New England Revolution
Gustavo Bou’s targets coated for a sport crammed with “dangerous turnovers.”
The Revolution emerged from a back-and-forth conflict in opposition to fellow Japanese Convention contenders FC Cincinnati with a 2-2 draw on Saturday.
A pair of Cincinnati targets from Dominique Badji was canceled out by Revolution ahead Gustavo Bou.
The 33-year-old Argentine induced one objective when his Fifteenth-minute shot bounced in off of Badji. He scored one other within the twenty fourth minute after popping up on the far put up and redirecting Emmanuel Boateng’s cross inside, uncorking a left-footed shot previous Roman Celentano’s outstretched glove.
After a dramatic opening 45 minutes, the sport settled right into a extra one-sided dynamic within the second half. Cincinnati slowly turned up the stress as New England’s defensive protection deteriorated, first discovering an equalizer via Badji’s second objective within the fifty fifth minute, and practically including a winner below a barrage of pictures.
Nonetheless, New England was capable of escape with some extent (and was denied a late Gil winner when Giacomo Vrioni was judged to have been fractionally offside). Cincinnati stays prime of the convention, however noticed what had been an ideal house report in 2023 (10-0-0) come to finish in opposition to a cussed Revolution efficiency. It was Cincinnati’s first dropped factors at house in 273 days.
With the common season sequence between the 2 groups now concluded in a pair of attracts — the primary assembly, again in April at Gillette Stadium, ended 1-1 in a sport most notable for Dylan Borrero’s harm — a doubtlessly decisive postseason matchup appears to loom. However with 14 common season video games remaining, MLS viewers realize it’s far too early to invest.
Nonetheless, not everybody left Saturday feeling like the sport was a playoff preview.
“I don’t suppose we performed significantly nicely,” Revolution head coach Bruce Enviornment acknowledged after the sport. “Our passing was poor tonight. It’s good to get the purpose, I can’t argue that. I assume I’ll depart it at that.”
Listed here are a number of takeaways:
New England’s plan labored for 45 minutes.
Enviornment deployed the identical beginning lineup in opposition to Cincinnati that he’d used within the 2-1 win over Toronto the week earlier than.
As was the case in opposition to Toronto, the position of Boateng proved attention-grabbing: When New England had possession, he seemed to push into his standard house as a left-sided winger. When the Revolution had been defending, he moved right into a extra central position.
This, coupled with Bou’s potential to drop from his beginning spot (as a middle ahead alongside Bobby Wooden) into house on the suitable, induced moments of confusion in Cincinnati’s protection. Lined up in a three-back formation, Cincinnati had points choosing up Boateng and Bou in house between the group’s wingbacks and middle backs.
Led by the work charge of Wooden, New England additionally unleashed some defensive urgent in opposition to Cincinnati at instances within the opening half. This was used to create a turnover in possession that induced the nook kick from which Bou’s shot deflected in.
Eight of the Revolution’s 9 pictures within the sport got here within the first half, culminating with a Bou free kick hitting the put up moments earlier than the whistle blew. Given additionally that New England out-possessed Cincinnati for 25 of the opening 45 minutes, Enviornment’s aspect held a deserved 2-1 lead at halftime.
“Our dangerous turnovers led to a few of their greatest possibilities.”
It was not the perfect evening for New England’s passing effectivity. For a group that usually completes greater than 80 % of its passes, the ultimate determine from Saturday (68.3 %) advised a narrative.
Other than Cincinnati’s protection, the Revolution merely turned the ball over too typically. Usually dependable gamers like middle backs Dave Romney and Andrew Farrell every made errors.
“Simply couple performs right here and there that I want I had again, however I don’t know too many guys who performed nicely tonight,” Romney candidly admitted throughout a postgame press convention. “I by no means need to have an off-night so it undoubtedly wasn’t ok for me.”
However as Romney identified, the errors went past just some gamers.
This was exacerbated through the second half, which proved to be nearly a unique sport for the Revolution. The group’s defensive construction appeared to disintegrate as gaps opened up within the traces between midfield and protection.
On a moist evening in Cincinnati, Enviornment famous afterward that the Revolution “felt the warmth within the second half.”
Given extra time on the ball, the house group additionally stepped up its protection within the uncommon moments New England wrested again management of possession.
“Our dangerous turnovers led to a few of their greatest possibilities,” stated Romney after the sport, including that he felt the group “put ourselves below stress.”
Petrovic delivered one other spherical of game-changing saves.
It will really feel repetitive to constantly notice Djordje Petrović’s affect on the Revolution had been it not such an instrumental half in so lots of New England’s wins this season.
The 23-year-old was just lately named an MLS All-Star, and he greater than earned the excellence together with his efficiency in opposition to Cincinnati. Petrovic made multiple important stops, turning away some golden possibilities for the house aspect.
“He performed actual nicely,” Enviornment stated of the Revolution goalkeeper. “He made a pair large saves. He can’t be at fault for any of those targets, that’s for certain.”
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