Matt Reis was huge playing against the guy he backed up at both UCLA and the LA Galaxy, Kevin Hartman, who also had a good game. New England got a well earned shut out against a MLS Cup contending team. Caveats up front, I missed a note in my preview, both Chavez and Castillo, even veteran center back Ihemelu were out for this game. I did suggest, though, that they might be tired and coach Schellas Hyndman confessed that Brek Shea might have benefitted from rest. Losing to the second-to-last-place-in-the-league team would make any coach second guess his line up choices. So, FC Dallas can talk about all the games they are playing and national team call-ups and other excuses or explanations, but they can’t take away our fifth win of the season.
New England’s first goal was beautiful. It came from team play and featured two players who were not on our preseason roster. Shalrie Joseph makes plays. He makes them all up and down the middle of the field. Allow me a moment to say this: it is so nice to have players on the field with Shalrie Joseph who can match his level of play. Supa Shalrie stepped up and stole a ball that Daniel Hernandez and Brek Shea couldn’t decide who should receive. He lead Milton Caraglio across the right hand channel just behind the defense and towards the corner. Milton drew a defender and instead of turning inside, he dropped a back heel to Moncef Zerka. (Those are our two starters who both joined this team after half of the season had already passed.). Zerka, in his second game with our team, used his first touch to launch a ball at the near post. Shalrie drifted straight down the center drawing Brek into a deep defensive position. Shalrie was rewarded for his interception with the goal as he side stepped Brek to knock in Zerka’s blast. Recap: interception, back heel, first time shot/cross, header won past Brek Shea to take the lead. FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman said, “And what a great goal by Shalrie. Excellent goal.”
The second goal was score by Rajko Lekic. Lekic has certainly shown better as the new signings have joined him on the field. His left footed, first-touch shot, tucked right inside the post to beat Hartman, who had no chance of tracking back fast enough. Benny Feilhaber’s corner found Ryan Cochrane at the near post whose flick went quickly over the entire Dallas defense to find Lekic behind everyone. (I can’t promise this won’t be my last aside, but hey, Klinsi? #BringBennytotheUSMNT.) Lekic celebrated by giving the baseball umpire’s “SAFE!” sign to signal that the game was all over.
So, Reis and the defense shut out FC Dallas who have score 36 goals in 28 MLS games this season. AJ Soares continued his impressive rookie campaign by making one save. Three players combined on each of our goals, and six total between the two. In a larger context that considers FC Dallas’s fatigue and the fact that we are still on the cusp of elimination from the playoffs for the second straight year, this game is simply a slip for Dallas. For the Revs, however win number five is a great sign. We have our best starting eleven since we last made the MLS Cup final. We can build passes from the back, up the field, and are now likely to score.
Benny had this to say, “We haven’t been good enough this season to be thinking (about the playoffs). Obviously, mathematically it’s impossible – yeah of course – so I still think we should be thinking one game at a time, putting in a 90-minute performance and we did that today. So now we can look forward to trying and build and I think if we can start putting in some performances together regardless if we get three points every single game. But if we get 90 minutes we’re comfortable with, that’s the first goal. If we get three points here, three points there and we’re starting to climb up the rankings, then yeah, then maybe we can sneak in there, but that’s not where our minds should be right now.” Read more quotes from both teams here. So, New England has players, our creative midfielder wants us playing 90 minutes at a time, and our first trip to Portlandia is up next. We are ready to spoil every opponent’s post season plans.
Notes:
McCarthy out with season ending shoulder surgery. It is nice to not worry about a under developed rookie defensive midfielder missing the rest of the season. There, that was the last aside.
(image courtesy of revolutionsoccer.net)
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
