Revs Snap Rut in Jones’ Return
- Updated: July 22, 2017
Photo credit: Kari Heistad/capturedimages.biz
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Former Revolution designated player Jermaine Jones made his return to Gillette Stadium as a member of the Galaxy, but the hosts emerged with a 4-3 win to snap a four-game losing streak in league play.
Jones, who spurred the Revolution to the MLS Cup final in 2014 after he was awarded the richest contract in club history, started and went 45 minutes for LA in his first appearance in New England since 2015.
Lee Nguyen, who partnered with Jones in the Revolution midfield in 2014 and 2015, opened the scoring in the 16th minute. The Galaxy equalized in the 22nd minute on a Daniel Steres header before Kei Kamara reclaimed the lead with a strike in the 34th minute.
Steres collected his second equalizer in the 53rd minute before Teal Bunbury nodded through the go-ahead in the 70th minute before securing another in the 73rd minute. The Galaxy brought one back in the 79th minute on a shot from Ariel Lassiter that deflected through.
The match opened in lively fashion as both teams traded quick passes and darting runs. Kamara nearly chipped keeper Brian Rowe from 40 yards before his shot landed on top of the net in the 10th minute.
Giovani dos Santos pocketed a ball deeper in his own end and sent his shot skipping wide of Brad Knighton’s net in the 14th minute. Knighton was given the surprise start – only his second in league play this season – over no. 1 Cody Cropper.
The early fireworks gave way to paydirt for the hosts. Diego Fagundez sent a ball down the left for Kelyn Rowe, who was immediately forced off it by Jelle Van Damme. But the ball fortuitously fell to an advancing Nguyen, who ran toward goal and fired a shot that deflected off Steres and into the back of the net inside of 16 minutes.
But Steres would get some measure of revenge not long after. In the 22nd minute, he got on the end of a Romain Alessandrini cross and nodded it through from the doorstep to make it a level match.
Meanwhile, Jones, who showcased a familiar edge on the pitch against his ex-teammates, was carded in the 24th minute after he cleaned out Nguyen near the left touchline.
Kamara, who hadn’t scored since May, restored the advantage shortly after the half four when he grabbed a pass from Fagundez and ripped a shot past Rowe in the 34th minute.
That lead, perhaps predictably, didn’t last. In the kind of defensive breakdown that’s dogged the Revolution all season, Steres pounced on the remnants of an Alessandrini corner and put it through inside the six to make it two-all in the 53rd minute.
Bunbury came off the bench in the 66th minute to spell Scott Caldwell, and wasted little time making an impact.
In the 70th minute, Fagundez found Rowe on the right where the recent U.S. callup crossed it for Bunbury, who drilled into the Galaxy net for the go-ahead goal. The versatile veteran then added another three minutes later when he got on the end of an Andrew Farrell cross to put more distance the Galaxy.
But the Galaxy did not go down quietly. In the 79th minute, another scramble in front of the Revolution net set the stage for a goal from the guests, with Lassiter proving to be the beneficiary after he blasted a shot that caromed off Farrell and Knighton before it settled into the back of the net.
With the win, the Revolution (6-9-5, 23 points) notched their first win in league play since Jun. 3. The Galaxy (6-10-4, 22 points) were forced to stomach their fifth-straight loss.
The Revolution return to action on Saturday, Jul. 29 when they host the Philadelphia Union. Kickoff is 7:30pm. In their last encounter, the Union handed the locals a 3-0 defeat at Talen Energy Stadium on Jul. 2.
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