The biggest Revs story this week, one of the biggest in the entire league, saw Shalrie Joseph depart for Chivas USA in a trade that primarily brings our Revs salary cap flexibility. We also receive a 2nd round draft pick this off-season – which I’m sure Shalrie will do his best to push down in the order – some amount of the elusive and mysterious ‘Allocation Money, and midfielder Blair Gavin. Despite occasional absences with injury or from suspension, this weekend’s game against Kansas City will be New England’s first without him. The story this week is that, after spending 10 years with us, our captain, and in recent lean times our leading goal scorer, sometimes titled ‘The Face of the Franchise,’ sometimes introduced with the adjective ‘talismanic,’ Supah Shalrie Joseph is no longer a player for the New England Revolution.
For more discussion of the trade, it’s implications for the Revs, and memories of Shalrie, I recommend you listen to The Rebel Alliance Podcast and The Midnight Ride Podcast. I’ll volunteer some of my favorite Shalrie Joseph memories, too. After the 2010 season, our first of the Steve Nicol era without a trip to the playoffs, we opened the last season on the road in Los Angeles and Shalrie Joseph’s 1st half goal would turn into our first road point of the year. That epitomized Shalrie’s contributions – he did whatever it took to get the Revs results. I’ll remember that and his countless drop passes to Jeff Lawrentowicz, his SuperLiga enforcing, and generally bending games to his will by shutting down our opponents. This Saturday night the New England Revolution will face Sporting Kansas City without Shalrie Joseph.
This will be our Revs third and final game against SKC. Sporting Kansas City started the year on a tear. SKC ripped off a seven game winning streak to start this season and game number two featured a red card and 3-0 win over New England. They spent the rest of the first half contending near the top, sometimes at the top, but the conversation around LiveStrong Park might be getting a bit edgy. Despite a 1-1 tie in a friendly against the EPL’s Stoke City they seem on a trajectory pointed towards the Snorks. (My wife suggests that this esoteric reference to ocean bottom dwelling cartoons might be obscure, so just know that their recent trajectory is downwards.) That friendly tie was their best result since July 14th when they beat Columbus 2-0, the same Columbus who beat them 2-1 just last week and includes a 0-0 draw against us. And, oh yeah, when is that US Open Cup final they’ll play agains the reigning three time champs, Seattle? SKC will host that final on August 8th, five nights after our match-up in New England. I know they’re excited about that opportunity to lift another trophy, so there is a chance they could be looking past us.
The pressing defense from Sporting’s 4-3-3 will be intense. We will see some combination of Kei Kamara, CJ Sapong, and Teal Bunbury whether or not they start together or either CJ or Teal come in as a late sub. With Aurellien Colin out injured this isn’t the same defense that helped SKC to that impressive start, or even the defense that shut us out a coule of weeks ago. Friday’s injury report, however, suggests that New England’s defense might be the story heading into this match as both Kevin Alston (questionable) and AJ Soares (doubtful) might not start. Florian Lechner and Darrius Barnes could play right back and center back. I expect Lee Nguyen, Benny Feilhaber, and Goal of the Week winner Saer Sene to start but I cannot predict who will join them in attack or how we will line up. Our Revs have to maintain composure on the ball, maintain possession of the ball, and look to keep the game in our control. We have to do all this without Shalrie Joseph, but #InHeapsWeTrust.
(image courtesy of revolutionsoccer.net)
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