So it’s really funny, I had to work Saturday night so I missed almost the entire game live and instead followed via (hashtag)NERevs. I kid you not, I finally got the game on and witnessed this Farrell masterclass within the first 30 seconds. Soccer gods punish me for not watching!
But three points is three points, and with three goals scored before the penalty was given—I laughed when it happened because it was so absurd to witness—the Revs put a halt to a league winless streak that started back on May 13 against this hapless Inter Miami side.
What’s validating off the rip is that the Revs corrected that abhorrent result in Fort Lauderdale. Lots of talk about how the Revs snapped a losing streak, but felt like there was little mention it was that game that started the (league) slide. I felt at the time that it was a bad loss that should have been avoided, and coming back with an emphatic victory like this is a huge tone-setter for the three-game homestand. Yes, this Inter Miami team is probably the worst team in the league right now (right now!), but with the way things have been going lately, a clumsy draw wasn’t out of the realm of possibilities over the weekend. Instead…
- Carles Gil very loudly reminded everyone perhaps he’s not that far off in a MVP conversation by contributing on every goal (that pass to Bobby…).
- Any game where the Revs can survive having this three-at-the-back formation while everyone recovers from injury is huge. Hoping someone with time on their hands dives into the shape this team is going to take moving forward—and where any new signings would fit into that (we’re getting them, I have 0 sources to back it up, but I think we’re going to see some roster movement). Brandon Bye is on track to return against Orlando this weekend, but I wonder if that means a starting spot and a shift to the more traditional four-man defense, or a sub role and more 3ATB action—it’d have to be Omar this week, Makoun is on National Team duty. (In another example of why writing in the moment is better, it came out Monday afternoon that DeJuan Jones is being called up to the USMNT for the Gold Cup. He’s going to miss, at a minimum, June 24 vs. Toronto and July 1 at Cincinnati (!!!!****!!!!), and would be on three day’s rest of July 8 at Energy Drinks. The U.S. is most likely going to make a run at the thing, and the final is July 16, adding in absences for home games against Atlanta and D.C. United. That’s a long time! But good for DeJuan, I want him to be the starting LB in the USMNT he deserves it).
- The Giacomo Vrioni experience in one sequence: Late on, he gets pissed after not having a foul called for him, so he races back and dispossesses a defender on a questionably-rough tackle. Still, wins the ball. Great turnover! Time and space! Lays the ball off to Jack P, turns up field…and fucking jogs. No run, no sprint, no moving away from Jack and into open room. Nah, he gets a half-step in front of him, then slows down to match the pace of Jack with the ball. Maybe I’m being hard on him, but it felt like a great moment to put down the marker for real to Bruce. Instead, eh. He threw his hands up a lot at the end. I’m still in camp “want to believe,” but that play showcased why Vrioni’s time could be—should be—coming to a close soon. Please stay healthy, Gustavo and Bobby, we need you guys.
The Revs (8-3-6, 30 points) are fourth in the East after the win, level with Philly on points. That away trip to FC Cincinnati is starting to lift up on the horizon and could be an absolute banger, but I wouldn’t discount this Orlando City team coming to the Razor this weekend. Defending the Fort is always a good thing, time for the Revs to get it done again.
Messi, Messi, Messi!
The clearly funny part about Saturday is that a whole bunch of people put on Inter Miami for the first time wondering what kind of team Lionel Messi was signing with. Hope Messi’s friends are ready to come over quickly, too.
The Messi talk has rightfully dominated MLS discussion since the news broke last week, and it spilled over into the post-match presser when Arena was asked about Miami signing the Argentinian maestro. I think it’s worth listening to Bruce give his full answer, if only because it’s a true OG in this league discussing how MLS has gone about handling big incoming transfers. I do wonder if the line of questioning could have been…more pointed? targeted? but it did get Bruce to admit that DP slots don’t matter when the star is big enough. Arena wouldn’t bite more on what kind of roster—salary—rules Miami might be trying to bend in order to appease their Champion Player (registering that new trademark now for what MLS will call people above Designated Players), but the follow-up now has to be: Do you want New England to? Are you trying to? What about the turf?
I’d like to think the infrastructure is there for the Revs to spend big if the opportunity arises. The question is, are the Revs going to go out and find that opportunity? Or are we waiting for something that’s never going to be a guarantee.
Who knew finding U23 tournament info was hard
The Revolution roster has some funny bits about it, one being the young(ish) winger group that isn’t pushing through to first-team minutes, but maybe could? Justin Rennicks blah blah blah blah blah but what about Damien Rivera? Remember him? He’s been off the radar lately because he pledged his allegiance and then was subsequently called up to a Costa Rican national side, the U23s for the Maurice Revello Tournament (or the Toulon Tournament, which is what I knew it as, apparently it got a rebrand.
Well, the official site hasn’t updated individual stats and it’s not like the Costa Rican team is going to draw a ton of media coverage, so here’s the little I could find out: Costa Rica finished bottom of Group A after drawing two matches (both went to penalties, Costa Rica beat Venezuela and lost to Saudi Arabia) and getting trounced by a U18 French side 3-1. The group went: France/Saudi Arabia/Venezuela/Costa Rica.
Against Venezuela, Rivera started according to this Soccer24 summary, but was yanked at halftime. He then sat out the match against France, before returning to the starting lineup Sunday against Saudi Arabia. Rivera again, though, didn’t see penalties, as he was subbed off after 61 minutes. ESPN had stats that indicated he took two shots throughout the tournament, so make of that what you will.
Hope Tico got something out of the trip. I’d imagine going has something to do with no clear path to first-team minutes right now, and who knows what comes next, but I feel like you gotta support a dude playing for his country. Shame he didn’t contribute more in their appearance.
A Whately Devil 