Doing Midweek Kick a little differently this week, given the circumstances:
For the first time since July 2011, the Revolution will host a Premier League side at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday night as Chelsea FC comes to Foxborough for the Final Whistle on Hate friendly match (8 p.m., FS1/WBZ-FM 98.5). As reported back in December, this match came together from Revs investor/operator Robert Kraft and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, who are both donating a significant sum of money as well as the gate receipts to international programs designed to combat antisemitism.
All of that is excellent. We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again: antisemitism and racism do not belong in our Beautiful Game.
However — and this is not a criticism, no matter how much it sounds like one — this friendly match would have been better played in July, before Chelsea begins both the domestic and European calendar. The Revs hosted Manchester United as part of the World Football Challenge in 2011, did so in July, during a part of the season where the fixtures weren’t necessarily as congested as they are now for the home side.
And as for Chelsea, the Blues have played upward of 66 matches already this season as part of the recently completed Premier League campaign, an unbeaten Europa League slate, as well as the various competitions. And don’t forget: the West Londoners will play Arsenal FC in two weeks for the Europa League crown in Baku. Certainly, Chelsea has tired legs and are preparing for its most important match of the season.
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That known — plus with the Revolution traveling up to Montreal (Saturday, 1 p.m.), and hopefully doing so without the issues that L’Impact faced three weeks ago — we’re not really expecting a cracking match of football on Route 1 Wednesday.
And while we know how Chelsea play — out of the back, will push numbers forward into the attacking third in an effort to overwhelm opponents — we give you these questions three:
What type of lineup does Maurizio Sarri put out for the Blues? And will Chelsea actually give an effort?
It’s an intriguing question, given the match against the Gunners upcoming. This is a friendly, after all, the rigors of the Premier League season completed. Just how much effort will the players put in?
In addition, I’m not expecting Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri to put his big guns — particularly Belgian midfielder Eden Hazard, France striker Olivier Giroud, Brazilian defender David Luiz, and Argentine midfielder Gonzalo Higuain — out there for too long. Hazard only had about a 20-minute run-out during Sunday’s meaningless 0-0 draw with Leicester City in the regular season finale, and Luiz clanged heads in the 34th minute with Leicester’s Youri Tielemens. Not more than a half, at most, before putting on the players who don’t usually get a lot of playing time save for the League Cup to see the match out.
And we’re not 100 percent sure about the playing surface; I had asked the Revs about a month or so ago about that, but never received a response. Will there be the plastic pasture, or will there be a patchwork quilt of newly laid sod? The crews at Gillette had removed the advertising boards after Saturday’s match. Was that to lay down sod? We'll see a little after 6 p.m.
If there’s turf, I would wonder how that changes how Chelsea will play in regards to aerial challenges and long balls.
Same question, but for Mike Lapper
There has been plenty of talk about the ever-changing lineup that Brad Friedel put out, along with differing formations that left many wondering what the Revolution will do from week to week. Of course, that was before he got sacked.
And interim coach Mike Lapper put out a Usual Suspects lineup Saturday and won against San Jose. The question is do you utilize the same lineup that played against the Quakes for a good portion of the match Wednesday, or do you scale their workload back to, say, half of the match, and then make some substitutions in order to save legs for the flight to Dorval?
Of course, the defending unit will more than likely be the same, given that they have no depth in the back. That could have been taken care of during the Primary Transfer Window, but we all know how well that ended.
Also to consider: will the Revolution park the bus in front of the goal and rely more on team defending than 1-v-1?
How much of this game will see the Revs’ youth out there?
Given the fact that only a few of the Revolution’s youngsters — second-year pro Brandon Bye, rookies Tajon Buchanan and DeJuan Jones — have seen extended time so far this season, would it make sense for Lapper to put out the full complement of youth, including the Homegrowns and Brian Wright, for this friendly?
And with Zachary Herivaux back in Foxborough tonight — he was listed on the roster we received a couple of weeks ago — how cool would it be to see five of the six Homegrown players out there at the same time, playing against one of the best teams in the world?
Also in the world of football at midweek:
Four MLS matches today, and one match Thursday are on the docket.
Toronto will host DC United in the lone all-Eastern Conference tilt; meanwhile, Houston hosts Portland, Vancouver hosts Atlanta United, and Seattle hosts Orlando City.
Tomorrow, LAFC hosts FC Dallas in an all-Western Conference battle at 10 p.m. on ESPN2.
While Hartford Athletic beat the New York Cosmos B team from the NPSL, 2-1, in the US Open Cup Second Round proper last night — Needham’s Harry Swartz had the opener for HAFC, and took Man of the Match honors for his 70-minute performance — there are a number of Open Cup games on ESPN+ this evening, including Birmingham Legion hosting the amateur side West Chester Predators. Can the minnows from New York — who took down Somerville’s Safira FC from the UPSL — take down a second-division side? Could there be some upsets tonight?
By the way, that was Hartford's first-ever win, period, let alone first win in the Open Cup. And here's Swartz's goal:
The touch, the turn, the finish, the celebration.
Great goal from @BostonBolts and @GoNUmsoccer alum Harry Swartz in an @opencup game vs. the New York Cosmos.
I have a feeling @hfdathletic is going to like this kid. pic.twitter.com/gurZIJZAYC
— Jonathan Sigal (@JonathanSigal) May 14, 2019