Links

Revolution Soccer Blog explains the complicated playoff scenarios for the Revs.

The Original Winger has a video of US National Team Fans celebrating the win at CBS Scene here.

Oh ladies, Cosmo had picked Taylor Twellman as one of the 51 Sexiest Bachelors. Link comes complete with cheesy boy band type photo and banal quotes.

Charlie Davies has been moved out of the intensive care. US soccer has a whole section of their website for updates on how he is doing and fans can email him at charliedavies9@yahoo.com

Scene and Heard

A couple of additional notes about watching at CBS Scene.

First about the broadcast - the closed circuit broadcast was pretty poor. The picture was not sharp and they would show 7 or 8 consecutive replays and then cut back to the game and you had no idea what you missed. The broadcasters doing the English broadcast were great though. I don't know who they were, but ESPN should hire them and replace Harkes and Delacamera immediately. They were incisive and knew the game. They pointed out things that Casey was doing well that Harkes for one would have missed. He would have moaned about how Casey wasn't chasing the ball enough - just like he always does about Dempsey. I am not sure what Harkes looks for in a soccer player, but I think it must involve constant pointless running around. At any rate listening to announcers who really knew soccer was refreshing.

Second being at CBS Scene meant I saw some soccer celebrities. At the table across from our booth Max Bretos (of FSC) was sitting with two bouncer looking guys who I can only assume were bodyguards. He must be worried that some Massachusetts fans were going to rough him up for constantly referring to Jay Heaps as being from New Hampshire when everyone knows he grew up and played high school soccer in Longmeadow, MA. And rather then actually watch the game, he was constantly talking on his cell phone or texting. The only time I heard cheers from his table was when Honduras scored their first goal. It just confirmed my already low opinion of him from listening to his announcing idiocy on FSC. And then during one of the trips to the restroom I was standing in line next to Greg Lalas who announces for Channel 38. I was tempted to ask him why he got all the brain in the Lalas family, but decided that wasn't a good idea. I am sure they were other NE soccer celebrities there (our friend Herb mentioned he had talked to Mike Burns), but alas, I would not know most of them from Adam.

US score a coup in Honduras

First, I want to thank the Krafts or whoever was responsible for getting CBS Scene at Foxboro to purchase the closed circuit broadcast for the U.S. Honduras game. Without that I would not have been able to see one of the best games the U.S. has ever played.

So once the New England Revolution game was over we trooped down to the entrance for the closed circuit viewing party. We met a new friend in line (Herb) who was gracious enough to offer the one member of our group who didn't have a reserved seat, an extra seat he had. We then heard that the upstairs was open and all went upstairs and the 5 of us squeezed around a booth. It was an interesting way to watch the game.

Honduras started out a fast and were carrying the attack to the U.S. The U.S. however had the best chances in the first half as Bocanega hit an open header over the crossbar and Davies scuffed a rebound over everyone with an empty net in front of him after drawing a great reaction save from the goalkeeper on a header of a Holden cross. Casey (yes that Casey) looked good in the first half and was doing a nice job as the target forward. He has much better control then Altidore and seems to have better footwork then Ching. Having seen him play against the Revs and against Everton in the MLS all star game, I was wondering if he could translate that to the bigger stage of the National team. He had some appearances under Arena before he was injured and had some moments in the Confederations Cup and Gold cup, but not as a starter. So it was somewhat of a surprise to see him start. I have felt that with a full game he would wear down defenders and begin to create space. And in the second half that is what happened. But first we had to have the classic CONCACAF reffing call of a foul on Onyewu for what replays showed were a clear dive by the attacker. The Honduran converted, but unlike the game against Costa Rica, it seemed like the goal pissed off the U.S. players and they started to take the game to Honduras. Casey got a classic Casey goal using his size to hold off the goalkeeper and head the ball into the net. The thing I like about Casey is he uses his size intelligently. He doesn’t throw elbows, he doesn't grab, he positions. His second goal showed off his footwork. Then Casey draws a foul and Donovan hits a great free kick to put the U.S. up 3-1 and I am thinking we've got this.

Of course not. Honduras pulls back a goal after no offsides was called with three players at least two feet offside. But, hey this is CONCACAF, if the U.S. doesn't get a few bad calls it wouldn't be right. And then Holden commits a bonehead handball foul in the box (similar to the bonehead foul he committed against Holland in the Olympics) and the Hondurans are awarded (rightly) a P.K. Fortunately Pavon skied it over the crossbar and it was all over but the shouting. The U.S. came back from the goal deficit to score 3 in a row and dominated play for long stretches of the second half.

A couple of additional notes - for all those saying Holden should start for Dempsey (and I have seen many) Holden has a penchant for silly fouls. The one against Honduras (which fortunately didn't cost the U.S.) the one against Holland in the Olympics - which cost the U.S. a chance to advance out of group play and there have been others. He is a wild card in a bad way. For those who say we should have qualified a while ago, this was the strongest Hexagonal I have seen. Usually there are at most 3 good teams, but this year one could make the argument that there were 5 good teams. So now we go into the Costa Rica game with no pressure.

The Revs Aren't Allright

courtesy of revolutionsoccer.net

The Revs this year have had their moments that have recalled the grittiness of past teams. The 1-0 defeats of both Houston and Seattle on the road were examples of that. The three match winning streak going into the home game vs. K.C. was another example. But every time the team seemed to be putting something together, an injury, untimely red card or a desultory performance seemed to derail them once again. Twellman returns to the Revs lineup just twice - once to score his 100th and 101st goals of his career - and shortly thereafter, the team announces he is back on the injured list for post concussion syndrome symptoms and he doesn’t play again this year (and may never play soccer again). Ralston once again is put out of the lineup with an injury for a foul that was not called. Last year it was K.C.'s Hercules Gomez with a stud's up two footed tackle (for which no card was issued) this year it was Osvaldo Alonso of Seattle giving Ralston a shove as he went up for a header which apparently everyone in Gillette stadium but the center ref saw. And of course there was the K.C. game in which Joseph got a red card 22 minutes into the match - a red card with the USSF stated on their web site should not have been given. But does MLS rescind the one game suspension? No - of course not. So the Revs went to L.A. to play Chivas and lost 2-0 and played one of their poorer matches. Then against the Rapids on Saturday, Laurentowicz isn't starting and Heaps is out. The Revs managed a draw playing a makeshift lineup and even thought they were up a man for 30 minutes I was happy with the draw. So I was hopeful coming into Saturday night's game against Columbus, but worried. The only goal was scored by Columbus on a free kick by Padula in which Reis and Osei performed an Alphones and Gaston routine as neither made a play on the ball and it bounced (bounced!) into the net. Well it was that kind of night and the Revs seemed unable to generate any scoring changes in the second half. Once again they went up a man in the 69th minute, but as before against TFC and Colorado could do nothing to capitalize. Even if the Revs make the playoffs (and playing Chicago home and away and away to Columbus does not leave me hopeful), I don't see them making it past the first round. For whatever reason this year the club seems to lack something.