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A Nyassi Revolution

A Nyassi Revolution

Posted by: TheGoonerMotherShip     Posted Date: August 4, 2008     Last Update: August 4, 2008

Heading into Tuesday's Superliga final, take one thing to the bank: New England Revolution winger Sainey Nyassi will be a handful all night long.  While he has not scored any goals during the Revolution’s run to the finals of this year’s Superliga, the blazing right winger has arguably been the most dangerous man on the field each time out.

“Nyassi’s certainly good at running at defenders,” said Revolution coach Steve Nicol after the Revs 1-1 draw with Chivas USA, which secured the Revs’ top-place finish in Group A in Superliga.

In Wednesday night’s semifinal, Nyassi started again on the right flank as the Revs topped Atlante, Mexican Apertura 2007 champions, 1-0. Time and time again, the young Gambian ran past his defender and got into threatening positions. The final ball too often let him down, but at just 19 years old, he is still developing, particularly on the international scene.

In the Superliga tournament, due to injuries and strategic decisions, the Revs have switched away from their favored 3-5-2 formation. “We’ve been playing 4-4-2 recently,” Nicol explained. “We’ve been solid and haven’t given up a lot of chances, and we’ve still been making chances.”

Nyassi, for his part, likes the added freedom a traditional winger role gives him. “I like the 4-4-2 system more,” he told Goal.com after the Chivas match, “because I play up front more then.”

From the first Superliga match, a 1-0 win over Mexican Clausura 2008 champions Santos Laguna, Nyassi made his intentions to get forward clear. These days, nearly every Revolution counter attack starts by finding Nyassi out wide to release defensive pressure and to let him use his pace to transition the ball into attack quickly.

“I think I add a lot of pace,” Nyassi admited. “You can see that all the time when they get the ball they try to find me at the far wide front. It’s really working for the team.”

Working is a good way to describe it. Off his lightning quick transitions, Nyassi can get in behind defenses before they are organized and spray crosses in front of goal. He keeps the defense honest, with one eye on retreating at the first sign of dispossession.

Santos’s defenders could not handle his speed and trickery on the ball. Neither could Pachuca’s or Chivas USA’s. On Wednesday night, Atlante was quick to double-team Nyassi whenever he got the ball. And if he slipped past the first defender, the second man was usually there to play the body.

The physicality, either in Superliga or in MLS play, hasn’t slowed Nyassi’s relentless attacking mentality. Standing just 5’8”, his low center of gravity allows him to turn sharply and maneuver around back-pedaling defenders. However, having realized the reaction of defenders faced with his pace, Nyassi has shown a tendency to go to ground somewhat lightly. Against Chivas, after one unwhistled tackle, he remained prone on the turf while play continued.

It was a frustrating display for this observer, especially knowing Nyassi enjoys playing so much and giving his all. After the Chivas match, despite being substituted in the 81st minute, he looked as if he would drop his bottle of Gatorade and cell phone from sheer exhaustion. “Yeah,” he said, grinning. “I’m tired. I worked hard.”

Beyond Superliga, Nyassi’s presence in the New England lineup has helped the side rush to the top of MLS. But there is still a lot of soccer to play. The Superliga final against Houston is next week, then league play continues, and then CONCACAF Champions League kicks off. All of which is just fine with Nyassi, whose philosophy is as simple as it gets.

“My plans for the team are just to maintain my starting spot, to perform great, and to make them win all the time,” he said. “That’s my wish."

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