The New England Revolution lost 2-1 to Inter Miami CF on Sunday, meaning second place in the Eastern Conference will, fittingly, come down to Decision Day.
The Revs struck in the 59th minute when Daniel Gazdag scored his second in as many games. Miami fought back through Lionel Messi, who assisted German Berterame in the 69th minute, then scored in the 83rd.
While a win would've been massive for the Revs, I was encouraged by a lot of their play.
Let's take a closer look.
The Rise of Miller
With Jack Harrison and Alhassan Yusuf sidelined, the Revs needed someone to lessen the burden on Carles Gil. Peyton Miller has filled that role, collecting five assists in five games. He now has seven goals and nine assists on the season.
Against Miami, Miller was relentless in the wide areas, using his speed to get in behind or dribble past opponents.
Look here as he immediately gets forward after helping out defensively. He shows his soccer IQ by slowing down, then accelerating, baiting Gonzalo Lujan into an early yellow.
Miller kept taking on Lujan, leading to the go-ahead goal. I love his confidence, as the 18-year-old exploded past his defender before laying off a pass.
Miller keeps adding new dimensions to his game, making him a more dangerous attacking threat. His speed, timing, and vision (two chances created) were elite on Sunday, but I was most impressed by his ability to beat opponents on the dribble (2/2).
"It's very important," Miller said of winning 1v1 battles. "I think that all of that came with the help of Marko [Mitrovic] working with me every single day. The more I'm taking on guys, the more confident I'm getting."
A Good Game From Gazdag
I've been slow to form an opinion on Gazdag because it's hard to join a team so late in the season. Obviously a skilled finisher, I've recently noticed his work rate, passing ability, and spatial awareness.
Beyond the goal, Gazdag created two chances, had 92% passing accuracy (47/51), and made five defensive contributions.
It wasn't a perfect performance (he was 3/13 in duels and 0/6 on dribble attempts), but he put in the effort.
Plus, his well-timed pass to Miller should've put the Revs ahead in the first 45.
I really respect how open-minded the Revs coaching staff is. Players must learn the system, but coaches must identify how to best integrate each player. I feel like Gazdag is getting more comfortable each week.
"Something that we know about Daniel is that Daniel has the capacity to score goals," Mitrovic said. "He has proven in this league that he can [score goals] over and over again. When Daniel joined us, I think for us the biggest challenge was to learn who he is and how we can use him in the best possible way. But also, for Dániel to learn about us.
"I think we’re learning. We’re getting better and better. But I still believe that Daniel will need them time. Since Daniel came to the club, we have players that Daniel still hasn’t had one training session [with]. It’s just [him] learning about them, and we’re still learning about Daniel. But the steps forward are there and that’s what is important."
Identifying The Revs System
What makes me most confident about this team's direction for this year and beyond is that they've established a clear, effective system.
The Revs can play in transition, but they're also confident enough to hold possession until a seam opens. Their rotations help with this, as players frequently swap roles and anyone can push forward. If they lose possession, they typically have a committed, high line ready to win it back.
The next clip is long, but it has plenty of good, starting with a calm build from the back. Watch the movement as the Revs keep connecting while searching for an opening. Center backs Ethan Kohler and Joshua Wynder are key in creating unpredictability because they can step into the midfield
When Miller's pass is picked off, he momentarily pauses before initiating the press. Matt Polster and Carles Gil join in to prevent Miami from getting far, allowing the Revs to go forward again.
Gil ultimately takes a shot that forces a strong save, but I am most impressed by the 90 seconds before that because the Revs showed relentlessness and togetherness.
The build before Gazdag's goal is similar, with everyone actively wanting the ball. The outside backs are particularly useful, with Will Sands and Ilay Feingold getting into the final third. In fact, Feingold's flick is the final touch before Gazdag's goal.
The Revs will always adjust to their opponents, but they also need to forge their own identity. Sunday's game proved how far they've come.
"That's probably the biggest step forward for us. Can we be who we are, no matter who we play against? That's what matters to us most," Mitrovic said. "All those games, all those training sessions, we are using them to get the best version of ourselves, having clarity of who we want to be."
"All those games help us a lot because [if you] look at the last three games, we had three very unique, different styles of playing where you have to face those teams, and you have to use tools that you have and adapt to teams that have a strong identity on the field.
"Philly, Red Bull [New York] their identity. Now, Inter [Miami CF] has so much quality everywhere around the field. And that's where we thrive, is exactly what you're saying. We want to be who we are, and we are ready to live with the outcome as long as we have the right intentions on the field. Whatever the outcome is, we just keep going."
Suddenly Messi
While the Revs gave Miami a few chances, Messi unlocked the game, scoring and assisting within 14 minutes. Both moments were hard to defend: the header to Berterame was subtle, and Telasco Segovia helped with the determined march forward.
Obviously the Revs will look at what they can do better, but sometimes star players do star player things.
"I think when you play against players like [Messi], he’s top-notch; probably the best player in the history of this game," Mitrovic said. "They have those inspirational moments when they can come up. I think the goal that he scored actually was kind of like a little bit, mess around, and he has a high level of execution to execute those things. Players at the highest level are the players that have that inside of them, they can convert those small situations in their favor. I think before that, we had good control of Messi, but one thing with players like Messi is they need that inspirational moment that can change a game in any given situation."
The Margins
Playing against Miami is a difficult task because they have game-changers who can step up at any moment. As such, little moments matter.
Such was the case when Brooklyn Raines made a heroic goal-line clearance.
Or when Ian Fray's own goal, which would've made it 2-2, was overturned on video review for offside.
The Revs lost on Sunday, but they certainly weren't outplayed. Sometimes it comes down to the margins.
