The New England Revolution and Chicago Fire swapped first half goals en route to a 1-1 draw. Quincy Amarikwa continued his torrid form by scoring in the 16th minute, but Lee Nguyen brought the game level with a 31st minute penalty kick. The drama climaxed late as referee Sorin Stoica gave two red cards and awarded the Fire a stoppage time penalty.
With Jose Goncalves nursing a right quadriceps strain, Andrew Farrell moved to the center with Darrius Barnes occupying the right back position. It was Farrell’s third appearance at center back and Barnes’ second start of the year.
The defense was tested early when Harry Shipp played a long through ball to a streaking Amarikwa. The MLS fantasy guru was narrowly kept onside by Farrell. The two speedsters battled for the ball with Amarikwa winning and ultimately putting it past Bobby Shuttleworth. The goal was the fourth of the season for Amarikwa, making this season his best to date.
The Fire were once again on the attack in the 27th minute. Amarikwa, who was nuisance throughout the night, stole the ball from Farrell and played it to Shipp. Shipp dribbled centrally before finding Patrick Nyarko, who had his effort saved by Shuttleworth. The rebound fell to Jeff Larentowicz, who put his shot wide of the goal.
The Revs drew level in the 31st minute when Lee Nguyen scored from the penalty spot. The opportunity came after Daigo Kobayashi hit a slicing pass to Kevin Alston in a play that resembled the one that helped Alston get his first career goal last weekend. Alston was chased down by Nyarko, who applied enough pressure to warrant a penalty call after Alston went to the ground.
Both teams were forced to make early substitutions due to injuries. In the 38th minute, Fire playmaker Alex was replaced by Matt Watson. Meanwhile, the Revs inserted Chris Tierney at halftime with Diego Fagundez ruled unable to continue because of a neck injury.
The game took an interesting turn in the 73rd minute when Amarikwa was sent off for earning a second yellow. The initial yellow card came in the 34th minute as Stoica ruled that Amarikwa has simulated contact. A late challenge on Andy Dorman gave Amarikwa a second yellow and the Revs a man advantage.
The Revolution had a great opportunity to gain the lead in the 87th minute when Teal Bunbury attacked from the right flank. The striker sent in a low cross that trickled through the box to find Tierney on the left side. The veteran’s shot was directly at Johnson, allowing the keeper to make an easy save.
The drama came to a climax during stoppage time. In the 90th minute, Mike Magee was put in on goal by Jhon Kennedy Hurtado’s long ball. Magee’s shot was enough to deceive Shuttleworth, but not enough to beat the post. Juan Luis Anangono put in a second effort, but Alston cleared it off the line. Alston was also there to clear Victor Pineda’s shot, but Stoica awarded a penalty as he believed that the left back had used his hand. Alston was shown a red card which means that he will miss next weekend’s clash against Sporting KC.
Anangono went central with his penalty attempt, which was easily saved by Shuttleworth. Shuttleworth denied Larentowicz’s follow-up, and the Revs eventually cleared the ball to earn a draw.
The Revolution will now travel back to Gillette Stadium to prepare for their home game against Sporting Kansas on Saturday, April 26th at 7:30 pm.
3 Thoughts from the Game
- Andy Dorman has become an important part of this team. Dorman’s return to the Revolution was largely underwhelming as the Welsh international’s early contributions were overshadowed by his affinity to earn red cards. Late last year, Dorman forged a new reputation for himself as he became a starter and helped the Revs to the playoffs. Dorman has resurrected this persona this season as he has become a solid contributor. Against the Fire, Dorman completed 91% of his passes and had one of the most important plays of the game as he was the one that cleared the ball out during stoppage time. The patience that Dorman showed last year has certainly paid off.
- The Substitutions need to happen earlier. Head coach Jay Heaps was obviously forced to make an early substitution with Fagundez dealing with a neck injury. His next two changes were voluntary and came in the 69th and 88th minute. These substitutions should be made earlier to allow players to adjust to the game. Bengtson, who was the second sub, is a poacher who needs time to make an impact. Neumann, the third sub, is a rookie who needs more minutes to understand the style of MLS. It’s interesting to note that Charlie Davies was left on the bench for the second straight game while Dimitry Imbongo wasn’t in the game day 18.
- Farrell has an impressive learning curve. Similar to the last time he started at center back, Farrell had a big mistake that led to a goal. Against the Philadelphia Union, Farrell stepped too hard, allowing Leonardo Fernandes to round the rookie and set up Sebastien Le Toux for the game-winning goal. Farrell adjusted his play and didn’t make the same mistake twice. Against the Fire, Farrell kept Amarikwa onside and was eventually muscled off the ball. For the rest of the match, Farrell was much more aware of location of his teammates while also being stronger when tackling. Farrell can still improve, particularly when it comes to dribbling, but there shouldn’t be much of a question that he will get there.
