The Recent Results

The Revs came out firing in 2008, but injuries led them to finish the season in a despondent fashion. Though they ended up third in the East, they got lit up by the Chicago Fire in the first round of the playoffs. Their stats were uncharacteristically poor, too, as they finished ninth in both goals and goals allowed. It was a rough year. 

The Man in Charge

Despite their poor showing last year, the Revs still have one of the best minds in the MLS, Steve Nicol, managing their affairs. He is “the Dean” of MLS coaches, having been with his squad the longest, and he consistently piles up points even when injuries ravage his squad. He’s got his work cut out for him in 2009 though.

On the Offensive

The Revs are still a team whose attack opponents must fear. Taylor Twellman is tough to stop (when he wants to be) and young Kheli Dube showed he had a nose for the net last season. The straw that stirs the drink though is Steve Ralston, who has suffered some tough injuries the last few years. If he’s healthy, so is NER’s O.

For the Defense

Sharlie Joseph is still one of the best three defensive mids in MLS, and Jay Heaps and Michael Parkhurst are definitely two of the most suffocating defenders in the league, so I think the Revs will be tough to score on in 2009. Matt Reis looked inconsistent at times last year, but I think he will bounce back this season and play well.

Movie They Resemble

I almost went with The Patriot because of the obvious New England theme, but I just hate Mel Gibson too much to even go there. So, I decided to opt for the recent film Revolutionary Road instead.

Why? Well, the Revs, like the movie, are approaching their release date with a ton of hype. The film had Leo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet and was expected to win a slew of Oscars, just like the Revs have traditionally been favored to win many trophies.

However, the film recently got shut out of the Academy Awards, though “word of mouth” tells me it was quite good. Well, I feel the same way about the Revs. They look great on paper, but I don’t think they can win the Big One.

Source: Click Here