Saturday the Earthquakes and Revolution should be a competitive game. Both teams could be called underachievers so far this season. San Jose dominated the Crew last weekend and made a run last year after a “slow start.” Both teams will feel that they can earn a result. Last week, New England used a PK to win at home against the Whitecaps.
I don’t know much about this Quakes team. I did watch a teenage Jon Busch start in goal, as he will for San Jose this weekend. He played for the now-defunct Worcester Wildfire and went with his teammates to celebrate at Nancy Changs afterwards. He is an athletic goalie who will make saves. Chris Wondolowski won the Golden Boot last year, that is impressive. I recognize many of the other names on the roster, though, the most experienced member of the team is probably coach Frank Yallop. He has been around long enough that we can expect this team to compete to win, especially at home. If their performance against Columbus signaled an awakening from their sleepy start this game could feature multiple goals.
It would be great if the New England’s season is remembered with a slow start that ended with a multiple goal win over San Jose. The Revs have a two game shut out streak that they will try to keep going. Matt Reis will start in goal for the Revolution, he is bigger than Jon Busch and will also makes saves. I think the defense might stay the same as the line that held Vancouver. Darrius Barnes is proving a heady backup to the injured Didier Domi. Barnes will man the left flank while Kevin Alston plays out on the right. Experience and youth will partner in the middle with Soares continuing to build a solid rookie season next to Ryan Cochrane. If there is a change listen to find out which language AJ and Franco Coria use to organize the center of the back line.
Lekic will start at forward. Kheli Dube showed some possession passing as a sub for him last week. If Nicol wanted to add another forward he would have to remove a midfielder. Shalrie and Benny will be on the field playing in the middle. I hope to see Shalrie disrupting the Quakes and finding Benny to move the ball towards goal. Steven McCarthy or Pat Phelan is likely to sit just behind them playing a defensive midfielder role. Against Vancouver, Zak Boggs and Chris Tierney featured outside to send in crosses. Crossing balls or Benny’s magic seem to be the extent of the Revolution’s attacking options lately.
Time playing together to build instinctual trust is what these guys need. We might skip over the health prerequisite – injured Marko Perovic would range in from the wings with the ball at his feet, a different dimension than Tierney and Boggs offers. We haven’t seen much of our young Gambians, Nyassi or Mansally, lately either. Ousmane Dabo, another midfielder who fits the possession game plan, hasn’t yet been blessed with enough health to get on the field for more than one game. Progress in the form of scoring chances developing from build-up passing would be a good take-away from this game.
If New England can score from the run of play for the first time since Feilhaber debuted against Sporting KC, that will signal continuing growth. There is plenty of time left in this season for the offense to develop. The Revs have to maintain their discipline when San Jose has the ball as a baseline. I think the offense will again show frustrating flashes of creative play, no goal from the run of play, but will pull out a 1-0 win from a set piece goal.
(image courtesy of revolutionsoccer.net)
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