Revolution 2-4 Sporting Kansas City: Player Ratings and Man of the Match

For the third match in a row, the Revolution collected an early lead, turning a Benny Feilhaber turnover into a first-half goal. But poor defending--and an inability to convert key opportunities--led to club's demise in Kansas City. Does anybody deserve Man of the Match honors? Share your thoughts below.

Rating Scale: 1.0 Goat → 10.0 Golden Boy

Starters

Brad Knighton - 3 (May Average: 3)

Nick: Tough night for the backup 'keeper--though the Revolution back four did little to help his case. Always disappointing to concede near post, as he did on Krisztian Nemeth's first tally. Distribution (particularly from the ground) suffered. I think Knighton has the raw talent to serve as a top-tier backup, but he just looked rusty on Wednesday.

Kevin Alston - 3 (May Average: 3.75)

Nick: Found acres of space in the first half, but his service ultimately stalled the attack. And then, just moments into the second half, his flat defending resulted in an inexplicable goal. Poor showing from the loveable defender.

Jermaine Jones - 1.5 (May Average: 4.69)

Nick: Unrivaled goat. Bad giveaways, horrendous marking, sloppy touches--unfortunately, Jermaine's laundry list of mistakes hurt the Revs in a big way. Should have done far better on Dom Dwyer's turn and finish, and got caught marking nobody on Nemeth's set-piece goal. I doubt we'll ever see a Jermaine Jones performance like that one again.

Jose Goncalves - 4.5 (May Average: 5.83)

Nick: Found the match more than many of his teammates--and saved a goal after an errant decision by Knighton resulted in an open net--but still floated into awkward positions (perhaps due to Jones' spacing issues). Saw no fault with the challenge that resulted in a controversial penalty; looked like nothing more than physical defending to me.

London Woodberry - 5.5 (May Average: 6.5)

Nick: Whipped in a handful of clever crosses, but came up empty on a bid for assist number three (unfortunately, Diego Fagundez failed to convert his best cross of the night). Certainly not his cleanest defensive shift--he took a few sloppy stabs--but held his own on the right side of the pitch.

Scott Caldwell - 5.5 (May Average: 6.69)

Nick: Tale of two halves for Scotty. In the first, he got away with a foul in the box, and had no answer for Dwyer and Feilhaber, who roamed the pitch at will. But as the second half carried on, he seemed to find his rhythm, turning in a hard-fought shift. His efforts ultimately resulted in a goal on the end of a wide open, top-of-the-box run.

Andy Dorman - 3.5 (May Average: 5.57)

Nick: Much like Caldwell, Dorman spent much of the match trying to track Dwyer and Feilhaber, which allowed Nemeth to roam free. Unlike Caldwell, however, Dorman never found the match, picking up (another) foolish yellow en route to a disappointing performance.

Diego Fagundez - 4 (May Average: 4.92)

Nick: First, the good: Diego put in a strong defensive shift, which jumpstarted the Revolution counter. The bad? He still can't finish. Diego failed to convert a point-blank header (even if he was offside) and made poor use of a flawless London Woodberry cross. Fagundez had a chance to prove his worth in the XI, though on this night, he failed to meet expectations.

Lee Nguyen - 5.5 (May Average: 5.88)

Nick: I'm beginning to wonder if Nguyen's struggles have more to do with defensive pressure than anything else. Yes, he's a veteran of navigating tight spaces. But every time he touched the ball, three SKC defenders surrounded him. Made the most of his space by creating a handful of promising opportunities.

Kelyn Rowe - 5.5 (May Average: 5.69)

Nick: I thought Rowe turned in a serviceable shift before exiting in the second frame. Although Feilhaber's turnover led to the Revs' early goal, it required a well-weighted through ball from Rowe to create the opportunity. Probably should have scored a goal of his own with space at the top of the box, but the Revolution midfielder froze--and then stung a shot into Tim Melia's chest.

Juan Agudelo - 5.5 (May Average: 6.31)

Nick: At first, I disagreed with Taylor Twellman's comment about Agudelo's drive--that he rarely looks hungry for a second goal. But on Wednesday, Agudelo undoubtedly regressed after beating Melia with outstanding technical ability. Of course, he did score; I just expected more after the goal.

Subs

Teal Bunbury - 4.5 (May Average: 6.31)

Nick: Bunbury serves as the unofficial Revolution workhorse. He desperately wanted to score (or create) goal number three, but just couldn't find the right touch. Had a golden opportunity to pull his club within one, but sent an open header over the crossbar.

Charlie Davies - 5.5 (May Average: 6.63)

Nick: His deep run toward the endline resulted in Caldwell's second tally of the season. Buzzed about with energy, made key decisions off the ball and brought much-needed energy to the attack. Strong appearance off the bench.

Chris Tierney - 5.5 (May Average: 5.44)

Nick: In limited minutes, Tierney curled in several promising crosses, and nearly beat Melia with a set piece from the top of the box. The club could have used his service throughout the second half; I thought Heaps' sub came entirely too late.

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