The Columbus Crew lost their fifth match in a row Sunday, the fourth straight in MLS play, falling to the New England Revolution 3-1 at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field. Brais Méndez continues his steady play since joining the club, recording the Black & Gold’s only goal on the evening. Here are our three takeaways from Sunday’s action:

1.    The Crew have yet to solve their offensive woes, although they have found something in Méndez. The defense, which has been the thing that has kept the team in close games, took a step backward Sunday. In the five-game losing streak, the D hasn’t allowed more than three goals in any game, but haven’t held opponents to fewer than two goals.

2.   With the release and contract buyout of Dániel Gazdag, the Crew’s roster has experienced a radical change since last season. The loss of their top five scorers in MLS play this season – Diego Rossi (transfer), Wessam Abou Ali (injury), Max Arfsten (transfer), Gazdag (release), and Hugo Picard (loan) – has presented an extreme challenge for the club, which needs a miracle to climb out of last place and into a playoff position in the MLS’s Eastern Division with 13 matches left to play.

3.   This takeaway is short: when defender Malte Amundsen was asked after the match what the locker room is feeling: ““Frustration, yes. The topic is lack of effort today.”