Revs - RSL Preview

It's gut check time. This is where we see what kind of mental toughness this New England side has. Coming off a very sloppy 4-3 defeat at the hands of Kansas City, the Revs will look to go into the bye week on a high note against Real Salt Lake. (click title to read more)

On paper, this looks to be an easy victory. The Revs are tied with Red Bull New York with 17 points at the top of the table with New York having a game in hand. Salt Lake is winless and holds the worst record in MLS. However, RSL seems to have battened down the hatches, and will look to do the same in Foxboro on Saturday. They held Chicago scoreless on one of the slowest surfaces in MLS last Sunday and will try to repeat that performance on the slowest surface in MLS. If they can slip in a goal, they can steal all three points.

Real Salt Lake recently traded away their biggest scoring threat, Jeff Cunningham. This should be a relief to the Revs as he carved up the New England defense last summer in a surprise 3-1 away victory played under similar circumstances in regards to the build up. In that one, RSL was on a horrific losing streak and the Revs seemed poised to break out following a return to health of several key starters. What occurred instead was Cunningham ripping New England a new one, continuing a summer of substandard play.

In return, RSL picked up our old friend Alecko Eskandarian. He's still waiting to "get his revenge" on Matt Reis for that collision which gave him a serious concusion. In the past, that has resulted in him franticly rushing shots. Let's hope that continues. I'd be reminisced if I didn't mention Freddy Adu. Lately, he's taken a back seat to other young players such as Josie Altidore. Moving to Utah didn't really help matters. He's not good enough to dominate games, so the thought process behind sending him somewhere that it would be "his team" seems to have been in error. He's never done well against New England (probably due to lack of size). The New England midfield can't let him control the ball, but I don't expect they will.

As for New England, there's a few questions as to which players will get the call. Avery John has been riding the pine as of late. With KC's four goal outburst, it would make sense John would get the start. Daniel Hernandez played 60 minutes in the 3-0 reserve team victory over KC on Sunday. With Jeff Larentowicz's form slipping and Shalrie Joseph's knocks, I wouldn't be surprised to see him make his season debut.

The real question is if Nicol now truly favors Adam Cristman over Pat Noonan up top alongside Taylor Twellman. The Revs attack seemed to come alive when Cristman came into the game in the second half last week. However, Noonan's still a better passer. The problem I have with Noonan is he seems to disappear at times. Cristman lets everyone know he's out there by continually banging bodies. This has helped free up Twellman from time to time. It's a tough decision. If I had a choice, I would start Cristman and sub in Noonan for this one. Noonan will be called upon to play 90 minutes when Twellman's gone playing for the US in the Gold Cup. I would want to keep the injury risk to Noonan at a minimum if I were the gaffer. It'll be muggy on Saturday, so we'll probably be seeing a lot of both of them.

All this is pure speculation. In reality, all those players probably had to earn back their spots this week after last game's debacle.

Projected Lineup

Reis
Heaps
Parkhurst
John
Ralston
Larentowicz
Joseph
Smith
Dorman
Cristman
Twellman


Other Previews

Boston Herald
Revolutionsoccer.net
MLSnet
AYL Soccer
OurSports Central
Fox Soccer
SL Trib (best. abbreviation. ever.)
Cristman Vs Noonan
Brad Feldman (more from revolutionsoccer.net)

Revs - Kansas City Preview

A real battle awaits the Revs at Gillette Stadium tomorrow as the Kansas City Wizards come to town. New England needs to win to regain their 3-game lead over Red Bull New York, while KC will be looking to bounce back after drawing to Colorado. Kansas City seems to be rejuvenated since hiring Curt Onalfo as head coach over the offseason. The Wizards represented the Western Conference in MLS Cup 2004, but have failed to make the playoffs the last two years since moving to the East. They are playing some exciting soccer, too bad nobody's watching.
(click title to read more)

Eddie Johnson's resurgence has grabbed most of the headlines, but the addition of rookie midfielder Micheal Harrington has just as much to do with it. The former UNC player has added a much needed spark down the wing. Another addition who should feature Saturday is Carlos Marinelli. The much traveled former Middlesbrough player brings the distribution and touch of class that was desperately needed in the KC midfield. That was before he strained his hamstring in Toronto a few weeks ago. Marineeli should be back in the starting lineup as he played 37 minutes in the Wizard's 1-1 tie with Colorado.

