The Revolution are finally getting that chemistry back and I’m loving it. First game of my six-game ticket package came with a win against Philadelphia and I’ve never seen Gillette stadium so amped and pumped up for that match! I’m seeing more and more potential with what the Revolution are doing by assigning two forwards in Nguyen and Sene into the 4-4-2 formation unlike having only one forward attacking goals earlier in the year. I can accept a draw at Portland because they are smoking hot right now. Wish that I could have seen Timber Joe cut down at least one slice from the log. But no other complaints here!

Speaking of the TImbers, amazing organization over there in Portland. I’m pretty sure most of you seen this amazing experience the TImbers gave to 8 year old Atticus Lane-Dupre.and the Green Machine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAZyZh_FYi8&feature=youtu.be

We will see what the Revs do against Real Salt Lake. It would be nice to snatch up 3 points and move back into playoff contention. Until then….enjoy life to the fullest.

old-school-panini:

The Playmakers by Daniel NYARI

Let’s hold off on speaking about my beloved New England Revolution (although a bad start of 1-2-1) and change gears to my experience at a Russia Premier League game a few weeks back. 

Being a very fortunate person to be an F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business student, I decided to participate in the Offshore Elective in Russia during my Spring Break (Not thee location for Spring Break relaxation but why not). We had to do the usual company visits and lectures at the St. Petersburg State Graduate School of Management but part of our leisure time was devoted to Zenit’s Football Club in St. Petersburg. Luckily the stadium was right down the block from my hotel and the whole class got tickets to the Zenit v Mordovia match on March 17th! 

Although the group I was hanging out with missed the first half due to a great dinner and some unique booze (picture of half pint rum bottle with a red pepper in it, Ah!), we made it for the second half. Riot police everywhere, packed stadium in 7 degree Fahrenheit weather. (Yes, 7 degrees). I thought I was going to freeze to death! I fell like a punk since the Zenit crowd was so hyped throughout the entire match up, hopping around, chanting and starting fires in the stands! (Don’t bring your children!). Nonetheless, awesome match! Zenit won 1-0. I actually bet on Mordovia since they were a 10:1 underdog. (Why not!). Lost though but I enjoyed every bit of that match-up. Snatched up a Zenit scarf as well. Thank you Professor Coyle for setting that up!

Uh……the Revs, the Revs, the Revs! I’ll keep this short! Let’s just see if we can snatch up 3 points again Seattle on the 13th!

Until next time…”Explore what you are missing!”

joeryanl:

Soccer in Portland is fucking nuts!!! Nonstop chanting. Go Timbers!!! #pdx #timbers #mls

Based on the action on the field between the Revs and the Fiyah, you can tell that we weren’t watching an English Premier League match. Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled of the 1-0 result but it was not pretty. 

Farrell was phenomenal in his debut. He seemed like he learns from his on-field experiences very quick. The right side defense was on lock. Reis, was definitely the player of the game with his great saves and performed well under pressure. Nguyen looked uncomfortable, Toja didn’t look as shape has he did last season, Rowe field work has developed since last season.

Overall, its a great start to the season to tack on 3 points in your first game.

Thanks to my lovely MLS Live broadband package, I was able to tune into the Toronto FC v Sporting KC game. Great win for Toronto (favorite vaca spot). They definitely found a gem in Robert Earnshaw!

Random but I will be checking out the Zenit FC match in St. Petersburg, Russia on March 17th. I’ll definitely post a picture on here from the match. 

Well that’s it for now, hopefully you enjoyed and until next time…”Explore what you are missing!”

First week of MLS soccer is in the books (Amazing game between Portland and New York. Love the soccer over there in Portland. Definitely a bucket list item to check out a Timbers game in Jeld-Wen!) Now I’m ready for the Revs season to begin. First stop, against tha Fiyah! (Watch Party, March 9th at The Banshee in Boston and Ri Ra in Providence. Both at 7:30pm)

Amazing news that Saer Sene could return from the ACL injury in April. We definitely need a spark early in the season so we can sit comfortably in playoff contention come summer time! Read more: http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2013/03/05/barring-setback-new-england-revolution-say-striker-saer-sene-could-return-ac

Attended the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in Boston this past weekend and sat in on a panel regarding Soccer Analytics. Heard from Jeff Agoos (Technical Director of the MLS) stating that MLS will reach prominence within the next 10 years. I agree! There is a lot of growth potential in the US for soccer and the MLS has been doing an exceptional job at attracting attention to a new target market year by year. I’m looking forward to enjoying the ride.

