The Triumphant Return of the Big Three

With the news that Shalrie Joseph has rejoined the Revolution, I thought it was fitting to resurrect this piece.

1. The King is Back

But what can he contribute? It’s no well kept secret that without Shalrie, the Revolution struggle, going winless since he last played at home against TFC and only being able to manufacture 4 goals. The inclusion of Joseph into the Midfield almost certainly means the Revs will be better in posession, stouter in defense, and more dangerous going forward. Also with Joseph back in the center-mid fold, Pat Phelen may  be able to continue player as a central defender, a role he’s more comfortable with (his position in College), and one he filled brilliantly last week against San Jose. That being said, it’d be foolish to presume that after only a few days training Joseph will be able to play a full 90, or even 45. If Shalrie is available as a sub, look for the Revs to play a conservative, counter-attacking style early, and then make a run later in the game when Joseph is brought  on.

2. Momentum

Though it’s a bit sad to think that a scoreless draw at home is a good result for the Revs, the fact is that their performance on Sunday and in the loss two weeks ago in Columbus have shown glimmers of hope. After withstanding an early barrage by Earthquakes, the Revs clamped down on defense, passed the ball well, forced Joe Cannon to make some fantastic saves, and hit a few posts. The task of the Revolution is to take this momentum into the hostile Toronto environment, and get a positive result from BMO Field. TFC has shown improvement since their early devastation in Foxboro, winning three, losing two and drawing one game in MLS play. They have been especially strong at home, winning all their MLS and Canadian Cup matches. Lucky for New England, dynamic midfielder and certified Revs Killer Dwayne DeRosario will miss the match training with the Canadian National Team (training for… watching the World Cup on TV?).

3. Goal Juice

This cooler was found near the Revolution locker room. Expectedly it was bone dry. The Revs have yet to find a consistent avenue of goal scorer this season. While Zach Shilawski and Zak Boggs both impressed with multiple goals in single games, they have been want of the quality service necessary for consistent goal scoring. If the Revs’ are to score this game, I believe they have three hopes of doing so,

1. Sainey Nyassi dribbling wide, beating his defender, and sending a strong ball across the box.
2. Route 1 through balls to Kheli Dube, who uses pure speed to score, or lay off the ball for someone else to convert.
3. A free kick by Marko Perovic