Lee Nguyen, making a substitute appearance, was the catalyst for the New England Revolution’s 2-0 victory over the Columbus Crew. The Revs only mustered four shots (one on target) before Nguyen replaced Clyde Simms in the 58th minute. From there, the attack came alive with Nguyen playing helper on the stoppage time goals scored by Jose Goncalves and Diego Fagundez.
Head coach Jay Heaps made six changes to the starting lineup after the midweek loss to the Colorado Rapids. AJ Soares, Clyde Simms and Dimitry Imbongo were given rare starts as the Revs looked to find a dangerous grouping and manage bodies.
“It was a combination (of wanting to mix things up and fatigue),” Heaps commented. “It was also getting some guys on the field who were little more experienced; we went a little more experienced tonight.”
This was the 16th unique lineup used by the Revolution as they have only recycled a starting eleven on two different occasions. The tinkering had a clear effect on the game as the Revs struggled with positioning and passing. In the 23rd minute, Imbongo played the ball across the goalmouth but it was too far for Chris Tierney. Meanwhile, Soares often resorted to long balls, like in the 48th minute, that didn’t always find their intended targets. Even Scott Caldwell, usually the team’s best passer, was guilty of a few unforced giveaways.
With the starters struggling offensively but staying solid defensively, Heaps hoped that his bench could make an impact. Nguyen entered the game in the 58th minute, Fagundez replaced Chad Barrett in the 69th and Kelyn Rowe made way for Juan Toja in the 82nd. Heaps believed that the attacking trio could change the flow of the game.
Heaps explained, “I thought that all three of those guys were willing and ready, knew exactly where they were going in and watched during the game to see where they could impact. And quite frankly they went in and did an excellent job.”
Even with the substitutions, it looked like the game was destined to be a scoreless draw until Goncalves out jumped Josh Williams to head in Nguyen’s corner kick. The goal was the captain’s first in Revolution colors and came during the same week that he scored an own-goal.
“I think for Jose, more important for him, was the zero tonight,” Heaps commented. “I thought he did a nice job defending, but the other night he dove in, not something he normally does and I knew he was carrying this team tonight. He wanted to win this game and you could tell. The way he defended, the way he played all night, and then to get the winner was a special thing for him.”
The Revs weren’t done, however, as Fagundez added a second goal three minutes later. Nguyen once again played a critical role in the buildup as he collected a rogue pass from Chad Marshall and setup Fagundez. The 18 year-old made no mistake when he slotted the ball past Andy Gruenbaum to secure the win.
“We had to bounce back from two bad results and we just wanted to do better,” Goncalves remarked. “So this was the kind of mentality we came into the game with today and you can see that everyone worked hard. We created the best chances in this game and I think we deserved to win.”
The victory improves the Revs’ record to 7-7-6 (27 points) while the Crew falls to 6-9-5 (23 points). The sixth place Revolution will play cellar-dwelling DC United next Saturday at 7 pm.
3 Observations and Revelations
1.This team clearly puts defending first. The most surprising statistic about the 2013 Revolution is that they have lost or tied every game in which their opponent has scored. While it’s impressive that all seven of their victories have been shutouts, the team will need show more fight if they are going to establish themselves as legitimate contenders. Goals are going to happen so the Revs have to be able to keep their focus and adapt to the situation. The positive to the “defend-first” mindset is that it allows substitutes to have a decisive impact. Eleven of the Revs’ 25 goals have been created or scored by players coming off the bench.
2.Forget the play, remember the three points. Saturday’s match certainly wasn’t a great example of the beautiful game but it was three road points for the Revs. In their midweek tilt, the Revolution found it difficult to hold possession and create opportunities which allowed the Rapids to collect full points despite conceding an early goal. Against the Crew, the Revs put on a more determined performance in which they fought for every ball in order to get some sort of favorable result. In the end, the Revs held 47% of the possession (up from 37%) and made 76% of their passes (up from 66.2%). Don’t show this game to your friends but do look back on it if the Revs make the playoffs.
3. Caldwell looked good in the advanced role. The Braintree native has become one of the Revs’ most dependable players by providing solid passing, crucial tackles and a mature understanding of the game. After primarily being deployed as a holding midfielder, Caldwell was paired with Rowe on Saturday to try and run the attack. The offense didn’t have its best night but that can’t be solely placed on Caldwell. The rookie made some vital passes and even had a crack on goal in the 20th minute that was blocked. Caldwell’s future might very well be as a defensive midfielder but Heaps should continue to experiment. Perhaps partnering Caldwell with Nguyen would create a more dynamic attack.
(image courtesy of Kari Heistad)
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