The New England Revolution overcame a lethargic start to earn a 2-1 victory over DC United. The Revs, who struggled during the game’s opening stanza, found themselves down a goal after Luis Silva’s long-range shot. Although the goal prompted better play, the visitors were unable to mount their comeback until the second-half. Dimitry Imbongo and Diego Fagundez each scored to help the Revs capture full points.
The new-look DC United squad, which included debutants Jared Jeffery and Conor Doyle, looked motivated in the game’s early moments. Beyond holding 60% of possession through the first ten minutes, DC was able to take the lead when Silva beat Bobby Shuttleworth in the 8th minute. The possession statistic would swing as the half went on but DC was able to stay in front through determined defending.
“We didn’t have a good first half, to be very honest,” commented head coach Jay Heaps. “We weren’t following our game plan. We weren’t playing very well and it took a little bit of time at halftime to go over. But D.C. deserves some credit…They were playing that 4-4-2, they were pushing high, and we had the ball but we weren’t dangerous with the ball.”
The Revs came out of the locker room with one personnel change (Scott Caldwell replaced Clyde Simms) and a strategy that revolved around attacking from the flanks. The new game plan hinged on the fullbacks getting forward and the outside midfielders switching more often. Heaps’ blueprint paid dividends when Imbongo finished a Chris Tierney cross in the 55th minute.
“Part of our game plan tonight was to get wide,” Heaps explained. “In the second half we really wanted to get Tierney in some better spots. We switched Saer (Sene) to the other side to give ourselves a bit more width because he naturally wants to come in so we pushed him wider. We found the little gaps.”
With the game now equalized and the Revs finding their stride, three points looked like a real possibility. Sene appeared to have the game-winner in the 63rd minute when he hit a left-footed curler that beat goalkeeper Joe Willis. Unfortunately for the Sene, the shot hit the post. Fortunately for the Revs, Fagundez was there to head in the rebound for his seventh goal of the season. Although Sene and Sainey Nyassi would have opportunities to add a tally of their own, the final score line favored the Revolution 2-1.
“We came out really flat, kind of like we did at Colorado so we were a bit nervous,” Andrew Farrell said. “In the second half we came out and reacted well. We got some good players and they showed what they could do tonight.”
The win improved the Revolution’s record to 8-7-6 (30 points) which is good for fifth in the Eastern Conference. Beyond temporarily holding a playoff position, the Revs will be happy to earn their first come-from-behind victory this season. The success of coach’s adjustments and player’s grit will help increase confidence as the Revs look earn their first playoff berth since 2009.
The Revs’ playoff hunt will be aided by a returning Kevin Alston who entered the game in the 84th minute to play his first minutes since the Leukemia diagnosis. Alston, a native of DC, had friends and family in the audience for support.
Heaps remarked, “He’s been around the longest, probably, with Darrius (Barnes) and Reisy (Matt Reis) so he’s an old soul in our locker room and someone the guys lean on. You’d like to get a man into a situation where the game isn’t so intense, but Kevin went in and did an excellent job.”
The Revs return to action on Sunday, August 4th when they play Toronto FC at Gillette Stadium.
3 Observations and Revelations
- Imbongo continues to develop. When Imbongo signed with the Revolution in 2012, Heaps labeled him as a project that would need time to adjust. The Congo native has rewarded Heaps’ faith my evolving into a solid contributor. In his second straight start, Imbongo did more than score a goal as he provided solid hold-up play, smart passes and a physical presence. A play from 36th minute highlighted Imbongo’s development as he beat Dejan Jakovic to the end line and would have had an assist if it wasn’t for Willis’ reactionary stop on Kelyn Rowe. Although physicality has always been a part of Imbongo’s game, his awareness on- and off-the-ball has gotten better. The second-year player still has weaknesses but his overall improvement should be encouraging to fans.
- The Revs need to start making the first-half count. Amazingly, the Revs have scored 20 of their 27 goals in the second-half. While the team should be applauded for making the dying moments count, they need make better use of the first-half in order to elevate stress. Championship caliber teams are capable of 90 minute performances. While the Revs have had solid starts (i.e. Vancouver) and solid endings (i.e. Columbus), they haven’t had many complete games.
- Saturday’s game was a showcase for young, talented players. Beyond the homegrown duo of Caldwell and Fagundez, the Revs’ roster also includes Farrell, Rowe and Imbongo. Perhaps inspired by the Revolution, DC United has started to assemble their own core of talented youngsters as a way of looking towards the future. On Saturday, Silva, Imbongo and Fagundez got on the score sheet, while Caldwell and Doyle contributed solid shifts. Seeing clubs rely so heavily on young players is encouraging to the league. Now, teams have to find a way to keep these budding stars in MLS.
(image courtesy of Kari Heistad)
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