KC comes into the game a bit banged up, especially in the back line. Jimmy Conrad will be missing the game due to a hamstring strain. Conrad also injured his jaw a few weeks back. I like Conrad, but if you continually go head first into 50-50 balls instead of using your arms to keep separation like your adversary is doing, you're going to get your jaw broke from time to time. Essentially, what makes him a good defender, also makes him reckless at times. Scott Sealy is also listed as out. This is good news for the Revs who already had enough offensive firepower to worry about. Midfielder Jose Burciaga is questionable with a shoulder strain (Parkhurst thinks he's a wuss) and our favorite kung fu artist, Nick Garcia, is probable with an abdominal strain. That's good news for Andy Dorman. The next time Garcia chops him in the throat to prevent a goal scoring opportunity, it won't have as much impact.

For the Revs, Shalrie Joseph is listed as questionable with a knee contusion. The word earlier in the week was he'd be good to go. It's also rumored that Daniel Hernandez would be ready. However, with the team's current depth at defensive midfielder, it wouldn't be prudent to rush him back. Wells Thompson has been listed as questionable with a broken wrist. Although I'd normally consider a footballer to be a wimp for missing a game with that kind of injury, he should probably be rested with Stevie Ralston likely to miss games in June due to the Gold Cup.

If New England is to be successful, they are going to have to win the battles on the wings. KC has exploited teams out wide and this has to be neutralized. Also, Shalrie Joseph and Jeff Larentowicz need to disrupt Marinelli. If the Revs can achieve those two things, Eddie Johnson will be left on an island up top.

The Revs have a real opportunity to take it to Kansas City's defense in this one. Although it's not wise to mess with a good thing (if the last game can even be considered "good"), I would hope Pat Noonan gets the start next to Taylor Twellman up top. Adam Cristman has been solid, but college rookies tend to burn out early and it may be a good idea to give him some rest. Granted, there's a bye week after the next one, but Cristman will need to play the full 90 minutes in a few of the upcoming games and will need to kept fresh. Starting Noonan would also bring the short passing in the box between him and Twellman that will likely produce goals in this kind of game.

The thing that worries me here is the Revs didn't play well last week and still won. While that was great last week, it doesn't provide much of a catalyst to improve upon going into this one. There's also natural grass installed at Gillette for the Gold Cup. It's an unproven surface, which could create a wildcard element. If the grass isn't properly settled, it will get a bit torn up during the Ireland-Bolivia game that will take place immediately before the Revs game.


Probable Revs Lineup:

Reis
Heaps
Parkhurst
Riley
Ralston
Larentowicz
Joseph
Smith
Dorman
Noonan
Twellman


Other Previews:

Boston Globe
Revolutionsoccer.net
Fox Soccer
MLSnet
Our Sports Central
Monsters & Critics
Covers.com
Down The Byline (KC Blog)

Revs @ Houston Preview

Nearly nine years ago, as soon as I stepped onboard my warship, my new coworkers made it clear to me the evilness of the number 71. Most of the people I served with over the next five years didn't take as positive an outlook as I did. Much of their angst was directed towards the ship, whose hull number was CVN-71. I chalked it up to silly superstition, but I did notice the number 71 popping up in a lot of places. However, that's mostly because it's a relatively high prime number. I also realized the Nostradamus prophecy of "floating city 71" sinking at the start of the millennium was a silly rumor spread through gullability after I heard the same thing repeated by people from other aircraft carriers, with their hull number replaced with ours. Needless to say, I thought those people just needed an object to focus their discontent. Our number just so happened to be 71.(click title to read more)

That all changed with MLS Cup last November. Taylor Twellman's extra time goal seemed to end the team's championship drought. That sense of euphoria was ended 71 seconds later as Brian Ching haded in a deflected cross to tie the game up and send it on to penalties, the Revs eventually losing. A few days later, I sent out an e-mail to some of my former shipmates (I can call them "shipmate" now and not worry about being taped up and thrown in a laundry bag). The overwhelming response I got was "now you see!". As I type this, the Red Sox are having maybe their best season ever. What's their magic number? Yup, it's 71. I fear the worst.

