The Bent Musket: All Posts by Brendan Schimmel

The Moment on Riverbend Drive: A Narrative of a Supporters Trip to Red Bull Area

2013-04-23T05:07:40Z

Editors Note: Brendan is the Executive Director of The Rebellion, a New England Revolution Supporters Group.

Saturday was the largest coordinated trip ever put together by the Midnight Riders and The Rebellion. Nearly three full busloads of supporters in addition to several others heading down on their own were set to descend on Red Bull Arena to support the Boys in Blue. In the wake of the news that Kevin Alston had been diagnosed with a treatable form of leukemia and the Boston Marathon bombings hitting close to home for Revolution players and supporters alike, this game was set to take on a whole new level of significance.

How it Happened:

While the ink was drying on banners showing support and well wishes to Kevin Alston, supporters worked throughout the week finalizing displays to honor and recognize the resiliency of a city, a country and a people. Midway through the week, we (New England SG leadership) were contacted by groups from the South Ward, the New York Red Bulls supporters section consisting of Empire Supporters Club (ESC), Viking Army and Garden State Ultras (GSU). They were offering messages of support and inviting us to their bars and offering various forms of hospitality for those making the trip. Plans began to assemble with the leadership of all groups late in the week about a joint march into Red Bull Arena.

This is no easy feat. Coordinating the movement of hundreds of Revolution supporters to any away match comes with strict time tables for police escorts and Red Bull security. For those who are unaware, with all away trips a conference call is held with the host club's Front Office, security teams,etc. We iron out details, logistics, parking and more. Deviating from an already agreed upon plan and timeline the day before a match is tough. There are specifics routes we are instructed to take from our rally point at O'Donnell's Pub to march to Red Bull Arena as they stop traffic to accommodate our march through the streets of Harrison, NJ. Special thanks goes out to Shaun Oliver, Director of Operations at Red Bull, himself with Boston ties, for working through all the hurdles and loose ends to make this a reality. Plans were set, and Red Bull released news that Revs fans and Red Bull supporters would be uniting for a joint march into the stadium.

As it Happened:

Saturday did not start off as planned for traveling supporters who assembled at pick up locations in Cambridge, Foxboro and Wallingford, CT. One of the three buses, broke down and finding a replacement was near impossible due to the lock down creating a back log and strain on resources. As if we needed any more proof of our resiliency, we asked for volunteers who instead of riding the bus, would offer to pack their cars with supporters and drive to New Jersey. Volunteers stepped forward. Hurdles were overcome. Even Revs President Brian Bilello when hearing of the shortage offered seats in his own car. (Thanks to everyone who stepped up, much appreciated!)

@footyjedi @hisco5 I'm leaving from the stadium at 1:15. Can take 3-4 in my car if that helps

— Brian Bilello (@RevsPrez) April 20, 2013

We arrived at O'Donnell's Pub in Harrison, NJ to a scene full of Revolution red, white and blue. The bar, at capacity, spilled out onto the sidewalks as everyone prepped for the match. A couple locals made their way to the bar to offer toasts and words of support. It truly was something to hear one New Yorker, his family affected by September 11th attacks, share his experience with some our fans who themselves were closely impacted by the Marathon bombings.

"It took us too long to get our guy, to get our justice. You guys? Less than a week, congrats."

- A Red Bull fan at O'Donnell's

This was said by a smiling Red Bull fan to us as we toasted. Now that I've time to digest these words, I realize what that statement really means. We are fortunate to have captured or killed (hopefully all) of those responsible for the attack in less than a week. While it doesn't completely erase the pain of injuries or loss of life, I have to believe that it helps move along the grieving process. I wonder if it brings about closure more quickly knowing those responsible will have been caught or killed. I can't imagine suffering through almost ten years to know justice was served.

Now properly hydrated, Revs supporters began their human convoy down the sidewalks of Harrison towards Red Bull Arena. As we got closer to the stadium, you could see a long line of supporters in the distance holding a gigantic banner, waiting for us to arrive. We approached loudly chanting "Boston Strong!" Red Bull supporters, the front of their crowd holding a banner reading "New York Stands With Boston" echoed the chant, while a general applause filled the background.

