Goals and lucky breaks have been in short supply for the New England Revolution this season.
The Revolution received a ration of both – combined with a solid goalkeeping performance from Aljaz Ivacic – to beat the New York Red Bulls 1-0 before 29,288 on Saturday night at Gillette Stadium.
Midfielder Emmanuel Boateng’s scored the lone goal in the 81st minute and the Revolution were able to hold up through five minutes of stoppage time. Ivacic collected his second clean sheet.
The Revolution improved to 4-10-1 with their second straight win and will close out the two-game homestand against the Vancouver Whitecaps of the Western Conference on Saturday, June 15. The Red Bulls fell to 8-4-5.
“Not the perfect game but it didn’t need to be, we just needed a win,” said Revolution head coach Caleb Porter. “It is two games in a row and obviously our first home win in awhile and that is important.
“I told the guys from here on out it has to be three points at home.”
Porter and Red Bulls’ shot caller Sandro Schwartz had the quality of their rosters compromised due to international callups. The Revolution lost two homegrowns, attacking forward Esmir Bajraktarevic (USA U-23) and midfielder Noel Buck (England’s Elite League Squad), and back-up goalkeeper Heinrich Ravas (Slovakia). Revolution midfielder Matt Polster made his 13th start and 200th MLS appearance.
The Red Bulls took a harder hit with forward Lewis Morgan (Scotland), midfielder Emil Forsberg (Sweden), defender Noah Eile (Sweden), goalkeeper Carlos Coronel (Paraguay), and dynamic young defender John Tolkin (USA U-23) off the grid.
“I think they played a little more direct, which I knew would happen,” said Porter. “The defensive part is always going to be there when you don’t have a Forsberg or a Morgan. The other guys came in an flew around there because they have a lot to prove.”
The Revolution got their possession game operational 10 minutes into the opening half that produced several deep probes on both side of the Red Bulls’ box. Carles Gil set up Giacamo Vrioni for an open shot in the Red Bulls’ box but keeper Ryan Meara made a slick diving save.
The Red Bulls were able to create scoring chances with possession and in transition in the latter minutes of the half but their succession of shots was hopelessly inaccurate. Red Bulls’ center back and team captain Sean Nealis picked up the only yellow card of the scoreless first half in the 44th minute.
“It always tough to play the Red Bulls,” said Porter. “You have to battle all game long because it is direct and a ping pong match and I though we won the game today because we defended well.”
The game took on a wide open, north-south, dimension in the opening 15 minutes of the second half that resulted in increased activity in the penalty areas of both teams.
The change in tempo brought the dormant physicality of the first half to the surface in the second. Polster was handed a yellow card for his hard takedown of Red Bulls’ attacker Elias Manoel in the 65th minute.
Boateng entered the game 69th minute and brought an infusion of energy the Revolution’s attack. Center back Xavier Arreaga sent Gil on a deep ruin down the right flank. Gil crossed the ball into the red Bulls box, where Boateng unleased a full volley that beat Meara for his first and the club’s 12th of the season.
“We needed that spark and Emma came in and gave us that spark,” said Porter. “We had a good chat the other day and I told Emma you’ve got to be better for us, you have to come into these games and give us a spark and he took that the right way and got the goal.”