The Revs come into this game on quite a roll. Since they lost the opener (while they were undermanned), the team has only dropped four points in six games. This trip to Houston will be their last road game for over a month. Three points would be nice, but any amount of points would be a victory in this one. Houston lost to Toronto midweek, where they were run ragged. However, they had an extended layoff before that game and will be fit.

For New England to take away points, they have to contain Houston's strikers. Brian Ching is one of the best target forwards in the league. They have also recently picked up Joseph Ngwenya from Columbus who appeared out of sync with his new club against Toronto. Hopefully, the two day break isn't enough time to resolve that situation. Houston has one of the strongest midfields, where this game will probably be won. If Joseph can exert his dominance, the Revs should be in good shape. If Dwayne De Rosario can control much of the action, New England's in for a long night.

I'm curious to see who gets the start up top next to Twellman. Adam Cristman has allowed Pat Noonan ample time to heal, and scored his first ever goal last week. Noonan may keep his role off the bench until the Revs return home. This may be the last game US coach Bob Bradley will evaluate before he decides on his Gold Cup roster. Guys like Micheal Parkhurst and Matt Reis are on the bubble and can't afford a bad game (although Reis wouldn't be called in to be a backup). Twellman may be a lock for that team, so resting Noonan to ensure he's 100% for Taylor's upcoming absence may not be a terrible idea.

MLS teams usually have a letdown after an exciting performance, but the Revs can gain some distance from their competitors with a win. A win would give them 17 points, which is 71 in reverse. That's good luck, right?


Projected Revs lineup:

Reis
Heaps
Parkhurst
Riley
Ralston
Larentowicz
Joseph
Smith
Dorman
Twellman
Cristman


Other previews:

Game Guide
Revolutionsoccer.net
Boston Globe
Boston Herald
Royal Gazette
MLSnet

Revs @ LA Galaxy Preview

Saturday will be the first trip for the Revs to the Home Depot Center since the opener last season. That one was a fairly drab affair with the Revolution coming out the better in a 1-0 affair. However, Steve Nicol's boys won't have Clint Dempsey to tip the scales this year as they take on Landycakes and some other superfluous players going through the motions until Beckham arrives in a few months. (click title to read more)

Due to the wonders of marketing-based scheduling, LA will have only played one MLS regular season matchup between their second game (April 12) and their fourth game (May 12). They did play, and beat, New York in the US Open Cup on Wednesday. If you're one of the 30,000 or so people in the country who care about it, they won 3-1 while down a man with all four goals scored in extra time. Some of the Galaxy starters saw a good amount of action, but not enough to have an effect on their output on Saturday.

Speaking of rest, Shalrie Joseph is fresh off his one game suspension and Andy Dorman was substituted out early in the second half during Sunday's game so both key midfielders will be ready to go. What is anything from a sure bet is the health of Pat Noonan, who missed Sunday's game after starting the game in DC last Thursday. Noonan is a first choice starter for the Revs, but with Adam Cristman providing a different (more physical) look up top, it'll be interesting to see who lines up in the first eleven Saturday night.

Another good question is who the gaffer now favors at left back, a position the team is suddenly almost too deep at. With Micheal Parkhurst returning and bumping James Riley from central defense, it is unclear if Avery John is favored over Riley. John won the spot after returning from the World Cup and through Riley's injury problems early last summer. When Riley returned, his form was off from the spring and he lost the starting role for the rest of the year. Riley has been playing very well in Parkhurst's stead. He has also allowed John to have reduced minutes in the last three games, and it'll be interesting to see who lines up at 10:30 EDT tomorrow night. Joey Franchino is another option at left back after returning from his leave of absence. Although, he is more likely to supplement the midfield, possibly giving Larentowicz some time off.

