Revolution vs FC Dallas: Three Takeaways

The New England Revolution's summer slump continued on Saturday night when they were bested 3-0 by FC Dallas. It's the type of game that you probably want to forget about. Regardless, here are three takeaways:

1. It wasn’t a good night for the defense. Okay, maybe it wasn’t a good night for anyone, but defensive performances really stuck out in a game where the final score was 3-0. London Woodberry looked uncomfortable on the first goal when he failed to clear the ball then committed a foul (though it did look like the Dallas player went down softly). The second goal was created after a careless giveaway by Jose Goncalves that was followed by a comedy of errors by Scott Caldwell and Jeremy Hall. Chris Tierney was victimized on the third tally when he struggled to keep pace with Michael Barrios. It wasn’t a good night for anyone, and that certainly includes the defense.

2. It was a disaster game, but it doesn’t mean much in the long run. It’s hard to take away any positives from the Revolution’s Fourth of July clash. Head coach Jay Heaps summarized the night well when he told RevolutionSoccer.net that he was "disappointed across the board" and that his team "got outplayed." That said, a loss should have been expected heading into Saturday night. After all, the Revs were missing three key contributors in Darrius Barnes, Andrew Farrell, and Jermaine Jones. Furthermore, playing in 87 degree Texas weather is never easy, especially if you’re tasked with tracking the likes of Fabian Castillo and Mauro Diaz. With the loss, the Revs fall to fourth in the Eastern Conference standings, but there’s still plenty of time to turn things around.

3. All eyes are on the transfer window. If things are going to turn around, you have to imagine that some acquisitions will need to be made. The return on Jones, expected sometime in August, will be a big boost for the team, but more is needed. Most notable, the team should be looking for defensive depth, including a right back, center back and defensive midfielder. The team is expected to announce the signing of attacker Marvin Ceballosin the coming days. The 23-year-old is an intriguing prospect, for sure, but that can’t be the Revolution’s only move this summer.