Sometimes when the stars align, you have to take your shot. So when my calendar cleared up, some plans got moved, and my wife graciously offered to watch the kid, I decided it was high time to head east and pay a visit to the Razor for the midweek game against Atlanta United.
Then Saturday, I missed all four goals because family vacation. Whoops! So I’m just going to throw a bunch of stuff at the wall and hope some of it sticks.
Midweek jaunt to Gillette
Wednesday’s match vs. Atlanta was a fun one to be at for the following reasons:
- I saw Carles do some wild shit, including this sequence on the Vrioni goal. The nutmeg was class, but then that ball…Let’s jut say, getting the bird’s eye view of that one was something else. Watching the ball come at me then curve to my left, or onto Vrioni’s path, was fun.
- Djordje made a HIM save in the second half that left my jaw on the floor. I was on the other end of the stadium for it, but even from there I could tell the save was something spectacular. I’m glad that when the highlight reel comes on for him, I’ll have been there for one of his best.
- Thiago Almada also balled out. I’m too lazy to see if ATL posted a highlight reel, but go look. He is going places.
- I sat in the Fort. Have always wanted to. Was an interesting experience that led me to taking off a shoe at one point. “Shoes off if you love the Revs…”
As for the game itself: The first 20 minutes were thoroughly enjoyable. The next 25 were nervy, certainly could have used a goal. Last 45 were brutal. But that’s the way things tend to go recently.
The opening blitz was great to see, and showcases how potent the Revs can be when everything is clicking. The Revs were all over Atlanta and suffocated Almada’s ability to get onto the ball, and it paid off with a steady stream of possession and multiple chances to build an attack. That was relatively easy for the Revs to do with fresh legs and the right personnel on the pitch. Once the second half hit, all that went to shit.
I think it’s no coincidence that once we subbed off a central midfielder for a winger (Harkes for Boateng), everything went to shit. Jack also didn’t cover himself in glory in another cameo appearance. With Thiago Almada able to finally get some space and pull some strings, it was a nervy ending. Thank the soccer gods that Djordje is HIM.
Saturday slaughter
Lots of things conspired against me watching, so the highlight reel will have to do all the talking instead of just being a side piece. Takeaways just from reading up on the game and highlight watching:
- So much for Ian Harkes just being a nepotism signing. There’s still a lot of room for him to grow into this team or regress from an incredible start, but either way we’re going to see more of him on the pitch. Getting a brace was a nice touch for him Saturday.
- We kept the clean sheet! Woo! Djordje had to make some more Djordje-type saves to do it, but that’s why we’ve got him between the sticks!
- Three guys in the MLS Team of the Matchday (Gil, Harkes, Petrovic). That’s sick.
With the six points, New England (12-4-7, 43 points) goes into the Leagues Cup break second in the Eastern Conference and in the Supporters’ Shield race, behind red-hot FC Cincinnati (15-2-6, 51 points). Cincy got a boost itself going into the Cup break with a 3-1 win over Nashville (11-8-5, 4th in East) and a goal from new DP Aaron Boupendza. A lot can happen over the next month to all of these teams in the SS race, but the platter is set for a potentially scrumptious set of fixtures once we’re back up and running in August. Until then, it’s time for…
Leagues Cup
I am of the variety that my teams should take every competition seriously (that U.S. Open Cup loss to Pittsburgh still makes me mad) so I hope Bruce is ready to let these guys at everyone, but I’m also a realist and expect that the two group games might feature more U.S. Open Cup-style lineups than MLS ones.
It certainly wouldn’t be the worst thing if we could field a decent lineup against NYRB that features some rotation, and then let the kids go at Atletico de San Luis knowing we’d get through. Going out in the group stage would be worst-case scenario—having that long a break would be detrimental to the team’s flow right now.
If it were up to me: Smash the group stage and get No. 1. Then beat NYCFC, Philadelphia, Pumas UNAL, and Inter Miami to make the final, and then beat Cincy and end this draw bullshit from the last two games. Time to decide a winner, and since it can’t be the MLS Cup Final, make it this one.
Until Saturday, kick back and enjoy the MLS All-Star Game (or don’t, I won’t).
A Whately Devil 