MLS Game of the Week - New England at Columbus

Discussion in 'Americas' started by agoo, Sep 6, 2008.

  1. agoo

    agoo Member

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    Its getting down to the wire in MLS as teams are in the 23rd round of league play. The league's two best teams are facing each other today in Columbus as the Crew take on the Revolution.

    In the first meeting between the teams, a Kheli Dube goal in the 89th off a save penalty kick was the only scoring of the match. The Dube goal and the resulting celebration drew the ire of Crew fans and led one idiot to yell the n-word at either Dube or Shalrie Joseph and Joseph returning the favor with a middle finger into the crowd. Clearly with the Revs returning to Columbus, tensions should be on a high and the Revs will be looking to shut the crowd up early.

    Injuries and international duties will be a significant factor in this game. For the Revs, leading scorers Adam Cristman and Steve Ralston are both injured. Cristman is out for the year after going for season-ending ankle surgery. Revs captain Ralston is listed as questionable with back spasms. Dube continues to be out with an abductor strain. Taylor Twellman is also listed as doubtful with a facial laceration he suffered while scoring a goal against the Galaxy in last weeks match. Gabriel Badilla's MLS debut will have to wait another week as he is off with Costa Rica. For Columbus, Frankie Hejduk is in Cuba with the US, while leading scorer, Alejandro Moreno, is off with Venezuela.

    Missing Moreno and Hejduk will be a huge blow to Columbus, but the Crew still have a strong attack with Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Robbie Rogers, Eddie Gaven, and Brad Evans, while Chad Marshall is always a threat on set pieces.

    For the Revolution, I would expect that Ralston will be playing as this is the biggest game of the season for the Revs. Nicol will likely return to his 3-5-2 with Parkhurst, Heaps and Albright in the back, Joseph and Larentowicz in their defensive midfield roles, Sainey Nyassi on the right, Mauricio Castro on the left, and Steve Ralston as attacking mid. The forwards could be interesting as what was once a very deep position for New England appears to be down to Khano Smith and Brandon Manzonelli. Smith plays mostly as a left mid, but loves running at defenders and finding goals. Manzonelli is a 19 year-old, former Villarreal youth player who has yet to play an MLS match, but has impressed for the US U-20. Twellman's injury is a facial laceration, so he could end up playing at forward as this is such a key game for the Revs. For the record, the MLS match preview has The Revs in a 4-4-2 with the changes being no Ralston and Chris Tierny on the left with Chris Albright on the right in defense, and Wells Thompson over Nyassi on the right.

    The Crew will likely go with a 4-1-3-2. From left to right infront of Will Hesmer's goal will be former River Plate prospect Gino Padula, Chad Marshall, Andy Iro, and Danny O'Rourke. Brian Carroll will be in defensive midfield. The five attackers are likely exchange positions frequently and end up all over the pitch. Eddie Gaven is likely to start on the left with Robbie Rogers on the right in midfield. Brian Carroll will start as an attacking mid with Schelotto and former Rev Pat Noonan as the forwards. All five can move around the field and find their space and find each other with Schelotto pulling the strings with his MLS leading 16 assists.

    If Steve Ralston is able to go, and I think he will be, I would expect to see the Revolution win. Without Ralston, the Revolution tend to go 4-4-2 and the midfield lacks the play making ability needed to connect with the forwards and score goals. The key match up will be Shalrie Joseph against Guillermo Barros Schelotto. If Joseph can keep Schelotto off the ball, the Crew attack will be greatly neutralized as he is the man who pulls the strings and makes the attack work.

    My Prediction: Revolution 1-0.

    I'll try to update this thread throughout the match, but with the US against Cuba, that could be tough as I'll be trying to do double duty.
     
  2. CelticKing

    CelticKing The Green Monster

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    What time are both matches on?
     
  3. agoo

    agoo Member

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    Revs are 730 and US is 8.
     
  4. CelticKing

    CelticKing The Green Monster

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    Alright thanks agoo, will try to watch both, especially the US. Hopefully we beat them by 5.
     
  5. agoo

    agoo Member

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    Two minutes to game time and I'm listening to REM on DirecTV. No word yet on Steve Ralston as the Revs Blog and Revs website have no current updates on the starting XI.
     
  6. agoo

    agoo Member

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    Bad news. MLS Season Ticket is showing the Ohio News Network broadcast. Or at least bad news for me as I enjoy Brad Feldman and Greg Llalas in the booth on the Revs' broadcasts.
     
  7. agoo

    agoo Member

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    Taylor Twellman is starting after getting drilled in the face last week against the Galaxy. There will be no Ralston, as the Revs go 4-4-2. Tierney, Parkhurst, Heaps, and Albright from left to right infront of Reis. Midfield is Castro, Joseph, Larentowicz, and Nyassi with Twellman and Smith up top.

