Makeshift lineup loses to Revs, 2:1
May 2, 2015
Some people ask us, why do you hate international friendlies so much? After all, isn't it "an opportunity to be a part of a top-level competition"? A chance "to compete with the top players in the world"? We're quoting Ali Curtis here.
Here's why. This International "Champions" Cup might be two months away, but it hurt the team already, and it hurt it big time.
How so? Well, the game versus Colorado was originally scheduled for July 25, but was moved to the best Wednesday to make room for the friendly. Which left Metro with three games in a seven-day span. And after points were dropped at home to Colorado, more points were dropped in New England. To give his players rest, Jesse Marsch trotted out a makeshift lineup, and walked away with his first Metro loss, 2:1.
There were five new starters (including three on defense): Kemar Lawrence, Karl Ouimette (his Metro debut), Connor Lade (his first league start in two years), Sean Davis (his first start), and Dane Richards (his first start in three years, but, fine, he was away for a while). Roy Miller, Damien Perrinelle, Chris Duvall, Lloyd Sam, and Bradley Wright-Phillips were rested.
So, yes, your defense's average age was in the low 20s, and it showed. Just nine minutes in, Ouimette was abused like a mule, and Charlie Davies put his head on a cross to give his team the lead.
The Revs absolutely dominated the first half, with Metro failing to hold any kind of possession. Their only chance came when Felipe was pushed down in the box, but no foul was called. It was more of the same in the second, when, in the 60th, a Dax McCarty turnover led to a rush the other way, and Teal Bunbury doubled the Revs' lead.
Down two, Marsch brought out his big guns, and the game started to change. Unfortunately, it was too little, too late. Metro did get one back when a Grella flick found Sacha Kljestan. He rounded Bobby Shuttleworth and tapped it into the empty net for a clean finish.
But that was all she wrote. In fact, if not for Lawrence's superhuman speed shutting down numerous Rev breakaways, it could have been much worse.
And they ask us why we hate international friendlies...
Lineup: Robles, Lawrence, Ouimette, Miazga, Lade, McCarty, Martins, Kljestan, Davis, Richards, Grella. Subs: Wright-Phillips, Sam, Abang.
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