Pros

OPINION: Void in Midfield Needs Filling By Emlyn Lewis
Revs should use cap space to snare replacement
July 23, 2007
In recent weeks I've gone out of my way to defend the Revolution's failure to sign a big name player with the roster slots and cap space they have at their disposal. It's part of the plan, I argued, this whole business of drafting talented, versatile college kids and growing them into the club's system.

This clever program has taken second-, third- and fourth- (and sixth-, see Andy Dorman) round draft picks and turned them into more than adequate professionals. This was the system favored by Liverpool in the '80s, when Steve Nicol, New England's manager now, entered the fabled boot room -- a nobody off the docks in Scotland who became English Player of the Year in 1989.

It all made sense to me, a system that eschews egos and turns talent into superstardom.

And then I watched Khano Smith wander, sometimes aimlessly, up and down the left flank during the Revolution's 3-3 tie with Houston at Gillette Stadium Sunday.

I have never been one of Smith's fans. For every goal he scores, we seem to have to endure six or 10 matches in which he only very occasionally manages to get a cross in. He may not have hit one at all yesterday in 45 minutes of play. Honestly, I tried not to watch when he was in possession.

Meanwhile, Steve Ralston was pinging in cross after cross, this one right-footed, that one left-footed, and while clearly it's unfair to compare Smith to Ralston, the league's all-time assist leader, it does make the rather easy point that, when all your danger balls come from one side, the other team only has to actively defend that side.

Mercifully, Nicol received my telekinetic messages and yanked the lanky Bermudan at half-time, but the whole sorry spectacle called into question my bold defense of Nicol's master plan. Wells Thompson came onto replace Smith, and that was an improvement, but only slightly. Thompson's a rookie, and what he brings to the table is mostly enthusiasm. He doesn't quite have his legs underneath him as a professional yet.

If I were Steve Nicol I would do one of two things: I would either make Thompson my every day starter and hope that he, like Andy Dorman and James Riley and Jeff Lawrentowicz before him, steps up and becomes a solid pro, or I would go ahead and fill my roster and cap space with a decent left-sided midfielder. I'd spend the money. I would.

But lo, there are other options as well. Nicol could move Steve Ralston, who can play with both feet, to the left and bring in a right-sided player. I know David Beckham's not available, but there are a few other long-in-the-tooth Brits who might fit the bill, as well as a veritable cornucopia of Central Americans making small money to play in the Salvadoran, Guatemalan and Costa Rican pro leagues. I don't have the specific answer to the problem, the name of the player or cell phone number of a reputable agent (is there such a thing?) on speed dial, but then I don't manage a soccer team for a living.

Did you ever think you would miss Joe Franchino so badly? No. I didn't either.

Before I close this Monday rant, let me just say that I have nothing against Khano Smith. I'm sure he's a lovely lad. And perhaps with a bit more coaching and a little diligence he'll get better. I wish him the best. I do.

But in the meantime, for the love of all that's holy, the Revolution need to get off their wallets and bring in an experienced and qualified midfielder before what currently looks like genius, i.e. keeping the club atop the Eastern Conference standings, withers on the vine and turns into the eighth seed in a playoff system that still lets in every club with a pulse.

After all, there is a reason Bermuda mostly brings to mind fruity cocktails and moped accidents and not professional soccer players.