Revs home again
Try to tighten up ‘D’ after loss in Montreal
Consider the painful trip to Montreal on Saturday as the latest instance in a frustrating pattern for the Revolution.
Most of the parts were present to secure all three points. Kei Kamara scored his first two MLS goals with the Revs. His teammates performed well for long stretches before the break to cobble together a two-goal lead as halftime approached.
All of those positives — and the bedrock for away results — crumbled through a lack of concentration either side of the interval. The rebuke included three poorly conceded goals in the 3-2 defeat at Stade Saputo and reinforced the importance of a more resolute foundation ahead of the visit from Eastern Conference leaders New York City FC tonight (7:30, CSN).
“We are getting more goals, but defensively, we are not good enough right now,” Revolution coach Jay Heaps said after Saturday’s match. “We are giving away poor goals in my mind. We just have to get better.”
Defensive instability remains one of the primary hindrances for a side hoping to improve its overall form as the second half of the campaign commences and mark its first home match since May 28 with a victory.
Heaps fielded the same starting XI for a third consecutive game in a bid to find that steady ground during a run of five games in 15 days, but the nature of the goals, including shoddy marking on crosses and wasteful work in possession at inopportune times, underscored the reasons why the Revs rank tied for last in the league with NYCFC in goals conceded (31 in 17 matches).
“There was miscommunication on the first goal,” defender Chris Tierney said. “The next two goals, we just gifted them. Just really amateur stuff from us. It wasn’t good. I thought we defended OK as a whole, but if you make mistakes like that, it’s going to cost you goals.”
NYCFC knows that story all too well given its own frailty at the back, but Patrick Vieira’s side tends to produce more consistently in front of goal to mask those concerns.
Former Barcelona forward David Villa leads MLS in goals (12 in 18 matches) with Frank Lampard and Andrea Pirlo offering support from midfield. The recent emergence of former Berkshire School star Jack Harrison supplies yet another potential avenue as the second-year side looks to push forward.
Those tenets are important for the Revs as well, particularly in the wake of the disappointment over the weekend. The onus now falls on the hosts to sort through their own concerns to ensure NYCFC does not compound them.
“Quick turnarounds are good,” Heaps said. “You just want to be back on the field. We had some good stuff (against Montreal). I really feel we had a good first half. We need to put two good halves together.”