How will the New England Revolution fare this season? To get that answer and more about the team based in Foxborough, we spoke to Brendan Schimmel, a writer for The Bent Musket and a Revs season ticket holder. Schimmel is also actively involved with The Rebellion and American Outlaws supporters groups. Follow Schimmel on twitter: @TheIndirectKick
Soccer Banter: A year ago, the "star" players for the New England Revolution were Shalrie Joseph and Benny Feilhaber, what are your thoughts on both players no longer being with the club along with the absence of any "star" player on the current roster?
Brendan Schimmel: What defines a star player? Benny Feilhaber never lived up to the standard definition. Benny isn't built to carry a team and lead from the front. Benny won't make a bad team good, but he will make a good team great. He was placed in a challenging situation and was unable to be who the Revs needed him to be. Shalrie Joseph is a club legend and league legend, but one can't overlook his preseason arrest or his marijuana related suspension coupled with his rising age and slumping form from a Captain. I don't know how to build a harmonious brotherhood in the locker room, but I'm quite sure that conduct like that from the Captain isn't going to help.
It does create a void for the new Revs, who find themselves with no default "star" player. The focus of the club this off-season was driving up quality from our players through intra competition for positions. This is true also with the intangible roles. The role is open for whoever wants to rise to the occasion. Anyone who assumes it now will have had to have earned it in front of this new group of players. I think the likely candidates are Lee Nguyen and AJ Soares.
Soccer Banter: A year ago, the "star" players for the New England Revolution were Shalrie Joseph and Benny Feilhaber, what are your thoughts on both players no longer being with the club along with the absence of any "star" player on the current roster?
Brendan Schimmel: What defines a star player? Benny Feilhaber never lived up to the standard definition. Benny isn't built to carry a team and lead from the front. Benny won't make a bad team good, but he will make a good team great. He was placed in a challenging situation and was unable to be who the Revs needed him to be. Shalrie Joseph is a club legend and league legend, but one can't overlook his preseason arrest or his marijuana related suspension coupled with his rising age and slumping form from a Captain. I don't know how to build a harmonious brotherhood in the locker room, but I'm quite sure that conduct like that from the Captain isn't going to help.
It does create a void for the new Revs, who find themselves with no default "star" player. The focus of the club this off-season was driving up quality from our players through intra competition for positions. This is true also with the intangible roles. The role is open for whoever wants to rise to the occasion. Anyone who assumes it now will have had to have earned it in front of this new group of players. I think the likely candidates are Lee Nguyen and AJ Soares.
SB: Besides losing Feilhaber this winter, the Revs have also added a number of players - What are your thoughts on the offseason moves so far?
BS: Promising. Andrew Farrell is someone who can contribute immediately in a position we sorely need. Jose Goncalves in the center back picture provides much needed depth and will elevate Stephen McCarthy and AJ Soares game as the three fight for two starting spots. Kalifa Cisse and Andy Dorman add size and stability to the middle of the field. Too often last year, due to a lack of depth, were we slotting in smaller players in the midfield who found themselves easily outsized. We're carrying a large roster and I couldn't be happier. I've watched players play out of position based on necessity rather than choice too often over the past years. This year the selections can be based primarily on quality and matchup considerations rather than simple availability.
SB: Looking at the current roster - pick your starting 11 for opening night. What are the strengths for the Revs and if you were GM what areas of weakness do you think need to be still addressed?
BS: Starting Roster: 4-2-3-1. Saer Sene out with injury and tons of midfielders.
Bengston
Nguyen Toja Fagundez
Cisee Simms
Alston - Goncalves - Soares - Farrell
Reis
The one piece remaining from this puzzle is undisputed superstar. A headline grabbing, highlight reel making, seat packing designated player to put this team over the edge on the field and in the Boston sports market.
BS: Promising. Andrew Farrell is someone who can contribute immediately in a position we sorely need. Jose Goncalves in the center back picture provides much needed depth and will elevate Stephen McCarthy and AJ Soares game as the three fight for two starting spots. Kalifa Cisse and Andy Dorman add size and stability to the middle of the field. Too often last year, due to a lack of depth, were we slotting in smaller players in the midfield who found themselves easily outsized. We're carrying a large roster and I couldn't be happier. I've watched players play out of position based on necessity rather than choice too often over the past years. This year the selections can be based primarily on quality and matchup considerations rather than simple availability.
