The New England Revolution’s back line includes two of the best crossers in the league, a recent MLS Defender of the Year, and five veterans, though none of that mattered as the team lost its fourth consecutive game at Dallas, 3-0, on Saturday night.
The Revolution were uninspiring on both sides of the ball, getting shutout for the fourth time this season and allowing three goals in a game for the third. On a night when the nation was celebrating the Fourth of July, Dallas and the Revolution squared off at Frisco, Texas’ Toyota Stadium donned in their respective red kits and blue kits, a striking parallel to attire worn by Red Coats and Colonists throughout the Revolutionary War. But the Revolution couldn’t draw much from their namesake and folded in what could probably be called the Dallas Massacre.
Mauro Diaz helped Dallas roll past the visitors with a goal and by helping set up tallies by Fabian Castillo and Michael Barrios.
The Revolution midfield seemed to lack the guidance of Jermaine Jones (injury) while the defense was sorely missing Andrew Farrell (suspension) and had to use traditional fullback London Woodberry as a makeshift center back alongside Jose Goncalves.
That tandem caved under heavy pressure from Dallas’ forwards, struggled with their positioning, and sent hospital passes out of the back throughout the game. Woodberry gave way first.
In the ninth minute, he dragged down David Texeira just outside the penalty area, forcing referee Baldomero Toledo to award Dallas with a freekick. Diaz made Woodberry pay for his unforced error, sending the ensuing spot shot skidding into the back of the net past an outstretched Bobby Shuttleworth for the 1-0 lead.
That Woodberry lapsed wasn’t out of the ordinary. Though the former Dallas product and player who had family and friends in attendance Saturday night has been on point with his crosses in the offensive third for most of the season, his defending as of late has been suspect. The spotlight was again cast on him on Saturday night, in his old stomping grounds, but for the wrong reason.
What happened in the second half to Goncalves, though, was simply inexcusable. The captain gave the ball away to Diaz in the 64th minute, the speedy Dallas playmaker making the most of the error and serving the ball to heart of the penalty area for Castillo. Shuttleworth stopped Castillo’s first-time shot but the rebound ping-ponged off of Chris Tierney and then Jeremy Hall, before falling back to Castillo for an easy put-away. Goncalves, though being directly responsible for the goal being scored, was later named the Revolution’s match MVP.
Barrios sealed the win with Dallas’ third goal in the 73rd minute, beating Hall to a through pass manufactured by Diaz and easily depositing the ball past Shuttleworth.
That the defense let the Revolution down is unfortunate, particularly because the Revolution’s attack wasn’t shut off for the entire game. For a while it even seemed as though the visitors could claw their way back.
Lee Nguyen’s shot off a combination with Diego Fagundez was corralled by Dan Kennedy in the 12th minute, moments after Diaz opened the scoring.
Nguyen missed again in the 27th minute, his bid from outside the box skipping wide of the far post.
The Revolution picked up where they left off after halftime, Charlie Davies’ point-blank effort off a Teal Bunbury through pass stopped by Kennedy in the 48th minute.
Diego Fagundez pushed his freekick from roughly 25 yards out over the bar (70th) while Kelyn Rowe had a shot deflected wide of the mark (78th).
Rowe came on for Bunbury in the 76th, while Juan Agudelo, who generated very little, came on for Davies in the 56th.
Those substitutions by head coach Jay Heaps seemed to stutter the game more than give it a spark.
Hall also came on for Kevin Alston for what appeared to be a hamstring problem, while Fagundez, who was also clutching his hamstring late in the second half, left the game in stoppage time.
Those injuries, combined with a lack luster set of tactics and Dallas’ rampant offense, sunk the Revolution. The club has won once in its last 11 games and could be as low as fifth place in the Eastern Conference by the beginning of the week due to their poor run of form and various results around the league.
And, with their depth already thin, they await the news on Alston and Fagundez. The Revolution seem to be too talented to miss out on the playoffs, though their recent run shows that that is in the realm of possibility. A transaction aimed at mending the defense could do wonders for the team, who are still in the playoff picture despite their questionable form.
If you want to reach Julian, email him at julianccardillo@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @juliancardillo
