em titulo o Colorado Rapids, e poderão ver estes dois jogos no canal de televisão Comcast Soccer Net.

by Jim Dow

Charlie Whitehurst, the quotable Seattle Seahawks quarterback is only one of myriad sports figures to invoke the time-honored dictum, “You can’t fire the players at this level…” but then he went on to say, “It was amazing how good we were. I had forgotten how good we could be, because it had gotten so bad.”

Could we attribute the latter to Shalrie Joseph or Matt Reis, except I seriously doubt if either of them have forgotten… Should the current coaching staff be let go? If so, who would make the decisions, and control the purse strings to fund good, or even adequate replacements? With the season barely half done, is there any reason to believe that things might get better, either this season, or the next?

When things get really bad, and currently in Revsland things are really, really bad, some people turn to religion, others to drink or other forms of iniquity and while I, too, seek solace in the usurious eleven dollar beers, I also like to look for some kind of intellectual corroboration, specifically for quotations from others that might shed perspective on whatever it is that seems to be oppressive and terminal which, at present, is the dire situation that the New England Revolution find themselves in.

Consider these two observations, made some 250 years apart by a smart businessman and a an intellectual for the ages.

“Measure nine times and cut once.” Robert Kraft – Investor/Operator of the New England Revolution.

“He who waits to do a great deal of good at once will never do anything.” Dr. Samuel Johnson – Eighteenth century English author, poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer.

Interestingly, Johnson also remarked that the way to “Hell is paved with good intentions. ” as well as, “In order that all men may be taught to speak truth, it is necessary that all likewise should learn to hear it.”

Well, the current ownership of the New England Revolution may, indeed, want the team to succeed, even thrive but on the surface of it they have demonstrated that either they don’t understand what they are involved in or, worse, don’t care. Regardless, from the fan’s perspective, truly, “… hope is necessary in every condition (Johnson).” And, right now, there is little or none of it in supply.

Johnson also opined, “I am a great friend to public amusements, for they keep people from vice.” It would be interesting to know if the management and ownership of the New England Revolution see that as an aspect of their role, particularly at the Fort end of the field.

At the present moment many longtime fans of the team are in the deepest of funks, however, in the grand scheme of things, other teams, in other places, have it far, far worse. Consider River Plate, the storied Buenos Aires club just relegated to the Argentine National “B” (second) division for the first time in their history. What awaits Los Millionarios for the foreseeable future makes New England’s currently dismal season seem like child’s play. The only sports comparison in this country would be the appalling destruction of the Dodgers by the infantile, idiotic, squabbling McCourts, although that debacle seems more the result of hubris, not systemic corruption.

While most of the fans of the Fort would happily grill a few TeamOps upper operatives in the pregame BBQ in the parking lot and serve them up with the kind of sauces reserved for the mystery meat that cheap college catering concerns offer, their frustrations are sweetness and light relative to what the fans of Las Gallinas are currently feeling. Plus Foxborough’s finest have yet to use tear gas, truncheons, water cannons and rubber bullets on the customers.

Through a combination of completely cynical, blatantly corrupt maneuvers the team that gave such players as Cannigia, Francescoli, Passarella and Salas to the world will be soon taking busses to ports of call like Corrientes, Parana and Quilmes for at least a season or two. On the other hand, regardless of what happens this year, the management of the Revolution are secure in the knowledge that they will play at MLS level the next season and the next and the next and so on. Perhaps the lack of such pressure constitutes the reverse of another of Dr. Johnson’s dictums, “Depend upon it, Sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.” The threat of the drop to playing in the likes of Ludlow might do wonders to concentrate New England’s ownership on what is required to be competitive in MLS these days.

The Krafts themselves are certainly not corrupt, nor cynical or evil and they don’t lack the ability to concentrate on matters but they are seemingly unaware, perhaps to the point of being willfully so, of what a proper football franchise, er, club, is all about, at least in the eyes of the team’s hard core fans who wish, above all, to be part of a broader, more idiosyncratic football culture, as different from Patriot Nation as the lunar landscape.

Jibes aside, in the global world of contemporary communications where one can follow Dimitar Berbabtov’s every pirouette up close and personally, including on Twitter there are many options to live football poorly played in a suburban wasteland and, to a great extent, those have been opted for in increasing numbers since the supposed golden days of great attendance to watch what passed for football in the mid and late 1990’s.

Those empty seats in the Morgue are mirrored by filled recliners in front of Fox Soccer Channel, Gol TV, ESPN and the like and their occupants are not coming back until there is demonstrably better quality on display in the man mall’s biggest shop window.

The question now begging is this: as currently constituted and going forward, do the New England Revolution have a viable place at the competitive table in a league that is evolving and changing at a considerable clip? And, behind such a question lingers another, more important one; does the present ownership have the necessary combination of ambition, wherewithal and nous to contribute to making this possible?

