Hey, the Foxboro Revolutions are playing again!

Phil Plantier

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My relationship to the Revs is the opposite of the Godfather 3 line: Every time I think I'm in, they kick me back out.

Just a dire game to watch. Maybe one half-chance in the whole game.

I wonder if the crowd noise is more important during these "off-time" games. Really lacked energy. It seemed louder in the Montreal-Orlando game.
 

tmracht

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Zahibo out, should be interesting to see if they will do a Polster/Rowe combo.
 

Titans Bastard

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Zahibo out, should be interesting to see if they will do a Polster/Rowe combo.
Yeah, I'm curious. One problem I think the Revs have with this roster is that there are a ton of okay-ish "meh" players at key spine positions (DM, CB) but no one who really stands out as a player who pushes you towards being an elite team. Sadly, you can't fuse three "meh" players together to create one Diego Chara. I don't know quite what to expect from Polster but I'm hoping he'll be a cut above Zahibo and Caldwell.
 

The Gray Eagle

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So on Thursday they got shut out by Philadelphia again. But this time they also kept a clean sheet, so a point at least. But that is 2 consecutive games against them without scoring.

Next is DC United on Tuesday night.
 

tmracht

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So on Thursday they got shut out by Philadelphia again. But this time they also kept a clean sheet, so a point at least. But that is 2 consecutive games against them without scoring.

Next is DC United on Tuesday night.
Amazing how much they lean on Gil for creating good chances.
 

Titans Bastard

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I didn't catch the whole game, but they outplayed the Union during the stretch I watched and seemed a bit unlucky not to score. Not that they were Man City or anything, but given the lack of Gil I thought they were creating a little more than I expected. Of course, my expectations were low, so...

I've liked what I've seen from Henry Kessler so far. He's been polished for a draft pick and if he improves he could be a real CB stalwart for a long time.

Thoughts on Matt Polster? IMO, this team REALLY needs him to be great.
 

Senator Donut

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Apr 21, 2010
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I’m not sure who keeps stats on this, but the Revs are the best team in MLS history after lightning delays
 

Senator Donut

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Apr 21, 2010
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Make it 2-0 now!
A goal, finally! Keeper botched it but we’re glad to take it.
But now a weather delay.
Hamid should have saved both attempts. Matt Turner is the difference in the game so far; If you swap keepers, it could conceivably be 1-0 United.

Not sure what happened to Hamid, it seems like his career has drastically fallen off since his ill-fated time in Europe.
 

Titans Bastard

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True, maybe it’s more accurate to say his development was stunted? He’s still one of the younger starters in MLS at 29.
Hamid had plateaued well before his sojourn to Midtjylland, I think. He's just a guy who was a very impressive shot-stopper at an early age, but the rest of his game didn't improve as hoped.

As a type, Turner hit a ROPE to an attacker. That's one difference between two!
 

Senator Donut

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Hamid had plateaued well before his sojourn to Midtjylland, I think. He's just a guy who was a very impressive shot-stopper at an early age, but the rest of his game didn't improve as hoped.

As a type, Turner hit a ROPE to an attacker. That's one difference between two!
View: https://twitter.com/nerevolution/status/1298432937529159680


He’s had a handful of ones like that this year, seems like a new addition to his skill set for 2020.

Questionable VAR red for Scottie after a questionable VAR PK. If Bruce were on the touch line, he’d have another three game ban.
 

Titans Bastard

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Not feeling good about TEN minutes of stoppage time.

I do feel good about Matt Turner.
 

Titans Bastard

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Three points. I'll take it.

Turner easily a top three US goalkeeper right now.
 

tmracht

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Three points. I'll take it.

Turner easily a top three US goalkeeper right now.
Matt Turner match winner was not something I expected but now that it's here it's quite a sight to see. I'm shocked there hasn't been more talk of him moving on from MLS. He's really good.
 

Jimy Hendrix

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Matt Turner match winner was not something I expected but now that it's here it's quite a sight to see. I'm shocked there hasn't been more talk of him moving on from MLS. He's really good.
He only recently bagged that Euro passport, he hasn't gotten the national team attention he deserves yet, and he's already 26. He's definitely good enough to make an impact in a much higher-level league, but I feel like his age might put him in "a club makes a somewhat laughable $1.5 mil bid, gets rejected, and nothing else ever happens" territory. I hope not though, we badly need more tickets in the "an elite US goalkeeper develops" lottery.
 

Titans Bastard

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Tonight's game felt like a squander from the Revs. NYRB is not a good team, especially resting a few starters, and the Revs should have won at home. Buksa has not come close to living up to his billing thus far. On the bright side, I've been impressed with Polster. I also like Kessler, though he's still rough around the edges. He made some positioning mistakes, but he's solid in possession and I think he'll iron out some of his defensive issues.
 

