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Soccer QUESTIONS SURROUND THE COMING REVOLUTION by Jeff Dieffenbach 8/23/2002 With six games to go for the New England Revolution in the 2002 season, a number of unanswered questions remain, chief among them the following.
The Revolution face the Fire, Rapids, Crew, United, Burn and MetroStars to close out the schedule. They sit last in 10th place, one point behind United but a crucial seven points behind the MetroStars for the eighth and final playoff slot. Six games (some teams have as few as four) are far too many to play out all the possibilities. Instead, based on the current standings and excluding upcoming Revolution games, assume that higher point total teams will beat lower point total teams the rest of the way out. In that scenario, it takes New England 33 points to edge the Wizards and United to make the playoffs. With 22 points in hand, they would need to manage 11 in their final six outings: four wins, or three wins and two ties. The Rapids, Crew, United, and Metrostars are all beatable individually, but the Revolution have yet to display the fortitude to put together such a run. The problem with the “higher beats lower” assumption is that it’s best case: the teams that New England needs most to overtake by definition don’t fare well. Almost certainly, those teams, motivated by the playoff chase, will pull off a few upsets or at least salvage a few ties. In a second scenario, assume that teams within two points of one another in the current standings will end up tying one another. The Revolution would then need 36 points to avoid a three-way tie for seventh place and a likely playoff omission based on tie-breakers. Fourteen points is five wins, or four wins and two ties. Less likely still. So, faithful New England fans, it’s time to dust off that perpetual Revolution rally cry, “Wait ‘til next year.” Instead, let’s focus on what they can do this year to put the right pieces in place for 2003. The combination of the aging Juergen Sommer and the younger but more injury prone Adin Brown provides skill if not security in goal. No changes needed, but somewhere there’s an A-League keeper who should have his travel bag packed. On defense, the off-season should give Carlos Llamosa time to heal from various nagging injuries. More importantly, he won’t be missing time next year for National Team obligations. With him in central defense, Daouda Kante shows promise after only a few outings. A healthy Rusty Pierce on the right and the steady but caution-prone Joe Franchino on the left should round out a finally solid defense. At midfield, coach Steve Nicol showed perhaps too much confidence in Jim Rooney and likewise not enough in Alex Pineda Chacon. In a possible nod to both youth and next year, neither started in the most recent match against Chicago. That not withstanding, the Revolution need to find a place for Chacon, perhaps at attacking midfield. Daniel Hernandez has played strong of late and deserves the defensive midfield spot. Steve Ralston owns the right midfield, with Brian Kamler and newcomer Winston Griffiths acting as a speedy platoon on the left. Up front, Ian Fuller has shown only brief signs of success opposite Taylor Twellman, as has Wolde Harris and everyone else who has tried the “second” striker slot. If Diego Serna is back healthy and mentally prepared, he’s worth a long look. Who of note does that leave out? Leo Cullen and Jay Heaps have both played well this year and would certainly see considerable minutes next year off the bench and in occasional starting roles, as would Rooney. The Revolution need to use the remainder of this year looking toward the next. Experiment with combinations. Give younger and newer players a look. Get Chacon on the field. And finally, learn from the experience, don’t disrupt it: either sign “interim” coach Steve Nicol for another year or show him his walking papers now so that the new architect can get started. |