LA has been known to play an up-tempo game, especially at home. For this reason, I suspect the Revs will look to play defensively and then try to exploit them on the counter attack. However, if they allow players like Landon Donovan to dictate the game, they'll come away with a loss. It is very important for Joseph and Larentowicz to impose their physical presence early on. Donovan has been known to cower and disappear when faced with a tough battle. Give him space, though, and the Revs are in for a long night.

Another matchup problem for the back line to worry about is Nate Jaqua. He was pish for the Fire at times in his career, but he's done well against New England at times due to their size differential, especially with Riley. Jaqua hasn't found his groove with LA yet, and here's hoping it takes him a bit longer.


Other Previews:

Revolution Preview
MLSnet Preview
Fox Soccer
LA Soccer News


Probable Revs Lineup

Reis, Heaps, Parkhurst, John, Ralston, Larentowicz, Joseph, Smith, Dorman, Twellman, Noonan

Revs @ DC Preview

Before the season started, many neutrals looked at the ESPN2 schedule and saw tonight as the first intriguing Thursday night game of the year. New England and DC have been the two big dogs in the Eastern Conference since that classic semifinal matchup at RFK in 2004. Every one of their games since have been heated affairs, remembered more for the 2-1 and 4-3 results than the 1-0 ECF game last November which ended DC United's season.

However, the consensus preseason favorites from the Natty have lost their first three games and the Revs, other than excellent finishing by Taylor Twellman, have looked less than world beaters.

The Revs need to watch out in this one. The probability of DC starting the season with four losses seems pretty slim on the surface. To come away with all three points, the Revs need to be prepared to battle. They can't expect the flat performance present in DC's road losses, nor the defensive breakdowns which let up four goals to Kansas City in week 2. Instead, they will most likely see a United side that will be selling out on both ends of the field. The Revs need to counter quickly, something they haven't done effectively since 2004. If New England plays the possession game, DC will stifle them with some very chippy play.

Although Shalrie Joseph's contract situation has grabbed the headlines, last year's MVP Christian Gomez, has also expressed his disappointment in the lack of a serious contract extension offer. This has coincided with some flat play. Some have put two and two together and think he's dogging it a little. I really don't think that is the case. I'd expect him to step it up tonight in front of the fans he loves. For that reason, Jeff Larentowicz may have his hands full at DM. If Larentowicz can contain Gomez effectively, the Revs have a shot. If not, they will walk away from this one happy with one point.

Probable Revs lineup:

Reis
Heaps
Parkhurst
John
Ralston
Larentowicz
Joseph
Smith
Dorman
Noonan
Twellman

Revs @ Dallas Preview

After an exciting Saturday morning of football from across the pond and the Sox heating up, my only request to the Revolution is don't bring me down.

The assertion that there is a jinx for the Revs at Pizza Hut Park is quite ludicrous. We beat them less than two years ago. The people suggesting that should know the jinx word wasn't even an original thought in New England until after the 1975 Series, so they should know better. However, the pitch can't bring back a heck of a lot of fond memories from Twellman & company. After all, a 4-0 spanking from the home side was sandwiched between two MLS Cup losses in extra time and on penalties respectively.

The Revs come into this one fresh with Pat Noonan looking to make his first start of the season. Micheal Parkhurst is also back to full strength. The warm afternoon game time will have it's toll on the two players yet to gain their legs, so I wouldn't expect 90 minutes from that duo. Jay Heaps is looking to start after sustaining a concussion ten days earlier in Columbus. If Parkhurst does come on, I'd expect Riley to move into the right back spot for Heaps.

