New England Revolution 3 - Chicago Fire 3: 3 Thoughts
New England couldn't completely extinguish the Fire
The New England Revolution faced off against the Chicago Fire on Saturday evening and the club were only able to secure a draw.
It was a momentous occasion as DeJuan Jones made his 100th start and Andrew Farrell surpassed 30,000 minutes in all competitions. With Brandon Bye out, Bruce Arena changed his formation and opted for a 3-5-2.
With Gustavo Bou remaining out, Giacomo Vrioni and Bobby Wood were the striker pairing. It was Vrioni’s first start since April 22nd.
The midfield was comprised of Noel Buck, Matt Polster, and Latif Blessing while DeJuan Jones and Ema Boateng were on the flanks. The back line was made up of Dave Romney, Christian Makoun, and Farrell.
But what do you need to know about Saturday’s matchup? Here are three thoughts.
1 - Another late start
Another game, another poor start for the Revolution. It only took 10 minutes for the Fire to find the back of the net.
Xherdan Shaqiri played a beautiful ball over the top and Georgios Koutsias slotted home a goal to give Chicago the early lead. It was the second goal of the 19-year-olds MLS career.
Part of the blame will go to Makoun who received just his second start of the season. The defender had a poor giveaway that jumpstarted Chicago’s attack.
While New England has been ravaged by injuries, playing someone like Makoun who hasn’t received a lot of playing time comes with risks. It would have been interesting to see Ben Sweat get a start seeing that Revolution fans haven’t been able to see a lot from him since he was acquired (though he hasn’t performed well either).
The night went from bad to worse when an own goal from Andrew Farrell gave the Fire a 2-0 lead in the 22nd minute. While New England was shooting itself in the foot, Chicago was playing great direct soccer. Shaqiri was impressive on the night and as captain led the team.
2 - New England fights back
While the Revolution had a rough start, they got up off the canvas and punched back.
It started with the youngster Buck who unleashed an amazing shot from distance that curled past Chris Brady in the 38th minute. It was pure class from the youngster and not something you usually see from an 18-year-old.
Arena has said that he has been pleasantly surprised by the progress of Buck and Saturday’s match was just another example of how far he has come. At this point, it is hard to see a reason why the 18-year-old would ever leave the starting XI.
Just two minutes later, Boateng sent a corner kick into the box and a flick from Makoun found Wood who tied the game. With the goal, the veteran striker scored his fourth goal of the season and took the lead in the club’s golden boot race.
As much as it may surprise people, right now Wood is your best striker. He finds a way to be in the right place and his physical play can wear down opponents. If Bou remains out in this upcoming busy match week, expect to see plenty more of Wood.
3 - Jozy does his job
Jozy Altidore has been a player that has drawn the ire of Revolution fans but on Saturday night, he did his job.
Moments after coming off the bench, Romeny flicked a Gil corner toward goal and the veteran slotted it home to tie the game. When New England needed a goal, Altidore came up big.
Coming off the bench, Altidore’s physical play wears down opponents. He is able to draw fouls and get New England in advantageous positions. He showed some good touch and some good decision making in his Saturday night cameo.
Altidore shouldn’t be expected to be your starting striker at this point in his career but he can be a valuable resource off the bench and in the locker room. He has a wealth of experience and knowledge as a pro.
Now, a busy week for New England begins as the Revs prepare for a mid-week match against Atlanta United on Wednesday.