17 June 2005

Revolution, then Reflection

Saturday night DCU hosts the Revs. Those of you who saw in any capacity the game at Gilette know that this is a game where 3 points is not out of reach. After this game, there are 11 days with until a visit to Chicago. Which makes Sunday onward the perfect point for some consideration. The season will almost be half over. Time to consider a number of topics, including:
  1. Just how good is United this year?
  2. Was this a team built to defend the championship, or not?
  3. What went wrong with the Chivas experiment.
  4. Expansion: The good and bad.
  5. How to build a pro soccer team in the US market.

All of this can wait. The Revolution are first, and I think DCU will be the first to put a one in that "L" column. The system generates chances against the Rev defense, we aren't on the awful pitch that was Gilette, and the defense will play much tighter than against Chicago.

Some quick notes:

  • Rising: John Wilson. Many are impressed with Wilson's ability to bring the ball forward. This is the one area that Nielsen was always good at. Boswell plays a great defensive game, and the goal may help his confidence, but Wilson has been noted as a strength for his on the ball work.
  • Falling: David Stokes. While there are no comments about him being Ezra Hendrickson-esque, you can hear almost hear a sigh from the crowd every time he gets a touch.