Revolution winless in MLS play with 4-1 loss at Atlanta

The New England Revolution’s dominance in Concacaf Champions Cup play has not carried over into league play.

The Revolution opened the season 0-3 in MLS play with Saturday night’s 4-1 blowout loss to Atlanta United FC before over 67,000 fans on Saturday night at Mercedes Benz Stadium.

Atlanta United FC dynamic attacker Giorgos Giakoumakis scored three goals, the second MLS player to record a hat trick against the Revolution this season. D.C. United striker Christian Benteke scored three goals in a 3-1 win in the season opener on Feb. 24.

“None of use are happy where we are in the league at all,” said Revolution head coach Caleb Porter. “We are disappointed and there were moments in every one of those league game where we were right there.

“But the reality is we are not doing a good enough job finishing the chances we are given and we are giving up, for me, soft goals.”

The Revolution (3-0) will play the second leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 series against LD Alajuelense on Thursday (8) at Estadio Alejandro Morea Soto in Alajuela, Costa Rica. The Revolution will resume MLS play against reigning Eastern Conference champion FC Cincinnati on March 17 at Gillette Stadium.

The Revolution played the sixth of eight games in 26 days and Porter made significant changes to the Starting XI that pummeled LD Alajuelense 4-0 on Wednesday night at Gillette Stadium. In contrast, Atlanta FC played its first game since losing their MLS opener 1-0 on Feb. 24 at Columbus.

“They were fresh and we were playing our third game in six days and we were there, we were in the game,” said Porter

Team captain Carles Gil, who signed a four-year contract extension on the Thursday, was back at the 10-slot after sitting out the game against Alajuelense.

Giacomo Vrioni, who missed consecutive games against Toronto FC and Alajuelense due to yellow card accumulation, returned to the striker spot in Porter’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation. Center back Henry Kessler was stationed alongside Dave Romney in the middle of the backline.

Vrioni nearly atoned for his lost time in the fourth minute when his contested shot in the penalty area sailed inches over the crossbar. Tomas Chancalay suffered a worst fate when his header from the top of the box hit the crossbar in the 13th minute.

Atlanta went up 1-0 on a curious sequence of events in the 45th minute and stoppage time. Midfielder Saba Lobjanidze scored but the play was whistled dead because Revs’ keeper Henrich Ravas took down Giorgos Giakoumakis in the penalty area before the shot. Thiago Almada buried the penalty kick in stoppage time.

“I think the first half was good when you look at the execution to start game,” said Porter. “I thought we disrupted their build up and Tomas hit the crossbar on one of those and we should have scored on a couple more.

“I thought we were unlucky being down 1-0 going into the break. That was a tough goal to give up at the end of the half.”

The Revolution went down a man in the 50th minute when left back DeJuan Jones left the field after taking a forearm to the face by defender Bartosz Slisz. Jones was checked out and resumed play two minutes later.

Atlanta United went up 2-0 in in the 55th minute on its second awarded penalty kick of the match. Right back Nick Lima was called for a hand ball in the penalty area.

Giakoumakis fired the ball by Ravas on the gift goal. Giakoumakis scored on a header on a Brooks Lennon cross in the 60th minute to give Atlanta United FC a 3-0 lead. Giakoumakis completed the hat trick when he beat Ravas to the far post in the 74th minute.

Carles Gil scored the Revolution’s lone goal off a corner kick in the in the 83rd minute.

 

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