Dallas will be playing their sixth game of the season and their third in a week. The Revs need to press their advantage early and test their will. New England played the possession game to perfection in 2005 and look to regain that form. The problem is, they don't have Clint Dempsey drawing fouls to help maintain control of the ball anymore. The likely successor to Dempsey in the pest role is Wells Thompson, but Khano Smith appears to be the first choice at left midfield. Khano looked bad in the last outing and Thompson needs to step up if he wants that job.

FC Dallas poses a mismatch for the Revs with large striker Kenny Cooper playing up top or slightly withdrawn to the right. The good news is our normal left defender, Avery John, is also our most physical and can match him. The bad news is Cooper has been known to roam and could be a problem for James Riley in the middle. Ramon Nunez has been hot as of late at attacking mid and Carlos Ruiz is always dangerous.

So the Revs have their work cut out for them. Dallas is coming off a dreadfully boring loss on Thursday night and will be looking to break out like they did in their 2-1 defeat of Colorado last Sunday. Hopefully this is a high scoring affair, but I have a bad feeling it'll be a grind.

Probable Revs Lineup:

Reis
Heaps
Riley
John
Ralston
Joseph
Larentowicz
Smith
Dorman
Noonan
Twellman

Preview: Revs - Columbus

The last time the Revolution visited Columbus, they played their last bad game of 2006. Coach Steve Nicol and company don't want to have their first bad game of 2007 when they play there again tonight. The 7:30 est game on ESPN2 will be the first nationally televised game for either team this year. Columbus gaffer Sigi Schmidt has more new talent to showcase to the country, whose soccer community is all too familiar with most of the Revolution lineup.

The first major change from last year is the addition of a proven MLS goal scorer in Andy Herron. He led the Chicago Fire in scoring last season and was the team's MVP. The Crew will also start unknown goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum, who has posted two clean sheets to start the season, albeit during two scoreless draws.

Something that may worry New England is the probable return of Ricardo Virtuoso, who tore up the Revolution in their meeting last summer. The speedy left-sided Brazilian is an unknown in many MLS circles, but he certainly made me a believer when I watched him participate in all three goals during that dreary match at Crew Stadium.

One big question for New England is who will start as the second forward next to Taylor Twellman? Pat Noonan played at the end of both regular season games, plus he was good for 70+ minutes in the reserve game last Sunday. Adam Cristman has played competently, but Noonan should be the first choice starter when ready. The gaffer is of the opinion Noonan is 100% healed from his sports hernia surgery and it's just a matter of regaining fitness. We'll have to wait until tonight to see.

Probable lineups:

New England: Reis, Heaps, Riley, John, Ralston, Larentowicz, Joseph, Smith, Dorman, Twellman, Cristman

Columbus: Gruenebaum, Hejduk, Hendrickson, Gonzalez, Pierce, Ngwenya, O'Rourke, Grabavoy, Gavin, Herron, Garey

Preview: Revs - Toronto

Tomorrow's the day when the New England Revolution raise the curtain on another season of soccer at Gillette Stadium. In their first doubleheader since 2005, our game is preceeded by a US Womens friendly against Mexico. Couple that with this game being part of the initial Beckham 4-pack, and there could be a good crowd cheering on the Revs.

This will be the first ever meeting between the Revs and Toronto FC. Toronto dropped their opener in LA last week 2-0 against Chivas USA. Although they looked good at times in the first half, they lacked the consistency on defense and the continuity on offense to win. Even with the possibility of #1 pick Maurice Edu coming off of injury and making his debut, the newcomers shouldn't pose much of a threat to a healthy Revolution side.


The problem is, the Revs wouldn't be what you would call healthy. There's a very real possibility that Pat Noonan won't be starting and Shalrie Joseph will join Kenny Smith in sitting out another game due to muscle injury. Micheal Parkhurst and Daniel Hernandez are definite no-go's as it is. To be honest, the Revs are in real danger of dropping all three points in this one if we trot out the same eleven we did last week.

