Revolution’s rally falls short against Nashville
Now all the Revolution have to do is get their formation right at the start of the game. For the second successive week, the Revolution surrendered three first-half goals in a 3-2 loss, this time against host Nashville SC at Geodis Park Saturday night.
Tomas Chancalay sparked a second-half rally, converting twice, but the Revolution (149-10, 52 points) fell short in losing their third straight and extending their road winless streak to 13 games.
Nashville (13-10-10, 49 points), in snapping a four-game winless streak and 329-minute scoreless streak, appeared to put the game away in the first half.
But the Revolution added three substitutes and switched to a 4-4-2 formation after halftime, and the moves paid off as Chancalay upped his goal total to six in 10 games.
Nashville opened the scoring off a throwin, Dax McCarty finishing a rebound off the bar of a Sam Surridge header in the 19th minute. Randall Leal started the sequence, playing a give-and-go with Hany Mukhtar, then crossing for Surridge.
Surridge upped the lead with a point blank, unmarked, header off a Jacob Shaffelburg cross in the 30th minute. The Revolution’s threeman back line failed to challenge Shaffelburg, then Surridge found himself open between Omar Gonzalez and Dave Romney.
Shaffelburg, a former Berkshire School star, had a shot saved (38th minute), but was injured on the play in a clash with Henry Kessler.
It took nearly four minutes for Shaffelburg to depart, referee Guido Gonzales Jr. cautioning Mukhtar for dissent during the delay. Nashville then capitalized on the added time, setting up a 5-on-3 counterattack off a Revolution corner kick, Mukhtar finding Surridge, who one-timed a shot past Jacob Jackson inside the right post.
Chancalay cut the deficit three minutes into the second half, finishing off a Gustavo Bou cross. Bou capitalized on a turnover, then sent the cross toward the top of the penalty area, Chancalay scoring on a leaping, right-footer. Chancalay then put away a rebound of a Carles Gil shot in the 71st minute, the play set up as substitute Jack Panayotou regained possession.
Observations from Saturday’s game:
■ Defining moment: In surrendering the second goal, the Revolution back line was out of position, Kessler caught upfield defending Mukhtar, leaving only two defenders back.
■ Difference-maker: Chancalay’s scoring insticts have been impressive — three rightfooted, two left-footed, one header. Chancalay’s shoot-first approach is usually effective, but he did miss Bou making a run while firing high in the 18th minute.
■ Tactical: Nashville exploited the Revolution’s three-man back line, advancing on the wings in the opening half. Ryan Spaulding went to left back in his first appearance since Sept. 9, and Tommy McNamara helped settle the midfield in the second half.
■ Statistical analysis: The Revolution were credited with 61 percent possession in the first half and finished with 57 percent possession. The Revolution were able to attack effectively on the wings (24 crosses), but failed to overcome Nashville’s central defenders in the air.
■ By the numbers: The Revolution, who lost to Orlando City SC, 3-2, last week, fell to 07-6 on the road since May. The Revolution are 2-5-5 in all competitions since Bruce Arena was placed on administrative leave July 30.
■ Road ahead: The Revolution trail the fourth-place Columbus Crew by 2 points. They will need to defeat the Philadelphia Union in their season-finale at home next Saturday to have a chance to earn home-field advantage in the playoffs.
■ What they said: “I thought we needed a change [after halftime]. I thought some guys weren’t impacting the game enough. We also wanted to change our shape a little bit. For me, the week is almost identicial [to the 3-2 loss to Orlando City] in terms of some of the decisions we’re making defensively that get us caught with balls in behind, and then dealing with crosses. In the second half, the energy’s better, there’s more urgency to what we’re doing, and the guys are putting in a little bit of effort that they didn’t put in in the first half.” — Revolution interim coach Clint Peay