For the first time in this long stretch of sustained success the Red Bulls did not meet the challenge against a quality team. And while that might be forgiven considering the season they have put together thus far, it is something that could be an issue come playoff time.
The New England Revolution, playing without four starters, took control in the second half and jumped over three teams into first place in the Eastern Conference with a 2-1 victory over the Red Bulls before 10,997 Wednesday night in Foxborough, Mass.
The second-place Red Bulls (13-8-6) still have two games in hand on the other three conference contenders (the Revolution, Crew and D.C. United), but now must head to Portland for a tough game against the Timbers on Sunday without midfielder Dax McCarty and defender Connor Lade due to yellow card accumulation.
“We’ll have guys ready to go. I’m not concerned about that,” coach Jesse Marsch said of the suspensions. “We’ve got a deep group here. We’ve got a bunch of guys who understand their roles. So it'll be a good opportunity for some different guys to step on the field and now show what they are about.”
Marsch was also candid about the team’s performance. The Revolution controlled possession the majority of the second half despite the absence of midfielder Jermaine Jones, who was suspended for yellow card accumulation, and forward Charlie Davies, midfielder Teal Bunbury and defender Chris Tierney. The latter three were rested as the Revolution (13-9-7) was playing the second of three games in a seven-day span, although Davies and Bunbury came on for limited time in the second half.
“It wasn’t a good performance for us, one of our worst of the year,” Marsch said. “So frustrating to know that this was a big game, with first place on the line, and to come to a tough place and not be at our best. But we knew this wasn't going to be easy down the stretch and we can’t let ourselves get too down. We've got to get over it and now move forward because we’ve got a big trip coming up here in Portland.
“We weren’t really able to establish much of the rhythm of the game. I didn’t think our pressing was very good. I didn’t think that our buildup out of the back was very good. We weren’t able to find many rotations and now find gaps in the midfield, so then we weren’t really able to settle into the game. It can be like that sometimes, and then you’ve got to find a way to dig out a result, and the frustrating part is to go down in the first minute on a set piece, fight our way back in the game, end the first half in a good way, but then in the early stages of the second half, to give up another set piece. In the end, in a lot of different categories, we weren’t good enough tonight.”
And it didn’t start out well. The Revs earned a free kick in the first minute of the game. Midfielder Lee Nguyen floated the ball to the top of the arc for forward Juan Agudelo. Both central defenders for the Red Bulls – Matt Miazga and Damien Perrinelle – moved forward and Agudelo split them with a pass to Diego Fagundez in the left side of the box.
Fagundez, who has scored in four straight games, drove a shot inside the near post that deflected off of Red Bulls goalkeeper Luis Robles and into the net just as the second minute began.
Like the last game against the Chicago Fire, when the Red Bulls were down two quick goals, they responded quickly. And once again it was another goal of the year candidate strike from Mike Grella.
In the sixth minute, defender Kemar Lawrence, attacking on the left side, took a pass from midfielder Sacha Kljestan and drove a low cross in front. The ball deflected off the foot of defender Jose Goncalves, slammed off the cross bar and rebounded to the top of the box. Grella, following the play, hit a volley that zipped into the upper right corner for his seventh goal of the year.
“I just figured at first that I could reach it to maybe take it down and keep it playing, but when I got to it I realized that it was perfect for me to strike, so I just guided it into the front post and it was a good ball,” Grella said.”
The Revs could have scored two more goals in the first half if not for excellent plays by McCarty and Robles.
Nguyen lined up a free kick in the 20th minute. McCarty, stationed in the wall, quickly dropped back to cover the left side of the net and was in position to deflect the ball wide of the post. Robles came through in first-half stoppage time when he went low to smother a tricky shot by Agudelo, who was cutting left to right in the box.
“We spoke a lot about mentality and understanding that there is going to be adversity on the road,” Robles said. “There is going to be adversity on the road to greatness and we really feel like we have the potential to do that, but it's in those moments of adversity and obstacles that we have to find a way through.
“So it didn't work out for us tonight, but maybe the next obstacle is mentally how can we get back on the right track, so that not only we can get a result in Portland but continue on the sort of a rhythm and play that we've had the last 10 to 11 games.”
The Revolution scored the winning goal in the 65th minute, and again it came off a set piece.
Midfielder Daigo Kobayashi took a corner kick from the left that was punched away by Robles. Midfielder Scott Caldwell headed the ball back toward the net but it was cleared right back to him. Caldwell then spotted Kelyn Rowe open in front of goal and Rowe swept his shot to the right side of the net as Robles moved the other way.
“We knew this was going to be a hard road,” Robles said. “We’ve had some very difficult opponents, especially the first two games in the back end of the final eight for the season. To go on the road to play New England and play poorly, we knew had a tough task ahead of us but nothing within us that didn't think we could get all six points. So, since it didn't work out today, we have to find a way to regroup, recuperate and find the sort of sharpness and energy that’s required for us to get the full three points against Portland.”
The Red Bulls had a great chance to tie the game in the 74th minute. Kljestan’s corner kick from the left was met with a diving header by McCarty. Red Bulls midfielder Lloyd Sam was stationed in front of Revolution goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth, but Shuttleworth, partially screened, got a hand on the ball and Fagundez was behind them both and was able to clear the ball off the line.
“I mean, they were good in the back. They were organized,” Marsch said. “We didn’t do enough to put their backs on their heels, but it was a competitive, physical match and in the end New England did enough to gain a little bit of an edge on some of these plays to come out ahead. But for us to not play our best at all, and to come to a tough place and push the game at end and almost get a draw, it’s not the worst thing, but we can play so much better than this.”
