After a number of upset victories, the New England Revolution would head to Ohio looking to continue their Cinderella story with hopes of a trip to their sixth Major League Soccer finals. The designated player trio of Gustavo Bou, Carles Gil and Adam Buksa have been red hot for the Revolution, with every single one of their playoff goals having either Bou or Gil involved. Columbus looks to reach their third final, after defeating Nashville in extra time last weekend.
A big part of New England’s success has been their ability to score first and score early. In each of their past two games, the Revs have scored two goals in the first half, setting themselves up for success. However, Sunday’s match would follow a different script.
Columbus would come out of the gates firing, dominating possession early and creating a number of dangerous chances. The Revolution, who have struggled from dead ball situations all year, were able to withstand four corner kicks in the first six minutes. The Crew would continue to press on with opportunities coming from Pedro Santos and Gyasi Zardes. Revolution goalkeeper Matt Turner would be forced to make six saves during the contest.
The Revolution’s only strong chance from the first half was a shot by Buksa that would deflect off the goalpost and out of play.
The teams would go into the halftime break with the score tied at 0-0.
The second half would feature a lot of the same. Columbus would come out of the break looking dangerous in search of their go ahead goal. In the 59th minute, it was the Crew who would rightfully open up the scoring in this match. A ball over the top would find Jonathan Mensah who would lay off the perfect pass to Artur. The shot would graze the fingertips of Turner before finding the back of the net.
Artur with the game’s lone goal. (Photo: Julie Jackson)
A strong push for an equalizer was met with no results as the Revolution were unable to find the finishing touch. A number of chances were created by Carles Gil, but no one was able to find a way to send the game to extra time.
The final play of the game was a 95th minute freekick for the Revolution. A ball sent in over the top was headed out only as far as Matt Polster at the top of the box, but the midfielder’s shot was easily held by the Columbus keeper as the final whistle was blown. Columbus would hold onto the 1-0 lead and become Eastern Conference Champions.
This would end the run of the eighth seeded, New England Revolution. A promising run that showcased the future of Bruce Arena’s side is a bright light for Revolution fans and supporters. With the development of their young players and the performances by their stars, I have no doubt that this side will be in playoff contention yet again next season.
Photo: Julie Jackson
The third seeded Columbus Crew will move on to the MLS Cup Finals where they will host the winner of the Seattle vs. Minnesota match that takes place Monday night. The final will be played December 12th at 8:00PM EST.
