Poor New England! So Far From Boston, So Close to the Kraft Family: The Revolution 2019

Titans Bastard

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A road win in LA is a pretty good result for Arena's first game in charge.


The Revs also announced that they've hired Curt Onalfo as technical director. Onalfo is a longtime Arena minion who has been rather unsuccessful in three stints as an MLS head coach over the last 12 years. He hasn't been a front office executive before.
 

Senator Donut

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The Revs probably should have won that match something closer to 4-2 as both teams missed their fair share of scoring opportunities. Amazingly, they have only conceded 3 goals in 4 matches under Lapper/Arena. Friedel's Revs allowed in 18 in his last 4 as manager. The Agudelo/L Caciedo midfield duo seems to work surprisingly well and DeJuan Jones has been a revelation at left back.
 

Humphrey

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Titans Bastard

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The Revs are having a bit of a moment in the US Open Cup against NYRB. Agudelo scored very early, but they eventually found themselves down 2-1. Turner saved a PK after a dodgy call. Bunbury equalized in the 85th minute, but Luis Caicedo was sent off in stoppage time. Then the 10-men Revs nabbed another goal in the second half of extra time through Bunbury again, who hit a nice dipping shot over Ryan Meara.

Still time for them to blow this.
 

Titans Bastard

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Friedel was fired, and the Revs haven't lost in the five games since. Impressive.
 

Senator Donut

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Next up is Orlando City away in the fifth round of the Open Cup. Last year, the Revs lost to the OG Lions (Louisville) in the fourth round.
 

Titans Bastard

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The first casualty of the Arena era is Gabriel Somi, whose contract was terminated today by mutual consent. Somi was never a very influential player in New England, but I could have told you that from the outset: even solid starters from Sweden are often disappointments in MLS and Somi was only a rotational guy.

In other news, the Revs were knocked out of the US Open Cup R16 by Orlando City in extra time.
 

The Gray Eagle

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Welp, another late lead coughed up. Before the game I'm sure they would have been fine with a point against the Bimbos but when you're leading at home in the 85th minute and blow it, it is not good.
 

Senator Donut

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Still undefeated (in MLS/regulation time) since they shitcanned Friedel and only three points below the red line, plus they started selling Heady Topper at home games.
 

Titans Bastard

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Another win last night, in a weather-interrupted road game against the Rapids in a battle of teams that have been surprisingly good since firing their awful managers.

The Revs are now level with Toronto on points, just outside the playoffs based on goal difference.
 

Jimy Hendrix

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If Arena has no other effect than getting the Krafts to spend money, then he might be transformative for the Revs even off peak as a coach.

Even the rumor I don't love about them sniffing around Vermalen, while still I think fundamentally the wrong thing to do (Revs sign a washed old Euro CB, stop me if you've heard that one before), it is a much higher class iteration of the mistake than the ones they keep getting from the Championship or Ligue 2 or wherever.
 

Reardon's Beard

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I can't imagine he came here without some indication they were going to open up the bank account.

Great move and here's hoping they carry on.
 

thehitcat

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Um what is going on? Seriously the globe has it at nearly 16 million with salary and potential add ons. That's like a real transfer. It would be truly incredible if the Revs started pushing the envelope. They could be huge.
 

Senator Donut

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More importantly, the scheduled referee didn’t make it to DC, so we have a Ted Unkel red card fest.
 

Titans Bastard

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The draw means that the Revs are actually in playoff territory, though they'll probably slip down beyond 7th by the end of the weekend. Three teams could pass them with a win, and two of them are playing the terrible Ohio duo of Columbus and Cincinnati.
 

Titans Bastard

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The Revs & the Krafts get a...somewhat positive writeup from Stejskal, who is generally a more cynical guy.

https://theathletic.com/1079388/2019/07/16/
More telling than any run of results, however, is in the increased investment around the club. Long one of the lowest-spending ownership groups in MLS, the Krafts have finally started to open the checkbook for the Revolution. It started with the training facility, which will be one of the finest in the league once it’s completed. Executives at other clubs around MLS were skeptical that the club would fire Burns and Friedel while there was still time left in both of their contracts, but the fact that the Krafts took action was another sign. Hiring Arena on a seven-figure salary, making him one of the highest-paid coaches in the league, according to sources, was another.

And then there is the signing of Argentine forward Gustavo Bou from Club Tijuana, the latest and perhaps most significant signal of the Revs’ intent yet. The club made the announcement last Wednesday, and Frank Dell’Appa reported in The Boston Globe that the Revolution will be paying between $12 and $16 million in combined transfer fee and salary for the 29-year-old designated player. A source confirmed those numbers to The Athletic.

More smoke to the rumors that the Revs will launch a reserve team. The report here is that it will be a USL League One team, which makes sense to me.

Another investment could be a USL team. Dell’Appa and Jonathan Sigal reported for the New England Soccer Journal in June that the Revs were “considering” launching a USL team in 2020, and sources confirmed that the Revs have held discussions with the USL about launching their own squad in USL League One—the third-division of American soccer—next year.
 

Titans Bastard

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Resounding 4-0 win over the lowly Whitecaps. Nine games unbeaten.

What a strange season.
 

OCST

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Just tuned in to the end of TOR-NYRB and saw the Revs score and I was like, NFW man.

