Sweeney: Revs need a quality finisher over the winter, Guillermo Hauche did well, other thoughts

FOXBOROUGH — Here’s a set of four takeaways from New England’s 2-2 draw with Chicago, and we're pulling no punches, Sweeney-style:

1. This offense is just not good enough

While I will highlight the offense in a more positive light Monday, especially with the way they kicked it up a notch in the second half, can I be negative for a moment? I think certain parties need to open their eyes and realize that the product on the offensive side of the ball just isn’t good enough, and won’t be, until the Revolution spend some money for a quality finisher.

I’ve highlighted Diego Fagundez (natch), I’ve highlighted Teal Bunbury, and have done so in a positive fashion. But let’s not mince words here: this is a finisher’s league, a finisher’s business, and right now, the finishers just aren’t finishing. Bunbury hasn’t scored since Aug. 4 (incidentally, the same day Cristian Penilla scored his last one before Saturday night), while Fagundez hasn’t scored since his 52nd minute penalty against Minnesota United — on July 18. It’s been a while for Juan Agudelo and Kelyn Rowe, too.

The offense Saturday night had tons of possession (66 percent; at one point, 72.5 percent), and as Scott Caldwell said in his post-match presser, created plenty of chances — something you can be sure the Revs will do match-in, match-out — but finishing is almost a foreign concept right now. Bunbury couldn’t finish, didn’t settle the football. Agudelo did great things with the ball at his foot, but in second-half stoppage time, he side-footed it with a one-timer and blazed it off-target into The Fort. And while I’m thinking about it, whatever happened to settling the football and squaring to the net? In high school basketball, shooters are taught to square to the basket to make the shot, and — hey, call me crazy — that same rule should apply to twenty-somethings in soccer.

2. For a 45-minute showing, Hauche did pretty well

Brad Friedel gave new signing Guillermo Hauche his Major League Soccer debut on Saturday night, and honestly, I thought he handled himself well. He had positive touches on the ball, tried to make things happen — see above — and is starting to build a nice rapport with the other players in the attacking corps. He’s not good for 90 minutes yet, but given time, he can be an asset. More than likely for 2019, given the stage of the season we’re in, but something to look forward to — especially if the Revolution miss out on playoff soccer. And speaking of that…

3. I predict the Revs will miss out on the postseason

Suffice it to say, with the way DC United are surging, and with the way the Revolution are conceding, I’m going to go out on a rather sturdy limb and say New England misses out on playoff football for the third-straight year. There are five matches left: at Toronto next Saturday (I have that down as a win, and I may be generous on that), at Atlanta United on Oct. 6th (L), home to Orlando City the 13th (W, but we said that the first time), at Real Salt Lake (draw) on Oct. 18, and home to Montreal (draw) in the last match of the season.

There have been times that I’ve said something and the Revolution have proven me wrong the following week, so I don’t think the supporters would mind if I’m wrong again … but with the way this team isn’t finishing, I may be right on the money this time. If I am, those results won’t be enough to claim a playoff position, and I think four W’s should get them into position to qualify. Atlanta’s one of the best in the league, so I’m writing that one off. Anything less than a W against Toronto, Orlando, Real, and Montreal, and you might as well get ready for 2019.

4. Referee Joseph Dickerson was not on top of his game

I’m not one to blame referees, but Saturday night’s referee didn’t really have control of this match. Six yellows issued, including one to Antonio Delamea, who now has to miss next Saturday’s match against Toronto FC and further limit Friedel’s defensive options on the bench. Four minutes after Delamea’s yellow, Dickerson gave Luis Caicedo a telling off, but no card… so my question is, why no telling off for Delamea? And why no card for Raheem Edwards for running upward of 60 yards to get into Caldwell’s face? Was that just a misunderstanding? Why no card for Michael De Leeuw’s 39th-minute bulldog on Caicedo? Friedel also mentioned that there should have been more than five minutes of stoppage time in the second half, and we nodded along with him as he said it: in fact, BSJ soccer analyst Tom Benedetto and I texted back and forth, and Tom said, “Nine minutes?” Friedel thought there should have been eight or nine minutes. I mean, not every referee can be Mark Geiger, but that was ridiculously poor.