It feels like the New England Revolution defense hasn’t had a much of a chance to take a breath through two games this season.

And though that unit stood up much better to the unrelenting pressure from the Red Bulls on Saturday than it did when the Revolution were bludgeoned by Nashville SC in last week’s season opener, New England could only hold off New York’s attack for so long.

Julian Zakrzewski’s goal in the 53rd minute proved to be the difference as the Red Bulls took down the Revolution, 1-0, at Sports Illustrated Stadium. First-year head coach Marko Mitrović is still in search of his first MLS win with the Revolution now 0-2.

The Red Bulls’ teenage trio made a notable impact — something the Revolution are looking for out of its own crop of young players this season — to start the second half by scoring off a set piece. Seventeen-year-old Matthew Dos Santos played a corner short before getting the back and swinging a low cross into the box. That’s where 16-year-old Adri Mehmeti flicked the ball toward the net and Zakrzewski, who is just 17 as well, headed his chance past Revolution goalie Matt Turner.

“When you concede a goal on a corner kick, definitely you can defend better. No question about that,” Mitrović said. “I think that was the only time where we actually lost focus in our box and we got punished.”

Unlike in their 4-1 loss to Nashville when New England surrendered two goals in the first 16 minutes, the Revolution defense stood up well to constant pressure by the Red Bulls early on.

Mitrović went with almost a completely different back line against the Red Bulls. Center backs Mamadou Fofana and Bryan Ceballos both drew into the starting lineup after missing the matchup with Nashville, while Ilay Feingold started at right back. Will Sands was the only member of the back line to earn a second start as he slotted in at left back. Keegan Hughes, Andrew Farrell and Ethan Kohler all went to the bench.

Turner was called upon to make one of his three saves just over two minutes into the contest when Red Bulls defender Justin Che blasted a shot on net from just outside the 18-yard box.

The Revolution really didn’t gain traction until the 34th minute when Griffin Yow went into the box down the left wing and got off the team’s first shot on net, but Red Bulls keeper Ethan Horvath turned aside the attempt with ease. Yow had another terrific opportunity moments later to go in alone on goal but Carles Gil’s pass was too strong for Yow to catch up to.

The offensive chances for the Revolution, who were without top striker Leo Campana due to a lower-body injury and have only one goal in two games, were limited in the second half, but they came incredibly close to leveling the score in the 68th minute.

Feingold made a run all alone with the ball down the right wing and crossed it through the box to Jackson Yueill. Yueill’s strike looked ticketed for back of the net but Red Bulls defender Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty headed the ball away from the goal line to extinguish the Revolution’s scoring chance.

“That one moment on the set piece defined the game, and some situations, especially last 15, 20 minutes in the second half where we could have converted and scored a goal, we didn’t,” Mitrović said. “I don’t like to lose the games, but there are 100 percent some takeaways from this game positive that we can build off for the coming games.”

The Revolution will have to sit with this loss longer than expected as next Saturday’s home opener against the Houston Dynamo was postponed due to inclement weather, delaying the delivery of Gillette Stadium’s new natural grass field. New England will next play March 15 at home against FC Cincinnati.