Scarily prescient, the great essayist also advised, “whatever you have, spend less.” Might he be consulting at Foxborough from beyond the grave?

If the 20th slot in MLS is, potentially, worth up to $100 million, does it make sense at this point for the Kraft family to sell off an already existing team pads, balls, players, coaches and all to the highest bidder? Could the New England Revolution become the Minneapolis Thumpers, the San Antonio Strikers or, perish the thought, the New York Cosmos next season? If I was tending Poppa K’s books, despite an infusion of ready cash from spurious friendlies against laudable champions, I’d be inclined to advise calling it a wash, park the moving vans where the Spain and ManU busses pulled up and start scheduling truck pulls, Tom Tom & Giselle fashion shows and blue hair and tweener concerts for summer 2012.

This, of course, doesn’t bear thinking about but such apocalyptical musings were in mind when I met a die-hard River Plate fan named Alvaro at a Cinco de Mayo party few weeks ago. While his team hadn’t officially gone down at the time he was full of foreboding about the prospect and my own sense of dread about the way things were moving forward for the Revos bonded us and led to a long conversation.

As football fans do when they first encounter each other we exchanged information and recollections to test our mutual soccer cred. After satisfying my new friend that I was sufficiently knowledgeable about futbol, I asked him if he ever went to Revolution games. In retrospect his answer might offer a useful perspective on the controversy regarding what constitutes appropriate conduct within the confines of Gillette Stadium.

He said that he won’t go to a game in the States, not because of the quality of the football itself, which he feels is unquestionably on the rise but because of a broader cultural issue, a condition he referred to as “alegria programada,” which translates to “programmed happiness.”

In a later e-mail he described an experience that he had when attending Harvard Business School where, on a group junket to Philadelphia, he and his classmates were sent detailed e-mail instructions before coming together in the evening to undergo a planned bonding ritual.

“At 9.30 pm we (were instructed to) gather in a bar and drink beers. At 10.00 pm we would then move to another bar, 2 blocks from the first one, and have more beers. At 10.25 pm we would then move to a third bar, right besides the first one, and drink more beers. The list went to 8 bars or so. Then, at 1 am, we would all take our pants off and, in underwear, walk down Walnut Street in Philadelphia, laughing and shouting (in what was known as) THE WALNUT WALK .

I was shocked by the level of detail; I had arrived in the US less than 6 months before getting that email, and could not believe such organization for a night of beers with friends.

Lots of what if… a. What if the bar you are in is pretty good and you do not need to go to the next one? b. What if instead of a night of fun and alcohol, you end up being depressed and needing friends around you? (“pinto bajon” as we say in Buenos Aires) Would you know that in advance, isn’t it the first beer the one that decides your fate that night?

Is it possible to plan a night with friends? Do you really need to have a program for having fun at age 28? Granted, I had the option of not attending the event, but it was a shock that ended up being a tangible and real example of one of the elements that, in my humble opinion, may define (the) American way of living (I have lived in Argentina, Paraguay, Spain, Switzerland and the US)…”

Re-reading this e-mail from Alvaro in light of the current culture clash at the stadium, I began to wonder if the idea of “programmed happiness” somehow doesn’t define the difference between the folks who complain and want to regulate the chaotic, unpredictable behavior in the Fort and those who choose to sing, shout, curse, jump up and down, wave flags, hold scarves over their heads and generally act out and up. There is no clear script as to what might happen behind the North goal on a given night, events are generally dictated by the course of the game, the consumption of beers (again, Alvaro, “isn’t it the first beer the one that decides your fate that night?) plus the particular cast of characters that happen to show up. Going into the stadium nobody knows what might happen and certainly nobody wants to respond to flashing instructions to “make noise,” or choose to behave in any sort of organized, predictable way, It doesn’t matter how many moms or kids are in close proximity, or if David Beckham is playing, for the crowd in the Fort, to quote Alvaro one last time, “at the end of the day, happiness is a subjective thing, and can be achieved via multiple routes.”

Can a stadium as large as Gillette allow for the possibilities such diversity implies? Is it possible for the unpredictability and unfairness of football to be reflected in the stands? Does the purchase of a ticket to a New England Revolution match have to have a guarantee of alegria programada for all concerned printed on the back?

Or, to end with the wisdom of Dr. Johnson… “Few things are impossible to diligence and skill. Great works are performed not by strength, but perseverance.” And, to put a fine point on it…”The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken.”

More soon, after and related to ManU.

Depois de um exçelente jogo na passada semana o Revolution voltou a caducar, jogando só nos primeiros 45 minutos. E até começou bastante bem a equipa comandada por Steve Nicol, que logo no primeiro remate á baliza fez o seu unico golo da partida.