Toronto has two forwards Revs know very well: Alecko Eskandarian and Edson Buddle. Both had remarkable years in 2004 and have had trouble re-establishing that form ever since. Alecko still held a grudge against Matt Reis for ending his season in 2005 as late as last season, so you have to wonder if he still has hard feelings. He had poor shot selection and made some questionable fouls against Revs players when he played against us last year, so he may still be preoccupied with getting his revenge.

The biggest weakness with Toronto is their defense. Coach Mo Johnston plays a wide open style which leaves their three defenders on an island more often than not. If Taylor Twellman and Pat Noonan are worth their paychecks and Andy Dorman is as good as we think he is, the Revs shouldn't have too much of a problem finding the back of the net. However, if Joseph is missing, Dorman will have to provide much more defensive coverage which will effect his offensive input.

Probable Linups:

New England: Matt Reis, Jay Heaps, James Riley, Avery John, Steve Ralston, Gary Flood, Jeff Larentowicz, Wells Thompson, Andy Dorman, Taylor Twellman, Pat Noonan

Toronto FC: Greg Sutton, Miguel Canizalez, Andrew Boyens, Jim Brennan, Marco Reda, Paulo Nagamura, Carl Robinson, Andy Welsh, Richard Mulrooney, Alecko Eskandarian, Edson Buddle

Revs-Fire Preview

Here we go again.

The New England Revolution and Chicago Fire have developed quite a heated rivalry. From rough on-field play to accusations of Fire coach Dave Sarachan successfully lobbying for Revolution players to be suspended on multiple occasions, the matchup had reached a boiling point heading into their final meeting last October. It ended with the Revolution ending the Chicago side's season for the third consecutive year at Gillette Stadium. Needless to say, with the lineups virtually unchanged from that encounter, the Fire are looking for a little payback.

The Revs come into the game with several players questionable to make the lineup. Slight knocks to Shalrie Joseph, Khano Smith, along with slightly more serious injuries to Micheal Parkhurst, Daniel Hernandez, and Pat Noonan makes predicting the starting XI a little less cut and dry than it ought to be.

The Chicago Fire come into the season on the back of their signing of Blanco. However, he won't be able to play for the club in the first two of three games versus the Revs. Even though they lost two forwards, in Nate Jaqua and Andy Herron, the young Fire attack is one year older and could come into their own ahead of their superstar's arrival. The Revs attack came into the 2005 season much unchanged, having several players in the US camp during the winter. The difference season over season was spectacular in our case. If the same jump in form occurs with the Fire attack, look out.

Defensive midfielder Chris Armas starts the season (which will be his last) healthy for a change. Chicago has stifled the Revs attack over their last eight meetings, save a few goal-scoring outbursts here and there. They play physical and know how to disrupt New England's rhythm. Granted, they have used such tactics as vicious hacking and walking away with the ball to prevent a restart. However, you can't argue with their success.

Look for the typical Revs-Fire ugly slashfest we have grown to know and loath on saturday.


Probable lineups:

New England: (3-5-2): GK-Matt Reis, D-Jay Heaps, D-James Riley, D-Avery John, M-Steve Ralston, M-Jeff Larentowicz, M-Shalrie Joseph, M-Khano Smith, M-Andy Dorman, F-Taylor Twellman, F-Adam Cristman

Chicago: (3-5-2): GK-Matt Pickens, D-Gonzalo Segares, D-Diego Gutierrez, D-C.J. Brown, M-Ivan Guerrero, M-Thiago, M-Chris Armas, M-Justin Mapp, M-Logan Pause, F-Chris Rolfe, F-Chad Barrett.

2007 Revolution Preview - Attacking

The New England Revolution are coming off a down year in the goal scoring department. Couple that with the departure of Clint Dempsey, and the Revs have their hands full. The good news is Pat Noonan should be healthy for more of the season, Taylor Twellman doesn't have the distractions he dealt with in 2006, and Steve Nicol calls this new crop of rookies the strongest such group he has ever coached. Here's a player by player breakdown of the Revolution offensive threats:

Forwards

Taylor Twellman: Twellman has 77 goals in 137 competitive games for the Revs. Having signed a lucrative contract in the off-season and the World Cup snub way behind him, Taylor looks to get back on track after only 11 regular season goals last year. Now more than ever, he is the face of the franchise and the fans will demand he returns to the form he displayed in his MVP season in 2005.

