Midnight Riders Blogs

A Manager’s Job Never Stops

It certainly has been way too long since the Revs last played. I actually had to see my family this past weekend. Thankfully, that won’t happen again anytime soon as the Revs are about to embark on an incredible stretch of matches. A portion of the schedule that would put even the deepest European sides in a tough place, never mind a team constrained by the salary cap among many other league mandated roster rulings.

Steve Nicol doesn't rest, he scouts!

The Revs could potentially play 10 matches over the next four weeks. Including, as I wrote a few postings ago, a stretch where they will be in three countries (Canada, Trinidad & Tobago, and the U.S.) within 7 days. Coach Steve Nicol, however, will have one more stamp on his passport than the rest of the squad when this wild ride is all wrapped up. He spent the past weekend in Honduras scouting a potential signing. No word on who or what team he was checking out but the fact that Nicol is still out there scouring the globe for talent is a very promising development.

The easy rumor is that he was out there in some capacity to lure George Welcome back to the Revs who claimed him with a discovery pick. The chances of the Revs signing Welcome, in my opinion, are very slim. With Taylor Twellman and Adam Cristman not too far off from full recovery and the youngsters Kheli Dube and Kenny Mansally already on board, the Revs do not really have a need at forward. Hopefully, Nicol is attempting to sign a defender or two to make up for the loss of Michael Parkhurst to the Olympics. If the player turns out to be Gabriel Badilla I would be very happy. Badilla is the versatile defender the Revs were linked to earlier in the season.

The hole in the back

Parkhurst will be doning a different Red, White, and Blue.

Speaking of Parkhurst, when I wrote a few weeks ago that Nicol wouldn’t allow Parkhurst to leave for Beijing I was not completely wrong. Apparently the USSF made no attempt to reach out to Nicol to request if the club would allow the player to leave for the Olympics. The organization just went ahead and made the announcement which left Nicol and the Revs in a tough situation. If they then decided to block the move it would be a very public affront to one of their star players who is also coming to the end of his deal. If he was not allowed to leave the squad the possibility of Parkhurst signing with the Revs would have taken a severe blow.

I’m still not happy Parkhurst is there but I do wish him the best in Olympics and I hope he shows the world what he can do. In his absence there is really only so much Nicol can do. If he sticks with a 3-5-2, who is the sweeper? I don’t see anyone who can do the job that Parkhurst does. The last time someone else tried to play his role was when James Riley filled in on a few occaisions at the beginning of last season. Those performances were certainly not memorable ones. I also could not see Heaps or Albright stepping into that role. The only person I could envision enjoying any success would be Igwe but he is still to raw and apt to give up a foul.

So with out further ado, let me give my best guess on the line up that will go out against Atlante on Wednesday:

———————Reis——————–

—–Albright—Heaps——Igwe——Tierny—–

—————Joseph–Larentowicz————-
—–Nyassi———Ralston———-Smith—–
——————–Dube——————–

The 4-5-1 is probably a little shocking but I think the more conservative approach is what needs to be taken in a one-leg playoff match up. Tierny played well in his only other match at left back and I feel that he is far more ready to play in such a big game than Valentino or Brill at center back.

This blog entry was God’s will, honest…

Farewell, Chase Hilgenbrinck. You accounted for yourself well in your brief time in the Revs’ red, white, and blue but now you are off to the clergy. I hope we get some allocation money or at least some cash considerations in return. One thing is certain, Chase, you willl be in my prayers to the Flying Spaghetti Monster in the Sky.

Hilgenbrinck’s departure, all future sainthood aside, appears to be the type of transaction that you find in small print at the end of the sports page. Hilgenbrinck is just a back up after all. A glance at the schedule ahead quickly ratchets up the importance of even the seldom used bench players on the Revs roster. If you thought the Revs faced a fixtures glut at the beginning of the season just wait until you see what is in store in August. Couple this with the news that the Revs could be without Michael Parkhurst due to Olympic team duties and the depth that Hilgenbrinck provides makes his role with team seem even more important.

Parkhurst could potentially miss up to nine matches for the Revs including the Super Liga semifinals and finals, the U.S. Open Cup semifinals and finals, and their first leg against Joe Public FC in the CONCACAF Champions League. Being without Parkhurst for these big matches, potentially some of the biggest of the season could really hurt the Revs chances of earning some silverware this year. Without Hilgenbrinck the Revs are left with only one defender on their bench with real game experience against another first division side (Amaechi Igwe) and as a result, if Parkhurst is lost Shalrie Joseph, Pat Phelan or Jeff Larentowicz will most likely be forced into central defense. Playing one of your more important players like Larentowicz or Joseph out of position is not something that a team that is competing for two international club trophies should need to do. This is why I think (and hope) that Steve Nicol will not allow Parkhurst to travel to the Olympics. One look at the upcoming matches and how important they are should be enough for even Parkhurst to draw that conclusion.