Eram decorridos 3 minutos de jogo quando de um remate de Shalrie Joseph um defesa desviou a bola para canto. Canto este apontado por Benny Feilhaber para a entrada da area para o remate de primeira de Sainey Nyassi e a bola só parou no fundo da baliza de Casey Keller.

Entrava bem a equipa do Revolution, marcar çedo ia lhe dar alento para o resto da partida, e aos 10 minutos de jogo novamento Sainey Nyassi foge pela direita do seu ataque remata forte para boa defesa de Casey Keller para canto.

Mas aos poucos a equipa da casa foi sacudindo a pressão da equipa visitante, e aos vinte minutos a equipa da casa criou perigo perto da baliza de Matt Reis com este a desviar a pontapé para longe da sua baliza. Mas aos 30 minutos o Seatle Sounders chegava mesmo ao empate, falta cometida á entrada da area por Ryan Chochrane, chamado a marcar o livre o defesa lateral esquerdo Tyson Wahl, o remate foi de tal maneira colocado que deixou Matt Reis pregado ao relvado.

Estava feito o empate, e pouco depois o Seattle Sounders dava a cambalhota no marcador, jogada rápida do ataque da equipa da casa, com Mauro Rosales a meter em Alvaro Fernandez e este a rematar cruzado fazendo o segundo golo da equipoa da casa. Diga-se de passagem que o veterano guarda redes do Revolution foi muito mal batido, podia e devia ter feito muito melhor.

Mas na resposta o Revolution cause empatava a contenda, Pat Phelan mete a bola em Sainey Nyassi este entra na area remata forte para boa defesa de Casey Keller para canto. Logo de seguida o árbitro mandava toda a gente para o descanso, com a equipa da casa na frente do marcador, era um resultado injusto para os visitantes, mas na alta competição os erros pagam-se caros.

Na segunda metade do jogo só por uma vez o Revolution conseguio assustar o guarda redes Casey Keller e foi já perto do 90 minutos de jogo.

Muito pouco para uma equipa que fez uma exçelente primeira parte, mas o jogo tem 90 minutos, mas pareçe que algun jogadores se esqueçeram disso. Nem mesmo as alterações operadas deram qualquer resultado, as saidas de Sainey Nyassi e Ryan Guy que fez a sua estreia a titular, para as entradas de Kenny Manssaly e Zack Boggs.

E a equipa da casa ia controlando as operações a meio campo, iam trocando a bola fazendo passar os minutos, e pouco ou nada os homens do Revolution faziam para contrariar a situação.

E aos 80 minutos de jogo Steve Nicol fez entrar Zack Schilawski para o lugar do central Ryan Cochrane. Na primeira vez que Zack Schilawski toca na bola fez estremeçer a trave da baliza de Casey Keller, e pouco mais fez esta equipa do Revolution.

Quanto á equipa da casa fez o que lhe competia, averbou os trez pontos em disputa, mas tambem não nos dei indicações de que está melhor do que na epoca anterior, pelo contrário. Quanto ao estreante Ryan Guy nada mostrou durante os sessenta minutos que esteve em campo, Benny Feilhaber voltou ao onze iniçial depois de uma paragem de treze semanas, mas esteve longe de ser o jogador que conheçemos.

Ainda á muito trabalho para fazer com esta equipa do Revolution, é uma equipa que não sabe ter a bola, não consegue fazer mais do que cinco passes consecutivos, e sem bola não se pode ganhar jogos.

O Revolution volta a jogar na segunda feira dia da independençia as 8.30 da noite em Salt Lake City, defrotando o Real Salt Lake, e poderá ver este jogo no canal de televisão ESPN2

Recently a Soccer America article rating the seventeen sites where MLS teams ply their trade placed Gillette Stadium at number seventeen, the absolute bottom of the table.

The capsule justification offered for such an indictment read, “…What is there to say? It’s too big, too far out and burdened by artificial turf. And lately, attendance is no better than in other long-suffering markets.” And, despite a now relatively thriving contiguous mall with actual restaurants serving tasty food and shops jammed with everything from bait to bras, free parking on game days, seating on both sides of the pitch and a number of other improvements, there really isn’t much to offer as a rejoinder.

It is a particularly damning view of Poppa K’s glitzy Patties playpen since when the Revolution were far worse than they are now, playing against raggedy opposition in a legitimate dump in the same far suburban location, surrounded by rutted gravelly, dusty parking lots that one had to pay for, with nothing better on offer food-wise than cinder-burnt sausages and bathrooms that flooded, the New England Revolution drew a significantly larger average number of fans per game than last Saturday night’s fourteen and a half thousand, even if you subtracted padding events like doubleheaders with the U.S. Nats or touring European glitterati.

