A second-half rally allowed the New England Revolution to overcome an early own goal and collect three points against DC United. Diego Fagundez and Lee Nguyen helped propel the Revs to fifth place in Eastern Conference by providing goals in the 2-1 victory. The result highlighted that the Revolution has the resiliency and unity needed to be a playoff team.
DC United dominated the opening minutes with visitors holding 68% of possession through the 10th minute. The possession led to a goal in the 11th minute when Scott Caldwell redirected a Luis Silva cross into the back of the net. The own goal gave DC their first road lead of the 2013 season.
“It’s obviously devastating that happens that early in the game,” Caldwell reflected. “But the way that my teammates picked me up, responded so quickly, the way that we played the rest of the half and the rest of the game in general is huge. To see us respond from a down moment in the game and play to win the game, that’s the big point.”
The Revs controlled the rest of the first half but failed to find an equalizer. Andrew Farrell’s long ball in the 24th minute provided Dimitry Imbongo an opportunity but the second year player hit the ball wide. Nguyen showcased his footwork in the 26th minute but failed to put the ball on frame. Kelyn Rowe attempted his trademark long-range shot in the 43rd minute to no success. The missed opportunities forced the Revs to enter the locker room with a deficit.
“For us, we needed to win a game where we didn’t start well,” head coach Jay Heaps commented. “Their energy was really good so we had to battle that back. So for me, I thought it was a really good turnaround. We had a good conversation at half time and in the second half I thought we really took the game and created a lot of chances.
In the 55th minute, referee Carlos Rivera awarded the Revs their second penalty kick of year after Nguyen was fouled by Dejan Jakovic. Nguyen, who wasn’t on the field when Saer Sene missed the team’s first PK of the season, took the kick but was unable to beat goalkeeper Bill Hamid.
“He read it early,” Nguyen explained. “Right in my mind, into my half swing, I knew, I was like crap. I wanted to but I couldn’t change it in time. Credit to him, he made a great first save.
The Revs refused to let the moment dampen their push for three points. Less than a minute after Hamid’s save, Fagundez was able to score his 11th goal of the year when Sene played him behind the DC defense.
“It was important (to score right after the missed PK),” Fagundez said. “Lee went down and we had to try to push him up. And after that goal I think he definitely got his energy back.”
A motivated Nguyen made several bids for the game-winner. Nguyen had back-to-back chances in the 68th minute with the first long-range effort hitting the woodwork and the second being denied by Hamid. Nguyen was given the ultimate shot at the redemption in the 83rd minute when Rivera pointed to the penalty spot for a second time. The penalty came when substitute Lewis Neal was deemed guilty of pulling Nguyen down in the box.
“I wanted to take it and I had to redeem myself,” Nguyen stated. “My teammates had confidence in me, the sideline had confidence. It’s just like training, only I have a lot more eyes on me this time.”
Taking the advice of Chris Tierney, Nguyen chipped the ball slightly off-center to beat Hamid. The goal was enough to earn full points for the Revs, who now have five games to secure their first playoff berth since 2009.
“We know we can compete with the best teams in the league,” Caldwell argued. “I see a team that can definitely win games and be in the playoffs.”
The fifth place Revs will host the fourth place Houston Dynamo on Saturday, September 28th.
3 Observations and Revelations
1. Sene is still an important part of this team. Sene has received a lot of criticism this year for his lack of consistency. The Frenchman has looked lethargic at times which has caused him to alternate between starter and reserve. While Sene might not be the same player that he was last year, he’s had some bright moments recently. On Saturday, Sene completed 88% of his passes, one of which was an assist (his third in three games). He’s also looked more comfortable in front of the net as he scored against the Chicago Fire and came close against DC. The expectations on Sene should be lessened since the second-year player is coming off a major surgery and playing out of position.
2. Matt Reis makes the big save. When two players are competing for a spot it’s hard not to compare them. Reis and Bobby Shuttleworth have split time between the pipes this year and with each save/gaffe I can’t help but wonder what the other keeper would’ve done. Reis had a game-saving moment in the 81st minute when he sprinted back towards goal to block Conor Doyle’s chip. Would Shuttleworth have made the save? Would Shuttleworth have prevented the chip by being on his line? Perhaps Shuttleworth would have been more confident in attacking Doyle? All of these questions will go unanswered. Regardless, I’m glad Reis made the big save.
3. DC is a mess. Saturday was only the fifth league game in which Nick DeLeon, Chris Pontius and Dwayne De Rosario started together. The superstar trio, which has accrued a 0-3-2 record this year, was underwhelming and provided few positives for the Black-and-Red. The defense was also suspect since they gave the Revs will too much space while falling for every fake and trick. Silva, Hamid and Doyle were the only bright spots for DC in the loss. The front office would be smart to sign the youngsters to long-term deals and build the team around them.
(image courtesy of Kari Heistad)
