REVOLUTION ROCK N ROLL NASHVILLE AND TAKE HOME THREE POINTS
I’m just a regular guy like you. Sitting here at halftime of the Revolution vs Nashville game, sipping my chocolate milk, thinking to myself, ‘are the Revolution the better team tonight?!’ I don’t want to brag, but all the good parts of my prediction in my preview blog are coming true. I said: “Nashville will come into this game riding high from their past performance, but an early goal from Carles Gil on a spectacular individual effort will take the air out of their sails.” The first two minutes of this game were all Nashville making chances, but that changed as the Revs found their feet.
After weathering the storm out the gate, by the 7th minute the Revolution seemed to be settled and beginning to assert their control on the game. By even the 8th minute Nashville seemed frustrated, having given three Revs players hard knocks. Gil getting ran through from behind, and a few other blows as the Revs possessed and broke down Nashville. The Revolution have been pressing high and creating turnovers in the Nashville defensive zone. Numerous turnovers were made into Revolution chances. Carles Gil has been put in great positions to succeed. He’s been combining very well with Borrero and Esmir on the wings. Esmir has looked solid and comfortable after what I’d say were a few shaky games.
And just as I predicted, Carles Gil with the spectacular individual effort to put the Revolution up 1-0 in the 18th minute. These are the kind of plays you want from your #10 DP. This is the Carles Gil Revolution fans are used to watching. The Revs followed this goal up with solid play, creating a number of chances. 30 minutes into the game I really began to feel like the Revolution had true control over this match. With several chances created, it’s a shame to only have a one goal lead going into the second half. 31:30, Carles wins the ball in the offensive zone, hits Esmir out right who knocks one across goal, Kaye crashing and almost finishes. Really nice-looking offense. We look good! 36:30ish Vrioni gets a chance with a nice ball from Borrero. Not a good shot from Vrioni. Needs to be better. The Revs are creating chances though! Lots of chances.
A key to the game so far has been shutting down Hany Mukhtar. 36 minutes into the game the commentator mentioned how Mukhtar had his most touches in the Nashville win against FC Cincinnati Wednesday night. Today, the Revs have been keeping Mukhtar's touches extremely limited. Credit to the Revs shutting down Nashville’s top guy. A difference I'm seeing tonight offensively where we look dangerous compared to past games when our offensive is completely useless; our wingers are the ones creating offense. It's not Lima or Spaulding trying to cross it in. It's Gil switching fields and finding players like Borrero and Esmir and it's those talented guys who are working the offense making things happen. Much less Lima on the ball. Which is good. In small appropriate doses he does a very solid job when he’s at his proper right back position. Props to him tonight for a solid performance.
The emotional rollercoaster I rode from the 50 to 55th minute was wild. To start, around 50:30 Esmir with the absolute snipe of a goal. I was commenting all first half how comfortable and confident he looks. That US Olympic call up has him in great form, I guess! Again though, like they have been all game, the Revs worked this chance quick off a turnover. Polster won the ball and smartly worked it to our best player Carles Gil in transition, who was able to find Vrioni in the offensive zone. Vrioni switched the field over to Esmir who made his move and struck a great ball and put his team up 2-0. This is what I looked at in the scientific study of the Revolution scoring woes blog I wrote a few weeks back. In 2023 the Revs were scoring within 10 seconds of winning the ball back from the opponent very often. That is what we did here and we looked great doing it. Vrioni said it in his press conference this past Thursday, “we are a team that is dangerous in transition.”
The rollercoaster hit it’s apex and teetered at the top as Arreaga received a Red Card for a handball in the box just moments after the Esmir goal. Not only a penalty kick but a man down for the Revolution. The door was swung wide open for Nashville to spark a comeback. Oh, how the Revolution luck has changed in an instant! But wait! VAR to save the day. The Revs get a bit of luck back as the Red Card is diminished to a Yellow and Arreaga remains on the pitch. And WOW. IVACIC. Absolutely DENIES Mukhtar on the penalty kick. The boys are hype, and Ivacic reacts with a big smile. A man who rarely shows emotion. Ice cold. I constantly note how stoic he is in the back. The emotion is great to see as Ivacic comes up huge for the Revolution. What a rollercoaster ride it was for those few minutes.
Vrioni continues to squander opportunities. 63:25 Vrioni has a great chance on a cross from Borrero but fails to get any touch on the ball. Any bit of a redirection could make this a goal, but he gets nothing. The commentators have been giving him crap all game and deservedly so. He should have two goals tonight. He has plenty of chances. The positive on this play was seeing Gil and Borrero continue to combine successfully.
Dave Romney lunges in aggressively on a tackle against his former Center Back mate in Nashville Walker Zimmerman, catching his ankle and resulting in a penalty kick. Not much in it, but Romney is punished for his over aggression in the box. And Mukhtar won’t be denied twice. Ivacic guessed the wrong direction and it’s now 2-1. As I type, Mensah is subbing in for Esmir as we go into extreme defensive mode. Can the Rev’s finish out this win?
Carles Gil once again touching every blade of grass on the field doing everything he can to carry this Revolution team. The Revs are paying him back by putting him in positions to be his best, something they have failed to do for most of this season thus far. The result is lots of great transition opportunities with Carles with the ball at his feet in the middle of the field, working it from right to left getting Borrero and Esmir involved and creating offense. Or using teammates for faking out defenders and make great individual plays as defenders don’t know whether to defend the pass or dribble.
As 10 minutes of extra time is announced I say out loud reflexively ‘are you f***king kidding me?’. The Revolution cannot catch a break. And next Ivacic is grabbing his ankle after getting wrapped up with Surridge in the 91st minute. I’ve been holding my breath since the 80th minute and I don’t think I will breathe again until the 100th+ minute. You’re reading this and know the final result, but I’m still living it. And I’ll tell you. I’m stressing. The taste of victory is so close but so far.
92:40 Mukhtar has open space in transition, playing it to his right where a shot is blocked, then immediately Nashville hits the post and gets 2 or 3 more shots blocked in quick succession. The Revs are holding on for dear life. All air temporarily left my body in that moment of play. 10 minutes of extra time are you kidding me! Five down and five to go…
Nashville is desperate and lobbing balls into the box as the Revolution respond equally desperate with everyone playing defensively. Walker Zimmerman goes down again in the box clutching his face, hopeful for another stroke of luck his direction and maybe a third penalty kick for his side. But no says the referee. And a few minutes later at 100:30 Ivacic comes off his line and makes a HUGE punch on the ball on a dangerous lobbed ball toward his goal. This game needs to end! I can only watch so many balls get lobbed into our 18-yard box. And 101:51 the ref FINALLY blows the final whistle.
CUE THE MUSIC. Enjoy this while you can. The Revolution with a huge road win against Nashville. Let’s go! 2-1 win like I predicted. Carles Gil spectacular individual effort goal like I predicted. I’m happy. Nashville is by no means a monster of an opponent, and they came into this game gassed having played this past Wednesday and Saturday. That takes nothing away from the fact that the Revolution took care of business on the road and looked very solid in doing so. The Revolution looked like a real MLS caliber team. Last week, I commented how I watch other games and see talent that we simply don’t have. That talent showed up tonight. Let’s take this momentum home and take advantage of a game I think is very winnable against the New York Red Bulls. We have 14 games played while many other Eastern Conference teams have 15,16,17 games played. Let’s get some wins and climb the board.
GOD BLESS. GO REVS!