On the other hand, with the exception of the recent Fort kerfuffle (more on that at another time) in the midst of an edgy, fast-paced relegation battle against the arch-foe Fire, the attitude of those in charge at the stadium has seemingly evolved, albeit slowly, even tortuously to being relatively enlightened; from the plethora of tifo, including banners, flags, pennants and colorful coils of crepe paper in the visitor’s eighteen yard area to smaller touches such as bringing in Bruins stalwart, Rene Rancourt to apply his resonating tonsils to the double anthems on the night of glorious Game 7, when the locals played Toronto. Indeed, it may not be general knowledge that the Revos management tried to change the game date when it became clear that the B’s would be in the penultimate Stanley Cup tilt at the same time, but their opponents on the night refused, so the match went on in front of a few close friends.

All this might be on a back burner somewhere if the team itself were doing well. The significant influx of new players; Coria, Dabo, Domi, Feilhaber, Lekic, Soares to go with proven quality like Joseph, Perovic and Reis and a rejuvenated Kevin Alston has been sent far, far south by injuries, likely for the duration even if a promised DP or two shows up over the long, hot summer. Luck, compounded by possible dollops of misjudgment, has been that bad for Stevie Nicol’s side and the long and short of it is that pretty much everyone in Revland is grumpy, even on a good day and verging on the ballistic on a bad one.

That said, a positive thing to say about the recent goings-on is that if, as reported in at least a couple of instances, the players actually noticed and commented on Saturday’s second half depopulation of the Fort speaks volumes about the connection between the team and its’ fans and offers huge potential going forward, should the crowds swell and the atmosphere amp up, non-electronically, of course.

The completely deserved congratulations currently being showered upon the Stanley Cup champion Bruins offer an interesting case study for the future in Foxborough, or wherever the Revolution may find themselves. Jeremy Jacobs’s lame attempt at a joke to Cam Neely at the speechifying before ascending the Duck Boats stating that the current B’s squad had managed to achieve what the great Number Eight’s teams had not in winning the trophy may have been a blooper of the “measure nine times, cut once” variety but it did serve put things in a useful historical perspective that might apply.

For years and years the Jacobs stewardship of the Bruins was noteworthy for its penurious approach to running a professional sports team. With the legendary Harry Sinden in charge as GM and the owner’s son as VP, the bottom line was of topmost concern, a sort of throwback to the Original Six when players plied their trade for a pittance and, interestingly, the Big Bad Bruins were just plain bad. I know, I went to games then and, indeed, was a season ticket holder when NHL 2.0 became operative as Bobby Orr and Co. hit town and the NHL expanded.

As an aside, after last Saturday’s parade NESN ran a post game interview show from back in the day, where Derek Sanderson, fresh from putting the Rangers to the sword in the 72 Final, stood calmly flicking ashes from his burning cigarette into Lord Stanley’s Cup while admonishing the kiddos not to get into bad habits. Can you imagine the ultimate rink rat from Niagara Falls in the capo stand and with Pie Mackenzie taking over for the second half?

But seriously, what changed the modern-day Bruins from an economically starved bunch barely able to make the playoffs to their current, competitively successful iteration was the insertion of an indefatigable will, a force of nature combined with impeccable credentials as the titular head of hockey. The GM and coach did the heavy lifting day to day but Number Eight set the tone.

As a player, once arrived from Vancouver Cam Neely gave everything he had, including his body, to further the cause of the sweater that bears the spoked B. What let him down, besides his knees and hip, courtesy of dirty checks and grafting in the corners, was the fact that those above him failed to assemble a sufficient team around him, both on and off the ice. When he became consultant and subsequently president he helped to drag the organization into the 21st century with all the force that he used to employ in front of the net. As a result the Bruins now venture into free agency, sign long-term contracts and sport a supporting staff that rivals any.

Exactly how much day-to-day influence Neely actually exerted and now exerts is open to debate. It might even be that the Jacobs clan gained enlightenment independently but the point is that his inclusion in the corridors of power coincided with a distinct cultural shift from mediocrity to excellence within a short amount of time. While Sinden and the Jacobs family had a long hockey history behind them their obdurate refusal, perhaps inability to recognize the changing nature of the league and game had entrenched the team in an increasingly muddled state with a poor playing style and a worse attitude. As a result, the season ticket base atrophied, press coverage and public presence shrank and the new kid Revolution outdrew the hoary hockey club on per game average.

All that has changed as 1.5 million fans lining the streets on the Saturday and 64% viewing share the previous Wednesday demonstrate. It isn’t clear whether this latter stat includes the few hundred fans clustered on Gillette Stadium’s north walkway watching the big screen at CBS Scene during Game 7 but no matter, the town went daft and rightly so. In my lifetime and likely far, far into the future no proper football team will pull that kind of excitement in the Hub of the Universe. Hell, the vast majority of the 65,000 who packed Gillette for the US/Spain fiasco likely had never been to an MLS match and a lot of them hadn’t been to any sort of football contest. But between 15 and 20,000 used to regularly come out to the old place and nearly that many showed up regularly in the first years of the reign of Team Ops in the new place.

