Revolution v. Crew: Three Thoughts

The New England Revolution suffered a 2-0 loss to Columbus Crew SC on Saturday night. Here are three thoughts from the game:

1. The Revolution were undone by the counter. Crew SC’s strategy was clear from the beginning as the team was always looking to quickly transition to their attacking third after winning the ball. The first goal provides an excellent example, as the home team neutralized the Revs attack before speeding forward to find Ola Kamara, who had no issue punishing the out-of-position Revs. The whole sequence took 12 seconds. Crew SC used the counter to perfection on Saturday, as their quick transitions and seeking balls left the Revolution backline unsettled.
2. Je-Vaughn Watson is reckless. Watson continues to be a go-to substitute, as he’s been taking over the left back spot, which allows Kelyn Rowe to move to the midfield. On paper, the plan makes sense because Rowe is a midfielder by trade and Watson has the pace to lock down the left side. The major negative, however, is Watson’s reckless nature. In his only start of this season so far, Watson made two unnecessary tackles against the Chicago Fire en route to earning a red card. Watson almost received a similar punishment on Saturday when he clotheslined Niko Hansen. Watson was a solid player for the Revs in 2016, especially during the US Open Cup, but this year he’s been erratic.
3. This home stand will tell us all we need to know about this season. With ten points through ten games, things aren’t looking good for the Revs. The last four games have been particularly disappointing as the club tied twice at home, lost a 3-0 lead at Seattle, and were unresponsive against Crew SC. That said, there have been some bright spots and the MLS season is long. The Revs could still turn things around but it must start with positive result next week when they host Real Salt Lake.