Comeback Kings

Photo credit: Kari Heistad/capturedimages.biz

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution won their fifth straight match on Saturday, coming back from their third straight another early deficit to defeat the Montreal Impact 2-1 in front 19,665 on a rainy night at Gillette Stadium. Calum Mallace gave the Impact a 13^th minute lead with his first MLS goal, but Kelyn Rowe equalized in the 23^rd minute and then Lee Nguyen scored the winner two minutes later.

The win keeps the Revolution (13-12-3, 42 points) in third place in the Eastern Conference. While hapless Montreal (5-17-6, 21 points) remains rooted to the cellar of the MLS standings. The result also gave New England its second five game winning streak of the season, which is tied for the longest winning streak in MLS this year. The Revolution also holds the longest losing streak at eight games.

Head coach Jay Heaps made three changes to the line-up that won 2-1 against the Chicago Fire on Sunday. Charlie Davies replaced Patrick Mullins up top, Daigo Kobayashi started in central midfield over Scott Caldwell and Teal Bunbury started over Diego Fagundez on the wing.

The Revolution threatened first in the third minute on free kick about 35 yards from goal. U.S. International Jermaine Jones took the set piece and hit a low shot along the wet surface that force a diving save out of Troy Perkins.

Montreal threatened in the eighth minute after getting forward down the right flank. Andres Romero found Dilly Duka in the left side of the box with a low pass and Duka juked around Andrew Farrell before hitting a low shot towards the far post that Bobby Shuttleworth did well to get down fast and make the save.

But Calum Mallace would put the Impact in the lead in the 13^th minute with his first career MLS goal. Jack McInerney got the ball in the box off a long ball from Mamadou Danso and benefited from Farrell losing his footing. McInerney drew Shuttleworth out of the net then played a square pass to Mallace, who hit it into the empty net.

Ten minutes later the Revolution would equalize after a poorly cleared Jones cross fell to Kelyn Rowe about 30 yards out. Rowe took a touch and then blasted a shot on frame that Perkins got a touch on, but couldn’t save. The goal was Rowe’s fourth of the season.

Just two minutes after, in the 25^th minute, Lee Nguyen put the Revolution ahead. Jones played the ball to Charlie Davies who headed it into the box where it somehow eluded two Montreal defenders and found Nguyen. Nguyen cut into the box then beautifully chipped a shot over Troy Perkins to make it 2-1 with his 14^th goal of the season.

Davies came close to adding to the Revolution’s lead in first half stoppage time after a blocked Kelyn Rowe shot fell back to Daigo Kobayashi. Kobayashi quickly played the ball to Davies in the right side of the box and Davies hit a powerful low shot to the near post that Perkins could only tip wide for a corner.

Jones was substituted out due to a left foot injury at half time for Scott Caldwell.

Five minutes into the second half, it was Davies again with a chance to build on the lead after some nice play by Scott Caldwell to get into the box. Caldwell sent a pass to Davies near the penalty spot and the former U.S. international turned and blasted a shot that sailed high of the target.

Soon after, in the 53^rd minute, Eric Miller nearly equalized when a pass from the left flank snuck through the Revolution defense and found Miller wide open. Miller drilled a shot towards goal, but it was denied by the post and went back into play before the Revolution cleared.

Nguyen then threatened off a free kick from about 25 yards, but his effort was right into the hands of Perkins. Bunbury also had a chance with a volley in the 59^th minute, but his shot was too close to Perkins.

Things got better for the home side in the 62^nd minute, when New England was handed a man advantage after Krzysztof Krol saw his second yellow card and subsequent red card for a challenge on Rowe.

Two minutes later Nguyen had a chance, when he broke through the right side of the box and got close to goal. Nguyen hit a shot that Perkins slowed, but couldn’t stop and Miller slid in to clear it off the line.

Davies threatened with a left-footed shot off a feed from Bunbury in the 69^th minute, but he too was denied by Perkins.

Davies and Bunbury were then subbed out in the 76^th minute for Geoffrey Castillion, making his debut, and Diego Fagundez, respectively.

Perkins kept the margin at one with two big late saves, one off of a Nguyen shot off a free kick to the near post and another off a shot from Fagundez on a tight angle. Perkins would finish with eight saves.

New England finished the match with an 18 to 10 advantage in shots, including a 10 to two edge in shots on goal. New England also controlled 60.6% of the possession and finished with 85.1% passing accuracy.

With just six regular season games remaining, the Revolution hit the road to face the Columbus Crew next Saturday at 7:30 p.m.