ORLANDO, Florida – Conceding a penalty inside 15 seconds and a go-ahead goal in second-half stoppage time isn’t typically the recipe for a road result, but the New England Revolution managed that feat on Sunday afternoon as they took home a point from a wild 2-2 draw with Orlando City SC.
The Revs were pegged back by a pair of potentially devastating goals at the Citrus Bowl – Kaka’s early penalty kick and Kevin Molino’s 92nd-minute strike – but the visitors fought back on both occasions, equalizing first through Teal Bunbury and then through a dramatic Lee Nguyen penalty kick.
“It was wild from the start,” said Nguyen, who created a season-high five chances according to Opta. “We had to fight back from the beginning. The team showed great togetherness, great effort, great character to fight back twice. I’m proud of the guys for fighting all the way through the 90 minutes.”
Bunbury and Nguyen both notched their first goals of the season – becoming the sixth and seventh Revolution players to score through seven games – but it was Nguyen’s tally from the penalty spot that carried most of the drama on a warm afternoon in Orlando.
Molino’s stoppage-time strike was tinged with controversy as the Orlando City forward appeared to handle the ball before blasting past Bobby Shuttleworth, and there was more hubbub when Nguyen’s cross was adjudged to have been handled by Orlando midfielder Servando Carrasco minutes later.
Originally given as a free kick outside the box, referee Baldomero Toledo eventually changed the call after consulting with his fellow officials, and awarded the Revs a penalty kick after a lengthy discussion.
Under the circumstances Nguyen was happy to wait, even if it did enhance the drama.
“For me it helped because I was able to catch my breath and slow my heartrate down,” Nguyen said with a laugh. “I didn’t mind the long wait.
“It was crazy because that was probably one of the loudest moments I’ve ever had to step up for a PK. The wind wasn’t helping; it was blowing pretty hard. It was one of those where you practice 100 times in training for these moments. I was happy to bury it and help get the point for our team.”
The draw was New England’s fifth through seven games this season and they’ve now taken a point from three of their four road trips in 2016. They’ll need a similar tenacity next weekend when they head to RFK Stadium to visit D.C. United, but that’s a quality the Revs have shown in spades in recent weeks.
“We went into a place that’s tough to play – they have a very hostile environment, a good team – and we were able to get a result,” said Bunbury. “We were able to show our composure and we were able to score a couple goals.
“I’m just very happy with the way it turned out. Getting a point on the road is huge for us.”