But buzz, excitement and competitive juice doesn’t need to be measured in millions, everything is relative. Suppose, just suppose someone stepped into the driver’s seat down on Route One who had the cred to get everyone involved in a room and tell it straight, to give a reality check and pitch about being a committed, serious player in the MLS of 2011 and beyond. It might be an ex-Revo with blue in their blood, it could be someone from outside but they would need to have currency of Cam Neely quality in terms of the world’s sport. It wouldn’t have to break the bank to achieve all this, remember this is MLS, but it could cost significantly more millions than are currently spent.

Think, for example, what Red Bull, Galaxy, Seattle and even Real Salt Lake spend on support, over and above player salaries. Remember that the current New England management has pledged to bring in a DP, perhaps two, so spending there isn’t an issue. There are, however, transfer fees, scouting, more coaches, etc. that are potential expenses above the salary cap and other constrictions. However now that the Man Mall is over its’ birth pangs and with the Bruins as a model, wouldn’t this be a perfect time for an operational reboot that likely would prove far more effective than just a surface rebrand?

From the first day he turned up for training A.J. Soares has been a presence with the New England Revolution. While he has made his share of rookie mistakes, he has been instrumental in reviving the core of a backline that has suffered from the departure of Michael Parkhurst, the retirement of Jay Heaps and a two-year, injury influenced plateau in the development of Kevin Alston. Many are touting Soares for possible ROY and a place on the MLS All-Star team as was the case with Alston two years ago and that could mean, among other things, facing Manchester United twice in a month. The idea of Chicarito vs. the confident Californian gives one pause. And then throw in Rooney, or Berbatov if he’s still around… Yikes!

I spoke with the emerging star recently after training…

JIM: This is your first year; you have been playing football professionally for four months now, so if this were college, the season would be over. How do you approach this new reality?

A.J: I think there are two sides that are really important; one is having your base fitness level at a place where you aren’t breaking down after this point, which I think I have… I work hard in the weight room; I work hard on my fitness…

JIM: Excuse me, and that comes from off field stuff as well as on the training pitch; the weight room, etc…

A.J: Absolutely, the weight room, just taking care of your body, stretching, you know getting on the massage table when you need, treating every little thing that you feel because things add up and what not, so having that base fitness and health level is vital, because you can’t play on an injury and go on and go on, you just break down. That and then too, just mentally, that might even be the bigger issue but I think mentally you just have to come out and appreciate every day. Take your training, have fun with it, I think if you take it too seriously I can see where guys would get mentally exhausted but I have fun every day out here. These (guys on the team) are a lot of good friends of mine now, you know the sun is out now; I have a good time every day.

JIM: Right, a month ago it was like forty degrees…

A.J: Exactly.

JIM: For example, when filling up the day, when you are in college you have classes, whatever, all this other stuff. Now you are here and you are training perhaps an hour and a half a day, plus perhaps working out an hour on your own, whatever…

A.J: Yeah, I mean for one, early in the week before games I’ll go explore Boston a little bit because I live that way and I haven’t lived here too long and I still have a lot of things to see but really, I try to put as much work as I can into my game, so once I go home I just want to relax, rest a little bit; once one training (session) is over, the next comes pretty quickly, so…

JIM: Yeah, I would imagine that is true…

A.J: So I take that time to try and rest and really get my body back, because the games come quickly too, like we’ll see this week, you know we are going to have three games in seven days or whatever it is.

JIM: Now in college, it is certainly true that you would play three times a week sometimes, but the difference is that you are playing the full ninety minutes here, there are no substitutions (for center backs unless you are injured) although I presume that in college you were playing all the time, in every game. So, is the recovery from games significantly different from the more general recovery from daily, intense training?

A.J: Yeah, I mean after a game you have completely depleted your body, so I definitely have noticed that you know, in college we would do things but the travel wasn’t as much, here I’ve taken the time to make sure that I’m hydrating, wearing little things on my legs trying to get blood flow and what not, you know doing a lot of stretching and really focusing on that, the level here is a lot higher and a lot more intense, so even though in college you might play Friday/Sunday and then you play the next Friday… the level is not as high so it is easier for you to recover but here, once the game is over, we come out to train two days later, the training level is so high that I feel like I really need to get up for it, just like I am getting up for a game.

JIM: Correct me if I’m wrong but my observation is that college teams play basically the same style, so if you are playing a twenty, twenty-five game season, you may be playing better teams or lesser teams but everyone basically approaches their tactics in a similar way. Here, in MLS, there is a significant difference between playing Salt Lake, say, and Colorado. How important is it for you to be aware of the differences in the opposition at this point?

