Revolution II vs Atlanta United 2: Three Thoughts
Revolution II vs Atlanta United 2: Three Thoughts
Three thoughts following Revolution II's latest outing on the road.
New England Revolution II’s woes continued on Saturday when they suffered a second-straight 3-2 loss on the road as their losing streak extended to six matches. Here are three thoughts following the loss.
1 - Wasted opportunities
It was honestly painful to see how many chances Revs II had to find the back of the net.
The first came in the 17th minute when Alex Monis received Patrick Leal’s pass. After working his way into a pocket of space, Monis attempted to slot the bottom-right corner, but it rolled inches wide right.
Gevork Diarbian had the opportunity to level the game in the 86th minute when he found himself all alone inside the box with Colby Quiñones’ cross from the right flank falling to him. Diarbian attempted to slot the game-tying goal in but directed the volley right at the keeper.
The biggest miss in my opinion came in the 57th minute when Quiñones was alert and got himself on the end of a parried shot from Olger Escobar. With Hibbert stumbling up after making the initial save, Quiñones had the chance to reduce Revs II's deficit but put too much on the shot as it sailed over the goal.
Revolution II ended the night with a staggering ten shots on target but only managed to find the net twice. It’s not a hot take or rocket science, but you can’t succeed when you fail to convert on opportunities like Revs II did against Atlanta.
Unfortunately, this has been a massive problem for the club all season. According to FotMob, they rank ninth in MLS NEXT Pro for chances created with 49. While being near the top in chance creation seems good, things get bleak when you look at how many they’ve missed.
According to FotMob, Revs II have missed a staggering 36 chances on the season, which is tied for second place in all of MLS NEXT Pro. Again, while generating 49 chances is a good stat, it gets frustrating when you fail to convert on 73.49% of them.
2 - Monis’ Might
Despite the circumstances, I have to applaud Monis’ efforts in the loss.
He spent most of the first half working up and down the right flank, attempting to lob crosses centrally to get Revs II's offense going.
His efforts eventually prevailed in the 48th minute when his cross fell perfectly to Liam Butts, who slotted the ball past the keeper and in to shrink the deficit.
Things took a turn in the 52nd minute when he stepped to the spot looking to notch his seventh save of the 2024 season. Hibbert didn't let that happen, as he dove the right way and saved Monis’ penalty. While a crucial penalty kick miss would derail most players, Monis kept his composed.
While part of it came down to incredible luck, Monis avenged his earlier mistake in the 69th when his shot on target took an awkward bounce into the net to shrink Revs II's deficit to one.
On top of his goal and assist, Monis went a near 24 for 27 on passes, created four chances, got 54 touches on the ball, and was a defensive presence through his 87 minutes on the field.
3 - When it rains, it pours
Words can’t describe how frustrating this season has been to watch. Especially considering Revolution II was on the verge of an Eastern Conference Finals appearance just ten months ago.
It’s just been a season from hell for Revs II as they find themselves amidst a six-game losing streak while going winless on the road with a 0-9-1 record away from New England. The cherry on top of the Sunday is finding themselves two points from the wooden spoon with a disastrous 4-13-2 record and two shootout victories.
With nine games left, four on the road, and 15 points removed from a playoff spot, Revolution II has to right their wrongs if they want to make something of their 2024 season.
Usually, I’m the type of person who has faith until it’s mathematically impossible, but with how the past two months have gone, my faith in the club is nearing empty. Hopefully, they prove me wrong.