SB: Looking at the current roster - pick your starting 11 for opening night. What are the strengths for the Revs and if you were GM what areas of weakness do you think need to be still addressed?
BS: Starting Roster: 4-2-3-1. Saer Sene out with injury and tons of midfielders.
Bengston
Nguyen Toja Fagundez
Cisee Simms
Alston - Goncalves - Soares - Farrell
Reis
The one piece remaining from this puzzle is undisputed superstar. A headline grabbing, highlight reel making, seat packing designated player to put this team over the edge on the field and in the Boston sports market.
SB: New England opens the 2013 MLS season on Saturday March 9th against the Chicago Fire, what are your expectations for the season? Do the Revs have the team to make a run at the playoffs?
BS: I expect the Revs to finish better than they did last year. Most of these new signings have spent the preseason with the club, which is a welcome change and shortens the learning curve. The LA Galaxy proved last year that you can get hot later in the season and still make the playoffs. I see the Revs being in the hunt for the 4th or 5th playoff spot in the East at least until September. The amount of in conference games late in the season mixed with Injuries, summer signings, and luck will decide the rest.
SB: Away from MLS, what are your current thoughts on Jurgen Klinsmann, the USMNT, and the World Cup Qualifying campaign. Should supporters be worried about not qualifying for Brazil? Is Klisnmann the right man for the job?
BS: If I had got into a car accident in 2010 and woke up from my coma today and watched a game, would I notice a different style of play? No.Klinsmann has been in the job 18 months and I have not seen anything noticeably different about how this team plays. There has been no noticeable philosophical difference. I've seen baffling player selection and an over-preference for German everything. We've had some good results (at Italy and Mexico) but overall it's the same US team that falters when they get punched in the gut. It's the same team that reverts to lazy lobs into the box when chasing a tie. It's the he same defense that gets completely thrown off balance when someone sets off a run with a clever back heel.
With an aging backline, we've yet to find the guaranteed replacement which has led to embarrassing defensive lapses and more embarrassing results. The amount of competitions the national team is involved in this year should give us a thorough look at our player pool and hopefully the cream rises to the top. We should be worried about not qualifying, because there's no guarantee it won't happen. The damage that would be done to the sport in this country if we fail to qualify is immeasurable...Copa America in 2016 doesn't replace playing in the World Cup in 2014.
BS: I expect the Revs to finish better than they did last year. Most of these new signings have spent the preseason with the club, which is a welcome change and shortens the learning curve. The LA Galaxy proved last year that you can get hot later in the season and still make the playoffs. I see the Revs being in the hunt for the 4th or 5th playoff spot in the East at least until September. The amount of in conference games late in the season mixed with Injuries, summer signings, and luck will decide the rest.
SB: Away from MLS, what are your current thoughts on Jurgen Klinsmann, the USMNT, and the World Cup Qualifying campaign. Should supporters be worried about not qualifying for Brazil? Is Klisnmann the right man for the job?
BS: If I had got into a car accident in 2010 and woke up from my coma today and watched a game, would I notice a different style of play? No.Klinsmann has been in the job 18 months and I have not seen anything noticeably different about how this team plays. There has been no noticeable philosophical difference. I've seen baffling player selection and an over-preference for German everything. We've had some good results (at Italy and Mexico) but overall it's the same US team that falters when they get punched in the gut. It's the same team that reverts to lazy lobs into the box when chasing a tie. It's the he same defense that gets completely thrown off balance when someone sets off a run with a clever back heel.
With an aging backline, we've yet to find the guaranteed replacement which has led to embarrassing defensive lapses and more embarrassing results. The amount of competitions the national team is involved in this year should give us a thorough look at our player pool and hopefully the cream rises to the top. We should be worried about not qualifying, because there's no guarantee it won't happen. The damage that would be done to the sport in this country if we fail to qualify is immeasurable...Copa America in 2016 doesn't replace playing in the World Cup in 2014.
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