Broadcast Booth Bits – What a Difference SJ Makes
Written by Brad Feldman on July 21, 2009 – 1:10 pm -One guy, one player. That, from where Greg Lalas and I sat up in the broadcast booth, appeared to be the difference between a lousy first half for the Revs against Chivas USA, and a very good second half. Thrust into the action yet again as a forward – for his first playing time since June 13 – Shalrie Joseph seemed to link it all together for New England.
We know Shalrie can pick out a pass. We know, too, that he’s fearsome and effective in the tackle. But what’s been impressive, if not surprising, about him as a forward is the way he combines the necessary movement, good passing and holdup work with the same battling qualities that lead to opportunities like the second Revs goal against Chivas, scored by Steve Ralston.
And don’t misread me; Ralston makes a huge difference, too. He combines so well with so many players out there, even those not totally on the same page with his advanced soccer mind that he remains the primary intellectual catalyst for this team. How poor would that first half have been had Rallie not been out there?
I was pleased to see Kheli Dube get off the shnide – he hadn’t score in MLS since Week One – and show the sharpness in front of goal that he’d displayed in SuperLiga. As long as Taylor Twellman is out and Edgar Jankauskas’ status remains uncertain, then Dube is going to be counted on to be that guy.
But imagine, if you will, a Revs team that has both Shalrie and Jankauskas available, with Ralston pulling the strings and Jeff Larentowicz patrolling the middle with the conviction we saw from him in the second half. Imagine Jay Heaps back in the fold (which he will be, soon) and he and Kevin Alston or Chris Tierney pushing into the attack. With really good players like Pat Phelan, Mike Videira, Brad Knighton and Nico Colaluca available as squad guys, now you have yourself a MLS power.
Then imagine Twellman and Chris Albright are back – OK, let’s not get too far ahead of things…it’s still July.
Now that the schedule has settled into pretty much one game per week, I think you’re going to see the best from Kenny Mansally and Sainey Nyassi. This Sunday’s game was the first one, for me, in which Mansally had a really uneven performance since he took over the left mid position. He did some great things, but, as Steve Nicol acknowledged in his post-game press conference, also made some tired-looking mistakes.
What I want from Nyassi is the same swagger and intelligence that Mansally has adopted in recent weeks. You do see it sometimes. For example, I love when he picks up his head, sees he’s 1 v 1 with an Ante Jazic-type defender, and just races off with a Roadrunner-esque, “Meep, meep!”
Because he’s a speedster of that ilk, Sainey will never have the gravitas of a more muscular winger like his compatriot, Mansally. And I know he was playing with a balky hamstring on Sunday. Still, if Nyassi can get a real badboy streak in his game, watch out.
Overall, the defeat of Chivas USA was a pretty important win for the Revs. It brings them to an even .500 in the standings at the midway point of their season, it brings them to the 20-point level, and it allows them to keep pace in the Eastern Conference during a weekend in which D.C., Chicago and Columbus all won their games. And even though Chivas USA has been slumping, the Revs showed they can take one of the top teams in the West. Now it’s off to Houston to play the top team, record-wise, in the whole league. Should be a good one in the sweltering summer heat down near the Gulf of Mexico. If the Revs can get Rallie, Dube, Edgar and Chaz all out there and doin’ it, there could be an upset brewing in that tropical orange cauldron…
For In the Net this week my top-shelf featured guests are Glenn Davis of Houston TV, Bernado Fallas of the Houston Chronicle and ESPN and Ridge Mahoney of Soccer America. Send us your emails: Revsradio@revolutionsoccer.net.
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July 21st, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Shalrie made a huge difference in the 2nd half, no doubt, but another big factor was the frenetic pace that Chivas started the game with.
It looked like their game plan was to come at the Revs and pressure them all over in an attempt to get the all-important first goal. I had serious doubts that they could keep up that pace all game and figured that if the Revs could keep the game even or better at halftime, they would be in prime position to take over the game.
You could see the exhaustion in Chivas, when they were totally unable to respond after the Revs took the lead. The gamble failed.
July 21st, 2009 at 3:57 pm
Thanks, Brad, for your coverage and article.
What has gone totally unmentioned from the “home” coverage along with Sharlrie’s tremendous 2nd half effort was another Revs player. Ironically, the only mention of this player came from the blog article by M. Morales entitled “Victoria Reconfortante” which was unfortunately in Spanish and by the Chivas T.V. announcing team. The Chivas announcers mentioned this other Rev’s player repeatedly with Sharlrie as an energizer and difference maker during the 2nd half.
This Revs player came in 6 minutes into the 2nd half. Is this pure coincidence? Where the Chivas announcing team partial to this one Rev player you have chosen not to recognize? And your comments here recognizes literally everyone else on the team but this one player.
Another irony…this player is busting his hump. Continue to keep the secret. He will just play harder for his team that chooses not to recognize him.
July 21st, 2009 at 5:58 pm
The entire team seems to get a lift when certain players enter the game: Shalrie, Ralston, and Twellman. You could just feel the difference when Shalrie came on the field the 2nd half. I just hope we get to experience it again with Taylor.
As for Wells, I really, really want him to succeed, and can’t tell if he’s just hit a wall in his soccer development, lost his confidence, or a little of both. No one denies he works his butt off, but something just isn’t working..I hope for good things for him going forward. Oh, and to see Albright and Castro on the field sometime this season!
July 21st, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Brad,
Where has Stephane gone? I heard so many things during his signing I thought he’d be playing regularly, or at least get a few look ins. He’s not injured, he’s not a great deal younger than anyone else, so what is the deal here? I am so confused as to why Steve and Paul have this attack minded player here and not using him during this injury plagued period. Please, enlighten me.
July 22nd, 2009 at 12:16 am
rkupp-
Good analysis - I agree. Nagamura and Victorine, in particular, couldn’t keep up the pressurizing (and the Goats forwards didn’t seem interested in doing it), but I also think that Larentowicz upped his energy and Ralston and Joseph helped the Revs keep the ball much better than they had been, which mitgated the CUSA tactics you are referring to.
Teambuilder-
If you are suggesting that Wells Thompson was the primary difference maker in the Revs victory, I beg to differ. If you are saying that he played well, I’d agree, for the most part. If you go back and listen to the live game commentary, Greg and I praised Wells for his running and hard work (which we consistently acknowledge him for, every week), but we also pointed out a few decisions on the ball that maybe weren’t the best and a moment when he lost his cool and got his hands up on an opposing player. I like Wells’ game and I think he plays with a lot of heart, but keep in mind we see him every week while the Chivas USA announcers don’t. If you think Wells had an exceptional game, you’re entitled to that opinion. No one is trying to ignore him - we talk about Wells on TV all the time. I did happen to leave him out of this brief blog entry because, again, I thought that Ralston, Joseph and Larentowicz had a lot more to do with the Revs’ second-half effort, though Thompson certainly played his part.
Benny-
Stephane Assengue is still very young in terms of his development as a soccer talent. He got a couple of looks-in, against Toronto and Houston, and received a great deal of playing time against Harrisburg in the USOC (at a time when the Revs really needed attacking players). I know the coaches have worked extensively with him - if they thought he was ready for more PT I’m sure he’d be getting it. We should all try to keep in mind Stephane was with a regional team in Cameroon called Daga Young Stars just a few months ago…this team doesn’t even have a website.
July 22nd, 2009 at 5:33 pm
Brad,
Thanks for your opinions and responsiveness on the Blog. They provide a link and point of reference to the team.
July 23rd, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Thanks for the response Brad. That certainly sheds some light on why we haven’t been seeing him so much.