Revolution Playoff Update: September 6
Revolution Playoff Update: September 6
How did the Revs' loss to RSL affect the playoff race?
The New England Revolution lost 2-0 to Real Salt Lake on Saturday. That, along with some other results, led to the Revs dropping one spot in the Eastern Conference.
The 13th place Revolution, who are five points below the playoff line, face a critical stretch as they play three of the next five at home.
Here’s an updated version of our playoff chart.
Observations
The Revs simply made too many mistakes against Real Salt Lake. Early turnovers went unpunished, but the ones made on each side of halftime were enough to give RSL the win. All points are valuable for the Revs with nine games left but this result doesn’t affect their playoff hopes too much since RSL are in a different conference.
The Revs had a favorable matchday two weeks ago as they defeated Montreal while many of their Eastern Conference foes lost. This past weekend was the less favorable. Not only did the Revs lose, but the Union beat the Red Bulls and Atlanta defeated Charlotte. DC beating Toronto hurt Toronto’s chances at making the playoffs but strengthened DC’s. Orlando solidified their spot in the post-season by defeating Nashville, who are in disarray.
A Look Ahead
The Revs play one of their four remaining home games this weekend when St. Louis come to town. After losing three straight, St. Louis has gotten three results (1-0-2), most recently beating the LA Galaxy 2-1 at home. This weekend’s match will be interesting as Henry Kessler and Tim Parker could face-off after switching teams this summer.
The Revs are one of the few teams playing this weekend due to the international break. The other game to keep an eye on is Chicago hosting DC.
Speaking of the international break, the Revs will be without Esmir Bajraktarevic, Xavier Arreaga, and Alhassan Yusuf. During his post-game press conference, head coach Caleb Porter hinted that Dylan Borrero, Luca Langoni, and Giacomo Vrioni are getting close to full fitness, so it’s possible they start against St. Louis. Porter said something similar on Thursday. I expect Parker to slot in for Arreaga.