A.J: I think it is important, I’ve always been big on preparation, knowing my opponent, watching film, stuff like that so, like you said, there are so many different styles and little nuances that teams do and they’re good at them, so if you are not aware of them, it is difficult to play against. I think really knowing your opponent, and a good thing is you play one game a week, sometimes two a week, so you do have time to kind of get to know your opponent and think about them a little bit in the week leading up, so yes, I think it is definitely important, because there are different styles and (while) it’s not that one style is better than another necessarily, they are just very different and so you have to be ready… One game might be more of a bloodbath and one game might be more of a technical battle.

JIM: And do those things tend to happen not only as a result of the styles of the teams involved, but say from something that happens early in the game? Do games change as a result of something that happens early on, say somebody kicks someone, whatever?

A.J: Yeah, absolutely, especially in this league where guys have been on different teams and they know guys, I think there is an individual pride that people have, you know you never want to get beat by the guy that you are playing against and, so yeah, if you get kicked by a guy I’m sure that you are pretty heated about it. I mean, I know that I definitely have a pride in my own play where if a guy knocks me down, I’m going to knock him down next time he gets (the ball). And then, also, just having pride in your team which everyone here at Revolution has, yeah, the game can be dictated by what happens early on, what the refs are allowing, if someone scores early on and it changes game to game, depending on who is in the lineup and who’s not and all that.

JIM: You are likely going to laugh at this but I like to refer to you as the defensive version of a young Clint Dempsey because you came to the Revs as a rookie, made your place as a starter and the position of center back yours and you play with a certain sort of, well… arrogance isn’t the word, I’m going to have to go to the thesaurus here…

A.J: It’s called “swag.”

JIM: Oh nice, “swag as in swagger,” OK, yeah, well you got the swag and was that a conscious adoption of a role or have you always played that way? Is that a game face, a professional face?

A.J: I think everyone’s got to have a little bit of swag, I think most players do, it can’t be an arrogance, you have to respect your opponent… I’m not out here thinking I’m better than anyone, there’s so many good players in this league, I mean it’s a hard job. But yes, if you don’t have confidence, if you don’t have that swag, you’re going to play scared and that is when you don’t play to your best (standard). It doesn’t matter how many people are in the stands, what people are yelling at you, telling you on Twitter, whatever, you have to go out there and be confident, thinking that you’re going to beat your guy every single time, that’s what swag is.

JIM: And do you think a certain number of people wash out at this level because of that mental issue, rather than physical ability or quality?

A.J: Yes, I think it is mostly mental, because it is easy to come in and, for example, there are a number of guys who might try out and they are at the level but… maybe they give a ball away, or someone yells at them and they don’t have the mental confidence to stand up and just say, “forget that, I’m just going to do better next time.” It’s definitely difficult. It’s hard to come into a team where there are so many good pros, everyone is at such a high level, and… if you do make a mistake to bounce right back from it and the next play, do it perfectly.

JIM: Well, along those lines it is interesting, I follow football all over and have been to many games in Argentina, England, Portugal, Uruguay and one of the things in the culture here, not particular to football, but sports in general is that players on the same team don’t yell at one another on the field, court, rink, what have you. In football, players do, for one thing you have to talk to one another and sometimes in the heat of the game the talk gets edgy. The idea that one guy will turn around and verbally blast a teammate is hardly foreign to proper football; look at Tim Howard with the National Team and Everton, or Zenga or Twellman when they played here. So the communication that goes on here, did you, playing in the center, have to step right into that and participate, or did you have to learn the lingo?

A.J: No, especially being a center back, really anywhere on the field but particularly being a center back, such a big part of it is communication, yeah, it doesn’t matter how old you are, it doesn’t matter what your experience is, you’ve got to go in there and talk the talk and you’ve got to tell guys what to do. You know, I’m out here trying to tell Shalrie which way to go and what not and you know that he has played at such a higher level than I have that one would think, “OK, this isn’t right,” but players like that respect guys who step up and try to do the job properly.

JIM: Literally, it has to be a level playing field, communications-wise, when you are actually playing…

A.J: Exactly, so a guy like Shalrie, or Matt Reis, I’m right in between two great veterans and I’m talking to them, trying to give them my input and they are obviously talking to me and helping me along, because they are great at what they do, so they’ve been a huge help for me.

But, yeah, I can’t back down and not say something, that’s part of the job and you’ve got to have the confidence to do that. I think guys respect guys who come in and try and do the job like that. If you come in and you are soft and you back down, you don’t tell a guy something, then you don’t tell him what he needs to change, (to) fix, then it’s not a respect, you know, so it is definitely a big (part).

JIM: It seems that you are pretty useful with the ball, suppose Stevie came to you tomorrow and said, “OK, we need two up front, we’re going to put you in the middle of a 3-5-2,” how would you like that?

