PORTLAND, Ore. – Not all points are created equal.
Take, for instance, Wednesday night’s 2-2 draw with the Portland Timbers at Providence Park, a result that felt much more like a win for the New England Revolution considering the circumstances.
A pair of goals from Jeremy Ebobisse had the Revs in a 2-0 hole into the 87th minute, and their prospects looked bleak. But then Gustavo Bou’s eighth goal of the season gave them hope, before Carles Gil’s team-leading 10th tally – a cool-as-you-like penalty in the 97th minute – sparked a wild celebration.
The result: a draw that meant so much more than one point in the standings.
“The resiliency in this team is incredible,” said goalkeeper Brad Knighton, who started his first game since June 26 as one of seven changes to the starting XI. “You’ve seen it over the last couple months, the transformation of this team, and the bits and pieces that we’ve done throughout the summer months to get us to this point. There’s always going to be that fight and determination.
“When we were 2-0 down, no one probably gave us a chance to come back, but we kept fighting, kept clawing, and the guys that came in off the bench tonight had a real big impact on us getting a result here.”
Indeed, all three substitutes played a part in the Revolution’s comeback. Cristian Penilla and Teal Bunbury combined to set up Bou’s goal, while Wilfried Zahibo was pulled down in the box – spotted by the Video Assistant Referee – to set up Gil’s dramatic late penalty.
The goal was Gil’s 10th of the season to go along with his team-leading 14 assists, making him just the third player in MLS this season – and the second in Revolution history, joining Lee Nguyen – to reach double digits in goals and assists.
In that moment, Gil’s teammates knew there was only going to be one outcome.
“Never a doubt,” Bunbury said. “I mean, this guy’s unbelievable. That can be a nerve-wracking moment, and he was confident the whole time. Just huge for us.”
The draw – New England’s sixth in their last eight games (1-1-6) – puts the Revs on the verge of clinching the Eastern Conference’s seventh and final playoff berth with two games remaining.
It’s as simple as this: a win in Sunday’s home finale against New York City FC would guarantee the Revs a spot in the Audi 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs, and their first postseason appearance since 2015.
For a side that was mired at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings in mid-May, it would be a just reward for the remarkable turnaround that has seen them go 8-2-10 in their last 20 games.
“I’ll take that, definitely,” sporting director and head coach Bruce Arena said of having the opportunity to secure a playoff spot with a win at home. “I’d take it back in May, and I’ll take it now. Obviously it’s going to be a very difficult game with arguably one of the best teams in the league on Sunday.”
“That would mean a lot,” Bunbury said of clinching at home. “I think it would mean a lot for our fans, too, sticking with us through this wild season. The next few days we’re going to kind of decompress from this game, and kind of look over where we can still improve.
“Playoffs aren’t clinched yet, and we have an opportunity to do that, so we’ve got to make sure we take advantage.”
