Four quick thoughts about the Tuesday in football:
Before Tuesday? The Revs last extra-time tilt was in 2016: they won that, too
During the Revs’ run to the US Open Cup Final in that halcyon year, New England hosted Philadelphia in the quarterfinal round on July 20 at Harvard University’s Jordan Field in Allston. That one went into extra time after a couple of things: the Revs had jumped ahead, 1-0, thanks to Je’Vaughn Watson’s 44th-minute tally; that came about on a Diego Fagundez free kick, where he caught the Union wall napping, he slipped it to the left, and Watson scored.
Then, as the normal 90 was about to end, the Union forced extra time thanks to Fabian Herbers and a little ball watching as the normal 90 came to an end. In the extra time in front of the makeshift Fort — which was really rocking that night — the Revs threw the washer, dryer, and kitchen sink at Andre Blake, who stopped everything… until penalties.
In the shootout, Jay Heaps did a little switcheroo with the lineup, as he had Watson originally kicking fourth and Jose Goncalves kicking fifth. Goncalves kicked fourth, made it to make it 3-1 Revs (Scott Caldwell had missed his peno, and Seba LeToux and CJ Sapong had missed Philly’s), and advantage New England. And after Herbers beat Brad Knighton, Watson buried his to move the Revolution on to the semis against Chicago at Gillette on August 9.
Last night? Well, Teal Bunbury came up with the match winner, so no need to go to penalties. And the Revs defense didn’t necessarily face the washer, dryer, and kitchen sink from the Red Bulls — but they were up for whatever New York tossed its way in the last 10 minutes.
And before that game at Harvard, the Revs beat Carolina RailHawks — now North Carolina FC, a possible Fifth Round opponent — 1-0 after extra time two rounds previous. And since The Boys In Blue lost in 2012 in extra time to Harrisburg City Islanders, 4-3, that’s three straight wins for New England with extra time involved.
Before 2016, the Revs were 0-5-5 in extra time of the Open Cup. And that's now five straight matches without a defeat in both competitions since Brad Friedel's firing.
Has the club found a new No. 8?
This may deserve its own feature in the coming weeks: has Juan Agudelo turned a corner, play-wise?
You may remember last year that I advocated for the Revs to move on from the New Jersey native. He couldn’t score — he only scored three times last year, with one being garbage time against Atlanta — and his play out on the wing, unlocking defenses with the tekkers and step-overs, were only getting the club so far.
Imagine my surprise when the Revs re-signed him last December. Were we going to see more of the same out of him in 2019, the will he break through the ceiling and go for the stars play everyone has hoped for since he burst on the national scene in 2010, or more of the same, dare I say it, disappointment?
For a while, yes. He was in that same position. He did not look good in a more forward role. But then something happened: After the club parted ways with Friedel, Agudelo has been on a tear. He scored against San Jose and DC United, and for the last couple of matches has played more of a centralized role in the No. 8 position — more as a holding midfielder.
A lot of folks out there have clamored for the Revolution to go out and find a No. 8, the role that Jermaine Jones had during the tail end of 2014 and when he was healthy in 2015. The club really didn’t have that type of presence moving forward.
So was the No. 8 here all along and no one knew it? Agudelo is playing freer football now that he’s more in that reserved role, and he’s been buoyant out there.
And now, after his goal Tuesday, he has four goals in both competitions. Maybe this is what he needed all along!
Does Arena go with the strong XI again next week?
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?
With time before the next match in the league — Wednesday, July 26 against Philadelphia — and with only Zach Herivaux away on Gold Cup duty until the 24th at the earliest, depending on what Haiti does in Group B, would it make sense to send out the similar strong lineup against the next opponent?
I think it would make sense. This is, as we see it right now, the Revolution’s only path to continental football and the CONCACAF Champions League, unless things really get turned on its ear in the Eastern Conference when we return to the league. It’s a trophy, something the fans want desperately.
So why not? Go with the strong XI: Matt Turner in net, with either Edgar Castillo or DeJuan Jones at left back, Jalil Anibaba and Andrew Farrell in the middle, Brandon Bye at right back, Scott Caldwell or Wilfried Zahibo — and really, a solid shift by Zahibo Tuesday night — with Agudelo, and with Carles Gil and Cristian Penilla back after their brief vacaciones, that can be considered a lineup that’s going for it.
And if there is a little offensive weaponry on the bench — Justin Rennicks, for instance? — it could be well worth Bruce Arena’s wiles … and put the club closer to lifting the Cup for the first time since 2007.
And a quick word/takeaway — OK, maybe not so quick — from the US women’s 13-0 throttling of Thailand in France Tuesday afternoon:
We’ll be realistic here, and no, we’re not going to break any news. Thailand wasn’t the best team the United States women will face in this tournament. We figure Sweden will be the toughest game in the group, at least, and Chile is pretty tough, given the Swedes couldn’t break through Christiane Endler’s goal until late. Thailand got to France through the back door of Asia, and they must have groaned when the draw occurred. Seriously, Group of Death.
Either way, that 13-0 scoreline was a signal of intent to the rest of the world. The US may have scored only 14 goals four years ago for the entire tournament, but it brought its scoring boots to Europe and the other nations need to recognize that.
And when you’re bringing on Carli Lloyd, Christen Press, and then Mallory Pugh with fresh legs off the bench knowing what they can do with the ball — read: put it in the back of the net — it just shows other nations that there just isn’t a reprieve when playing the Red, White, and Blue.
Also, happy for Hanson’s Samantha Mewis. She scored twice against Thailand — I had her assisting on Lindsay Horan’s lone goal, the third of the game — and her second was the 800th Women’s World Cup goal scored since the tournament was established in 1991.
Here are her goals, plus a look at the Mewis's enjoying seeing their daughter on the world's stage:
Sam Mewis got the @USWNT’s second-half goal fest started with her 1st career #FIFAWWC goal ?? pic.twitter.com/GgC19jlGAu
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 11, 2019
DREAM DEBUT FOR MEWIS! @sammymewy scores her 2nd goal of her #FIFAWWC debut for the @USWNT's 6th. ? pic.twitter.com/WhTAhnD6pR
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 11, 2019
WHOLESOME CONTENT ALERT ?@sammymewy's parents reacting to her first #FIFAWWC goal is what dreams are made of. ?❤️ pic.twitter.com/ayTywhTJSr
— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) June 11, 2019