Pat Noonan: Questionable to start the opener after recovering from another hernia surgery. Really now, does that german doctor love getting all up in him that much that she keeps botching the job? When healthy, Noonan is the creative yin to Twellman's smash mouth yang. They always seem to be on the same page, and the team's +/- with them in the game has been remarkable. Noonan's health may make the difference between a great year and a mediocre year for the team.

Adam Cristman: Drafted late, Cristman has been proving his worth all preseason. He may get the start in the opener and that's when the real test begins. His ability to put away half chances in the box has been his strength. Possessing a large frame compared to most forwards, Cristman could present a different look to befuddle opponents.

Willie Sims: With the emergence of Cristman, Sims may have lost the opportunity to start the season as the #3 forward. Holding Generation Adidas status, Sims is in no danger of being dropped. This could be a make or break year to see if he belongs in the league. He brought a spark when he came off the bench in his few appearances in '06, but resulted in no first team goals.

Chris Loftus: This 6'5" monster out of Duke may be a project for the team. I doubt he'll see any first team action. However, I do look forward in seeing how he's utilized during reserve games.


Midfielders

Steve Ralston: Coming off a sluggish year in '06, Stevie puts on the armband or the opener. A natural leader who I'm glad to see finally getting a chance captaining the team. Although he's aging, Ralston still has decent pace and uses his superior soccer IQ to pull goals out of nowhere.

Shalrie Joseph: Last year, Joseph was forced to carry much of the defensive load and couldn't get forward as much as he had in the past. Still a thread from distance, and in the air on set pieces, look for Shalrie to hit the onionbag more in '07.

Andy Dorman: It was a breakout year for Dorman. His six Goals and ten assists were the one huge bright spot for the team offensively. The Midnight Riders Man of the Year will need to avoid a letdown if the Revs are to be an elite team this year.

Khano Smith: Tall, lanky, yet fast, Smith took awhile getting his form back in '06 after a long injury spell. Being his first healthy off-season with the team, hopefully he worked on his individual skills and conditioning. He looks to start from the get go, and the team can ill afford to have the left side of the midfield our weakness again.

Marshall Leonard: Leonard missed the entire 2006 season. When healthy in 2005, he was a first choice starter at LM. He's probably the most offensively competent LM we've had over the last few year. However, that's not saying a lot.

Arsene Oka: Oka's a youth international from Nigeria the Revs picked up last summer. He showed some signs the signing will pay off with a strong preseason.

Wells Thompson: The first player drafted by the Revs, Nicol sees something in him that most don't. He's being groomed as the long term replacement for Steve Ralston.

Ryan Solle: Picked in the second round, the fourth Wake Forest player on the team. Could see some action at AM. Possesses great footwork and passing skills.

Amaechi Igwe: Although he may be training at LD, he played forward during his one season in college. He could see some playing time up front in the future

Miguel Gonzalez: Another summer signing for the Revs, Miguel is looking to make the US U-20 team for the upcoming Youth World Cup in Canada.


Well, that's it for the preview. We'll see how well this group has prepared on saturday. Expect my match preview shortly.

2007 Revolution Preview - Defense

The New England Revolution enter the 2007 season on saturday in Chicago a little banged up in the back. Daniel Hernandez is recovering slowly from offseason groin surgery (ouch) and Micheal Parkhurst suffered a freak injury from a wave crashing on him in Cancun (Hey Posidon: go *#&% yourself!). This has forced coach Stevie Nicol to move James Riley to the middle of the backline in our now traditional 3-5-2. The thinness in depth could prove costly early on if there are any more injuries to the defense. Luckily they have two solid defensive midfielders and the league's best keeper to help out. Here's a breakdown on the revolution players who could factor into the goals against average this season:

Defenders

Jay Heaps: This marks the seventh season in a Revs uniform for the former second overall pick and New Hampshire native. No longer able to rely on his athleticism, the former Duke basketball player has learned to use his wits to sure up the right back position over the last few seasons. This will become increasingly important this season with a fresh crop of rookies that are not quite ready for prime time. He's a starter when healthy, and maybe the most critically important player this year with all the new forwards coming into the league.

