On Wednesday, February 20, the New England Revolution was defeated by Real Salt Lake by a score line of 3-2. Devon Sandoval put Real Salt Lake on the board in the 22nd minute but the Revs showed great resolve when Andy Dorman and AJ Soares scored early in the second half. The lead would not last, however, as a lack of focus led to Alvaro Saborio and Khari Stephenson completing a late comeback. Below are 5 lessons from the game.
Bobby Shuttleworth isn’t Ready
On Wednesday, Bobby Shuttleworth was given a full 90 minutes in goal for the second time this preseason but failed to make a positive impression after allowing soft goals and providing little organization for the backline.
While he can’t be blamed for Alvaro Saborio’s rocket in the 88th minute, Shuttleworth must carry some of the responsibility for the goals that bookended the scoring. In the 22nd minute, the Revolution keeper saved Sebastian Valasquez’s 25-yard shot only to allow Devon Sandoval to put away the rebound. Although his defense let him down and poor weather wasn’t helping, Shuttleworth has to do a better job of holding on to the ball or at least keeping it out of the middle. The night’s final goal also puts Shuttleworth’s goalkeeping into question since the 5th year pro completely misread Khari Stephenson’s long range effort. A starting goalkeeper must be able to make clutch saves on a nightly basis and Shuttleworth didn’t do it on Wednesday.
Shuttleworth does deserve some praise for the impressive stop just before halftime that denied RSL midfielder Enzo Martinez of a goal. The save showcased Shuttleworth’s quick reflexes but could’ve been avoided had the New York native done a better job of organizing his defense. The moment the foul was called, Shuttleworth should have ordered players to find their marks and step in front of the ball. Instead, the team was disorganized in their defensive third and caught completely off guard by the quick restart.
One game won’t keep Shuttleworth from challenging for the starting position, but the happenings from Wednesday should be a reminder that he still needs time to develop.
Heaps likes Pairing a Big Forward with a Speedy Forward
The Revs have utilized a 4-4-2 formation throughout the preseason with Jay Heaps generally pairing a larger forward with a speedier option. At various points, we have seen Spencer-Fagundez, Horth-Fagundez, and Imbongo-Jesic. Last night, Heaps began the game with Jerry Bengtson being paired with Lee Nguyen before replacing them in the second half with Dimitry Imbongo and Diego Fagundez.
The idea of big man-speed man pairing is understandable since the larger player should be able to hold the ball while the speedier one challenges the defense. The problem with this formation is that the Revs’ presumed starting big man, Bengtson, is not the type of player to hold up the ball which forces the team’s presumed starting speed man, Fagundez, to play with his back to the goal as a way of trying to win opportunities. Bengtson and Fagundez have had some bright spots during preseason but have also disappeared for large periods.
The lack of consistency brings the formula into question but it could still work if tried with different personnel. Saer Sene is a speedy player that also has a physical presence that allows him to win 50-50 balls. Marco Jesic, who did not play against RSL since his trial has ended, could also be used as a complement to Bengtson. Jesic is only slightly bigger than Fagundez but has more experience in making his presence known.
The Defense needs to learn how to go Forward
While Jose Goncalves losing his footing during his race with Devon Sandoval wasn’t a pretty sight, there were plenty of defenders who put in solid shifts. Andrew Farrell and AJ Soares made several big plays that kept RSL away from the net. More time together will hopefully allow the team to gel and form one of the league’s stingiest defenses.
The biggest concern with the defense has to be their contributions to the attack. Andrew Farrell had several impressive long-range passes, including one to Diego Fagundez that led to the first goal, but failed to make an impact when he went forward himself. Farrell would often march into the attack without much of a game plan which led to him losing the ball. Soares exhibiting similar behaviors, perhaps best seen in the 89th minute when the California native carried the ball pass his midfielders and forwards before running into a wall of RSL players.
Having defenders that can attack is a great weapon for the team but only if it’s done well. If Farrell, Soares or any other defender doesn’t feel confident leaving their half of the field, it’s better for them to find a player that is.
The Midfield is linking up with the Defense
Since becoming head coach, Jay Heaps has stressed that he wants his team to play possession oriented soccer instead of simply launching the ball forward. In order for this to work, the Revs must have midfielders that are confident in transitioning the ball from the defense to the attack. While many players showed that they were capable of this, no two stood out more than Juan Toja and Kalifa Cisse.
In his short stint last night, Toja was active in winning balls, creating opportunities and, perhaps most importantly, serving as the link between the defense and the attack. In the 76th minute, Toja tracked back into the team’s defensive third to collect the ball, spin out of pressure and get it wide. The play helped the Revs get the ball out of a dangerous area while still keeping possession.
Cisse played 45 minutes and put in a shift that was similar to Toja’s. Cisse was constantly making himself available to the defense as an outlet to get the ball out of pressure. This was most evident in the 30th minute when the Mali international collected the ball and quickly found Nguyen. The play created a fast break opportunity that could have led to a goal if the attack was more coordinated.
All midfielders will have to consistently perform in a similar manner as Toja and Cisse if the team is going to out possess their opponents.
Soccer needs to have a “Special Teams” Option
The Revolution’s horrid free kick performance has carried over from last season with no one emerging as a dead ball specialist. Lee Nguyen, Kelyn Rowe and Juan Toja have all tried their hand at corner kicks and free kicks without much success. Last night, Revs fans saw their possible savor in the form of unsigned rookie Gabe Latigue.
Latigue hasn’t been a standout this preseason but he did get his name on the scoring sheet twice this week. In a closed scrimmage against Phoenix FC, the Elon product reportedly scored from an impossible angle in a goal that has been called fluky. Latigue was more impressive on Wednesday when his perfectly weighted ball from just outside the box found AJ Soares before entering the net. The set piece was not an accident with Latigue offering that type of service whenever given the opportunity.
The problem for the Revs is that Latigue isn’t MLS ready. Latigue played 20 minutes as a right midfielder before being asked to play right back, possibly as a way of seeing if the rookie could play a role similar to Chris Tierney. In both positions, Latigue failed to prove that he’s ready to handle the speed and physicality of the league. This is not to say that he won’t eventually develop into a solid player. Latigue could use the seasoning that Rochester will provide before returning to the Revs as a free kick specialist.
Potential Opening Day Lineup (As of 2/21/2013):
(image courtesy of revolutionsoccer.net)
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