We took a few weeks off during the international break and tried to leave the flat performance and 3-0 drubbing against Real Salt Lake as an aberration that only MLS can toss up in the rearview mirror. On Saturday night the Revolution were back home in the friendly (provided you don't speak on certain matters) confines of Gillette Stadium, and it took no more than fifteen minutes to realize what happened in Salt Lake is not staying in Salt Lake.
The Revs were met with a surging playoff-level opponent in the Seattle Sounders and a referee prepared to allow contact in a contact sport, which should be commended, not condemned as it widely has been. Seattle came ready for a playoff-level game and delivered a playoff-winning performance.
The Revs got shook hard early, didn't have a ref to bail them out, and never recovered. It was as easy of a road victory against a top-four team as one could ever hope to have.
The unsolvable issues the Revs faced were rampant and fueled by a team missing several key players at the worst possible time. It was further fueled by the inexplicable selection at right back and the season-long problem at left back that is only now fully being realized.
Lastly, the adaptability of Marko Mitrovic both in preparation for dealing with who's available and in-game moves has been shown lacking. Mitrovic has gone a step further than the last guy and put together a playoff team but there's serious worry he won't be able to take the next step and advance in the playoffs, at least not in 2026.
Before we meander on with the preamble for too long, let's dig into the tactical situations that need immediate remedy with the Revs exclusively facing playoff teams for the remainder of the regular season.
Jack Harrison can't be replaced
This is the obvious place to start.
For a brief moment, it all looked to have come together with the addition of Harrison. He was capable of creating high-quality chances, largely all on his own on the right side. This covered for Matt Polster's lack of attacking ability from right back and enabled Carles Gil to operate more centrally in threatening positions.
It gave more time and space to whoever was selected on the left side as well. That's all gone away just as quickly as it appeared.
Carles Gil spent most of his time back on the right side and had an off night. He didn't have any meaningful shots and couldn't find anyone with his crosses.
Likewise, Peyton Miller started on the left, spent more time on the right, and didn't connect on a cross either. He was also left shooting from wide angles and hardly threatened to score on any of his five shots taken. Luca Langoni's contributions were even more muted.
The attacking play from this line of three was further hampered by the complete inability of Will Sands and Matt Polster to contribute to the attack. Outside backs contributing to the attack with crosses, deep runs, and occasional shots taken is not a luxury anymore. It's not a nice-to-have, it's not ideal, it's necessary.
We would have asked our friends at Sofascore for a graphic showing their crosses from this game, but it would have been almost entirely blank. Polster's one attempted cross was hit directly at a Seattle defender. Sands didn't attempt one.
This situation was not forced on the Revs through injury. Sands is a limited attacking player, and he was not upgraded on over the summer.
Ilay Feingold is also no longer injured. He played 78 minutes last weekend for his national team. He's fit and capable of adding attacking prowess from right back. His non-selection from the start is perplexing.
Feingold operating on the right with Peyton Miller in front of him would create the dual threat of a left-footed player cutting in to attack directly with a strong right-footed crosser overlapping on the right. It's a tried and true combination for decades now. The Revs need to turn to it starting Wednesday night against Cincinnati. Harrison can't be replaced, but Feingold and Miller can restore a right-sided threat together.
That one move would have a ripple effect across the team. It would enable Gil to operate more centrally and take passes coming forward from Brooklyn Raines and combine with the robustly useful passing play coming from Jackson Yueill. The team would love to have Alhassan Yusuf back, however Yueill has been popping up with some nice passes between the lines and holding his own with his defensive duties. Gil can give Yueill more space, and perhaps Yueill can come up with a few more assists the rest of the way.
Much more than a ripple effect is going to be needed to help Dor Turgeman. He completed four of his 11 passes on Saturday night from the center spot performing kickoff duties in a 3-0 drubbing.
That was his biggest contribution to the game.
He creates very little for himself or for anyone else and had another game where he was an attacking ghost. A midweek game brings the hope of rotation; though we rarely see it. Let's hope Daniel Gazdag gets a go up top on Wednesday. He cannot possibly do any worse.
If the Revs start employing the only attacking outside back they have in Feingold on the right, the time will have come to rein in Will Sands and have him stay in a deep position as a nominal third center back in all attacking phases of play. We wrote about the excellent defensive rotations and high-level defensive play from Mamadou Fofana, Ethan Kohler and Raines earlier this season.
This has not been replicated with Josh Wynder plugging in across two games now. Wynder needs defensive cover to both his left and right sides. Like Fofana, he also needs a nearby safe and short passing option. Some of his passes have been woefully off the mark to date.
Sands is at least capable of slowing down an attack and buying time for others to recover defensively. He should be fully focused on this primary task; his attacking limitations are such that there is little to nothing to be gained by allowing him to venture forward. There has to be some potential payoff, otherwise it's just a losing gamble.
We don't know when or if all three of Fofana, Harrison and Yusuf will return this season. The Revs can't just simply carry on as they have been while they are out. If they do, they risk tumbling down the playoff places. They looked a sure top-four team not too long ago, but that has changed quickly with these key absences. Adaptations need to come immediately with two games this week.
It's playoff-only level teams from here on out. The Revs either need to face up to this reality or get swept aside and face an early playoff exit.