I was at the front of the New England march. It was awe inspiring the amount of fans behind their banner. I really didn't know how it was going to play out or where to go once we got closer. My indecision was short lived as almost immediately Red Bull fans came up to us, extended handshakes, hugs and exchanged scarves as the chants evolved into patriotic American songs. Those initial interactions with those Red Bull supporters, under a chorus of God Bless America will no doubt remain one of the most powerful, organic and special moments of my life.

The "New York with Boston" banner was then turned to square up to Red Bull Arena along Riverbend Drive to prepare for the joint march. My fellow Rebels quickly broke out large lettering spelling "BOSTON STRONG" and passed them out and formed a row behind the banner. The rest as they say is history. Check out the video below and the links beneath it.

Red Bull New York video | Red Bull Fan Video | Devin's Video | ESC Video

This is the culture of soccer in the United States. We supporters, siblings that often quarrel, are all part of one family. No city more so than New York can sympathize with and understand the pain and heartache that Boston is recovering from. The Rebellion banner in the Revs section read: You will not break us. We will never fear you. Our city, our Country will always overcome. The march down Riverbend Drive helped transform those words painted on a banner into a reality we can all believe.

"It may sound trite to some, but something like the Boston situation transcends sport, transcends regional geographic and cultural rivalries like New York vs Boston. If we can't recognize that we should all be standing together during moments like these, then we're just doing it wrong."

-Jason Corliss, Viking Army SC

Nothing really prepares you to be an ambassador for an entire city and state. I remember having this experience early on in my military career. I had not yet deployed at the time and people often approached me to convey their thanks and appreciation for who you are and what you do. At first it's unsettling, but with time I began to understand that when in uniform regardless of my role or affiliation that for the civilians of this country I was a conduit for them to express all of their appreciation, well wishes and thanks for all veterans from all branches of the military. It's a therapeutic exercise for civilians and a solemn responsibility for the military; to receive thanks and gratitude for those who can longer do so. If you were there on Saturday, that's what you were doing on behalf of everyone back in Boston who is still suffering. Be proud and keep them in your thoughts.

I'll let Jeff Lemieux have the last word and sum it up.

I'll eventually forget tonight's result, but I will always remember that pregame march. #NERevs #BostonStrong #RBNY
— Jeff Lemieux (@jeff_lemieux) April 21, 2013

Special thanks goes to Red Bull Front Office and the leadership of all supporters groups involved. If you were there, share your experiences in the comments below.

Tweet to @theIndirectKick

Matt Reis on CNN with Piers Morgan

2013-04-19T05:34:27Z

Tonight, New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis appeared on the Piers Morgan program on CNN to talk about the Boston Marathon attacks. Earlier this week, a visibly affected Matt, whose father-in-law was injured in the blasts gave an emotional update to Jeff Lemieux. See below for the CNN clip.

It's been a rough few weeks for the Revs family and our city. Matt has been providing updates on his father-in-law via his personal Facebook page and latest reports indicate after multiple surgeries he was responsive and alert to his visitors but has a long road to recovery.

"It's kind of galvanized us and brought us together," - Matt Reis

From the whole crew at The Bent Musket as well as the entire New England Revolution community, all of our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family Matt during this trying time. We are incredibly proud of your actions on Monday.

Stay strong Boston.

Statistical Review of the Revs in March. Shoot More. Pass Better.

2013-04-12T19:13:09Z

I had a youth coach that used to tell us, "You can't win if you don't score goals, you can't score goals if you don't take shots and you can't take shots if you don't have the ball."

This sound logic and gives us some possible insight into the Revs early season issues with scoring and generating chances. Check out the interactive chart below.

Take More Shots: Using my youth coach's reasoning it appears we don't score goals because we don't take shots. Through four games the Revs are averaging only 2.5 shots on target per game. On average through March only one out of four attempts on goal is a shot on target. Lee Nguyen and Jerry Bengtson are the only players on the roster with more than one shot on goal; two and four respectively.

How it will improve in April? A healthy Saer Sene could allow this offense to revert back to a 4-4-2 with two full time strikers reducing the burden on Juan Toja who will now have two targets ahead of him, rather than relying solely on Bengtson. More options up top coupled with more holding play will allow wingers and Toja to get forward and involved.

