Going Out with a Bang
- Updated: October 23, 2016
Photo credit: Kari Heistad/capturedimages.biz
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – With little else to play for besides pride, the New England Revolution authored a lively performance that allowed them to grab a 3-0 victory against the playoff-bound Montreal Impact in Sunday’s regular season finale at Gillette Stadium.
Diego Fagundez opened the scoring inside of the 13 minutes on a free kick blast from just outside the area to give the Revolution a lead they did not relinquish. Juan Agudelo made it a two-goal margin in the 60th minute when he ran at goal and let it fly before it found the back of the net. Kei Kamara, who entered the game with five goals in his last three games vs. Montreal this year, capped the scoring in the 71st minute.
A week after they were effectively eliminated by virtue of their defeat to the Fire, the Revolution were officially denied of a playoff spot at the conclusion on Sunday’s match. They entered their clash against the Impact needing to make up a 12-goal deficit on goal differential to break a tie with the sixth-place Philadelphia Union. With Philadelphia’s 2-0 loss at New York Red Bulls, the gap was narrowed to seven.
Mid-season acquisition Cody Cropper got his first start of the season between the sticks and made three stops in his Revolution debut. He made a YouTube-worthy save in the 48th minute when adroitly leaped to his left to deny a David Choiniere shot from distance.
Cropper is the first Revolution keeper to wear the no. 1 shirt since club legend Matt Reis, who retired following the 2013 season.
New England had no fewer than four chances to narrow the goal differential gap even further if it wasn’t for the woodwork. Kamara, Agudelo, Fagundez and Scott Caldwell all fired shots that beat Evan Bush before hitting the post or crossbar.
Sunday’s match did not end before a Homegrown switch was made in stoppage time as Zachary Herivaux came on to spell Fagundez seconds before the final whistle.
With the win, the Revolution finish the season in seventh-place with an 11-14-9 (42 points) record, but fell short of the postseason for the first time since 2012.
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