Until next time…….

greenwave:

I want this so damn bad!!! PURE SEX!!!

Hey everyone. I’m back for year two of my MLS Novice Fan experience. I’m so thrilled that soccer is back already. Thanks to the end of the NFL season, what the heck am I’m going to do with my life for the next 7 months? Please don’t tell me to turn on the tube for Opening Day. I’ll pass on that. NBA, eh……too much of an individual sport now (Golly, I miss the 90’s Knicks team) and every #1 team is getting destroyed by some mediocre squad every week in college ball.

Constellation prize, MLS is back. Hallelujah! There is a God who exist. I got my 6-ticket season package set for the Revolution this year. Ready to see some new faces (cough cough Andrew Farrell) to see what type of excitement he brings to New England because we desperately need it. (Minus Saer and Lee). Looking forward to continuing blogging about my experience and I just hope that I can inspire at least one soul to take a chance at experiencing the MLS. You won’t regret it.

Until next time…

Congrats to Lee Nguyen for the Revs MVP award. Very entertaining to watch him work at his craft!

Tear drop! A great way for the Revs to finish off their home stay for the season. 1-0 victory over the 2nd place FYIYAH!. Believe it or not, I actually felt like a regular adult at this past Saturday’s game. Meaning that there were adults around me at Bar Louis before the game, the let-out of the Bowling Green/UMass football game was still lingering around Patriots place and the stadium for the Revs game was the most packed I’ve seen it since their first home game vs Portland. Bonus to all of this is that I took my cousin Johnny to the game for his 29th birthday. Win-Win for everyone (except the UMass football team. Bad idea to enter the MAC but I’m an Eastern Michigan Alumni so there is a slight chance for EMU to play the Minutemen in Gillette next year [crossed toes, knees and fingers]) That just brought me back to my 1st grade song: heads, shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes! God, I’m so old! SUPER TEAR DROP!

Where was I going with this…….(Jeopardy music). Oh yea, overall, not the greatest season for the Revs but I got my $300 ready to purchase another set of multi-game season tickets for the 2013 season. Its been an awesome journey becoming theMLSnovicefan to….still being theMLSnovicefan. To anyone who at least took a millisecond to check out my blog, I thank you. I’m just happy to be alive, well and doing something out of the norm for myself. This will continue on during the off-season so you’ll hear me rambling on about the good ol Revs and random stuff about my life. Until then, live by the theme that my girlfriend and I follow, “When else but now”

With the intensity of the MLB Postseason brewing with the Tigers slatted to win it, the drama with the first quarter of the NFL season and the countdown to NBA Tipoff, is there any room in the typical American’s brain to even entertain the final month of the MLS regular season? I think not. Chances are that if you have the slightest bit of care for the MLS, you already know who’s in and who’s out of the playoff hunt (get them next year Revs). So why waste 2 hours out of your Wednesday, Saturday or Sunday on a game with no meaning?

I guess I’m just being a Debbie Downer since the Revs fell out of playoff contention months ago and there were high hopes during the first half of the season. Indirectly, fell in love with the supporters of the Portland Timber. That type of soccer atmosphere needs to be adopted into other stadiums throughout the MLS. That would definitely increase the popularity of the sport within the US. Checklist item: Go to a Portland Timbers v NE Revs game in Jeld-Wen. Indirectly Indirectly (huh?) became an instant fan of the city of Portland, Oregon. With the Timbers Nation riding strong with one of the worst teams in the MLS (that’s loyalty) and the cocky show of Portlandia exploiting the hidden gem (to East Coast folks) of Seattle to the world. I NEED TO GO TO SEATTLE!

Very well, enough about my MLS (& Seattle) ranting. Until next time…

PS. I have the pleasure of taking advantage of the MLS Live package online and PLEASE check out the game between Portland v LA Galaxy from July 14, 2012. GAME OF THE YEAR!