Out Possessed: In 75% of March's matches the Revs lost the possession battle, albeit narrowly. Tons of easy giveaways from the Revs in March. Throw-ins literally thrown to the opposing team. Passing accuracy is especially poor this year which you can attribute some of that lost possession to. Through March of 2012 the Revs were at 69.3% accuracy compared to a 66.5% rating in 2013.

How it will improve in April? Kalifa Cisse returns to the lineup. Frankly the midfield looks much better with him there. A formation change that will focus the role the Toja and reduce the ground he must cover will present more support for the Revs who in March got forward and found themselves isolated when nearing the attacking third.

Odd Ball Stats: Facts that mean nothing

"Oh people can come up with statistics to prove anything. 14% of people know that." - Homer Simpson

1. The Revs have not yet won on turf. (0-1-1) vs (1-1-0) on grass.

2. The Revs have only earned points when having a minimum of four corner kicks per game.

3. When the Revs make more than 324 passes in a game, they have not won.

What do you make of the stats in March, what do they have to do in April to fix it?

Soccer Prophets: MLS and Revolution Predictions

2013-03-09T16:01:25Z

The New England Revolution's season opener against the Chicago Fire this Saturday is nearly upon us. With every new season comes hope, possibility and wild speculation. A positive performance tonight could springboard the Revs into the 2013 season, raise the morale of the collective and fill some seats.

Recently, I emailed my fellow bloggers and asked them to fill in the below table with their predictions. We ask that you share your predictions with us. We'll check back at season's end and see who really knows what the hell they are talking about.

Large View:

Are we sauced up on Kraft Brand Kool-Aid here? 50% of us have the Revs sliding into the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Do Matty and I just have low expectations for Donnie Smith or do we expect him to surprise you all? Is Kelyn Rowe primed for a breakout year just because everyone at MLSsoccer.com said so?

Next I surveyed the boys for their predictions for overall league wide stats. (Completed before Week 1)

Large View:

We're going to cut Abram some slack here, Chivas least goals against? I assume he meant they'd have the most goals scored against them. All in all, relatively safe predictions all around with Seattle, San Jose and Sporting KC the clear favorites for 2013.

Share your observations below.

Poll

How accurate are we going to be?

Very

2 votes

Kinda

8 votes

Somewhat

4 votes

Go home TBM, you're drunk

9 votes

23 votes | Poll has closed

Who is Bilal Duckett?

2013-02-13T16:56:19Z

Who is Bilal Duckett?

PennLive blogger Derek Meluzio apparently fielded several emails looking for the skinny on Bilal Duckett when the Revs announced his signing. He responded with this overview of what to expect out of the Notre Dame alum.

FIFA '13 Updated Revs Roster Analysis

2013-01-16T22:04:01Z

One has to imagine the bulk of our readers in some way shape or form play EA Sports FIFA '13. As a fan of a club who happens to be located in the western hemisphere that plays on a different season schedule than Europe we often get slighted by the shadowy overlords at EA who dole out the roster updates. This is why I tend to get over-excited when they release a large update focused on MLS; as it won't require me spending hours of my life transferring or creating our latest acquisitions manually. On a side note, I'd definitely pay a good chunk of money for a "Western Hemisphere Expansion Pack" that has more clubs, leagues, competitions (CONCACAF Champions League) and more updates.

With this latest update I sought to determine the level of progression or regression in Revolution players based on the current ratings compared to the original ratings from the game's release in September of 2012. Ironically Jose Goncalves, who actually has signed with the Revolution is not on the roster and re-entry selections Hunter Freeman and Chad Barrett who haven't signed are listed. Is EA foreshadowing? So how are the ratings determined?

The overall rating is determined by a series of 28 sub-ratings split into 3 different categories: Mental (e.g. aggression), Physical (e.g. strength) and skill (e.g. ball control), and there is also a separate set of ratings that determine Goalkeepers’ ratings. This enigma like code has produced more clangers than Heurelho Gomes over the years and unfortunately FIFA 13 is no exception.
-WhatCulture

FIFA Updated Overall Ratings "Starters"
Pos	#	Player	Current Overall	Original Overall	Change
GK	1	Matt Reis	64	66	-2
LB	8	Chris Tierney	61	61	0
LCB	26	Steven McCarthy	63	63	0
RCB	5	AJ Soares	65	63	+2
RB	30	Kevin Alston	65	64	+1
CDM	19	Clyde Simms (C)	62	63	-1
RM	11	Kelyn Rowe	63	65	-2
LM	24	Lee Nguyen	66	67	-1
CAM	18	Juan Toja	67	67	0
RS	39	Saer Sene	67	67	0
LS	27	Jerry Bengtson	68	65	+3

REACTIONS: The most improved rating goes to Jerry Bengtson (+3) which shouldn't surprise anyone. Lee Nguyen dropping a point is debatable. Clearly EA was quite high on rookie Kelyn Rowe originally awarding him a 65. The defenders slowly improve with Alston and Soares showing incremental improvement. Sadly Matt Reis continues his slow decline as he is punished by EA for aging.