The upcoming schedule is a lot even for Steve Nicol. Nicol spent much of his career globetrotting with the Scottish National team and of course aiding Liverpool in successful quests for European glory. He knows a lot about a busy travel schedule but he has never played in 3 countries in one week, which is what the Revs will do when they take on D.C. United at Gillette Stadium on August 20^th, Toronto F.C. in Canada on August 23^rd and then wrap up their international tour on August 26^th taking on Joe Public FC in Trinidad and Tobago. The wildcard in all of this is the fact that U.S. Open Cup final is also scheduled on the 26^th. I can’t, for the life of me begin to predict which match will take precedent if this occurs but either way it would make for another fixture cluttered week.

Sure, the pressure of all of these extra matches may wind up wearing down the Revs but this year they seem to have the depth to cope, and when you consider the alternative of not playing in any competitions outside of the MLS this seems like a pretty good place to be.

Put the Red, In ‘Red, White, and Blue’

A case can certainly be made that Jeff Larentowicz is most underrated player in the MLS. His consistency and high work rate have made him a perfect complement to Shalrie Joseph in the center of the Revs’ midfield. This season, however, Larentowicz has turned in some performance that should drag him out from behind Joseph’s impressive shadow. One match in particular, where he dominated current national team member Maurice Edu, gave me reason to believe that Larentowicz should be given a shot to wear the red, white, and blue. He plays a position where many players have been given a shot over the past few years and no one has really stuck. If Ricardo Clark and the aforementioned Edu are given the opportunity there also must be a chance for Larentowicz whose passing and vision this season have really improved greatly.  If Bob Bradley wants to give his son some room to roam he should look no further than Larentowicz for protection.

So let the campaign begin, lets not let Jeff join a long line of snubs from the national team!

Of course, let’s just hope he doesn’t have to miss any important mid-season matches to get the respect he deserves.

Upcoming Match

Match day two in the Super Liga for the Revs is fast approaching on Wednesday and I see the same line up making its way onto the field to take on defending Super Liga champions Pachuca CF. There is a prevailing opinion that Pachuca is the best of the bunch in the Revs group which includes Chivas USA and Santos Laguna but this does not give me a reason not pick the Revs here. They played pretty conservative at times against Santos Laguna but I think they got some of the opening tournament jitters out of the way and couple that with a home field advantage I see the Revs clipping this one in a similar fashion to that of Santos Laguna match, 1 – 0.

In the spirit of M. Shyamalan’s new film, there is a “happening” going on. What in the world could it be?

There were no emails in my inbox regarding my column.

Now this means one of two things. Either you have a huge lack in ideas, or you’re not reading. Now most of you are intelligent individuals, so I am going to go with the lack of reading. So… TELL PEOPLE ABOUT THIS BLOG!!!!

Seriously, this is written for you – the fans. I am here to help the rookie fan or the seasoned veteran with their tailgate experience. Whether it be adding some ideas with activities, or subtracting things that may enhance (the whole addition by subtraction notion,) the tailgating aura, I am here to help. Consider me something like the Dr. Phil of tailgating. I can mediate your tailgating sessions. Maybe I am more like Radio Shack - you’ve got questions, I’ve got answers. The success of this column/blog is highly based on your participation. If you can send an email, I can add a Q&A, or a recipe of the month, or a game of the month (like the one from last week’s entry).

With that out of the way, let’s get to the next item on the agenda…

Last weeks tailgate: N/A

I didn’t go. After what the Riders in the Fort went through with the front office only a week before, along with the fact that gas is well over $4.00/gal, added with my work schedule (I don’t leave until 7), all on top of the fact that I would be fighting traffic on a Friday night at the peak of rush hour, I am proud to say that I made it home well in time to plop myself in a highly comfortable seat with a lager in hand ready to watch the Revs take the lead on FC Dallas. OK so I missed Christman’s 5th minute tally, but nobody needs to know that. Either way I read a lot of people’s opinions on the match and how things went, and I am pleased with my decision. I hope you were all as equally satisfied.

Next up is this weeks topic, and a lovely one at that - drinks!

You know the type. Samuel Adams. Red Stripe. Guinness. Killian’s. Stella Artios. Harpoon. Yeungling. Blue Moon. Bud Light. Corona Extra. Smirnoff. Skyy. 99 Bananas. Jose Cuervo. The list can go on and on. I personally have never seen so many (nor tasted as many) beers as I have since joining the Midnight Riders. Last year alone on an away trip to Denver, Colorado, we visited the lovely Falling Rock Tap House who had over 50 different brews on tap.

