While they have only played one game this year, the New England Revolution have already made history with the team capturing their first ever victory at Toyota Park on March 9th. The lone goal came in the 62nd minute when Jerry Bengtson nodded home a Kelyn Rowe cross. Jay Heaps’ ability to coordinate the win can be traced back to three crucial decisions: starting Matt Reis, playing a five man midfield and making key substitutions.
Heaps’ first big decision came with naming Reis as the starting keeper. Bobby Shuttleworth’s 2012 numbers were far better than Reis’ which led to whispers that the veteran netminder might lose his spot. A poor preseason that saw Shuttleworth let in 8 goals led to Heaps naming Reis as his number one and the California native didn’t disappoint.
Reis made four saves including a highlight reel stop on a long range effort from Dilly Duka in the 31st minute. Beyond making game changing saves, Reis did well to control his box and handle incoming crosses. The veteran proved instrumental in organizing a backline that is still trying to build chemistry.
Heaps also deserves credit for utilizing a lineup that featured a five man midfield instead of the 4-4-2 formation that was seen throughout preseason. Saturday’s lineup allowed more of the team’s talented midfielders to see the field. The decision paid dividends with Clyde Simms and Kalifa Cisse providing defensive cover while Donnie Smith, Juan Toja and Lee Nguyen played higher as a way of supporting Bengtson. Bengtson appreciated the support and combined well with the trio as highlighted in the 5th minute when Bengtson played a 1-2 with Toja before sending in a cross that Cisse almost put away.
The biggest advantage to the five man midfield was the freedom allowed to Toja and Nguyen. Both players are extremely creative and need to flow freely in order to generate opportunities. Throughout the game, Nguyen was often seen floating towards the middle in order to combine with the Colombian. The two players connected well in the 56th when several quick, short passes gave Toja a chance on goal.
Seeing the opportunity to capture points on the road, Heaps made important substitutes that changed the flow of the game. Heaps’ first choice was to insert Kelyn Rowe for Smith in the 53rd minute. Rowe, who is regaining fitness after being sidelined with an injury, instantly changed the game with his valuable speed and precise passing. Without the addition of Rowe, the game seemed destined to end in a scoreless draw.
Heaps didn’t stop there. Diego Fagundez replaced Toja who started to look gassed in the second half. The addition of Fagundez gave the team an energetic player who wasn’t going to quit. A late appearance by Chad Barrett ate up some time on the clock while adding a player that can help kill the game with his holdup skills. More than just tactics, Fagundez and Barrett were smart substitutions because they were the players that fans wanted to see.
Next week, the Revolution travel to Philadelphia as a part of rivalry week. The tilt will help show if Heaps and company are the real deal or if this week’s win was simply a fluke.
Until then, In Heaps We Trust.
Three Thoughts from the Game:
1. The Revs need to take care of the ball in their defensive third. Saturday’s game featured several shaky moments that will need to be remedied in the future. In the 27th minute, Smith was too nonchalant in his shielding effort which led to Patrick Nyarko stealing the ball and finding MacDonald for a good opportunity. The 31st minute saw Andrew Farrell fail in his pass attempt to Cisse which led to Duka’s long range effort. These mental lapses would have been punished by a better team so it’s important that the Revs focus when in their defensive third.
2. The newcomers fit in. Cisse had a big game and worked well with Simms to breakup plays. The Malian even showed that he was capable of getting into the attack when he almost scored a header in the 5th minute. Goncalves had some great moments en route to recording a shutout but still seems to be too excitable. In the opening minutes, Goncalves had a hard time reading Steven Kinney which allowed the defender to get to the end line and drop the ball back to Sherjill MacDonald. Andrew Farrell lived up to the hype by putting in a solid shift at the right back position. His decision-making in the box will need improvement but the upside to the former Louisville defender is huge. The other rookie, Donnie Smith, looked much more one dimensional. Smith did well to contribute a number of solid crosses from the left flank but struggled defensively and was pushed off the ball too easily.
3. The depth chart is becoming transparent. Stephen McCarthy, Sainey Nyassi Tyler Polak and Dimitry Imbongo were among the names that didn’t travel to Chicago. All four were left off the injury report which means that their absences were coach’s choice. Polak seems destined for Rochester but the fates of McCarthy, Nyassi and Imbongo are more difficult to pin down. McCarthy and Nyassi have experience as starters so it’s unknown if Rochester is a true option. Imbongo is young putting him on loan would be waste of an International Slot. It should also be noted that Heaps stayed true to his “We Will Attack” mantra by only having one defender on the bench.
(image courtesy of revolutionsoccer.net)
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