|
|
New England Revolution Vs FC Dallas: Head To Head Preview
Massachusetts match nears.
Apr 29, 2010 3:08:00 PM
By Allen Ramsey and Zac Lee Rigg
On Form
New England: Remember the name Marko Perovic from last week's preview? Well, he shone a new light on his game against Colorado, adding "dangerous free kick taker" to the already impressive list of qualities he had revealed in previous outings. For the Revs, his emergence as a playmaker can't come quickly enough, and they'll need him to keep improving within the team to get a good result against Dallas.
Dallas: This is a team that fights until the final whistle. A 94th minute penalty against Seattle Sounders FC last week earned Dallas a point, and earlier in the season an injury time goal from Eric Avila stripped the win away from the Columbus Crew at the death. Schellas Hyndman has emphasized a battling attitude in his team, and the players are responding.
Off Target
New England: Shalrie Joseph is out of action for a while and at least one report from Boston says he's in Major League Soccer's drug program. This is, to say the very least, bad news for New England. Having already lost the core of the early 2000's team that went to three straight MLS Cup finals, the Revs needed the remaining stalwart to carry a large load this season. Now, they'll be happy just to get him back on the field at some point in the relatively near future.
Dallas: Where to start? This team has three points, good for worst in the Western Conference, and has yet to win a game in 2010. Jeff Cunningham has yet to score from open play. The defense has conceded two goals in each of its last three matches, with goalkeeper Dario Sala in particular guilty of some embarrassing gaffes. And the team has taken the lead in the last three games, only to see opposition sides bully their way back into a share (or all) of the spoils. Hyndman has a lot of work to do yet.
Tactics
New England: With Joseph having not played much this season, the midfield has been a trouble spot. Sainey Nyassi, Pat Phelan, Joseph Niouky seem to be constants but the left midfield spot might still be up for grabs. Perovic can play out there, as can Chris Tierney and Kenny Mansally. Regardless, Perovic will have a spot on the pitch, but he could also be moved up front to partner Zach Schilawski. At the back, the Revs are deep and stable, with Kevin Alston, and Seth Sinovic patrolling the flanks and two of the Darrius Barnes, Cory Gibbs, Emmanuel Osei trio manning the middle.
Dallas: This match will key in around the center of the park. With Shalrie Joseph taking an indefinite leave of absence, Dallas has every possibility to control the midfield. Dax McCarty and David Ferreira in particular should find ample time on the ball to work it into attack. There, Cunningham will have to try to outsmart and outpace Cory Gibbs.
Intangibles
New England: The match against FC Dallas opens a stretch of 8 games in less than a month for the Revs. They will need to figure things out quickly to have any hope of staying in the Eastern Conference race. At home for the second match in a row the Revs should be in good position to benefit from a home stand.
Dallas: The last time Dallas won in Boston was way back in 2003. The team even had a different name then. Of their meetings throughout history, the Revs have won 22, lost 10, and drawn once. That atrocious record probably won't weigh on the Dallas personnel as much as the more current winless streak: none in 2010. Until Dallas can break its duck and finally win a match, the doubt will eat away at the players.
Outcome
New England: Here's a stat for you. In two matches against Easter teams, the Revs have two wins. In three matches against the West, they have three losses. I look for that trend to continue. FC Dallas can't seem to score regularly, but they're playing some good soccer and will be the better team. New England 1-2 FC Dallas.
Dallas: Here's a fun stat: these two teams have only drawn once in 23 games of regular season MLS play. Expect the Revs to compensate for the loss of Joseph and keep Dallas winless this year.
For more on Major League Soccer, visit Goal.com's MLS page and join Goal.com USA's Facebook fan page!
New England: Remember the name Marko Perovic from last week's preview? Well, he shone a new light on his game against Colorado, adding "dangerous free kick taker" to the already impressive list of qualities he had revealed in previous outings. For the Revs, his emergence as a playmaker can't come quickly enough, and they'll need him to keep improving within the team to get a good result against Dallas.
Dallas: This is a team that fights until the final whistle. A 94th minute penalty against Seattle Sounders FC last week earned Dallas a point, and earlier in the season an injury time goal from Eric Avila stripped the win away from the Columbus Crew at the death. Schellas Hyndman has emphasized a battling attitude in his team, and the players are responding.