My personal favorites are as follows (with season; and notes in parenthesis):

• Samuel Adams Summer Ale (summer; at tailgates and bars)
• Samuel Adams Winter Ale (late fall, winter; parties and gatherings)
• Guinness Stout (year-round; during meals, excellent with heavier foods)
• Red Stripe (summer; parties, tailgates, bars, while on vacation in the tropics!)
• Coors Light (year round; when you are poor, when there are no other alternatives)
• Jack Daniels and Cola (summer/winter; when beer just wont do it and you need something crisp)
• Bombay Sapphire and Sprite (year round; helps reduce the chance of a hangover)
  • Honestly, I usually drink 2 of these after a night of high consumption (whether it be beer or liquor, it doesn’t matter). And the next day I have never woken up with a hangover. I am guessing it is because of the mint and gin from the Bombay and the sugar from the Sprite, but I didn’t pay that much attention in chemistry class.

Now keep in mind I love many more brews, but these are some that come straight to mind, as I drink them often (including the Sam Summer, which I am enjoying as I write this).

So ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, please drop me a line with your favorite brews, your games, your recipes, or just anything regarding this column, I will be glad to answer any and all questions in a brand new Q&A section (assuming I get questions of course). Please, even if its hate mail I will respond. For the love of Jèsus just write me anything. Email is at the end. Peace out cub scouts!

Go Revs!

(|) Rovers FC Update (|)

[] [] [] Last: 2-2 at Zoinks FC

[] [] [] Next: home (4-0-3; 15 pts) vs FC Americana (3-1-1; 10 pts)

Craig’s Corner writer Fiero can be reached at fierogt20@yahoo.com

Well here goes number 2.

We’ll start by grading the last tailgate: D+

Honestly, midweek games are probably the worst time to have a game, so knowing my (or the Riders) luck, we have 5 this year. Sigh. With the game time slated for 7:30 in Foxboro, I knowingly took a half day from work just to be able to enjoy the full tailgate time, which starts at 5:30, allowing for delays in traffic. I mean seriously, we live in (or around) Boston, so we know how terrible traffic is and can be.

Long story short I ended up leaving work late and getting stuck in traffic the entire way; not only to my place, but from my place to the stadium. To put things in perspective, it should only have taken an hour from work to home to Gillette.

After arriving at 7:00, most people were already inside staging the protest, which is now notorious within the Rider population. Luckily I had a few friends who were willing hang out, down some road sodas, and grab a quick bite to eat before we headed in. The reason for the higher-than-’F’ grading is due to the fact that we got to tailgate after the come-from-behind 2-2 draw. The limited time and the lack of action at the tailgate before the game is what led to the D+.

During the postgame tailgate, we played oakie (I am sure you all have seen or asked about it, so be sure to look below for how it works) drank some beverages, ate more food, listened to some good tunes, and dealt with drunk newbies. So all was not lost. The midweek tailgate continues this Friday (tomorrow) as the lots open around 4:30 for the 6:30 NE-FCD kickoff followed by the Brazil-Venezuela match at 8. Now you can look at this two ways: Tailgate before and after the New England match, with extra long post-game tailgating thanks to the international tilt; or, tailgate normally before and after both games. It looks like a win-win situation to me. Now because I am part of the working class, I will be unable to attend tomorrow nights events. So please, someone grade the tailgate for me. An A+ would be = if the lot was full, grills and music are by every car, people are enjoying themselves with songs, dances, rituals, etc., food is awesome, games are played, and colors are uniform (aka BLUE!!!!). An F would obviously be the opposite. So whoever would be willing to pick up on that and add some notes, feel free to email me at fierogt20@yahoo.com with the results.

CORNER KICK OF THE WEEK:

This week’s kick is a game - Oakie (a.k.a. - Washers, Urban Horseshoes)

This game is played in a variety of ways, but this is what you have all seen in the Riders lot:

What you need: 2′x2′ squares of 1/2″ or 5/8″ plywood (sold at Home Depot pre-cut) (qty - 2); 1″x4″x2′ (qty - 2); 2×2 outdoor carpeting (qty - 2); super glue or all-purpose heavy duty glue (for fabric and wood use); utility knife, drill with hole-saw adapter (1 1/2″); and 6 big washers (I believe 1 1/2″, they were the biggest I could find at the store); 10 drywall (or outdoor) screws; and 2 handles (either door or drawer, but make sure they’re at least 3″ long, you will use this to carry the boards); utility knife

How to do it:

1. find the center of the 2×2′ and drill a hole using the appropriate sized hole-saw (slightly larger than the washers we found)
2. Drill 5 taps into the top of the 2×2 into the 1×4 evenly spaced with one in the center
3. Attach the 2×2 to the 1×4, with the 1×4 standing up tall, so it looks like /|
4. Attach the carpet to the 2×2 boards using the glue, and allow it to dry according to the glue instructions.
5. Cut the hole in the center of the carpet using a utility knife.
6. Screw the handles into the ends of the 1×4.

End results should be something like this:

Enjoy!

And remember, if you have any ideas for a segment, or if you have a game or recipe you would like to submit, drop me a line at fierogt20@yahoo.com.

GO REVS!

edit: Like fellow blogger Camille, I also play on Saturdays. My team Rovers FC are atop the D3 standings in the bssl. Come watch us this Saturday at 3pm at the Newton Fessenden School in Newton.