Revolution Talk: Can They Bounce Back After Gut Punch Loss At Home? Season Might Be In Jeopardy After Lackluster Homestand

In front of a season high 36,573 fans on Saturday night at Gillette the New England Revolution gave up 2 goals in stoppage time to lose 3-2.

A brutal loss, a kick in the balls, and something that is rather disappointing for a team that had played rather well for much of the night and looked like a squad on the rise in MLS.

While one game, actually just 2 minutes of play doesn’t describe or define an entire season, it will be hard to bounce back on a short week.

New England is traveling to Minnesota for a mid-week match on Wednesday against Minnesota United FC.

Can they bounce back?

Well according to defender Jalil Anibaba, there is certainly positives to take away from Saturday’s match despite the ending, and that the team should still be proud of what they put into the game.

“I think playing again. Obviously, us having a quick turnaround is going to help us in a situation like this. Everybody has a bitter taste in their mouth after Saturday’s game, but there are a lot, a lot, a lot of positives to pull out from the game. Any time you lose in that fashion, you tend to be really down on yourself, but there’s so many positives to pull from the guys. Spirits are high and we have all the reason to be proud of what we put into the game for the most part.”

While the approach seems to be right, it just seems rather optimistic to think the Revs will bounce back. For certain players like Juan Agudelo who played one hell of a match on Saturday, feeling rather let down by his team wouldn’t be shocking. But when asked about his incredible performance. The veteran forward is just satisfied with helping the team win games rather than individual success.

“This year, not thinking too much about scoring. I know it helps the team, but as long as we come up with three points, I’m fine with putting in the work. I seem a bit happier this year with putting in the work and being satisfied with giving it my all [rather] than scoring.”

Either way, even if the squad bounces back as a whole, three players are suspended for the match against Minnesota. This is something that Head Coach Brad Friedel believes the team will overcome.

“We have some outstanding players that can come in the positions for the players that are out. This is a big opportunity for some of the players to come in and show what they can do. Like every position and every player, if you do lose your place for one reason or another, you’re going to have to fight to get it back. ”

New England will be down Antonio Delamea, Luis Caicedo, and Cristian Penilla.

After a disastrous loss in the final minutes at home, the Revs have their work cut out for them.

Out of 6 possible points on their three-match homestand the Revolution took just 3 points. That is simply not good enough with only 5 home matches remaining compared to 10 on the road.

Only time will tell if Saturday’s loss will affect the squad and their performances, but one thing is for certain, that loss will come back to haunt them one way or another.

With the World Cup finally here and in full swing. Lets take a look back at some past Revolution players who have featured for their respected countries in the World Cup.

Clint Dempsey
The USMNT star started his career with New England. After 25 goals in 2 seasons with the MLS side, he transferred to Fulham in the Premier League. Dempsey’s superb goalscoring record for both club and country, made him an obvious selection in 3 consecutive World Cups. (2006, 2010, 2014)

Alexi Lalas
The 1994 World Cup was where a lot of people first heard the name Alexi Lalas. Lalas was a standout at the tournament, as the U.S lost to Brazil in the knockout stage. This lead to a transfer to Italian side Padova for Lalas. In doing so, he became the first U.S born player to play in Serie A. Alexi played 1 season in New England. (1996-1997)

Mike Burns
Current Revs GM Mike Burns made the U.S squad for 2 World Cups. He dindnt feature in any games in the 1994 World Cup. He again made the 1998 USMNT World Cup squad. That time around he played a big role, featuring in 2 out of 3 games in the tournament.

Jermaine Jones
Jones became an established USMNT player by 2011, plying his trade in Germany, England and Turkey, before moving to the Revs in 2014. Jones played in the 2014 World Cup, scoring a memorable goal in the group stage against Portugal.

Avery John
John was a dependable versatile defender in his 4 year span with the Revolution from 2004-2008. The same was true for his counrty, as Trinidad and Tobago qualified for the 2006 World Cup. Unfortunately things didnt go as planned for John, as he was sent off in his first World Cup match for 2 yellow cards versus Sweden.

Other Notable Revolution Players to Have Made World Cup Squads
Eric Wynalda (Revolution 2000-2001)
Chris Albright (Revolution 2008-2009)
Gabriel Badilla (Revolution 2008-2009) (Costa Rica 2006)
Giuseppe Galderisi (Revolution 1996) (Italy 1986)

Revolution Talk: Consistent Approach Paying Dividends For New England

As the Revolution left B.C Place, there was a sense of frustration. Normally securing an away point against a playoff contender in the West would be a positive, but a series of defensive mistakes left the Revolution disappointed. Cristian Techera was left unmarked three different times in the 2nd half , as the Revs blew a 2-0 halftime lead and escaped with a draw.

Frustration aside, Brad Friedel remained calm, insisting that the Revs would sort out their defensive issues. That they did, as they held the high powered Atlanta United F.C to just 1 goal, and earned a resilient home draw against a conference opponent. A massive 2-1 home win against rival New York Red Bulls had the Gillette Stadium faithful in good spirits. Then it happened. The defensive inconsistencies emerged again. This time in conceding three goals in a disappointing 3-2 U.S Open Cup defeat to Louisville City F.C.

A key thing to consider here, is that typically after a really disappointing defeat, the coach will make dramatic changes. Leaving coach Friedel with a few decisions to make leading up to the game against Chicago. As he has done throughout his first season in New England, Friedel’s move to restore perhaps the Revolutions most consistent back four (Dielna, Anibaba, Delamea, Farrell) paid off, as the Revs secured a late point against a very potent Fire attack. A bounce back coach Friedel will be pleased with.

The “never satisfied” approach will continue for the Revs will continue Wednesday night as they travel to San Jose to take on the Earthquakes at 10:30 PM.