Revolution v. Vancouver Whitecaps, 5.14.11

 This marks the third straight game in which the Revolution have failed to score a goal in the run of play. The team looked out of sorts during the first half, particularly Darrius Barnes at left back, who was the victim of a couple of dangerous runs by Shea Salinas, the Whitecaps’ impressive young winger from Texas. The Revs’ flabby first-half performance can probably again be attributed to their ever-shifting lineups. Barnes was in for an injured Didier Domi, and Ousmane Dabo and Marko Perovic were also out. Zak Boggs was back from injury, and he started at right wing with Chris Tierney at left. They each had good games, Boggs hustling as usual and Tierney frequently and dangerously crossing the ball during the run of play and off set pieces. It must be hard to keep a guy like Tierney off the field; crosses like his make up for a multitude of deficiencies. Keeper Matt Reis also had a solid game, and the defensive line, led by Ryan Cochran and A.J. Soares in the middle, notched its second straight clean sheet despite those few shaky moments involving Barnes.

The Revs elevated their quality of play considerably in the second half, notably in the first fifteen minutes. Benny Feilhaber drew a penalty kick with a skilled trap and quick lateral move at the top of the box. Shalrie Joseph scored one of the more flawless penalty kicks you’ll ever see, striking the side netting hard and low. The goalie guessed correctly and got a good jump but still he had no chance.

The PK could not have been granted to a more deserving player. Joseph ran hard the entire game, hustling until the final whistle. He bounced back quickly from hitting his face on another player’s head in the 20^th minute when challenging for a Tierney cross. He also later recovered from a nasty ball to the groin at close range. The guy may wear a man-ponytail (defensible only on one of African descent who wears dreads, as Joseph is and does), and even occasionally man-pigtails (utterly indefensible), but he’s as tough as they come, plays hard, is good in the air, generally makes good passes, wins close challenges, and has good foot skills. I’d be surprised if he weren’t selected to his eighth MLS all-star team this year, though he is getting older and the league better.

Where would Joseph stand in the pantheon of Boston sports icons if the Revolution were widely followed? Given his accomplishments, he’d probably be up there with guys like Paul Pierce, Dustin Pedroia, Tedy Bruschi, and Ray Bourque. Some sympathetic deli ought to name a sandwich after Joseph, filling it with ingredients found in the cuisine of his native Grenada, otherwise known as the “Island of Spice.”

Let me end by saying that I miss Serbian striker Ilija Stolica, who brought skill and a touch of grizzled elegance to the Revolution roster. Stolica is on loan to some minor-league club called FC New York. That sounds like a dreadful place to be for a 32-year old with a family who once played at the highest levels with his national team.