Arroyo Con Frijoles

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Huge wasted opportunity. Buksa looked awful and looks even worse from a body language perspective. Not good when finishing might be the big issue here. I thought Polster looked terrible on the NYRB goal, but so did three others so whatever.
 

Senator Donut

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The Revolution have denied Adam Buksa’s Polish MNT callup. The google translate version of the reasoning is below.

Due to the coronavirus epidemic this week, FIFA introduced temporary regulations that gave football clubs around the world the option to refuse to send their players to national team camps. In a circular published by FIFA on August 24, it was stated that the club has the right to refuse to send a player to a national team training camp in a situation where the player would have to undergo a mandatory quarantine of at least five days after his return. The regulations of the American MLS league decided that players returning from Europe must undergo a ten-day quarantine.

Chicago Fire and New England Revolution therefore used the regulations changed by FIFA and did not agree to the arrival of Polish representatives to the training camp.

https://www.laczynaspilka.pl/reprezentacja/reprezentacja-a/frankowski-i-buksa-nie-przyjada-na-zgrupowanie-reprezentacji-polski1
The good news for Buksa is that he is only 4th on the depth chart behind the best striker in the world, plus established stars Milik and Piątek (though Piątek's play has significantly dropped off). Unfortunately the most damning evidence against him was how much the Rev’s attacked improved once he came off against RBNY.
 

Senator Donut

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Hey, hey Revs fans! You think we'll see a goal tonight?
I don’t know. Before the last match, I thought the attack wasn’t that bad and they just needed to finish better (and take Buksa out of the starting XI), but then Arena did that, and things got demonstrably worse against NYCFC.

That being said, I still think there are more buttons Arena can push. I would like to see Polster assume all of the defensive midfield responsibilities (no Caldwell/Rowe) and try to get 70 minutes from Manneh tonight. I’m not all that optimistic though.
 

67YAZ

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I don’t know. Before the last match, I thought the attack wasn’t that bad and they just needed to finish better (and take Buksa out of the starting XI), but then Arena did that, and things got demonstrably worse against NYCFC.

That being said, I still think there are more buttons Arena can push. I would like to see Polster assume all of the defensive midfield responsibilities (no Caldwell/Rowe) and try to get 70 minutes from Manneh tonight. I’m not all that optimistic though.
I think the Revs can get away with just old flame Polster back there. The Fire has been so poor in the final 3rd that it doesn't take much to snuff out threats. Chicago has been flattering to deceive with some nice movement and passing in the midfield, but with zero end product. Columbus and NYRB both feel back into defensive setups after going up a goal and both scored twice more to bury the matches. Even Cincy effectively bottled up the Fire this past week in a gruesome display of boring soccer.

If Arena is pragmatic tonight, the Revs will sit deep and get plenty of good looks on the counter.
 

67YAZ

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Welp, there’s a goal already.

Edit: Fire offseason priority - shoot Calvo into space, find a new CB to pair with Pineda.
 

67YAZ

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Shoot into space, send him to Arsenal - same same but different.

Stepped away for a few and Herbers scored?!?! We have a match! Collier has been an improvement over Beric - he’s really moving off the ball and getting into dangerous spots.
 

Titans Bastard

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Not the most glorious, stylish win, but it's three points on the road. I'll take it.

For the moment, the Revs move from 9th to 5th.
 

Senator Donut

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Apr 21, 2010
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The Revs just traded for some guy named Lee Nguyen.
Sam Stejkal reports NE gives up a 4th round pick and $50k GAM, so the acquisition cost was essentially nil. He doesn’t completely fill the Carles Gil-sized gap in the Revolution’s attack, but he is a badly-needed true number 10.

It’s interesting to note that since the last off-season, Arena has reacquired Lee Nguyen, Kelyn Rowe, and Seth Sinovic, all of whom left the team under less than harmonious circumstances.
 

The Gray Eagle

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Maybe they can get Twellman to suit up too!

Seriously though, I'm glad to see Lee Nguyen back, I always liked him. I hope he does well.
 

Titans Bastard

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Offensively, this team needs a lot of work. It's hard to progress the ball up the field with players who are prone to sloppily give the ball away like Penilla. It's also hard to play on the counter with Buksa up top, who may be the slowest player in MLS.
 

Titans Bastard

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Buchanan scored literally one minute after I posted that.

You are all welcome.
 

Titans Bastard

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I did not have the chance to watch today's game, but I see the Revs scored three (3) goals(!) This is the first three-goal performance of the season, and I believe only the third time the team has scored multiple goals in a game in 2020.

Hopefully a harbinger of things to come.
 

Titans Bastard

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Two late goals for a 2-0 win D.C. Not the prettiest game, but a win's a win. DCU are in dire straits and supposedly Ben Olsen is on the hot seat — but I'll believe it when I see it.

Hope Matt Polster is okay after a nasty accidental boot to the face from Reyna.