A.J: You’re saying me at the middle as center back or are you saying up front?

JIM: No, no 3-5-2 with you in the middle at the back but then, why not? We’ve got to try something…

AJ: I’ll do anything, I mean I’d play goal if you said play goal…(seriously) I’d be fine with it, it would be an adjustment but I wouldn’t have any problem doing it. But it is up to the coaches, really, I can’t even… when it comes to tactics I have no comment on it, the coaches, when it comes to tactics, they know much more than I do. When it comes down to just attitude and will I do anything? I’ll do anything, I’ll play right wing, or I’ll play left back, or I’ll play goal, it doesn’t matter.

JIM: One of the criticisms of MLS generally is that players tend to speed up with the ball when under pressure, they don’t slow the ball down and one of the qualities that you seem to have is that the ball slows down when it is near you, is that a skill that you have worked on over the years or does it just happen?

A.J: It is a skill that I’ve worked on; I think that you need (it). I was a midfielder my whole career, until I went to college, so that was a big help. I was on the ball all the time with my club teams and you get used to playing with guys all around you so that when you go into (play) the center back (position)… you know I’m only looking at the field from one half, it is all in front of me, so I think I do have the ability to kind of slow it down, pick out a pass, try and find the right guy. But we have (other) guys who can do that too, Ryan Cochrane, he’s so good, I mean…

JIM: Yes, but even when you thump it out of danger, it is like you look at it, you weigh the possibilities and then you hoof it into the back row, where some people just thump it, without considering the options.

A.J: Yeah, you have to pick the best pass because you can connect a pass but if it isn’t the best pass you’re not really helping your team out, so I definitely try to do that. I pride myself on my passing, I used to watch a lot of tapes of guys like Beckham, where they pick not only a connecting pass but the best pass, so that is something I try to do. I definitely could get better at it; I think I have a lot of improving to do, even in that range.

JIM: And do players on the team have certain preferences of the way they want the ball that you are beginning to memorize, that are becoming instinctive, like put it to the right side with him, the left side with the other, roll it with topspin and so forth.

A.J: Yes.

JIM: As the long season grinds on and you have the time to think about the long term, I read somewhere that you are interested perhaps in coaching one day.

A.J: Yeah, I think it is a while away…

JIM: Oh yes, certainly…

A.J: Soccer is such a passion for me and I have such a pride for American soccer, I love our national team, I love all the guys on the team, those are my favorite players in the world. I do look up to the Spains and what not but what I’m really looking up to is guys like Bocanegra, Landon Donovan, you know, so I want to one day coach and try to continue building American soccer, whatever level is be at, I’ve always admired guys who’ve had good college jobs or they step up into the pro jobs, which are even more pressure. So yes, one day I’d definitely like to do that.

Foram tantas as oportunidades de golos, que qualquer uma das equipas podia ter ganho o jogo, ou até o empate se açeite, mas por numeros mais elevados.

Um empate a trez ou a quarto trazia mais justiça ao jogo, como o golo é a festa do jogo quanto mais golos melhor a festa.

Mas muitas foram as vezes que os dois guarda redes iam negando o golo aos respetivos avançados, por outra foram os avançados que não açertavam com a baliza.
Este Revolution foi talvez o melhor desta tão fraca época, soube jogar pelos flancos, usando a rapidez do africano Sainey Nyassi, que fez uns quantos cruzamentos, mas que foram mal aproveitados.

E o Revolution começou çedo á procura do golo, e aos 9 minutos a equipa da casa dei o primeiro sinal de perigo, Shalrie Joseph mete a bola em Kenny Manssaly este por sua vez mete na direita em Sainey Nyassi e este remata forte para boa defesa do guarda redes Sean Johnson.

Mas logo de seguida os forasteiros responderam, numa jogada de puro contra ataque,com Diego Chavez a isolar Patrick Nyarko este a rematar para boa defesa de Matt Reis para canto.

Aos 21 minutos de jogo mais uma boa jogada por parte da equipa da casa, Shalrie Joseph a meter na direita em Sainey Nyassi este a cruzar para Rajko Lekic a rematar forte com o guarda redes do Chicago Fire a defender por instinto para canto.

O jogo estava a ser bem disputado por ambos os conjuntos, e as oportunidades aim apareçendo, esperava-se um golo a qualquer momento. E aos 22 minutos de jogo Sainey Nyassi apareçeu isolado, apos um passe de Pat Phelan, este entrou na area tentou colocar a bola fora do alcançe do guarda redes mas Sean Jonhson adivinhou a lado do remate e fez uma exçelente defesa.

Poucos minutos depois foi a vez de Kevin Alston entrar pela direita cruzar para a area e Rajko Lekic a amorteçer de cabeça para Kenny Massaly rematar para boa defesa do guarda redes do Chicago Fire. Eram os forasteiros que melhor trocavam a bola, mas a equipa da casa era mais eficaz a chegava á baliza mais rápido.

