Usseglio: Second Half Woes
FC Cincinnati’s Tactical Adjustments Sealed Revolution Defeat
The New England Revolution took the field at TQL Stadium to play FC Cincinnati on Matchday 7 of the MLS Regular Season. Despite tough conditions and a slick playing surface thanks to a downpouring rain, the Revolution had an opportunity to build momentum after their 2-1 win at home against the New York Red Bulls.
FC Cincinnati were missing key players on Saturday night, including Massachusetts native Miles Robinson in defense and new club signing Evander in midfield. The Revolution’s lineup was mostly the same as last game, with the only change being the return of Brayan Ceballos to the center of defense.
The Revs were on the front foot for the majority of the first half. They dominated possession at times and it felt like they were in control of the game. Ceballos had a thundering header from a Carles Gil corner kick that smashed off the post, bouncing in front of goal to a waiting Matt Polster. Unfortunately, Polster could not control the rebound and the chance came to nothing.
Ignatius Ganago had an opportunity in the box, receiving a pass from Carles Gil, turning his defender, and firing a shot on goal. The shot was saved, leading to one of the 10 corner kicks the Revolution had on the night.
There were a couple of other missed opportunities, including a low shot from outside the box by defender Ilay Feingold that whistled just wide of the far post. Ganago made a great attacking move from the left wing across the top of the 18-yard box to find Feingold making the unmarked run on the right side of the field.
Luca Langoni revved his engine in the first half, consistently pressing and working on defense while making attacking runs into wide spaces. He had his own shot on goal that missed wide. It looked like the shot was deflected by a Cincinnati defender, but the referee awarded a goal kick.
Club Broadcasters Brad Feldman and Charlie Davies were impressed by the Revs’ efforts. Davies thought it was the best half the team played this season and that the squad looked full of confidence. His one critique was the lack of movement in the attacking third.
There were times Carles Gil was standing on the ball, waiting for runs from Ganago and Maxi Urruti that never materialized. The team needed more dynamic movement off the ball to create space and attacking chances.
I wrote a note to myself as the second half was about to begin. Can the Revs have another good half? Can they put together a complete performance and keep pushing to find a goal on the road?
Cincinnati did not make it easy for them. Head Coach Pat Noonan got his team motivated and made some tactical changes that tilted the game in Cincy’s favor. The most notable change was the substitution of forward Sergio Santos for defender Brad Smith in the 58th minute.
The tactical adjustment paid off, yielding a goal by Santos just seven minutes later in the 65th minute. The goal came after a shot from outside the box by an unmarked Corey Baird was saved by Revs keeper Aljaž Ivačič. Ivačič parried the shot wide, but the big rebound was crossed back into the box by Pavel Bucha to a waiting Santos who tapped the ball in.
The Revolution no longer had control of the game. They were scrambling in defense to stop the waves of Cincinnati attacks and were having an increasingly difficult time connecting passes. Gil had to drop deep to receive the ball to try and build the attacking play into the midfield.
As much as the Revolution tried, they could not create quality chances in the second half. The game ended 1-0, the first defeat the Revs have suffered in Cincinnati.
The Revolution are struggling mightily at the No. 9 position. They desperately need a striker with a killer instinct to finish the chances in front of them. When you are creating only a couple of quality chances each game, you have to make the most of the opportunities you get.
Through the first five games of the season, the Revolution only had two goals (I refuse to count the own goal scored by New York City). Both of their goals came from Carles Gil direct set pieces. They had no goals or assists from the run of play, which is a problem. The forwards and wingers had yet to make an impact.
It was the same story Saturday night. The goal never came, despite the Revs having 10 corner kicks, 17 crosses, and 1.2 expected goals according to mlsssoccer.com.
I think it is quite the understatement to say that forward Leo Campana and winger Tomás Chancalay are missed. Hopefully they are available next weekend in Atlanta, as the Revs need all the help they can get. Right now they have four points out of a possible 18, sitting in 13th place in the Eastern Conference.
While it is still too early to panic, last season the team that finished in the last play-in spot for the MLS Cup Playoffs had 40 points. The Revolution would need to average 1.3 points per game for the rest of the season to meet that mark.
With seven of their next 10 games on the road, the Revs need to start stringing together results to have any chance.
Nice write up. I disagree that it's too early to panic. The Revs have shown very little offense, even when Campana was playing. Zero goals from the run of play is pathetic. I see nothing to indicate things are going to turn around enough to make the playoffs. The fact that the Revs were outcoached is another reason Porter needs to go. He has no idea how to make tactical adjustments. When was the last time the Revs outcoached the opposition? Probably when Arena was here.
It was like watching two different teams. The first half was their best of the season and the second was what we have seen since Porter has started coaching the Revs.