The New England Revolution came into PPL Park on Saturday with an air of confidence after winning on the road in their first match of the season, but the team?s attack lacked potency as the Philadelphia Union was able to control the game and snag a goal off a corner kick.
The Revs (1-1-0) were flying high after beating Chicago in their first game of the season last week, but a defensive lap on a Sebastien Le Toux corner kick allowed the Union to stake out a 1-0 lead in the 76th minute. The Union (2-1-0) then were able to hold onto the lead, as the Revs failed to execute on a couple of chances they created in the closing moments of the match.
New England couldn?t establish steady possession in the first half, and did not produce enough opportunities throughout the match. The team appeared very incohesive at times, but Philadelphia?s defense should get credit for its ability to disrupt Revs for most of the 90 minutes.
Set piece trouble
It was the second week in a row that 20-year-old Jack McInerney was able to score a game-winning goal for Philadelphia. McInerney was wide open right in front of Revs goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth, and remained unmarked until he won an initial header off of Le Toux?s in-swinger.
McInerney?s initial shot bounced off the ready hands of Shuttleworth. The rebound came right back to McInerney, who then calmly tipped the bouncing ball into the back of the net, as all the Revs defenders stood by watching the entire sequence.
The zonal marking employed on the corner was puzzling. Three of four Revs defenders who were in the box were not even near any Union players, and none of them even made an attempt to get to the ball. They all just watched on with confusion as McInerney went to work.
After last year?s season, Heaps claimed that his team needed to get better on defending set pieces. But it doesn?t appear that the team has done enough work on it.
The Revs were also unable to do anything with the set pieces that they were awarded after being fouled several times on the edge of the box. Each time, Lee Nguyen kicked the ball into the wall, and when crossing specialist Chris Tierney came in as a late sub he was unable to make any use of his opportunities.
Line-up changes
Homegrown rookie Scott Caldwell, a Braintree native who helped lead the University of Akron team to a national championship, got his first start for the Revs. But if viewers didn?t see his name in the starting lineup, they may not have noticed he was playing. The 21-year-old midfielder was practically invisible out there.
Veteran goalkeeper Matt Reis was left home during the trip to Philadelphia because of knee irritation, and midfielder Kalifa Cisse (groin tightness) was also kept out. Cisse was missed, but his absence allowed Wales midfielder Andy Dorman to earn his first appearance of the preseason. The Welshman, back for a second stint with the Revs, did well for the time he was on.
Shuttleworth didn?t look bad in net, and made a few good reaction saves that kept the Revs afloat.
Kelyn Rowe also got his first start of the season, but the second-year midfielder wasn?t the difference maker that he was last week in Chicago, where he picked up a crucial assist that set up designated player Jerry Bengston.
The Honduran Bengston did his part again this week, looking dangerous whenever he got the ball. The problem was he didn?t get it enough.
The Revs could have used the speed and skill of the young Diego Fagundez, but Heaps left him on the bench this time.
Looking ahead
The Revs will have their home opener next Saturday, 4 p.m. (Comcast Sportsnet; 98.5 Sports Hub), at Gillette Stadium. The Revolution marketing department, along with the players and team president Brian Billello, have been trumpeting the first home game of the season with the ?#BeThere323? Twitter hashtag campaign.
With all the hype that has been put into the first home game of the season, Revs fans will be expecting a solid performance. It would do the organization well to come away with three points in this important match, and to set a high standard of play for all home games this year.
New England will be facing Sporting Kansas City (1-1-1) and midfielder Benny Feilhaber, whom the Revs parted ways with over the off-season.
Feilhaber will be eager to show Revs coach Jay Heaps his abilities as a creator, and to earn his team a win, after New England traded the U.S. international player for two draft picks late last year. Feilhaber never truly fit in with the Revs, he constantly expressed his frustrations and he was criticized by New England supporters who grew tired of his occasional childish outbursts that came with a lack of production on the pitch. Now that Feilhaber is surrounded by a plethora of attacking options on a strong Sporting squad, the U.S. National team player won?t have any excuses this season.
Last year, then first-year coach Heaps stressed the importance of making Gillette into a fortress. This next game will be a perfect opportunity to make a statement against one of the best teams in the league.
Marc Larocque is a staff news reporter for the Taunton Daily Gazette, and a New England Revolution supporter. Email him at mlarocque@tauntongazette.com or connect through Twitter @MarcTDG.
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