New England’s lack of offense hurt them once again this weekend as they lost their third straight game by a one-goal margin. After 13 league games, the Revolution have scored 10 goals, worse in the league. If you take out the 3 goals that the Revs scored against Sporting Kansas, they have scored a total of 7 goals in 12 league games. You cannot consistently win games if you are averaging just over half a goal per game.
FC Dallas created the game’s first serious chance in the 21st minute when Brek Shea’s perfectly-weighted cross from the left wing found Chavez with space inside the box. Chavez expertly settled the ball before unleashing a powerful volley from close range, but Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis was well positioned to make a crucial stop.
Dallas twice missed great chances to score in the 32nd and 34th minutes, first Fabian Castillo blasting his effort high from a tight angle before Eric Alexander looped his effort over the crossbar after being set up by Shea. The hosts hit the target in the 38th minute when Shea tried his luck from the left side of the box, but Reis was again on hand to make the save.
Shea had one more chance in the 44th minute when Jair Benitez found him with a left-wing cross which skipped through the box, but the 21-year-old pushed his effort just wide of the left post and the teams went into halftime scoreless.
The hosts continued to press after the halftime break and Reis came up huge to deny Castillo twice in the 65th minute. The Colombian took a heavy touch as he weaved into the box and Reis pounced to smother the first effort before corralling the follow-up as Castillo took a swipe at the ball.
Reis was finally beaten in the 69th minute when Chavez finished from an acute angle to give FCD the decisive goal. Chavez rounded Revolution defender A.J. Soares as he worked his way into the right side of the box and along the end line before slotting a low shot inside the near post.
Chavez nearly had a second in the 88th minute when he sent a curling shot toward the upper left corner, but Reis dove full-stretch to push the ball around the post.
With the win FC Dallas Dallas (7-3-4, 25 pts.) is now 6-0-3 on its current unbeaten run and remains in second place in the overall league standings, five points behind the league-leading LA Galaxy. The Revs (3-6-4, 13 pts.) have now lost three straight, and have won only one of its last six league games.