COLUMBUS, Ohio – The New England Revolution (2-4-4; 10 pts.) fell to Columbus Crew SC (5-4-1; 16 pts.), 2-0, at MAPFRE Stadium on Saturday evening. Despite recording 18 shots and forcing five saves from Crew SC goalkeeper Zack Steffen, the Revolution didn't find the back of the net. Columbus forward Ola Kamara and midfielder Federico Higuain scored on either side of halftime to give the home side the win.
In the 71st minute of tonight's match, midfielder Scott Caldwell became the second MLS Homegrown field player to eclipse 10,000 regular season minutes played. Teammate Diego Fagundez became the first Homegrown field player to reach that mark in New England's win against Houston on April 8. Only one other Homegrown Player, D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid, has eclipsed the 10,000 minutes played milestone.
New England returns to action next Saturday, May 13, when the club hosts Real Salt Lake at Gillette Stadium. The match kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast locally on CSN New England, where Brad Feldman, Paul Mariner, and Naoko Funayama will be on the call. Fans can also listen on the radio in English on 98.5 The Sports Hub and in Portuguese on 1570 WMVX Nossa Radio.
New England Revolution 0, Columbus Crew SC 2
May 6, 2017 – MAPFRE Stadium (Columbus, Ohio)
Revolution Drop Away Match to Columbus Crew SC
- The Revolution fell to Columbus Crew SC, 2-0, on Saturday night, bringing New England's record to 2-4-4 (10 pts.) through the first 10 matches of the season.
- New England's road record now stands at 0-4-2 in 2017.
Caldwell Becomes Second MLS Homegrown Field Player to 10,000 Minutes
- In the 71st minute of tonight's match, midfielder Scott Caldwell became the second MLS Homegrown field player to reach 10,000 regular season minutes played.
- Caldwell joins teammate Diego Fagundez as the only Homegrown field players in League history to reach the mark. D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid is the only other Homegrown Player to eclipse the 10,000-minute milestone.
- Caldwell, a native of Braintree, Mass., is the Revolution's second ever Homegrown Player signing. His career totals include more than 130 appearances, 109 starts, two goals, and 14 assists.
Rowe Makes Third Consecutive Start at Left Back
- Kelyn Rowe started at left back for the third consecutive match and the fourth time in New England's last six matches.
- Rowe, who now owns seven career starts at either left back or right back, recorded 81 touches, three shots, and three chances created in tonight's match.
- The Revolution are now 3-1-3 when Rowe starts along the back line.
Nguyen Active in the Final Third, Matches Career High in Shots
- Midfielder Lee Nguyen was among the Revolution's most active players in the attack, finishing the match with six shots, two shots on target, a team-best 88 touches, and three chances created.
- Nguyen's six shots in a single match equal his previous single-game career high. He also recorded six shots against Philadelphia on Aug. 29, 2015, Sporting Kansas City on Sept. 3, 2014, and LA Galaxy on July 16, 2014.
Revolution Make One Change to Starting XI
- Revolution Head Coach Jay Heaps made one change to the club’s starting lineup from its most recent match on April 29 at Seattle Sounders FC, with defender Josh Smith replacing defender Benjamin Angoua in central defense.
- Forward Brian Wright, New England's first round selection in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft, made his second consecutive appearance in the 18-man match day roster.
- Midfielder Zachary Herivaux was unavailable for selection in tonight's match as he remains on loan with San Antonio FC. Goalkeeper Matt Turner was also unavailable for selection as he completes a short-term loan with the Richmond Kickers.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
- 13th minute (GOAL) – Crew SC forward Ola Kamara opens the scoring for Columbus, curling a right-footed shot inside of the far post and out of Cody Cropper's reach (WATCH).
- 21st minute (SHOT) – Midfielder Lee Nguyen nearly equalizes as he unleashes a powerful, right-footed shot from about 30 yards out that strikes the crossbar (WATCH).
- 31st minute (CHANCE) – A corner kick from Lee Nguyen makes its way through the six-yard box and defender Josh Smith just narrowly misses connecting on a diving header at the back post (WATCH).
- 38th minute (SHOT) – Diego Fagundez sets up on the edge of the 19-yard box and rips a right-footed shot at the near post that sails just wide of the net (WATCH).
- 41st minute (SHOT) – Just three minutes later, Diego Fagundez generates another scoring opportunity, corralling a rebound outside of the 18-yard box and firing off a powerful line drive that forces a save from Crew SC goalkeeper Zack Steffen (WATCH).
- 49th minute (SAVE) – Goalkeeper Cody Cropper positions himself well to cut off a shot on target from Crew SC midfielder Justin Meram (WATCH).
- 53rd minute (GOAL) – Crew SC midfielder Federico Higuain doubles the home side's lead after a give-and-go with forward Ola Kamara and a clinical finish (WATCH).
- 81st minute (CHANCE) – The Revolution nearly pull one back in the 81st minute, but Zack Steffen submits impressive back-to-back saves on both Lee Nguyen and Diego Fagundez to preserve Columbus' lead (WATCH).
GAME CAPSULE
Referee: Mark Geiger
Assistant Referees: Peter Manikowski (AR1), Felisha Mariscal (AR2)
Fourth Official: Fotis Bazakos
Weather: 55 Degrees and Cloudy
Attendance: 13,340
Scoring Summary:
CLB – Ola Kamara 6 (Justin Meram 4, Federico Higuain 5) 13'
CLB – Federico Higuain 3 (Ola Kamara 1, Zack Steffen) 53'
Misconduct Summary:
CLB – Jonathan Mensah (Yellow Card – Unsporting Behavior) 15'
CLB – Nicolai Naess (Yellow Card – Unsporting Behavior) 69'
NE – Je-Vaughn Watson (Yellow Card – Unsporting Behavior) 77'
NE – Antonio Delamea (Yellow Card – Unsporting Behavior) 81'
New England Revolution: Cody Cropper; Kelyn Rowe, Josh Smith, Antonio Delamea, Andrew Farrell (Chris Tierney 77'); Xavier Kouassi; Daigo Kobayashi (Je-Vaughn Watson 57'), Scott Caldwell (Femi Hollinger-Janzen 82'); Diego Fagundez; Lee Nguyen ©, Juan Agudelo
Substitutes Not Used: Brad Knighton, Benjamin Angoua, London Woodberry, Brian Wright
Columbus Crew SC: Zack Steffen; Waylon Francis, Jonathan Mensah, Josh Williams, Hector Jimenez (Jukka Raitala 87); Nicolai Naess, Wil Trapp; Justin Meram, Federico Higuain (Alex Crognale 80'), Ethan Finlay (Niko Hansen 73'); Ola Kamara
Substitutes Not Used: Logan Ketterer, Mohammed Abu, Kekuta Manneh, Adam Jahn