FIFA '13 Updated Overall Ratings "Subs and Reserves"
Pos	#	Player	Current Overall	Original Overall	Change
GK	34	Bobby Shuttleworth	58	58	0
ST	92	Dimitry Imbongo	54	55	-1
LM	13	Ryan Guy	63	63	0
LB	3	Tyler Polak	59	59	0
RW	14	Diego Fagundez	61 (RW)	55 (ST)	+6
CB	25	Darrius Barnes	61	61	0
CDM	4	Kalifa Cissé	65	n/a	n/a
CM	32	Andy Dorman	63	n/a	n/a
RM	17	Sainey Nyassi	61	61	0
ST	20	Chad Barrett*	62	n/a	n/a
RB	21	Hunter Freeman*	63	n/a	n/a
CAM	36	Scott Caldwell	54	n/a	n/a

REACTIONS: Who did Imbongo tick off at EA!? Wasn't a 55 already bad enough!? What did he do to deserve a drop? Overall not much movement on the bench and reserve front with the exception of Diego Fagundez who went from 55 when listed as a striker in the original release jumping six points to a 61 as a right winger. Note: If they weren't on the Revs in the original release I did not include any original data and marked them "n/a."

FIFA '13 Updated Overall Team Ratings
Category	Current Overall	Original Overall	Change
Attack	65	64	+1
Midfield	64	65	-1
Result	63	62	+1

REACTIONS: They Revs remain a 2 1/2 star team overall. The improved attack can be justified by Bengtson's addition as well as Sene's scoring record in 2012. The midfield drops a point which can attributed to the loss of Benny Feilhaber who was rated a 69 in the original release now replaced with Toja at 67. Defense improves, because technically the defense did improve, right?

Now let's take a look at individual characteristics and abilities.

Top 5 Fastest Revs according to FIFA '13 Latest Update
Based on "Sprint Speed"

1. Sainey Nyassi - 88
2. Kevin Alston - 83
3. Lee Nguyen - 82
4. Deigo Fagundez - 77
5. Ryan Guy - 73

Top 5 Strongest Revs according to FIFA '13 Latest Update
Based on "Strength"

1. Kalifa Cissé - 82
2. Andy Dorman - 72
3. Hunter Freeman* - 71
4. Kevin Alston - 70
5. Steven McCarthy - 70

Players with Traits and Specialties
Full explanation of what each one means here

1. Hunter Freeman* - Early crosser, long throw-in
2. Kevin Alston - Long shot taker
3. AJ Soares - Long passer
4. Chris Tierney - Early crosser
5. Kelyn Rowe - Long shot taker
6. Lee Nguyen - Long shot taker
7. Saer Sene - Flair
8. Darrius Barnes - Giant throw-in
9. Ryan Guy - Long throw-in
10. Andy Dorman - Flair
11. Sainey Nyassi - Long shot taker
12. Chad Barrett* - Injury prone

REACTIONS: Apparently we have some players that can take long shots. Darrius Barnes and Ryan Guy are accurately assessed in regards to their throw-in ability. Barnes can literally throw it like 40-50 yards in the game. It's fantastic. Although, it is confusing to me that Saer Sene and Andy Dorman are listed with "flair" yet Lee Nguyen, who arguably has the best footwork on the club is not. Interesting to note that Chad Barrett is listed as "injury prone." Only one player on the roster has a "specialty" and that is midfielder Sainey Nyassi. I find this very confusing as Nyassi saw only eleven minutes of total action in 2012 and the FIFA God's have anointed him with the specialty "Acrobat." Allow me to define what the acrobat is capable of. Remember, this is the same midfielder who appeared in eleven minutes of one game all last year.

