New England Weekly Review: July 1, 2024
New England Weekly Review: July 1, 2024
All good things must come to an end.
Following the wins that spread across the past few weeks, all New England teams lost their games this weekend.
To make matters worse, the USMNT lost 2-1 against Panama in the second group stage match in the Copa America. The result virtually left Berhalter’s side needing a win against Uruguay to advance past the group stage.
The New England Revolution felt the consequences of a long injury list as the Columbus Crew battered them 5-1. The loss snapped the Revs’ four-game win streak.
Hartford Athletic conceded an 87th-minute goal to lose against Sacramento Republic FC. It was the third time Hartford lost a game by conceding in the 87th minute.
Rhode Island F.C. played on Wednesday against El Paso Locomotive FC and won 3-0. Albert Dikwa ended his scoring drought and opened the scoring in the 21st minute. Jojea Kwizera and Noah Fuson scored later, pushing Rhode Island to ninth place in the USL Championship.
The New England Revolution II lost 1-0 against FC Cincinnati 2. Richie William’s side has only won one of their last eight games.
In the USL League 2, Seacoast United lost their first game of the season as former Vermont Green FC forward Sam McCann’s hat-trick propelled AC Connecticut to a 4-2 surprise victory. The Phantoms bounced back with a 4-0 win over Boston City FC.
The Western Mass Pioneers follow in second place as they beat Albany Rush 4-1. Vermont Green FC sit in third place but beat Boston City FC 5-0 and Pathfinder FC 3-0 this past week to keep the pressure on.
Following a week full of games, here are some points worth highlighting:
Some Streaks End, Others Start
After nearly a month of wins, Caleb Porter received a cruel welcome back from his former team this weekend.
The Revs seemed to progress over the past weeks, but without Carles Gil and Dylan Borrero, they struggled to keep up with the Crew.
Despite an Ema Boateng opener, the Revs fell apart, and Columbus’ front three of Cucho Hernandez, Diego Rossi, and Christian Ramirez capitalized on every chance they could pounce on.
A 5-1 loss hurts after a month of winning but the result reflects the distance between the Revs squad and that of a genuine play-off competitor.
Gil was sorely missed. Even though chances were created for Esmir Bajraktarevic and Giacomo Vrioni, Gil’s presence could have brought more decisiveness in the final third.
Down in Rhode Island, Khano Smith managed to string two consecutive wins for the first time in club history. While El Paso Locomotive FC is in last place in the Western Conference, Rhode Island continued to show the positive signs displayed against league leaders Louisville City FC last week.
Jackson Lee got the nod ahead of Koke Vegas in goal and secured the clean sheet despite only needing to make one save. Dikwa and Fuson got back on the goal-scoring sheet. Kwizera continued to look impressive since his return from the international break. J.J. Williams looked aggressive up top and made it three games in a row with a goal contribution. Former Revs II midfielder Isaac Angking put on another good showing as he replaced Joesph Brito in the 71st minute.
Rhode Island FC could take a third straight win against Indy Eleven on Friday. A positive result would get their play-off chances going and see the draw kings become the winning kings.
The Copa Disaster
After a strong showing against Bolivia, the USMNT reaffirmed that it could compete in this year’s edition of the Copa America.
After a horror show against Panama, the USMNT looks more out of the tournament than in.
Conditioned by Tim Weah’s red card in the 18th minute, Berhalter’s side fell apart after going ahead through Florian Balogun in the 22nd minute.
Former Revolution goalie Matt Turner got hurt before the half and made way for Ethan Horvath at half-time. Berhalter also pulled back with the score at 1-1 despite looking better in control.
The defensive and safe approach exploded in Berhalter’s face when Panama found a winner in the 83rd minute.
It’s the Copa America with CONCACAF teams as guests, the scrappy and ugly parts of the game are to be expected. However, the USMNT has more talent than to play for 1-1 draws against Panama.
To make matters worse, several players faced racist messages and comments on social media after the game.
Amid such a chaotic situation, the USMNT needs a result against Uruguay to make it out of the group and avoid humiliation on home soil. Beating Bielsa will prove a tough ordeal for Berhalter but his job should be on the line if he can’t.
Keep the Bangers Rolling
Despite falling a goal behind Alec Hughes in the USL League 2 Golden Boot race, Vermont Green striker Yaniv Bazini pulled off a stunning bicycle kick against Boston City FC.
Up against Panama, Balogun’s opener saw him smash a shot off the far post and into the back of the goal. Balogun scored in both games for the USMNT in the Copa America and is two goals off Lautaro Martinez for the top goalscorer.
Last, but definitely my favorite goal of the the week — Jojoe Kwizera’s goal against El Paso Locomotive FC. Kwizera ran onto the ball beating the offside and drives into the left side of the rival’s box. As the defender closes him down, Kwizera turns, nutmegs the defender, and gives the ball a casual tap between two defenders into the goal.