Tag Archives: Sporting KC

Revs Come Away With Ugly Draw

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Courtesy of the New England Revolution

Courtesy of the New England Revolution

In what could have been a hard earned victory and confidence booster in front of their home fans, weather permitted both New England and Kansas City from scoring Saturday, leading to a 0-0 draw in the Revolution’s home opener. New England is now 1-1-1 on the season and tied for 5th place with D.C. United in the Eastern Conference.

Wind is hardly a good thing at a stadium like Gillette, where a convenient opening between sections 143 (The Fort) and 101 created a wind tunnel that forced the ball to twist and swirl all game long. Shots were wildly off target and the keepers couldn’t even the settle the ball for goal kicks. Although you never want to blame the weather for match results, the Revs have had it tough to open up the season. First playing in the Windy City, followed by a slushy mix of rain and snow in Philadelphia, the beautiful game is being played in far from beautiful weather. One thing is clear after the past few weeks in the MLS, teams in cold spring climates should NOT be playing home games this early. Yes, scheduling is extremely difficult, but perhaps some neutral site tournaments to start the year could be implemented.

Aside from the weather, it was easy to tell what was plaguing New England’s goal problems. Scoring chances were prevalent, but the club rounded off the day with a dissapointing 3 shots total, none of them on target. Compared to Sporting KC’s 13 attempts on goal, players have to work harder to find open runs and execute on those up for grab headers over the box. Perhaps Jerry Bengtson was missed as he can certainly fly over defenders, but you can not rely on one man to win every match.

The referees were rather atrocious, inconsistent for the full 90 minutes and missing obvious fouls that banged up New England pretty bad (see Ryan Guy’s stitched eye). It was refreshing to see striker Chad Barrett earn the start up top even though goal chances were slim. Barrett looked quick on the pitch but most importantly was not scared to be physical and draw fouls. Most of back line was sound, including newcomer Andrew Farrell who makes a convincing argument for midfielder when bringing the ball up the right side.

New England will be challenged these next two weeks, facing a hot FC Dallas team on Saturday, March 30th at home, followed by a trip to Seattle in early April. Dallas comes in to Foxboro sitting at the top of the Western Conference at 2-1-0. They lead all MLS teams in total shots with 19 after 3 games. Defense, possession, and finishing opportunities will be the keys for a Revolution victory.

Matt Bloom 

McInerney Lifts Union Past Revs 1-0

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In some slippery field conditions Saturday, the New England Revolution were unable to capitalize on late scoring opportunities as they fell to the Philadelphia Union 1-0 at PPL Park. The loss results in a 1-1-0 record for the Revs, with their home opener coming next weekend in Foxboro. The Union improve to 2-1-0 on the year, earning them the second spot in the Eastern Conference.

‘Jack Mac’ as he is better known around the MLS once again put Philadelphia on top, scoring the only goal of the night to bring down New England. Coming in the 76th minute, McInerny finished his own rebound after missing the header sent by Sebastien Le Toux. Earning a reputation as the ‘Revolution killer’ McInerny has now been the difference maker in 3 of the past 4 matches against the Union, scoring the game winning goal while finishing nearly all of them in the air. Philly now holds a 5-0-3 lead in the all-time series between the two clubs.

Although the Revolution have still failed to win following a season opening victory, the win-less streak at PPL Park is the more important stat. New England will face the Union two more times this season, both at Gillette Stadium. With the team learning day by day, you can feel the eagerness of the Revs to score and ultimately take down their east opponent in the near future.

Fans were happy to see homegrown newcomer Scott Caldwell and old Rev favorite Andy Dorman on the pitch, both playing a respectable game for their active minutes. Kalifa Cisse and Matt Reis were unexpected scratches due to injury, but we are starting to get a sense of just how head coach Jay Heaps will manage his 2013 starting XI. The defense should hold up with Soares and Goncalves commanding the back line, letting Andrew Farrell and Kevin Alston work their speed on the outside. Cisse and Dorman are the experienced midfielders that can push the ball up to play makers Nyugen, Toja, or Rowe. The question remains who exactly will be the forward to finish goal chances and score? Bengtson is the go to guy now, but it will be nice to see Barrett or Fagundez see what they can prove whit Jerry on World Cup leave next match.

New England’s home opener will be Saturday, March 23rd against Sporting KC (1-1-1). Kickoff is set at 4pm ET with coverage on the Comcast SportsNet and 98.5 The Sports Hub.

Matt Bloom

Feilhaber To Kansas City

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Photo by David Silverman

Photo by David Silverman

The news broke Tuesday that the New England Revolution have traded veteran midfielder Benny Feilhaber to Sporting Kansas City for Sporting’s first-round pick in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft and their second pick in the 2015 SuperDraft. The twenty seven year old midfielder has started 42 times since joining New England, recording 5 goals and 9 assists.

New England chose not to exercise Feilhaber’s 2013 option, forcing him to go through the re-entry process. Although the news shocked people at first, removing the former U.S. Men’s National Team player from the midfield looks like the right decision at the end of the day. His chemistry with Sene and Bengston have not been as rewarding as expected in 2012, and Revs head coach Jay Heaps has already brought in similar talents Andy Dorman and Kalifa Cisse from Europe. The move also opens up some cap room for the club, who is currently looking for a veteran defender to fill the right or left back.

Matt Bloom