Another week turns over and the Revs have added another loss. I’m tired of this season y’all. We now have 27 points left to possibly claim on our schedule. The signs from this game do not bode well for post season participation.
Pat Phelan belied his passing game’s reputation for the assist. Benny Feilhaber provided a spark for the Revs, as he does every game he plays the full 90 minutes. Benny can flat out play. He is a bit fiery at times, but he makes players around him better. Case in point, his goal Saturday night came from a series of give and go passes with Pat Phelan. Benny scored the goal and we went up 1-0. It was a great start that belied the ugly second half to come.
The first Columbus goal was a great example of staying in the play, pursuing the ball until the play is over. Heinemann, rocking the caveman look, somehow got a foot on a looping chip around Kevin Alston. That looping chip came from Mendoza. Mendoza played a role similar to Benny Feilhaber’s for Columbus all night.
AJ Soares hit the top crossbar from a couple of feet in front of the goal. The replay shows that Caraglio was crashing that same ball from the back post. It was very disappointing to miss that opportunity to regain the lead. Yet another example of the lack of communication, chemistry, or consistency, take your pick, that has characterized this New England Revolution season. In a better season I see AJ hanging back just enough to see that Caraglio scores or he cleans up the rebound. This is not a better season for the Revolution.
Julius James won a near post corner kick for the Crew’s second goal. Either team could have expected to break the stalemate via set piece. Renteria was positioned wide open inside the 6-yard box for the third goal. Getting beat by passing like that where defenders are lost too far away to challenge the ball and not close enough to mark off the ball seems to signify a lack of concentration. I understand that the Revs were pushing forward and the defenders are important contributers further up the field. That goal to go up 3-1 and the subsequent breakaways by Columbus from that point on showed again that the Revs lose coherency under pressure.
AJ Soares played well, though he and his teammates could not stop Columbus. This Revolution roster all year has looked like a defense struggling without scoring support. Now we look to have players who can create scoring chances and will finish some but play in front of a makeshift backline. The roster’s turnover has to have affected play on the field.
Diego Fagundez played his second MLS match with fewer noteworthy stats than his spectacular debut last week. While last week’s 3-2 loss was full of hope this week’s 3-1 loss seems like it could have come amidst any of this season’s losing streaks. I remain excited about some of the pieces this New England team has acquired or developed throughout the season. I am also still confident in Steve Nicol’s ability to produce another winning team in New England. Each of the 27 points still available this season become ever more precious in the rosters search to justify their individual presence and to justify their coach’s tenure. Results from here on out will tell the tale of this team.
Wednesday night the Revs host the Houston Dynamo. When the Revs visited Texas early this season we introduced a new international striker. Rajko Lekic didn’t score in that 1-0 loss, and will miss this game with a fractured toe. Brian Ching was out for that game and the Houston forward will bring reinforcements. Recently signed Honduran Carlos Costly will make stopping the Dynamo a formidable task. AJ Soares and Ryan Cochrane will have that task in the center of the back line. We will show Houston a new striker of our own, though, as we continue to look for a goal for new striker Milton Caraglio. Though he joined us in April, this will be Benny Feilhaber’s first game against the Dynamo. Houston is looking to solidify their position near the top of the Eastern Conference while the Revs have to win to insert themselves into playoff contention.
(image courtesy of revolutionsoccer.net)
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