Sweeney: Four takeaways from the Revs' 2-0 loss to Columbus

FOXBOROUGH — We’re going to have some further pieces on this match Sunday and Monday, but to tide you over until then, here are a few takeaways from Saturday’s 2-nil Revs defeat to Columbus:

I’m not going to put too much blame on the defense tonight

Some of you may be here looking for Sweens’ usual rip-job of the defending, given that the Revolution gave up two goals Saturday. That ain’t happening this time, and I’ll tell you why: Gyasi Zardes’ first goal was picture perfect. More perfect than a Bob Ross painting. Pedro Santos laid the ball on a silver platter, and the Los Angeles resident wheeled behind Michael Mancienne and drove it in with the ol’ melon. It was a sublime goal you love to see. Seriously, there was nothing Mancienne could do about that. Mancienne tracked well; it was just a perfect ball. And the second goal was excellent distribution by Zack Steffen to Hector Jimenez, and let’s face it — Zardes has wheels, even after 95-plus minutes. He got away from Mancienne, took the pass from Jimenez, and slotted home.

Same with the goal against Dallas: Antonio Delamea did everything perfect in the track-back against Michael Barrios.

I will rip the defense when it's warranted. You guys know that I have no problem taking a scalpel to them. Tonight wasn't warranted. Fair play to Columbus. And sure, the tally through 180 minutes isn’t good: one goal for, three goals against. A -2 goal difference. I put that on something else…

The offense was just stagnant Saturday

44 percent possession. Three shots on-target. Eleven total shots on the afternoon. Not only that, we noted in the Match Report just how many passes into the box were not connected (16 of 23 did not connect). Not a good look at all. And yes, we can say — again — that Columbus is a tough team to break down.

But we’re expecting the $2 million transfer fee man Carles Gil to be industrial, to break ankles; he didn’t do that Saturday. We expect pro soccer players to anticipate and attack the back post; if they did that Saturday, Teal Bunbury’s cross in the 40th minute would have been in the back of the net, and who knows what would have happened after that.

And we’ve also said this: I’m not too concerned, at least not yet, because Juan Fernando Caicedo has yet to make his debut.

If JFC gets healthy and comes on and scores a bunch of goals, then Saturday will be a distant memory. If more of the same occurs, then we have to figure out where the offense is coming from.

Still, it’s only Match Day 2. Keep away from the panic button, keep thyself away from the Tobin.

I disagree with the post-match “We dominated” takes

Mancienne is obviously entitled to his opinion. He said, “Their chances came from nothing, really. It came out of the blue. We dominated. We had chances; we should have obviously done better with — and that changes games sometimes.”

Maybe the first 10 minutes the Revs dominated, and I mentioned that in the Match Blog. Most of the play in the first 10 was in the Banner End half, including when Columbus had the ball. The Revs worked hard to re-possess after losing the ball. In the latter stages of the first half, yes, there were chances.

But possession overall was firmly with Columbus, 56 percent to 44 percent. Eight of 18 5-minute periods belonged to the Revolution.

Just because you say “We dominated” doesn’t necessarily mean you dominated. You can dominate a portion of the match, or portions. Sure. That’s fair.

And yes, the goals came from nothing. But dominated? Come on.

Looks like we have answers about who’ll take penalties this year

Last season, there was a question in the ether about if the Revs had a designated penalty-taker. It looks like this year, they do.

He just wasn’t on the pitch when Diego Fagundez took the ball and set it on the penalty spot.

Brad Friedel noted that before the match, Cristian Penilla was slated to take any penalties. Then Carles Gil — who was off the pitch receiving treatment after a bad tackle by Gaston Sauro.

“I would have imagined Carles would have taken it if he was on the field, but (Diego) grabbed the ball,” Friedel said.

Fagundez and Bunbury are also the penalty takers, it looks. We’ll see how this moves going forward.