On Saturday, April 20th, the New England Revolution suffered a 4-1 defeat against the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena. Before this game, the Revs had only allowed two goals in 2013 and had only lost by more than one goal twice since Heaps took the helm. The defense’s break from the norm can be blamed on disorganization which has been caused by scoring anxiety.
The disorganization was seen early on as the Revolution mishandled a corner kick in the 4th minute. A poor clearance allowed New York to hold possession while many Revs players remained in the penalty box. The visitors proved to be too reactionary as they only moved to players after they had received the ball. The space allowed Tim Cahill to find Dax McCarty who launched a shot past goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth.
The goal put a lot of pressure on the attack, which hasn’t produced since the first game of the season. Luck proved to be on the Revolution side, however, as Brandon Barklage headed in a Lee Nguyen cross in the 6th minute. The goal put the Revolution on the scoreboard but did little to ease the concern surrounding the goal scoring drought.
The Red Bulls exploited the Revs’ search for a goal by playing their forwards high in the hope of finding room. In the 8th minute, Fabian Espindola was able to get what he needed when he collected a long ball from Barklage before putting the ball in the back of the net. While Jose Goncalves should have done a better job handling the pass, it’s important to note that he was left alone because Chris Tierney and Andy Dorman had moved up the field.
While the scoring would stop until late in the second-half, the Revolution defense continued to have issues with organization. In the 45th minute, a long ball put Henry behind the defense because Andrew Farrell was pushed up. Jonny Steele found space in the 56th minute when Espindola’s seeking pass deceived the defense. The Revolution went unpunished on both occasions but wouldn’t be so fortunate in the 82nd minute.
The Red Bulls’ security goal came when Steele found Henry. The veteran was then able to confuse Farrell and put the ball past Shuttleworth. The goal came from a quick counter which left the rookie unsure about what to do. The Red Bulls played the numbers game again in the 89th minute when Eric Alexander gave Steele a pass for the final goal of the game.
The Revolution’s lack of scoring is creating frustration which is leading to more disorganization. As the scoring drought continues (keep in mind that it has now been 478 minutes since a Revs player has scored), the team is going to want to push numbers forward in the hopes of finding success. This strategy did show some promise on Saturday.
In the 27th minute, Tierney sent in a cross from the left flank which was hit over by Bengtson. A similar moment was seen in the 31st minute when Kelyn Rowe sprung Bengtson who rounded the keeper but was unable to convert. Diego Fagundez got into the action in the 55th minute when he found his way to the end line and sent in a cross to no one. These opportunities came from the Revs pushing forward with great numbers. Finishing chances like these would help ease anxiety and return the lineup to normalcy.
The Revolution will have the chance to make things right on Saturday, April 27th as they will play the Philadelphia Union in a game that Tierney called “a must win for us at home.”
3 Observation and Revelations
1.The larger issue isn’t about the Revs scoring or winning. The larger issue is that it’s hard to imagine that this team can put everything together and make a serious run. This year, Heaps has made it a post-game habit to say that the first half wasn’t good enough. While this has often been the case, good teams are able to find consistency and create a winning streak. The Revs were only able to record back-to-back wins twice last season. It’s been a while since the Revs have been a feared team and it’s going to take more than a win or a few goals to change that perception.
2.Saer Sene looks like he wants to score. After playing 20 minutes the week before, Sene continued his road to recovery by making an appearance in the 61st minute. His desire to score is seen through his constant movement and yelling. If the Frenchman feels that it’s been too long since he’s gotten the ball, he is not afraid to go after it himself. Sene’s play is a staunch contrast from Bengtson who is often salutary. While the argument is often made that Bengtson is a poacher and waits for his chances, he needs to do a better job of finishing the ball when given proper service. Bengtson’s ineptness in front of the net this season makes Sene’s return even more anticipated.
3.The team needs a hero. Heaps has made it clear that he wants a varied attack where the focus is on the team and not a single player. While the idea is noble, the Revs need a hero to take control of the game and make things happen. Since Shalrie Joseph’s decline and trade, Benny Feilhaber, Lee Nguyen and Juan Toja have all had the spotlight put on them, but none have produced noteworthy numbers. Nguyen and Toja still have the opportunity to become important leaders on the team but Heaps will have to look elsewhere if they don’t step up. This isn’t to say that that all players are doing poorly. Dorman and Rowe had solid outings against the Red Bulls but neither provides the confidence of Landon Donovan, Graham Zusi or Federico Higuain.
(image courtesy of revolutionsoccer.net)
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