The Acrobat uses his athletic ability to get to balls that other players won't get to. This player does many acrobatic clearances and bicycle kicks.

CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the Revs have improved in the game. Our attackers have a disproportional amount of the talent on the roster which plays in a 4-1-2-1 formation. Many MLS clubs have at least a few players rated in the 70's and some in the 80's while the Revs have none; which will certainly hamper your plans for glory in online play. What do you think of EA's assessment of the Revs? Have you observed something different? Share your thoughts below!

When I'm playing online, be assured, Sainey Nyassi will be starting at RM...

Follow @theIndirectKick

The 2013 Revs Schedule Breakdown

2013-01-14T14:30:04Z

Stealing a great idea from the guys over at the Red Bulls blog Once a Metro, and building on Matty's piece, we further break down what the 2013 New England Revolution season will look like, by category.

Field Surface
Grass: 14, Turf: 20

This year, 59% of games will be played on turf. It's a never-ending debate how much it affects certain players when having to switch from turf to grass every week. The Revs will have two separate stretches where they will play four games in a row on turf. Other than this, they will never play on one type of surface for more than two consecutive games.

TV Network
CSNNE: 32, NBCSN, 2 (at Chicago, vs LA Galaxy)

The Revs are once again not national TV darlings this year. In 2012, the Revs had three games on the NBC Sports Network, and none of these were at Gillette. This year we drop to two games, the silver lining being the Sunday 6/2 game against the LA Galaxy at home. Prepare the tifo!

Conference
25 vs East, 9 vs West

Nearly 74% of this season's game will be against Eastern Conference clubs as MLS continues its weighted schedule, placing added emphasis on conference games. September and October will feature games against Eastern Conference clubs exclusively. If you get hot in September or October you can make a serious playoff run.

Match Day
Less midweek games will translate into higher attendance numbers

Sunday: 4 - at home against the Galaxy, Toronto, and Philly; and away to Columbus
Wednesday: 2 - at home against RSL and away to Colorado
Thursday: 1 - at Portland Timbers
Friday: 1 - at Toronto FC
Saturday: 26 - 76% of home and away games fall on a Saturday

Time Zone
74% of the Revs games will be played in the Eastern time zone. This is always good news as we've been awful out West the last few years.

Eastern: 25
Central: 4 - at Houston, KC and Chicago twice
Mountain: 1 - at Colorado Rapids
Pacific: 4 - at Seattle, Portland, Vancouver and ChivasUSA

Month
The Revs are busiest in May and August with five and six matches, respectively. May should also see US Open Cup matches, forcing the Revs to go deep into the depth charts.

March - 4 (two at home)
April - 3 (one at home)
May - 5 (three at home)
June - 4 (two at home)
July - 4 (two at home)
August - 6 (three at home)
September - 4 (two at home)
October - 4 (one at home)

Start Time
44% of this year's matches will start at 7:30PM. Three home fixtures will be at 4PM. (3/23 Opener vs SKC, 3/30 vs FCD and 6/2 vs LA Galaxy)

4:00PM - 5
7:00PM - 3
7:30PM - 15
8:00PM - 1
8:30PM - 3
9:00PM - 1
TBA - 4 (classic MLS)

Conclusion

The dreaded Wednesday - Saturday block, which always seems to happen in early May, strikes again. The Revs will play three matches between 5/2 and 5/11. Coupled with possible US Open Cup matches, this could be a problem.

September and October will be huge. The 2012 LA Galaxy showed last year what getting hot at the right time can do. Maintaining fitness and mitigating injury and fatigue will be vital to the Revs in this stretch.

What do you think of this year's schedule? Share below in the comments section.

Follow @theIndirectKick

Ryan Guy - Guam's "Star Player"

2013-01-12T20:26:16Z

Ryan Guy - Guam's "Star Player"

White, 38, soon realised that a population of fewer than 200,000 people on the island would not yield a big enough crop of talent to harvest, so he's been searching for players with Guamanian heritage.

"Our star player is Ryan Guy who was born in the US to Guam parents. He plays for the New England Revolution in Major League Soccer," said White.

"He was getting a few communications about joining the US national team. It took me six months to really sell him the vision of what we're trying to do and he now sees himself as a trail blazer.
"He thought he could do much more good for football playing for Guam than the US."