Revs' Watch - Making "The O" Go

....just don’t start Jeff Larentowicz. I’m sure he’s a fine player and a decent, God-fearing American and all that, but the Revs need offense for this Saturday’s game.

And that’s the focus of Frank Dell’Appa’s latest opus for the Boston Globe. He continues to clock the Revs through the "extended halftime" that is the week between games 1 and 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series between the New England Revolution and the Chicago Fire. Today’s piece pokes around options for offensive spark, beginning with Shalrie Joseph’s role on the team.

As I look this over, some of the names under discussion have shifted the ground a bit on the starting line-up. In the quest for offense, I’m to the point where I think I’d try something like this:

GK: Matt Reis (unchanged)
D: Jay Heaps (despite his sin), Michael Parkhurst (who doesn’t sin), Avery John (defense unchanged)
M: Steve Ralston (despite his 2nd minute miss), Shalrie Joseph, Andy Dorman, Daniel Hernandez, Clint Dempsey/Pat Noonan
F: Taylor Twellman (who needs to be pushed)/Jose Manuel Abundis, Clint Dempsey/Pat Noonan.

This assumes, naturally, that Jose Cancela won’t be made available - though it should be noted that, by keeping him on the bench and often unused, Steve Nicol threatens to inflate his reputation and capabilities to messianic status.

In any case, the clusterfuck arises with all the injuries. I placed Noonan and Dempsey in the midfield role because, 1) Nicol simply cannot bring himself to start Cancela, and, 2) both can make deep runs that open the potential of slipping their marks while providing decent passing ability. If either player can’t start, I really hope Nicol just gets...friggin...over....it and starts Cancela. Again, we need offense, man. Then again, I'm not dumb enough to hold my breath on this one.

But those injuries most complicate the forward position. If either Noonan or Dempsey can go the full 90, I’d be tempted to bench Twellman and give Abundis a shot at leading the line just to see what happens. If neither are up for starting, I’d start Twellman for continuity’s sake. A Twellman/Abundis partnership would work fine as well, especially if either Dempsey or Noonan are available.

The main thing is, useful as he is, Franchino should give way and starting someone like Larentowicz or Tony Lochhead should be out of the question. If the Revs, by some fluke, manage to take a two goal lead, bring ‘em on and pack ‘em in. But the key for Saturday's second leg begins and ends with getting the ball in Chicago's goal - and the sooner the better.

Anyway, that’s what I think. And I’m still pissed this one won’t be on my TV.