Revolution at San Jose Earthquakes, 3.10.12

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With MLS’s new unbalanced schedule for 2012, New England won’t get a chance to avenge last night’s 1-0 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes this year unless the two teams meet in the playoffs (i.e., unless the world as we know it dissolves utterly and is replaced by a strange alternate reality). It’s a safe bet that when the teams do meet again next year, New England’s back line will not be inviting San Jose’s Steven Lenhart over for beers before the game. MLS fans will recall that Lenhart took much of last year off for personal reasons. But he and his life-giving curly blond locks are back now, and they are as robust as ever.

If Lenhart wasn’t the best player on the field last night, he certainly grabbed the most attention. He and New England’s Stephen McCarthy—starting at center back in a regular-season game for the first time—mixed it up a couple of times near the corner flag, swiping and scrapping with each other like a couple kids playing maul ball on a playground. Revolution right back Kevin Alston also sparred with Lenhart. The latter got a yellow card for grabbing a handful of Alston’s jersey during a challenge in the 40^th minute. In the 59^th, Revs’ new center back John Lozano looked as though he were filming a public service announcement on how to subdue unruly strikers by getting them into a chokehold; he was booked for his efforts. In the 39^th minute, A.J. Soares—playing left back for the first time in his pro career due to an injury to Darrius Barnes and to a Chris Tierney suspension—went down for a couple of minutes with a hurt knee after battling Lenhart.

In short, Lenhart forced himself onto the bodies and into the minds of Revs’ players, to their detriment. It is conceivable, I think even probable, that Lenhart was in Shalrie Joseph’s head during the game’s pivotal play, which came in the 15^th minute. Joseph received the ball near the midfield stripe and, with Lenhart and his radiant hair closing on him, hastily played a ball across the field in the direction of Soares. Quakes’ new acquisition Shea Salinas streaked in to pick off the pass and played it to Chris Wondolowski, who beat Matt Reis for the game’s only goal.

It pains me to say so, but Joseph was almost solely responsible for that goal—you certainly can’t pin it on the Revs’ defense or on Reis. Joseph’s overall performance against San Jose fell well short of his high standards. He had another giveaway in the 33^rd minute and had his pocket picked in his own end by former FC Dallas player Marvin Chavez in the 50^th. That second gaffe nearly led to another San Jose goal.

The game had an odd feel, and not, I think, just because of Joseph’s subpar performance or because I was seeing it through a Nyquil- and head-cold-induced fog. On the surface, it looked like a very different Revolution team from the one that took the field last season, right down to the new white-on-white uniforms New England wore last night. Head coach Jay Heaps made his debut on the sideline after ten years of Steve Nicol filling that role. On the field, first-round draft pick Kelyn Rowe made his own pro debut, playing the entire game as a left midfielder. Fellow draft-pick Tyler Polak also played, coming in at left back for Soares in the 60^th minute. Newly signed veteran Clyde Simms played nearly the whole game at holding midfielder. Second-year man Blake Brettschneider (who like Simms played for D.C. last year) started at forward, as did MLS-newcomer Fernando Cardenas.

And yet, despite all that, the product on the field and the result were depressingly similar to last year’s versions. The Revolution lost the battle for possession and the game. They generated only a few chances, including a clean strike in stoppage time by Benny Feilhaber that just missed near post. But of course New England failed to score. Yes, they fought hard, as they did under Nicol, but the team still lacks quality and depth in certain areas, like forward. For the Revolution, the game might be summed up by a modest buildup in the 83^rd minute that included a back-heel pass by substitute Ryan Guy. The Revs ultimately sent a low pass across the top of the box that found Brettschneider. But he whiffed on the ball when he took the shot and nothing came of it.

That said that, only someone completely disconnected with reality would expect this rebuilding team to immediately achieve a string of positive results. And there were bright spots for the Revs. To begin with, the back line had a good game. As I mentioned, the goal was not their fault, and they had only few breakdowns on the night, including one in stoppage time when English national Simon Dawkins—on loan to San Jose from Tottenham Hotspur—got behind Alston and almost scored. McCarthy and Lozano looked particularly solid, especially in the air. Soares was decent playing out of position at left back, and Polak also acquitted himself well. This all-important defensive unit clearly has more depth than it did last year, especially when we remember that Tierney and Barnes weren’t even available last night.

Rowe looked promising, sending in some good crosses both in the run of play and on dead balls. So did Lee Nguyen, the Texan who played professionally in Viet Nam last year but who signed with MLS before this season, initially going to Vancouver. He was waived by the Whitecaps on March 1 and picked up by New England the next day. Nguyen created one of New England’s best chances last night, hustling in the San Jose end to intercept a ball, driving to the endline and passing the ball back across the six to a waiting Brettschneider. Unfortunately, San Jose’s defense was up to the task and the ball never got to its target.

So the game wasn’t pretty, and the marginally better team won. But there are sound reasons for arguing that the Revolution are putting together a team with a better, deeper defense and some promising new midfielders. I’m still worried about those strikers, though.