    Stephen Lenhart starts up top for the Crew. The rest of the starting XI is what I mentioned in the first post. Not sure where Pat Noonan is or why he isn't starting as I'm sure he is displeased with the Revs.
     
  8. agoo

    agoo Member

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    We've entered the sixth minute and not much as happened. A great deal of punt and run thus far. Jay Heaps cleared out Eddie Gaven, which set up a free kick for Schelotto, but it was too far out to really be a threat. Columbus has had more of the posession.

    In the seventh, the ball is bouncing around the box and Lenhart goes with a bicycle kick, but Reis makes a necessary save. Resulting free kick sees Gaven send the ball wide. Revolution need to get some possession in their offensive half of the pitch.

    Crew supporters section is in good spirits.
     
  9. agoo

    agoo Member

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    Lenhart is looking dangerous. I can see why they weren't playing Noonan. Sure he knows Parkhurst, but the way to beat him is by being physical with him and that's simply not in Noonan's game. Lenhart is a pretty big guy who is going to be causing problems all night for Parkhurst and Heaps who are pretty short.

    Another free kick in the 11th and Schelotto sends it right off the cross bar, then the rebound header from Gaven also hits the cross bar. New England are having some serious issues right now. Something significant is going to have to change for the Revs to win this one.
     
  10. agoo

    agoo Member

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    In the 16th, Robbie Rogers gets deep in the Revs box and sends a cross behind everyone running with him. Failed service from Rogers? Sounds like the Olympics.

    Replay shows Rogers could have shot near post or sent the ball straight across to an open Crew player. As usual, I'm not sure what Rogers was thinking.

    The whole play was set up by some brilliance from Schelotto.
     
  11. agoo

    agoo Member

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    In the 18th, Larentowicz sends a free kick into the box trying to find Jay Heaps, but Danny O'Rourke cut it off. Resulting corner goes right to Will Hesmer in the Crew goal who finds Rogers sprinting down field. He's causing issues, but he's also not a very dangerous player.
     
  12. agoo

    agoo Member

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    Brian Carroll gets a nice shot on goal in the 18th. It was straight on Reis, but sent through a crowd and Reis only saw it at the last second. Eddie Gaven nearly set up another chance resulting in a Crew corner.

    Now in the 22nd, we see the first yellow of the game as Chris Albright gets carded for the fifth hack on Rogers.

    Revolution are looking wiped out.
     
  13. agoo

    agoo Member

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    In the 28th now and Mauricio Castro sets up Twellman from the left. Nice pass along the ground into the feet of Twellman who makes a nice touch behind to find space against Andy Iro before sending a shot into the waiting hands of Will Hesmer.

    This was the Revs first chance and it was what the Revs need to do to get more chances in this match. Playing the ball down the wing to set up Twellman and Smith will be the way the Revs are going to score. There's just too much room between Joseph and Larentowicz in midfield and Twellman up front.
     
    Last edited: Sep 6, 2008
  14. agoo

    agoo Member

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    In the 33rd now. Jay Heaps deflected a shot with his face and the Crew are still controlling this game.

    New England need a change in the second half. I'd recommend putting Castro in centrally between Twellman and Joseph/Larentowicz and putting Smith out left. That would be a 4-5-1, but does have a set up man for Twellman.
     
  15. agoo

    agoo Member

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    In the 37th now and Twellman gets the ball for probably the second or third time this game. Unfortunately, he got it near the center circle.
     
  16. agoo

    agoo Member

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    Crew get a goal. Robbie Rogers takes a perfect long ball from Schelotto and sends it in after three touches to Stephen Ledhart. Ledhart's first touch goes off Heaps and into the path of an on rushing Schelotto.
     
  17. agoo

    agoo Member

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    Schelotto finds Gaven on the right in the 41st and the cross sent in finds Rogers, but his header goes just wide. The resulting corner falls to Andy Iro and the ball is cleared by a Revolution defender off the goal line.

    Revolution are going to lose this game and they could lose big.
     
  18. agoo

    agoo Member

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    Start of stoppage time now. Schelotto with a free kick from the right of goal and Andy Iro heads it in. There were three Crew players with a shot on the ball and Matt Reis was the only Rev to be seen.

    Not a good half for the Revs. I'm sure Nicol and Mariner are tearing them a new one as we speak.
     
  19. agoo

    agoo Member

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    Second half starts and the Revs send the ball down the left with Mauricio Castro. Andy Iro nearly swallowed Twellman whole in the effort to clear the ball. Revs are looking significantly more aggressive, though we're two minutes into the half.
     
  20. agoo

    agoo Member

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    Joseph gets a yellow in the 51st for booting Robbie Rogers in the face. No intent as Joseph was watching the ball, but still a very dangerous play. Revs still attacking much better than before. No real threats for the Crew thus far.
     

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