Andrew Farrell and the New England Revolution collected their first clean sheet ever at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday night. Photo/Kari Heistad
The New England Revolution tied Real Salt Lake 0-0 at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday night in a boring affair that seemed more chess match than soccer match.
Both teams created plenty of chances – the hosts created 14 while the Revs had 12 – but the ball hardly came close to bulging the back of the net, with just three shots on target throughout the whole contest.
That said, this result is a step in the right direction for the Revolution, who collected their first ever clean sheet at Rio Tinto Stadium.
RSL’s home – situated roughly 15 miles outside Salt Lake City with a 4,449-foot elevation – is typically a hostile environment for visiting teams, especially the Revolution, due to the thin air.
And while the Revs are still winless at Rio Tinto, they’ll nevertheless feel as though Saturday night’s draw signified one point gained rather than two points lost.
Here are three thoughts on the Revolution’s performance:
The Revolution’s competitiveness in midfield was excellent
Usually, the Revolution’s travels to Utah are met with devastating results. The aforementioned conditions make it physically hard for the Revs to compete with Salt Lake – particularly in the middle of the pitch – which has produced some wild results.
On Saturday night, the Revolution competed well, thanks in part to the precision of their passing and inventiveness, especially from midfielders Scott Caldwell and Daigo Kobayashi.
When Kobayashi made for the bench for Chris Tierney, Je-Vaughn Watson advanced to central midfield from left back and also performed well. Kei Kamara’s hold-up play was also key, as were Lee Nguyen’s knifing runs and vision in the attacking third.
Aside from that, there was also, very clearly, a physical aspect to the Revolution’s performance on Saturday night. They never tired, picking and choosing when to play with more energy and pressure.
Those wild results at Rio Tinto that I mentioned before were a 6-0 loss on April 29, 2009 and a 5-0 loss on July 2, 2010. Granted, the Revs weren’t the same team. But they also lacked a strength and conditioning coach, which current coach Jay Heaps implemented when he took over as Revs boss in 2013.
Make no mistake: the Revolution owe plenty of praise to strength and conditioning coach Nick Downing for their competitiveness in every match. That’s especially true of this tie against Salt Lake.
Bobby Shuttleworth
Credit Bobby Shuttleworth and the Revolution back line, too
A quick examination of the stat sheet does not tell the whole story of the game. That’s especially true of New England goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth and his back four.
This result marks the Revs’ first clean sheet since a 2-0 win against Chicago on May 14, their fourth of the season. That the Revolution collected a shutout in Salt Lake – which has statistically been the hardest place in the league for New England not to concede – was impressive.
Shuttleworth made two big stops in particular, one in each half. The first was a reaction save on a half volley by Kyle Beckerman, the second was snuffing out a breakaway by Yura Movsisyan.
To be fair, Salt Lake remain stuck in a bit of a rut. They’ve scored just twice in their last five. But short of attacking weapons, they are not.
And considering the Revs entered this match with the second-worst defense in the league (based on goals allowed), their back line and shot-stopper deserve credit.
Kei Kamara. Photo/Kari Heistad
Confidence can rise as Revs climb the table
Sure, the Revolution are only on a two-game unbeaten run. But every unbeaten run needs a starting point. This could actually be it. A result such as Saturday night’s is the sort that fans that flames of confidence, especially since the Revs have been so dreadful in Utah in years past.
It’s even okay that New England have been mostly mediocre this season – most teams in the Eastern Conference have been, too.
As of now, the Revolution occupy the sixth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, with 26 points. Obviously that’s subject to change, as DC United and Orlando City are close behind and each have 22. But the quintet of teams ahead of the Revs are subject to change at well.
Current conference leaders New York City FC are probably going to make the playoffs. As are Montreal, Toronto, and the Red Bulls. Philadelphia could be flimsy. And placement is still up in the air, too.
After all, the Revs are just seven points behind NYCFC. As history shows us, a confident Revolution team tends to go on long win streaks and surges up the table.
Follow Julian on Twitter @juliancardillo. Email him at julianccardillo@gmail.com
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