Does anyone know when the DirectKick package goes to the half-season rate?

Montreal signs its new DP long-promised Ignacio Piatti.

LA and Portland just kicking off on NBCSN, in case you were looking for something to do tonight.

Only got home for second half tonight.

We look...flat. Scott Caldwell needs to get back in the XI as the DM. There's just no other way for us to move the ball swiftly through the midfield, even if he's a bit soft defensively he's really a great technician.

Rowe had an incredibly weak game, but I think part of the problem is how much he has been changing positions. I don't think Heaps could even tell you what our best lineup is right now. This team has loads of talent but needs to figure some things out. I'm really not as concerned about the four straight losses as others. This team will be in the mix come playoff time.

I only watched the last 30 mins, forgot we had a game - between July 4th stuff (at GF's parent's house) and watching World Cup, Revs weren't my priority. Tuned in because GKA asked me if I was watching via text, so was able to go downstairs and watch while everyone slept. (How do people go to bed before 2 AM minimum is beyond me)

3 comments:
1. Kyle Beckerman is a ****ing stud. I'm glad he showed the world he is international quality during the world cup, although it's pretty likely his international career is ~over and his chances of ever playing anywhere other than MLS is ~nil. But man, in the final 30 mins he was still dictating RSL.
2. I agree w/ GKA Heaps has no idea who our best players are. He's a good manager though so I have faith he'll figure it out.
3. Our substitutions provided absolutely nothing, it's kinda pathetic. Neumann just sucks, but I expect more of Bunbury and Sene.

Team was missing Dorman. Apparently Soares was in the lone DMF role and Farrell was a CB. Interesting. I wonder how that looked in the 1st half. Seems too pessimistic, and frankly, Soares doesn't have the ball skills nor vision to really dictate in that role. He's a poor man's Beckerman.

Ideally our XI contains these core players: Farrell, Nguyen, Mullins, Goncalves, Dorman, Diego, Rowe, Caldwell. I'm fine with Shuttlesworth in goal, although he's a downgrade from Reis of last year. Still, he seems like a solid MLS GKer.

That's 9. We probably "need" Tierney, as he has improved and can send crosses in, plus he's positionally versatile. I'm going to hold off on AJ Soares, Teal Bunbury, Alston, Sene, etc. for our XI, just testing what formations would serve us best.

Shuttlesworth GK
Farrell/Goncalves/__?/Tierney. If we play 4 at the back, we need an additional CB, which would mean Soares. We could also play 3 at the back, and push Tierney as a wing back, which he's capable of playing. Both formations largely suggest Soares should be in our XI; not so much out of value, but because the options behind him are poor. (Stephen McCarthy? Using Barnes as a CB? Using one of our DMF in that spot...? Maybe? Using Farrell in the middle to bring Alston in? No thanks...)
I would ideally pair Dorman with Caldwell in the middle. This is shaping up like a 4-2-3-1; perhaps it's fairly defensively shaped, but Caldwell isn't big enough or physically imposing to control the center of the pitch, but paired with Dorman it makes sense. Dorman is fairly nitty and loves the art of the sideways and backwards pass, whereas Caldwell has real vision and craft.

This leaves Mullins up top, which is pretty obvious to me. He is playing as a primary striker anyway, and we don't have enough evidence to say whether he functions better with 2 upfront. Also, this makes it easy: Put Rowe as an AMF, space Lee on one side and Diego on the other, and we have a promising attack.

Bam, that's our best XI. Make it happ'n, Cap'n.

lol galaxy

galaxy/timbers game was pretty awful for the first half, but the second half has been a very entertaining 25 mins.

btw donovan kinda sucks

edit: should be a pk for landon right?

embarrassing stuff from portland

Yeah this is a nice lineup. Heaps seems to be fairly enamored with 4-1-4-1, but we don't really have a Xabi Alonso or Andrea Pirlo quality player to play that 1 role at the moment.

Lee really has been best with the Revs on the left wing cutting in, and the extra space really would help him there, as he doesn't have the size and strength to always battle.

As far as field width, it makes perfect sense because Diego or Bunbury can play wide right and play along the touchline, while Lee could drift to the middle and let Tierney overlap him. Barnes plays RB, so he's more of a stay home fullback, while Tierney runs down the left, while Farrell and Goncalves boss the middle.

Re: Beckerman: I'd take him at QPR, dude is just so solid.

Erick Torres with an (almost?) bicycle kick in stoppage time to win it for Chivas USA.

Both the Fire and SKC are being very sloppy in the back early. This well could be a very open match

boom bitches


it was due

and the sloppiness at the back just allowed for that goal to happen.

I do like the celebration in using the guy's cell phone to take a pic of himself with the rando fan's friends

it wasn't a random persons phone.. it was planned, sporting kc posted the pic almost immediately to their instagram

oh, that isn't anywhere near as cool as I thought it was

Not going to happen, but let's say Chicharito transfers over to MLS this summer. Do you guys think he is big enough to start another MLS boom like Cuauhtemoc did? Also, would you guys agree that the best MLS has ever been was when Cuauhtemoc was playing at Chicago Fire?


I'm asking because I see Chicharo was almost moved to Southampton and that's insulting imo. I'd almost prefer to see him be the face of MLS over seeing him play there.

Rofl a boom like blanco? Come on man.

?


El Cuauh easily made a bigger impact on MLS than anyone else, and that's including David Beckham. I don't know how this is even controversial. It was so huge that he even got me to watch a few MLS matches.

lol too obvious bro

As a rabid casualfan I have no idea who you are talking about.

Well, I know who Beckham is obv.

gtfo cruizn

Like any MLS team wants to end up with Luis Angel Landin part dos

tried to find this on google and mlssoccer.com and could not, but how long do yellow cards carry on for in the mls?

dvr'd skc/chi, watching now and dwyer was booked for his celebration, which made me wonder about the above. anyway dwyer seems to be real good (first time seeing him) and the booth is praising him a ton. also the kc fans are really great.

i don't know who told you Luis Angel Landin was good in the first place, but that's your fault for expecting anything good out of him.

plus, if Cubo Torres can do this, pretty sure chicharito can too