MONTREAL – Soccer can be a cruel game. The New England Revolution learned as much on Saturday afternoon at Stade Saputo, where one “really bad mistake” undid 45 minutes of solid work in what ultimately devolved into a 4-2 loss to the Montreal Impact.
New England were on the front foot for large portions of the first half and forced Montreal to rely upon a series of hopeful long balls to break them down, giving Revolution head coach Brad Friedel every reason to believe his side would be in control after the break.
But one bad sequence on the stroke of halftime changed the tenor of the entire afternoon. A square throw-in was followed by a square pass through midfield, and when Ignacio Piatti forced a turnover near the halfway line, it only took one well-timed pass to spring Anthony Jackson-Hamel on the break.
Jackson-Hamel finished off the breakaway – only just, as goalkeeper Matt Turner got a significant touch on the shot – and from there the Revolution never truly recovered.
“We came in a little bit deflated,” said Friedel. “Instead of carrying on where we left off in the first half when everything seemed fine, I thought we let that carry over in the second half and for about 20 to 25 minutes, I didn’t recognize the team that was playing.”
Montreal made New England pay dearly during that 25-minute spell, scoring a trio of goals by sitting deep, forcing turnovers in dangerous areas and springing a lethal counterattack, stretching their lead to an insurmountable 4-0.
It was a shock to the system for a Revolution side that had only conceded eight goals through their first eight games, and hadn’t conceded more than twice in any game this season.
“The second and third goals, (we played) square balls across the middle of the field,” said Friedel. “It’s just something we’ve never, ever talked about other than ‘don’t do it,’ and there’s a reason for it. You get punished when you play like that.”
A pair of substitutions helped the Revs regroup for the final 20 minutes as Brandon Bye and Kelyn Rowe – making his return from a left knee injury after missing three games – provided a spark, and Wilfried Zahibo capitalized by scoring his second and third goals of the season, all against Montreal.
That fightback was mere consolation on Saturday afternoon, but it offers the Revs something to cling to as they search for a response next weekend, when defending MLS Cup champion Toronto FC visit Gillette Stadium.
It’s not an unfamiliar task for the Revs, who’ve answered their first two losses this season with a pair of positive results, and Friedel is confident that his group will find another reaction next Saturday.
“We came unstuck for about 20, 25 minutes, but that doesn’t mean we need to change lots and lots of things,” said Friedel. “Again, we did see a little bit of the character at the end of the game, coming back from 4-0 to make it 4-2.
“We’ll have a day off, then we’ll get back together again, and I’m sure the spirits will be good leading into our next match.”
