Reis a Rock for Revs

Hard Work Pays Off for Keeper

October 17, 2007

By Amy Waller - SNE Correspondent

Matt Reis is finishing up his fourth full season as the starting goalkeeper for the New England Revolution. Each year has seen him build on the success of the previous one -- to the point where he now holds all of the Revolution's goalkeeping records.

Last year, he was voted the team MVP and continues to build a reputation as one of MLS' elite shot-stoppers. A master of his art, Reis thinks that his mental approach is equally as important as his physical approach. As a leader, he must be ready at all times to make a critical save to lead his team to success.

"Sometimes that one big save will catapult your team and give them that little bit of push," said Reis, who mentioned that he finds motivation trying to match his counterpart down the other end of the field. "If [the other team?s keeper] is out making a bunch of saves, then in the back of my mind, I'm thinking it's important for me to match them and make as many saves as they are."

Matt Reis

Matt Reis has been a consistent force for the Revolution.

Still, Reis is never satisfied. He tries to improve his game with each week, with special emphasis on his footwork, an aspect of goalkeeping he feels is often overlooked.

“Your feet get your hands to the ball,” he said. “It is also important for goalkeepers to stay on their toes and come forward, rather than being caught on their heels.”

But Reis’ preparation doesn’t end there. He studies film and opposing players’ tendencies, specifically in regards to what they do on penalty kicks.

“Normally, if it’s a right-footed player, if they're gonna hit for power they're gonna go across their body to my right side and if they're gonna place it, they'll go to the left,” Reis said. “I wait 'til that last second when they take their plant foot and try and react to the ball where I think that they're going. It's not really a guess at all. It's more of just trying to wait and react.”

Last year, the Revolution suffered a heartbreaking loss to the Houston Dynamo in penalty kicks. And although the club has reached MLS Cup finals three times in the past five years, they have yet to bring home a championship. This year, however, the Revs captured the U.S. Open Cup championship by defeating Eastern Conference leader, D.C. United. Reis thinks that win could help his team in the MLS playoffs.

“Mentally, it takes a toll on you, and this will hopefully give us a little push, that once we get into the finals we know we have the wear with all to win the game,” he said. “Going into a place where we've lost two consecutive years -- finally getting a victory is going to help us a lot.”

The Revolution are also dealing with the challenge of playing on the new FieldTurf at Gillette Stadium, a surface particularly challenging for goalkeepers. When asked, Reis responded with mixed emotions. As a keeper, he prefers to play on grass.

However, due to the frequent use of the field for soccer, football and other concerts and events, Reis understands why the turf is necessary. Indeed, he adds, the field at Gillette Stadium is preferable to some of the other options.

“For us up here in New England I guess it's the best possible solution. Towards this time of year when it gets cold, wet and rainy, the field usually gets chewed up. So, it gives us a nice surface to play on.”