FOXBORO – The New England Revolution began the first of four home games in April with a 1-1 draw with New York City FC before 18,521 on Saturday night at Gillette Stadium.
The Revolution (4-1-1) fell into second place tie with Atlanta with 13 points, one behind Cincinnati (4-0-2) in the Eastern Conference, and will host CF Montreal next Saturday. NYCFC upped its mark to 2-2-2.
“Give them credit but I think we could have done better,” said Revolution head coach and sporting director Bruce Arena. “It was OK, it’s not a loss.”
Arena made two changes to the starting XI that beat D.C. United 2-1 on March 25 at Audi Field, one of which accounted for a significant upgrade in the midfield. Revolution rainmaker Carles Gil, the 2021 league MVP, made his fifth appearance and first start since the home opener against the Houston Dynamo on March 4. Gil missed the game in D.C. with a hamstring injury.
Gustavo Bou and Jack Panayotou made deep flanking runs in the eighth and ninth minutes, but both probes fizzled out due to a lack of numbers in the penalty area. Bou was denied by NYCFC goalkeeper Luis Barraza in the 19th minute on an uncontested shot from the left half of the penalty area.
The Revolution were awarded a free kick after Bobby Wood was poleaxed from behind by midfielder Keaton Parks three feet outside the box in the 30th minute. Bou’s blast eluded Barraza’s upstretched arm but sailed inches over the crossbar. Both camps produced five shots in the scoreless first half.
“His (Bou) fitness has improved and he is getting on the ball,” said Arena. “He is doing fine.”
The Revolution opened the second half with a blitz and appeared to take a 1-0 lead in the 61st minute. Dylan Borrero’s kick from the left flank bounced off the head of defender Mitja Ilenic’s and sailed inside the near post. But the goal was overturned on review when the replay showed that Bou had somehow interfered with the goalkeeper.
“Not allowing that goal was completely ridiculous,” said Arena. “They are supposed to correct mistakes, not create them, and it was completely absurd, the explanation they gave for that.
“I think they said Gustavo was in the line of the goalkeeper and the guy was not playing the ball intentionally. It was completely absurd and we are wasting our time even discussing it.”
The Revs went up 1-0 for real on a brilliant individual effort by Gil in the 70th minute. Gil forced a turnover at midfield, eluded two defenders and fired it by Barraza for his first of the season. Petrovic preserved the lead when he stoned Thiago Martins header off a free kick in the 77th minute.
NYCFC tied the game 1-1 on a corner kick in the 80th minute. Gabriel Pereira’s launched a rainbow into the penalty area that Talles Magno headed by Petrovic for his second of the season.
“Give them credit, they scored a good goal off a corner kick and we didn’t defend well enough,” said Arena. “We should have done a better job bumping 43 (Magno) and attacking the ball better.”