OPINION: Pressing Issues Facing Revolution

Playoffs Will Reveal Much About Club

October 22, 2007

By Emlyn Lewis

As the Revolution prepare for Saturday?s tilt with New York, here are five important issues the Revs face heading into the playoffs:

1) The Revolution's Reserve Team is second in the overall Reserve League standings. And though the second string has been peppered with first teamers rehabbing injuries, by and large this is a team made up of future talent, guys like Amaechi Igwe, Bryan Byrne, Gary Flood, Ryan Solle, Arsene Oka and Miguel Gonzalez. Marshall Leonard, a former starter, has played exclusively in the reserves this season, and Avery John, an occasional varsity player, has stayed sharp with the JV.

Only Wells Thompson, who seems to be platooning with Khano Smith on the left side of midfield, has made the jump from reserves to first string.

Andy Dorman

Andy Dorman and the other Revolution midfielders will be under the spotlight in the playoffs .

The question is, if the kids are so good relative to the rest of the league, why haven't more of them gotten MLS playing time?

2) Steve Nicol's substitution patterns have been fairly predictable in 2007. He brought Pat Noonan on for Adam Cristman when Noonan was coming back from injury, then he brought Cristman on for Noonan when he needed more effort late in a game.

Thompson came on for Smith, except for when Smith was coming on for Thompson. James Riley and John shared time at left back. At the end of the year, Andy Dorman, once the replacement for Clint Dempsey in attacking midfield, dropped to the bench and Smith and Thompson played the wings while Steve Ralston moved to the center of the pitch.

Without exception, these were all form substitutions, which is to say, Nicol only ever tried to play one way, picking the players who were playing well at any moment, but always playing them the same way.

The question is, how does he plan to change a game when the other team has effectively countered his tactics, and who might be his difference maker?

3) At the beginning of the season – when he was both scoring and making goals for his teammates – Dorman was widely billed as the best attacking midfielder in the league. As the season went on though, his form dipped to the point that Nicol benched him. Considering that Dorman is in a contract year and will be forced to renegotiate his deal after the playoffs, what the hell is going on with the player who was supposed to replace Dempsey, and what can be done to get the best out of him in the postseason?

4) In the last three matches of the regular season the Revolution conceded leads, settling for two ties and a loss. What was once one of the stingier defenses in the league has conceded more goals (43) than five other clubs this season.

Why are the Revolution giving up goals and giving away games, and what can be done before the offseason to improve concentration in the second half? Is it a matter of fatigue, or has the rest of the league come to understand how to break down the 3-5-2?

5) Under Steve Nicol the Revolution have become known as a team that plays its best football down the stretch and into the playoffs. Given that they've not won one of their last three regular season matches, has the team peaked too early (i.e. in mid-summer) or are they still to peak?

Answers to all these and more coming soon – courtesy of the playoffs.

Emlyn Lewis can be reaches at emlynlewis@comcast.net.