Five Things We Learned: Revolution vs. Impact

Revolution midfielder Lee Nguyen sparked a few chances in Sunday’s 1-0 loss against the Impact. (Photo: Kari Heistad/CapturedImages.biz)

It’s time to can the “one mistake killed us” excuse.

For the last six games, it’s been become the go-to phrase when a bad bounce, an unsettling sequence of unwatchable defending, a concentration lapse, or a moment of indifference has cost the Revolution points.

“One mistake killed us.”

Here’s the problem with that phrase: it’s pretty much false.

Yes, mistakes have taken a huge bite out of the Revolution’s playoff chances. But real reason why mistakes are killing them is because of this: the attack has been in a month-long coma. And the math doesn’t lie.

If we add up the number of pure mistakes – mistakes in which an opponent has unquestionably outclassed a player or players en route to a goal – in the last six games and compare them to the number of goals the Revolution have scored, you’ll find that the obvious mistakes (at least four) outnumber the goals (two). Forget the fact the they’re avoiding the blowout. The Revolution are handing out points the way cute co-eds hand out party fliers out on the quad.

And yet, even if the dreaded mistakes don’t occur, the Revolution are hypothetically left with a trio of 0-0 home draws. Note: that’s still not good enough.

Mistakes aren’t what’s keeping this club in contention for next year’s first overall pick. It’s their wretched form in the final third that’s doing the trick. Plain and simple.

So with another round of wasted chances keeping the Revolution out of the win column, let’s take a look at what we learned from Sunday’s clash.

1. If the Revolution want to commit themselves to attacking soccer, then they need to start employing more off the ball runs. In theory, the idea of switching players in and out of position could’ve worked. Definitely could’ve worked with the worst road team in the league. But there was one problem: where were the off the ball runs? When Lee Nguyen had the ball, a host of players around him seemed comfortable to jog along rather than cut inside, go wide or provide support. Instead of going for the kill, the Revolution stayed static on a number of occasions. They stayed predictable. And because of it, the Impact walked away with a rare road win.

2. Speaking of the attack, did somebody forget to tell Jerry Bengtson that his name was listed in the starting XI? Sixteen times. Yes, that’s the number of times the Revolution’s lone designated player touched the ball on Sunday. Olympic hangover, anyone? Yes, he may have been less than rested coming off of a concentrated spell of competitive games and the accompanying trans-atlantic flights. But the Honduran international isn’t being paid to loaf it through league games. Instead of showing for a pass inside the area, stretching the defense or making himself a nuisance for Montreal’s center backs, he slipped quietly into the night. He became the opposite of what he should’ve been: the non-factor. Olympic duty or not, McKayla Maroney is not impressed.

3. The Revolution need to stop feeling bad for themselves and start playing without fear of the bad bounce or officiating blunder. If there’s one thing the Revolution have done well in recent weeks it’s grabbing the pint of Ben & Jerry’s, parking themselves in front of the TV, and watching The Notebook on repeat all day. In other words, they need to toss the wubby away and face the world. It’s one thing to feel the momentary sting of a ball off the bar, a harsh penalty call, or a missed handball inside the area. But the world doesn’t conspire to work against a soccer team. There isn’t a jinx or curse on the Revolution (at last check, at least). It’s time to do away with the box of tissues and put the Chunky Monkey back in the freezer. It’s time to get back to work. This is soccer, not a Jennifer Aniston movie.

4. No one seems to know what exactly is keeping the Revolution from seizing their chances. You can talk about effort. You can talk about finding the final pass or cashing in on a final touch, but the fact is it’s all talk. No one really knows what the root cause is. Some day it’s poor technique. Others say it’s a mental. And another group of others have mentioned it’s the quality of players. We’ve got a lot of guesses, but no one really knows. One thing we do know is this: it’s a problem that no one has figured out a solution for. No one. And while that remains true, it looks like it’s going to be a tough trek to the finish.

5. The Revolution are in dire need of a tempo setter. Last week, the Revolution failed to establish any kind of rhythm against a very good Sporting K.C. This week, a pushover like Montreal effectively schooled New England in squeezing out a win on the road. The common denominator: both teams effectively knocked the attack off-kilter by playing an agitating, physical brand of football. That said, it’s time for Mike Burns to bring in a player who can keep the attack together. A player who can read the game, and get his teammates on the same page when a Montreal, Toronto, Columbus or Sporting K.C. come in and bring the baseball bats and brass knuckles. OK, so it won’t be easy to find another Shalrie Joseph. But signing a player who has similar qualities would at least give the Revolution an opportunity to salvage the remainder of the season.

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