New England Soccer Today

Three Thoughts: #NEvMTL

Photo credit: Chris Aduama/aduamaphotography.com

Photo credit: Chris Aduama/aduamaphotography.com

The Revolution beat the Impact 2-1 on Saturday, and in the process, extended their unbeaten streak to six (5-0-1). Here are three quick-hit thoughts on the match.

Being physical won’t cut it: Everyone knows that the Revolution’s success hinges greatly on what their midfield can do. Lately with Jermaine Jones, the center of the pitch has been humming. Montreal were without a doubt physical last night, though they learned that trying to zone in on Jones, Kelyn Rowe, and their midfield teammates won’t limit the Revolution. At its best, the Revolution offense is just too sophisticated to be cut down solely by strong-armed tactics. The Revolution ping the ball around excellently. By the time a “smart” foul has been made, possession is already rolling to the next man. This was made particularly obvious in Lee Nguyen’s goal and in his chance that was cleared off the line.

Careful with the early goals: As Jay Heaps said in his post-game presser, it’s not good that the Revolution again gave up the early lead. Yes, it’s encouraging that they came back again, something that they’ve now done three times in a row. But it’s an unnecessary burden—particularly at home. Four of the Revolution’s six next games are on the road, in environments like Kansas City and Columbus, where coming from behind isn’t so easy.

Depth at midfield: Whether it’s the arrival of Jermaine Jones which has upped their game, or the pressure of making it to the playoffs, the Revolution’s midfield is again fun to watch. Why? Because they’re playing well. They’re again being creative, dynamic, and confident. Is this solely because of Lee Nguyen and Jermaine Jones? No, though they are certainly creating and scoring their fair share of goals. In this 4-1-4-1 formation, it takes more than two to tango. The fact that Scott Caldwell and Daigo Kobayashi have been able to come in and effectively slot into such a fast paced midfield is impressive.

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