Juan Agudelo and Diego Fagundez celebrate a goal in the Revolution’s opener. Photo/Kari Heistad
FOXBORO, Mass. – The New England Revolution earned their first victory of 2017 on Saturday afternoon, as they beat Minnesota United 5-2 in the Gillette Stadium home opener in front of 11,571.
Juan Agudelo had two goals and opened the scoring in the fourth minute. Minnesota equalized in the 15th minute via Collen Warner, but New England took the lead back off a goal by Kei Kamara in the 22nd. Lee Nguyen converted from the penalty spot just after the hour-mark to make it 3-1, while Agudelo added his second just before halftime to make it 4-1.
Minnesota scored off a freekick just three minutes into the second half to trim the deficit to two goals, but Chris Tierney put away the Revolution’s second penalty kick of the game in the 53rd minute to finish the scoring.
Saturday’s homecoming was a welcome sign for the Revolution, who lost their first two games of the season and entered the weekend as the only team in Major League Soccer without a point.
Minnesota, in their inaugural season as an expansion team, may have been the right opponent to get the Revs past second gear. Minneosta—also known as the Loons—have conceded a league-high 19 goals in four games and have looked second-rate in their first month in MLS.
The Revolution wasted no time showing their superiority, either. Aligning in a 4-4-2 diamond with Nguyen playing behind Agudelo and Kamara, the Revolution opened the center of the pitch for controlling possession and granted Tierney space on the flanks to cross and involve Diego Fagundez.
New England’s three goals in the run of play were a bi-product of that tactical approach.
Agudelo got it started in the fourth minute by rising in the heart of the penalty area to meet Tierney’s cross and head it powerfully into the back of the net past Loons goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth, whom the Revolution traded this off-season.
The Loons fought their way back into the match off a fortuitious bounce, a slide tackle by Revolution defender Benjamin Angoua sending the ball ricocheting off of Scott Caldwell and into the path of Warner, who blasted a low drive from roughly 20-yards away from goal into the lower right corner of the net past goalkeeper Cody Cropper.
New England replied shortly thereafter and took back a lead they would not relinquish. Angoua spotted Fagundez on the left side of the midfield. Fagundez then played through Nguyen, who took hold of possession in the box and squared the ball for an open Kamara; Kamara poked the feed into the net at the far post.
Agudelo went on a breakaway in the 31st minute, but was taken down in the box by Loons captain Vadim Demidov, referee Ricardo Salazar awarding the hosts with a penalty. Nguyen buried the spot kick, firing to the lower right corner of the net past Shuttleworth, who guessed correctly but couldn’t stop the shot.
With the score 3-1, the Revolution sought more before halftime. Nguyen curled a long, cross-field pass for Agudelo on the left side of the pitch in the 41st minute. Agudelo took control of possession and strode into the box, took one cut and then fired a low drive that slipped by Shuttleworth at the near post.
Minnesota scored their second goal off a freekick when Agudelo inadvertednly redirected a clearance into the heart of the penalty area toward Brent Kallman, who side-volleyed a shot past a helpless Cody Cropper.
But the Revolution restored their three-goal lead when Salazar called a second penalty for the hosts after Warner took down Nguyen at the edge of the box in the 51st. Tierney, who made his 200th career start for the Revolution, took the ensuing spot kick and converted, blasting a shot to the upper right corner of the net while Shuttleworth went the other way.
The Revolution are 13-5-4 all-time in home openers and are now 7-0-4 in their last 11 opening matches at Gillette Stadium. In truth, Revs home openers had started to get a bit boring—from 2013-16, the final score had always been 0-0.
That was not the case on Saturday afternoon.
If you want to reach Julian email him at julianccardillo@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @juliancardillo