Good for the Revs.
 

Titans Bastard

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2-0 road win in Cincinnati, which is the Revs' 10th straight game in MLS unbeaten. We saw more production from Gil and Bou. New England is up to 7th place at the end of the week, now ahead of Toronto and tied with Montreal on points.

Next up is a home game against Orlando that will be important to putting distance between the Revs and another team on the playoff bubble.
 

lostjumper

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I watched the 2nd half of the game, and the Revs pretty much had complete control. They are connecting passes better than they have in several seasons. Hearing Delamea's post game interview was interesting. They commented on his strong play over the last month, and asked him if the difference was him being fully healthy. He said it was nothing like that. The only thing that changed is he finally had a coaching staff that believed in him.
 

InstaFace

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so hang on, is Bruce Arena an over-the-hill has-been whose decisions lead to chaos, dysfunction and missing the WCF despite the rules being stacked in our favor... or is he a motivational and tactical genius who can take some sad-sack franchise like the Revs, make players believe in themselves, convinced a moribund ownership to invest in transfers (and choose them wisely), and immediately propel it towards contention?

I can't keep this all straight anymore.
 

thehitcat

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so hang on, is Bruce Arena an over-the-hill has-been whose decisions lead to chaos, dysfunction and missing the WCF despite the rules being stacked in our favor... or is he a motivational and tactical genius who can take some sad-sack franchise like the Revs, make players believe in themselves, convinced a moribund ownership to invest in transfers (and choose them wisely), and immediately propel it towards contention?

I can't keep this all straight anymore.
Um...yes.
 

Titans Bastard

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Arena has always been a very strong man manager. His clubs become cohesive, motivated units. Tactically, he puts players in a position to succeed, but is fairly hands off. He does not try to be a modern, extremely detail-oriented micromanager, and probably isn't capable of being one either.

Some of it is gamesmanship in the media, but he is well known for his arrogant comments to the press....and sometimes, arrogant tactical moves. Like say, going with a central midfield of Bradley + Pulisic on the road in CONCACAF with qualification on the line.
 

lostjumper

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Say what you want about Arena's failures as the national team coach, the guy knows how to coach MLS. Another 4-1 win for the Revs, they are humming on all cylinders right now.
 

Titans Bastard

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The Revs nick a late home win against Chicago. That in and of itself is not all that impressive because the Fire aren't that great. However, it's three points on a night when NYRB, DCU, and Montreal all lost. The Revs consolidate sixth place and have a four point cushion in the playoff picture. DCU is in absolute free-fall, and have only a one point lead on the Revs with two more games played, so fifth place is very much within reach right now.
 

Vinho Tinto

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I haven’t followed, but I wonder how much of an effect Rooney’s announcement that he’s leaving DC has had on the roster.

Credit to Arena for putting the Revs back in the playoff mix.
 

Titans Bastard

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I haven’t followed, but I wonder how much of an effect Rooney’s announcement that he’s leaving DC has had on the roster.

Credit to Arena for putting the Revs back in the playoff mix.
I'm sure Rooney's announcement hasn't helped, but DCU had been in a tailspin for a good two months prior. They've only won three games since mid-May. They have some holes, but I also wonder if it's time to move on from Ben Olsen, who has been in the job since 2010. I think he's been shown some loyalty after he spent years dealing with the very lean rosters he was given by DCU in the pre-Audi, pre-Rooney era when they spent very little money. But has he ever shown he's a particularly good manager?
 

TheRealness

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I haven’t followed, but I wonder how much of an effect Rooney’s announcement that he’s leaving DC has had on the roster.

Credit to Arena for putting the Revs back in the playoff mix.
Arena deserves a lot of credit. They have been a completely different team with him at the helm. Nice of them to spend a little on Bou, so let’s hope that’s a sign of ownership investing more money into the team moving forward.
 

biollante

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The Revs have come back to life. Bou has been a great addition. Arena deserves whatever credit he wants. If they make the playoffs, I will be happy. I went to the first home game of the year and thought they would finish last or second to last.
 

tmracht

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At this point, it would be a let down if they don't make the playoffs. Considering after 13 games they were abysmal that's incredible to me.
 

Titans Bastard

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Chris Tierney is back! He's now in a scouting role.

https://www.revolutionsoccer.net/post/2019/08/30/revolution-hire-chris-tierney-player-recruitment-manager
The Revs also announced along with next season's academy roster that they are launching a residency program. I don't see any players on the list from outside New England, but presumably some of the CT, Western MA and NH kids are availing themselves of the opportunity. If the Revs want to get serious about their academy, they are really going to have to expand their reach beyond New England because youth talent is quite limited here. There are still broad swathes of the country that aren't part of an MLS club's "territory" — and the rumors that "homegrown territories" will be limited/eliminated have continued to proliferate.

https://www.revolutionsoccer.net/post/2019/08/30/revolution-announce-academy-roster-residency-program-ahead-2019-20-season
 

InstaFace

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The run might be ending, NE 0-1 TOR, goal at 74' on some deflection mayhem.

edit: TOR parking the bus in cement overshoes.
 
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Titans Bastard

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Not a great performance or result from the Revs, but losing at home to Toronto would have been really disastrous, so at least that was avoided.