The New England Revolution suffered a controversial 2-1 loss to the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night, snapping their seven-game unbeaten streak. Despite a valiant effort, the Revolution were unable to secure a favorable result due to several contentious decisions.
The turning point of the match came in the 60th minute when New England midfielder Latif Blessing was shown a red card, leaving his team with just 10 men for the remainder of the game. New York capitalized on their numerical advantage and took the lead in the 58th minute through midfielder Frankie Amaya.
Despite being a man down, the Revolution fought back and equalized in the 79th minute when right back Brandon Bye found the back of the net. It seemed as though they had secured a hard-fought point, but their joy was short-lived.
In the 85th minute, Red Bulls midfielder Wikelman Carmona scored what would ultimately be the game-winning goal. However, controversy surrounded the deciding goal, with the Revolution arguing that it should have been disallowed due to a deflection off a Red Bulls player.
Furthermore, the Revolution felt aggrieved in stoppage time when a goal by Andrew Farrell was disallowed after the referee determined that striker Giacomo Vrioni had interfered with the sightline of Red Bulls goalkeeper Carlos Coronel. This was the third time this year that the team had a goal taken away due to a VAR (Video Assistant Referee) interpretation.
It was a poor game, poor quality, and the conditions were tough, and we didn’t play well, said Revolution head coach Bruce Arena, reflecting on the disappointing result. The absence of playmaker and team captain Carles Gil, who was serving a one-game suspension for accumulating yellow cards, was keenly felt by the team.
Looking ahead, the Revolution (10-4-7) remain in third place in the Eastern Conference and will resume their Major League Soccer (MLS) campaign on Wednesday night against Atlanta United FC at Gillette Stadium.
In an effort to turn their fortunes around, Arena made several personnel changes and rearranged the team’s formation. The starting lineup featured a 4-3-3 scheme, with homegrown rookie Esmir Bajraktarevic leading the attack alongside Gustavo Bou and Bobby Wood. Emmanuel Boateng assumed the role of center midfielder in place of Gil, supported by Matt Poster and Latif Blessing on the flanks. Ben Sweat also started at center back, replacing Ryan Spaulding.
Despite the setback, the Revolution will now focus on regaining their momentum and building on the positive results they have achieved so far this season. Maintaining a balanced perspective, Arena acknowledged the impact of Carles Gil’s absence but remained committed to finding solutions and getting the team back on track.
In conclusion, the New England Revolution’s unbeaten streak came to an end with a controversial 2-1 loss to the New York Red Bulls. The team faced adversity with a red card and disputed calls, causing frustration for the players and coaching staff. However, they remain determined to bounce back and continue their pursuit of success in the Eastern Conference.