Off Target
New England: Shalrie Joseph is out of action for a while and at least one report from Boston says he's in Major League Soccer's drug program. This is, to say the very least, bad news for New England. Having already lost the core of the early 2000's team that went to three straight MLS Cup finals, the Revs needed the remaining stalwart to carry a large load this season. Now, they'll be happy just to get him back on the field at some point in the relatively near future.
Dallas: Where to start? This team has three points, good for worst in the Western Conference, and has yet to win a game in 2010. Jeff Cunningham has yet to score from open play. The defense has conceded two goals in each of its last three matches, with goalkeeper Dario Sala in particular guilty of some embarrassing gaffes. And the team has taken the lead in the last three games, only to see opposition sides bully their way back into a share (or all) of the spoils. Hyndman has a lot of work to do yet.
Tactics
New England: With Joseph having not played much this season, the midfield has been a trouble spot. Sainey Nyassi, Pat Phelan, Joseph Niouky seem to be constants but the left midfield spot might still be up for grabs. Perovic can play out there, as can Chris Tierney and Kenny Mansally. Regardless, Perovic will have a spot on the pitch, but he could also be moved up front to partner Zach Schilawski. At the back, the Revs are deep and stable, with Kevin Alston, and Seth Sinovic patrolling the flanks and two of the Darrius Barnes, Cory Gibbs, Emmanuel Osei trio manning the middle.
Dallas: This match will key in around the center of the park. With Shalrie Joseph taking an indefinite leave of absence, Dallas has every possibility to control the midfield. Dax McCarty and David Ferreira in particular should find ample time on the ball to work it into attack. There, Cunningham will have to try to outsmart and outpace Cory Gibbs.
Intangibles
New England: The match against FC Dallas opens a stretch of 8 games in less than a month for the Revs. They will need to figure things out quickly to have any hope of staying in the Eastern Conference race. At home for the second match in a row the Revs should be in good position to benefit from a home stand.
Dallas: The last time Dallas won in Boston was way back in 2003. The team even had a different name then. Of their meetings throughout history, the Revs have won 22, lost 10, and drawn once. That atrocious record probably won't weigh on the Dallas personnel as much as the more current winless streak: none in 2010. Until Dallas can break its duck and finally win a match, the doubt will eat away at the players.
Outcome
New England: Here's a stat for you. In two matches against Easter teams, the Revs have two wins. In three matches against the West, they have three losses. I look for that trend to continue. FC Dallas can't seem to score regularly, but they're playing some good soccer and will be the better team. New England 1-2 FC Dallas.
Dallas: Here's a fun stat: these two teams have only drawn once in 23 games of regular season MLS play. Expect the Revs to compensate for the loss of Joseph and keep Dallas winless this year.
For more on Major League Soccer, visit Goal.com's MLS page and join Goal.com USA's Facebook fan page!
Make Your Prediction
New England Revolution - San Jose
New England Revolution
San Jose
Prediction Submitted
Most Popular Predictions
-
New England Revolution 0-2 San Jose
- 15.48 %
-
New England Revolution 1-2 San Jose
- 9.52 %
-
New England Revolution 1-3 San Jose
- 8.33 %
Inside Goal.Com
-
EURO 2012: Cristiano Ronaldo, Xavi and Van Persie named in Goal.com's dream team XI
Goal.com put together its dream team for this summer's European Championship in Poland and Ukraine
-
RIGG: Anelka struggling against the current in Shanghai
Nicolas Anelka went against the grain when he moved to Shanghai. Now he's finding that coaching and gelling tactically is like swimming against the tide.
-
ROGERS: Bradley should command a bidding war among Serie A teams
Chievo is currently shopping the American midfielder and several Italian clubs have shown interest.
-
ISOLA: Neymar-led Brazil should be considered the 2014 WC favorite
Neymar was brilliant as Brazil easily handled the United States with early World Cup preparations officially underway.
-
LATHAM: Mexico using summer friendlies to build depth
With World Cup qualifying to begin in June, Mexico is using three U.S.-hosted friendlies to build squad depth.