Micheal Parkhurst: Started from day one and never looked back. Uses mind over matter and rarely fouls, yet has helped the Revs achieve a superior GAA in each of his two years. His injury may prevent the Revs from getting off to a fast start.

Avery John: The Trinidad & Tobago internation has fallen out of favor with coach Nicol on more than one occasion. Sometimes too quick to go to leave his while defending, but has the ability to mark anyone in MLS effectively. Earned his starting left back position again last summer when James Riley floundered. Rumors of a transfer to Queens Park Rangers proved unfounded, and he's back in the starting lineup for another year.

James Riley: Filling in for Parkhurst is his former teammate at Wake Forrest. He's been used out wide in the midfield and started at left back for a considerable stretch early last season before a few knocks kept him out for a month in the summer. His form never recovered. I'm interested in seeing how well he does in the middle of the defense.

Daniel Hernandez: Another year, another injury nagging DH. Hopefully, Hernandez can come back healthy. Although he's technically a midfielder, he may see some action at central defense if Parkhurst participates in Copa America during the summer. He played that position for a few years in Mexico and has shown his defensive competence in MLS.

Tony Lochhead: One player who has not lived up to his promise is Tony Lochhead. The New Zealand international seems to be getting passed by younger players. Holding a senior international roster spot, one has to wonder how much longer he has with the team?

Amaechi Igwe: Played forward in college, plays defense for the US U-20s ahead of the world championships in Canada this summer. He's a very gifted player who may be a year away from making a big splash in the league.

Gary Flood: This supplemental pick has impressed at central defense during the preseason and almost earned the starting spot when Parkhurst went down. The word is he's very poised in the back almost like a Parkhurst clone. He probably needs a few more months of defending Twellman and Noonan during practice before he's ready for the big time.

Marshall Leonard: Sat out the entire 2006 season with an injury sustained at the end of that playoff classic with the Mutts. I'd be interested if he can earn a starting position back at either left defender of left midfield.

Joey Franchino: Currently on a leave of absense from the team due to personal issues. He could fill in at either left back or defensive midfielder.


Defensive Midfielders

Shalrie Joseph: The best defensive midfielder in the league, bar none. Has the ability to control games and shut down the opposing team's attacking mid. Surprised everyone when he demanded a trade earlier this month. Probably just a negotiating ploy, the Revs will hopefully give him the contract he deserves and nail him down for the rest of his prime.

Jeff Larentowicz: Big Red stepped up last year big time and raised more than a few eyebrows. He'll be starting next to Joseph on opening day. Very composed on the ball, but still needs to improve his marking and passing. Has a battle on his hands for playing time when Hernandez gets healthy. He may be the long term replacement if Joseph leaves.

Ryan Solle: Holding mid may be his best position, but he'll have a hard time cracking this lineup this year. Scouting reports say he is a very skillful passer and makes good decisions.


Goalkeepers

Matt Reis: For my money, the best keeper in the league. Paid his dues, so when the longtime backup to Kevin Hartman got his chance in 2004, he played like a veteran from the get go. He will be immensely important the first month of the season with some of the top defenders out.

Doug Warren: Doug's an unproven backup who might actually have a fight on his hands for the #2 position.

Brad Knighton: This rookie may overtake Warren for Reis's backup. He impressed during a few outings in the preseason. It'll be interesting to see who plays if Reis is called into US national team duty over the summer.


That's it for the Rev's defensive outlook. I'll preview the attacking players in the next post.