Fresh off a 2-0 victory over the Philadelphia Union, the New England Revolution will hope to sustain momentum when they travel to Portland to face the Timbers on Thursday, May 2nd. Earning their second consecutive win of the season will be difficult because the Revs will be without a number of key players.
Since the beginning of the season, head coach Jay Heaps has put a premium on depth and competition. The starting eleven and game day roster has changed week-to-week depending on form and chemistry.
When asked about the constant shuffling, Heaps said, “There’s injuries…and then there’s players pushing players and rewarding performances in training. I’m a big believer that when it’s clear that a player is playing better than another player there’s times when, whether it’s into the starting lineup or whether it’s into the eighteen, there has to be some reward for good play.”
Having a team full of players that are constantly prepared to be inserted into the starting eleven has paid off this season, especially on the defensive side. In last Saturday’s match, Chris Tierney and Stephen McCarthy were asked to fill in for the preferred Kevin Alston and AJ Soares. The two stand-ins performed admirably and helped the Revs record their fourth shutout in seven games.
Goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth explained, “I think there’re a lot of guys who can step in and do a job. I think this year you’re seeing that, especially across the backline. There’re a lot of guys who can play back there and a lot of guys who can play multiple positions. There’s definitely a lot of competition back there and a lot of guys ready and willing.”
The Revolution will dive deeper into the depth chart on Thursday as the team will barely have enough players to fill the bench despite having 29 individuals listed on the roster.
Alston (illness), Soares (hamstring strain), Andrew Farrell (knee contusion), Clyde Simms (concussion), and Donnie Smith (groin strain) are listed as “out” on the injury report while Chad Barrett (hamstring strain) and Matt Reis (knee irritation) are listed as “questionable.” While Reis has made the trip westward, Barrett will be watching the game from home. The situation worsened on Wednesday when the MLS Disciplinary Committee announced a one game suspension to Tierney for a reckless tackle on Sebastian Le Toux.
The suspension and injuries will put particular stress on the defense which will now be without three-of-the-four players who started in the season opener. Darrius Barnes will likely be asked to occupy the left back position, a place where he has started 15 times before. Now in his fifth MLS season, Barnes is an experienced player that knows the role of alternate all too well.
For the right back position, Heaps is likely to go with Bilal Duckett who was recently recalled from his loan with the Rochester Rhinos. Duckett will be in good shape and ready to play as he has collected 361 minutes through five games. His form, however, will be questionable since the Rhinos are winless and have allowed a league-worse 15 goals. If called upon, Duckett should bring an attacking presence to the wing since he was seen whipping in crosses throughout preseason and currently has one goal for the Rhinos.
In an interview with PennLive.com, Duckett described his situation by saying, “I'm getting games and getting more consistent in honing my craft instead of just being a practice player.”
Barnes and Duckett will hope to impress Heaps while helping the Revolution record its fifth shutout of the season.
3 Things to Look for Against the Timbers
1. Jose Goncalves will be huge. Goncalves was brought in on-loan during the offseason to bring a veteran presence to the backline. So far, the Portuguese player has done an outstanding job of providing important tackles, vocal leadership and general organization. This has been no easy task as Goncalves and Farrell have been the only defenders to start every game this season. With Farrell now sidelined, the Revs will be relying heavily on Goncalves to perform his heroics. If he’s able to continue his good form, there should be little question that the front office will need to execute the purchase option from FC Scion.
2. Heaps will have to make important lineup decisions. The Revs utilized a 4-1-4-1 lineup against the Union with Kelyn Rowe and Lee Nguyen orchestrating the attack. The lineup was thoroughly effective so logic would dictate that consistency is needed against the Timbers. The problem, however, is that the Revolution have three games in ten days along with plenty of injury woes. As a result, Heaps may decide to play Kalifa Cisse and Andy Dorman in the middle to protect a makeshift defense. While the Revs should always aim for three points, earning a tie against a dangerous team in a daunting atmosphere across the country would be a fine result.
3. Jerry Bengtson and Juan Toja need to perform. Heading into the season, Bengtson was expected to be a consistent goal scorer while Toja was viewed as a creative visionary. The two have failed to produce, however, and they could find their spots in danger if their play doesn’t improve. Bengtson, who could be competing with Saer Sene if the 4-1-4-1 lineup sticks, was replaced by Dimitry Imbongo in last Saturday’s game while an injury prevented Toja from making the bench. With the roster currently in a depleted state, Bengtson and Toja will have the opportunity to show their worth.
(image courtesy of revolutionsoccer.net)
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