Know Thy Enemy: Revs at Crew Make It Make Sense Edition
New England and Columbus play a standalone MLS fixture on Saturday night...with a kickoff time that will bleed over into a USMNT match.
Someone, or multiple someones, need to be fired.
No, I’m not talking about the Revs right now. I need to know who scheduled this Revolution-Crew matchup tonight at 730pm behind the Apple Season Pass paywall and up against the USMNT-Panama game at 9 pm. Or a little game involving #2 Ohio State up in Eugene, Oregon at like the same time.
Can’t believe Oregon is in the Big Ten…but that’s not why we’re here.
I’m pretty sure I’ve complained about this in the past, and the league playing through international breaks is always dumb. I understand this particular game could be a CCC reschedule from the beginning of the year with the Revs and Crew both making the continental semifinals and in this case there might not be any other available mutual off day.
But there is zero excuse to put this game up against the USMNT and to not have it free. It’s the only league fixture today and Vancouver-LAFC is the only game tomorrow and neither are clearly showing a “FREE” game tag anywhere on the league website.
Make it make sense.
At least the league has figured out it should let teams carry a legitimate backup goalkeeper after the Crew’s debacle at Seattle when they played a midfielder in net for an hour after a red card. Stanislav Lapkes has been called up for a 5th time from the Crew 2/NextPro ranks to fill the bench behind injuries and international absences.
Lapkes apparently making the bench in CCC and friendlies counts towards a 4-count limit of call-ups which is absurd for a league that used to have a pool goalkeeper list to prevent such things not long ago. I understand a limit on league game call ups but CONCACAF play should encourage allowing NextPro/reserve/developmental players to get time.
Goalkeepers should be an exception anyway, it’s not like we want to have a further reason to call into question the competitive nature of a 34 game season broken up by a intra-continental tournament and playing through international fixtures with multiple absences on each side as fair and balanced.
Anyway, this game should have been played at like 2:30 in the afternoon and streamed for free so everyone can clear out and watch Ohio State-Oregon game at 7:30 pm or the USA game later on. God forbid the Revs infringe on something with any importance at this point.
As always, we are joined by our good friend Tyler Fisher of Massive Report on how disappointed we are they didn’t get a result against Inter Miami so we could keep our Shield record and some other stuff. Be sure to check out their site for my answers to his questions.
Is 2024 the Worst the Revs Have Ever Played at Home?
A few weeks ago, while hosting an episode of Revolution Recap, someone asked if this was the worst things had ever been for the New England Revolution.
TBM: Revs fans were rooting for a Crew result against Miami for all-time Shield record related reasons...did the rest of the league just watch a precursor to the Eastern Conference Final and what does Columbus have to do to get through the Herons in the playoffs?
TF: I believe so. It's been back and forth with Inter Miami all season. A 2-1 loss at their place, then defeating them coming from behind in the Leagues Cup, and then another loss on questionable officiating. What Columbus needs to do is play their brand of soccer and limit opportunities for Lionel Messi. In the first portion of the first half, I feel Malte Amundsen and company did well to keep him quiet. But we all know that if you give him an inch, he'll take a mile. It should make for a very interesting Conference Final if both teams were to make it that far.
TBM: There's no question - just lay out your case for your boy Cucho over the rest of the MLS MVP contenders.
TF: I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Cucho gets the job done on both sides of the ball: scoring and playmaking. If you're looking for a No. 9 who drops into the midfield to collect a pass from the backline and can draw the attention of multiple defenders, Hernandez is your guy. After being disciplined at the beginning of the season by head coach Wilfried Nancy, he's turned it around and become one of the best, if not the best player in the League for the reigning MLS Cup champions. He also plays defense, unlike a certain No. 10 who just walks around a lot. Just saying...
TBM: Give me a ballpark number on how confident you and/or Crew fans are at reaching the MLS Cup Final again? Winning it is another story but getting back would be a tremendous feat.
TF: I think the ballpark is set at 85-90% on confidence to reach the MLS Cup Final. I think a lot of fans are at that point where it's "We all know Miami will win," but the confidence is there. I think we can win the whole thing. After Miami clinched the Shield, I told some people "Looks like we just have to win the whole damn thing again."
Lineup/Injuries/Absences/Predictions/Etc.
GK: Romero
CB: Amundsen--Cheberko--Camacho
MID: DeJuan Jones--Matan--Nagbe--Arfsten
FWD: JRR--Rossi--Ramirez
Make the whole (or hole) season make sense