Midfielder Carles Gil scored his second goal of the game in stoppage time to salvage a 3-3 draw against Atlanta United on Wednesday night at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga.
The Revolution (7-3-5) gave up three unanswered goals in the second half and fell behind 3-2 in the 87th minute. Gil’s brace provided a needed point in the second match of three games in eight days. The Revolution resume MLS play at New York City FC on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
“That was the positive out of all of this, we probably didn’t deserve the point to be honest with you,” said Revolution coach Bruce Arena. “We were dominated in the second half in our inability to get around the ball and our passing was poor.
“It took a tremendous goal by Carles Gil to get us a point and hopefully this is one to those games every team has. It was a bad game you generally loss and we got a point.”
In order to accommodate the busy schedule, Arena made changes to both the Starting XI and attacking scheme that battled the Chicago Fire to a 3-3 draw last Saturday at Gillette Stadium.
Arena inserted Bobby Wood as a solo striker in a 4-2-3-1 formation while Omar Gonzalez made his first start at left defensive back in place of the injured Brandon Bye (shoulder). Gil started in the central midfield and Noel Buck returned to his natural position as an attacking midfielder.
Gil put the Revolution up 1-0 on a careless play by keeper Brad Guzan 23 seconds into the contest, a low rent giveaway that amounted to a buzzkill for the 30,000 plus screamers in the stands. Gil was on the receiving end of a lazy clearing pass by Guzan and kicked the ball home for his first of the game. The play went into the books as the 12th fastest goal in MLS history.
“We know they like to the ball and the moment he played the ball I made a move,” said Gil. “He tried to make a move and I was ready for it.”
The Revolution caught a break in the 12th minute when sniper Thiago Almada’s free kick from 25 yards hit the crossbar and bounced high over the cage.
Wood put New England up 2-0 on a tic tac toe collaboration in the in the 37th minute. Latif Blessing fed Emmanuel Boateng on the left side of the box. Boateng fired a cross that Wood kicked past Guzan for his fifth goal of the season.
“A lot of his goals have come in the six-yard box and he is a really smart player,” said Arena. “He is just an intelligent player but the goal he scored was set up by Emma.”
Atlanta United ended 56 minutes for frustration when striker Giorgos Giakoumakis scored his ninth of the season. Atlanta tied the game 2-2 in the 74th minute when Almada navigated his way through a gauntlet of Revolution defenders to notch his seventh. Substitute striker Miguel Berry gave the hosts the lead with his first in the 87th minute.