Can the Revolution Learn a Lesson from the World Cup?

The MLS transfer window is open and Juan Agudelo won't be returning, Robert Lewandowski is firmly rooted in Munich, and Luis Suarez will be playing his football in Barcelona, which means that the Revolution will have to keep looking, or make do with what they have. Indeed, it looks as though Jay Heaps & Co. are confident that their current squad can snap their 6 game losing streak, but if they are to start winning, something needs to change.

Jay Heaps tried to find a solution by shuffling the deck the other night against LA, but the result was far from what was planned, as the Revs were thrashed 5-1. The change to a 4-4-2 looked promising, and the substitutes brought in had plenty of time to change to game. However, perhaps the problem wasn't in the new formation or the subs, rather, the problem might be entirely mental.

The question is not whose fault is it, the question is who is going to step up and fix it? Andy Dorman, the team veteran, was sorely missed, but with a sprained MCL the team is going to have to carry on without him. However, with the likes of Lee Nguyen, Diego Fagundez, Kelyn Rowe, Andrew Farrell, and the MLS defender of the Year Jose Goncalves, there can be no questioning the talent level of the squad. But in this game, talent alone isn't enough. Collective intelligence and inspiration is the answer if the Revs want to harness the talent of the team and get back to their winning ways.

We all saw what happened when Germany utterly dismantled Brazil. Every player on the German squad looked sharp, smart, and fired up, whereas the Brazilian players tried to win on individual talent and passion alone, utterly disregarding the importance of a cohesive shape. When Brazil conceded, no one stepped up and tried to fix the problem and instead, hands were thrown up in the air and fingers were pointed. The lesson that can be learned from this is that there needs to be some kind of understanding from back to front. This understanding can only come from leadership in the form of players, or the coaching staff.

Watching the LA Galaxy on Wednesday night, it was obvious where they were getting their inspiration. Robbie Keane not only scored twice and got one assist, but he regularly tracked back and played hard nosed defense inspiring his teammates to do the same. While changing the formation, or sending in a new player a few minutes earlier may solve some tactical problems on the periphery, the central issue of who is going to be a leader needs to be addressed.

Whether that answer is in the form of a new signing, or in the form of a current member of the squad, the team needs to reflect on this kind of issue and forget about this loss. The season is at its midway point and this is the time when teams should be getting ready to make a run for the playoffs, not placing the blame on one another. The Revs have a shot at redemption when they play a strong FC Dallas side tonight, but someone needs to step up, or else the losses will keep coming.