Offense Roars in Revs 1st Win
- Updated: March 25, 2017
Photo credit: Kari Heistad/capturedimages.biz
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Juan Agudelo scored twice before the break as the Revolution cruised to a 5-2 win over expansion the Minnesota United on Saturday at Gillette Stadium.
Agudelo struck inside of four minutes when he nodded through a Chris Tierney cross from eight yards out, and grabbed another on a close range effort in the 41st minute.
Tierney, Kei Kamara, and Lee Nguyen were also a part of the Revolution’s impromptu goalscoring party. Kamara tallied in the 21st minute while Nguyen struck from the spot in the 32nd minute after Agudelo was hauled down inside the box by defender Vadim Demidov. Tierney scored from the spot in the 53rd minute in the wake of a foul on Diego Fagundez inside the area.
Collen Warner scored Minnesota’s first goal in the 15th minute on a long skipping effort that lodged itself in the New England net while Brent Kallman collected the other in the 49th minute on a free header.
What it means: Nothing like facing a defensively-challenged Minnesota United to spark an attack back to life. After scoring only one in their first 180 minutes of the young season, New England knocked through four before halftime alone, and added another after the break for good measure. While the Revolution probably won’t face a team as generous as the Loons again this season, it’s safe to say the attack did get some of its swagger back on Saturday.
Stat of the match: The four first half tallies were the most scored by the Revolution before the break since a 5-0 win over Seattle in May 2014. The feat has been accomplished four times in club history.
Agudelo starts up top: After back-to-back nods at central attacking midfielder, Agudelo returned to his usual forward’s spot on Saturday. To say the move paid off would be an understatement as the striker bagged his first brace in MLS since a 5-1 win over Philadelphia on Aug. 25, 2013.
Kouassi on the bench: Designated player Xavier Kouassi was left off the XI a week after making his Revolution debut at Dallas. The Ivory Coast international was available for selection, but did not make an appearance.
Shuttleworth back in Foxboro: Longtime Revolution goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth got the start between the sticks for the Loons on Saturday. Shuttleworth, who spent eight seasons in New England (2009-2016), was traded to Minnesota in February for Fem Hollinger-Janzen. Prior to the match, a collection Shuttleworth’s best saves was played on the Gillette Stadium video board.
First look at Minnesota: Saturday’s match was the first time the Revolution faced the Loons and, unfortunately for local supporters, the only occasion in which the sides will meet during regular season play.
Portland awaits: The Revolution will look to keep their scoring run intact next Sunday when they hit the road to face the Portland Timbers at Providence Park in Portland, Oreg. Last year, the Revolution settled for a 1-1 home draw against the Timbers in their only meeting of the 2016 season.
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