The New England Revolution looked to be in firm control of the first half of play in their
2-2 draw with the Chicago Fire on Saturday night
, especially after
Lee Nguyen’s 28th minute goal
gave them the first lead of the game.
Then in the 43rd minute, looking to clear a corner kick from
Shaun Maloney
, Revs defender
Jose Goncalves
stepped towards the top of the box on a free ball and was called for a foul on Chicago's
David Accam
coming into on the play.
“I am 100 percent sure I never touched the guy and I touched the ball,” Goncalves said after the match. “That’s the same what the player Accam said, 'He never touched me.' I think it was not enough for the referee and he decided it was a penalty. But we kept going because we knew we were controlling the game.”
The ensuing penalty kick was slotted home by Maloney just before halftime, sending the teams to the locker rooms tied at one.
It was the seventh time this season that the Revolution have been called for an infraction inside the box, most in the league, and for the sixth time the opposition converted.
Despite that wind being taken out of their sails, and again in the 75th minute when
Razvan Cocis
knocked home another bounding ball in the box off a corner, the Revs remained steadfast in their gameplan, keeping solid defensive shape in open play that allowed them to remain in the match.
“It’s still another good shape performance from us,” said coach Jay Heaps of his club’s efforts. “Meaning, we were in the right spots. We gave up two goals from set pieces. We defended the first cross well, but then it was a penalty kick on the first one and on the second one was the same type of thing where the ball’s scrambling and we’ve got to do a bit better. Other than that, I didn’t feel like we were totally exposed and that’s much better from a team defensive performance.”
It would only take two minutes for the Revs to strike back, after
Kelyn Rowe
miraculously found the ball on his foot at the far past following a low
Chris Tierney
cross that baffled the Chicago defense and left 'keeper
Sean Johnson
stunned.
“It’s just one of those plays that when you got a guy like Chris with the ball and his left foot, he’s always going to put in a dangerous ball, he’s always going to find a way to sneak it around,” Rowe said. “Yeah, there’s a little bit of luck involved, of course.”
The Revs couldn’t bag any more luck down the stretch, seeing Rowe miss Davies across the box late. Then another late Davies effort was waved off due to an offside call.
Although they wished for more, the Revolution should be able to look back and be content on capturing a point on the road, their first since a May 8 draw in Orlando.
“We wanted to get the three points,” Heaps said. “[Chicago] fought hard, they’re a good team. They dug in and took the lead on us and it took a good reaction from us.”
Craig Forde covers the New England Revolution for MLSsoccer.com.