Mas aos 30 minutos de jogo os visitantes cause marcavam, numa jogada rápida, com Logan Pause a meter a bola em Patrick Nazarit este remata forte para exçelente defesa de Matt Reis para canto. Foi um aviso do que poderia vir, e na jogada seguinte, e contra a corrente do jogo os forasteiros chegam ao golo.

Jogada rápida do ataque do Chicago Fire, com o ex Revolution Cory Gibbs a meter em Diego Chaves este de primeira para Dominic Oduro este a passar por Darrius Barnes e a rematar fora do alcançe de Matt Reis. E na jogada seguinte e na melhor jogada de toda a primeira parte o Revolution podia ter empatado o jogo. Jogada toda ela ao primeiro toque, começou no defesa Franco Coria,a meter em Chris Tierny, este a meter para o çentro em Shalrie Joseph, com este a meter mais para a direita do seu ataque me Sainey Nyassi com este a fazer um cruzamento com conta peso e medida e Kenny Manssaly a dizer que sim á bola mas esta sai por cima da barra da baliza de Sean Johnson.

Falta de sorte? Talvez, mas a pouca eficáçia do avançado foi notória durante toda a partida, falta de confiança? ou talvez falta de jogar mais vezes, vou mais por esta ultima, e iamos para o intervalo com a equipa da casa a perder pela margem minima. Era injusto, mas o futebol é memsmo isto, não quero com isto dizer que o Revolution mereçia ir para os baneários a vençer, mas um empate com golos seria o resultado mais çerto.

E na primeira jogada do segundo tempo os comandados de Steve Nicol repoem a justiça no marcador, Pat Phelan ganha uma bola á entrada da area remata forte a bola bate num defesa resalta para Rajko Lekic este remata forte e colocado restabeleçendo o empate a uma bola. E aos 54 minutos de jogo os donos da casa cause davam a volta ao marcador, quando num pontapé de canto o central portugues AJ Soares desviou a bola para a baliza, mas Cory Gibbs em çima do risco desviou para canto.

E aos 73 minutos de jogo o Chicago Fire podia ter chegado ao segundo golo não fosse o reçem entrado e estreante Ryan Guy mesmo em çima do risco a salvar um golo que pareçia cause çerto. O jogo era de parada e resposta,e os forasteiros não desarmavam, e aos 79 minutos de jogo Dominic Oduro, que foi durante todo o jogo um quebra cabeças para a defensiva do Revolution, poderia ter desempatado o jogo não fosse o veterano guarda redes Matt Reis a fazer uma boa defesa.

E o mesmo Dominic Oduro num remate de longe obriga o guarda redes do Revolution á defesa da noite, e logo de seguida foi a vez de Orr Barouch acabado de entrar a obrigar Matt Reis a nova boa defesa. O Chicago Fire não estava satisfeito com um ponto e procurava a todo o custo levar na bagagem os trez pontos, e Gabriel Ferrari acabadinho de entrar remata forte e colocado para exçelente defesa para canto de Matt Reis.

Já nos descontos o defesa Darrius Barnes redimi-se do erro que cometeu no primeiro golo,e mesmo em çima do risco desvia para canto um remate de Dominic Oduro, já com Matt Reis batido,o que poderia ter sido o golo da vitória do Chicago Fire. E logo de seguida veio o apito final do juiz da partida, com um resultado çerto mas por numeros muito reduzidos, porque foram tantas as oportunidades que se o resultado tivesse chegado aos 4-4 fosse um resultado condizento com o que se passou durante os 96 minutos de jogo.

Foi talvez o melhor jogo de toda a época do Revolution, gostamos de Sainey Nyassi, que voltou á titularidade, mas Matt Reis foi o melhor em campo. Nos visitantes Cory Gibbs o ex Revolution esteve muito bem na defesa, mas Dominic Oduro foi sem duvida o melhor unidade dos visitantes.

No fim do jogo Steve Nicol voltou a lemantar a falta de sorte da sua equipa, com tantas oportunidades do golo desperdiçadas, mas disse que vais continuar a trabalhar para tentar dar a volta a estes maus resultados. Numa semana e em dois jogo em casa o Revolution não conseguiu mais do que dois empates muito pouco para uma equipa que tem aspirações a chegar aos playoffs. Por sua vez o treinador do Chicago Fire Frank Klopas disse que é sempre bom pontuar fora de portas, mas que nos doi proximos dois jogos em casa terão forçosamente que conquistar os seis pontos em disputa.

O Revolution no próximo domingo pelas 4 horas da tarde vai até Seatle para defrontar o Seatle Sounders e poderá ver este jogo no canal de televisão Comcast Soccer Net.