FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution (11-14-5; 38 pts.) defeated Toronto FC (18-5-8; 62 pts.), 2-1, in dramatic fashion before a crowd of 19,303 at Gillette Stadium on Saturday evening. Midfielder Lee Nguyen broke a scoreless deadlock in the 82nd minute with the 50th goal of his MLS career. Two minutes later Toronto FC defender Nicolas Hasler equalized for the Reds, but forward Kei Kamara responded with the game-winning goal – a headed shot off a set piece – in the 87th minute.
Playing under Interim Head Coach Tom Soehn for the first time, New England extended its home winning streak to six games. Nguyen, who recorded a goal and an assist in tonight's match, became the second player in club history to eclipse 50 goals. He also became the first MLS player to register both 10 goals and 10 assists this season. With another assist, Nguyen will become the third active player and the 19th player in league history to join the 50 goal/50 assist club.
Kamara's goal was the 98th regular season tally of his MLS career, which brings him within two of becoming the 10th player in league history reach 100. Defender Chris Tierney picked up assists on both Nguyen and Kamara's goals, giving him 40 for his career.
New England returns to action on Wednesday, Sept. 27, when it will travel to Orlando City Stadium to play Orlando City SC. The match kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast locally on CSN New England, where Brad Feldman and Paul Mariner will be on the call. Fans may also listen on the radio in English on 98.5 The Sports Hub and in Portuguese on 1570 WMVX Nossa Radio.
New England Revolution 2, Toronto FC 1
September 23, 2017 – Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, Mass.)
Revolution Tie All-Time Single-Season Record for Home Wins, Defeat Toronto FC, 2-1
- The Revolution defeated Toronto FC, 2-1, on Saturday night to bring the club’s record to 11-14-5 (38 pts.) through 30 matches this season.
- New England's all-time record against Toronto FC improves to 12-6-9, including a 9-2-4 mark in matches played at Gillette Stadium.
- With the win, the Revolution tied the club record of 11 home wins in a season, which was also reached in 2014 and 1997.
Nguyen Becomes First MLS Player to Record at least 10 Goals, 10 Assists in 2017
- Midfielder Lee Nguyen contributed both a goal and an assist in tonight's victory. After appearing as a substitute in the 64th minute, Nguyen scored in the 82nd minute and registered a game-winning assist on Kei Kamara's goal in the 87th minute.
- Nguyen, who has recorded 10 goals and 15 assists on the season, is the first MLS player to record at least 10 goals and 10 assists during the 2017 MLS regular season. Having previously recorded 18 goals in 2014 and 10 assists in 2015 and 2016, this season marks the first time Nguyen has reached double figures in both goals and assists in the same season.
- With his next assist, Lee Nguyen will become the 19th player in MLS history to record at least 50 goals and 50 assists in a career. Only two active players, Portland's Diego Valeri (55G/51A) and FC Dallas' Javier Morales (50G/82A), have achieved this feat.
Tierney Records 40th Career Assist in Multi-Assist Performance
- Defender Chris Tierney registered a pair of assists in tonight's contest. The Wellesley, Mass. native recorded an assist on Lee Nguyen's 82nd minute strike, as well as a game-winning assist on Kei Kamara's 87th minute headed effort. In 22 matches, including 16 starts, Tierney has recorded five assists on the season. The defender previously had a multi-assist game on May 13, when the Revs defeated Real Salt Lake, 4-0.
- With his second assist, Tierney recorded his 40th career MLS assist. The Revolution left back is the third player in club history to reach that plateau, joining Steve Ralston (73 assists) and Lee Nguyen (49 assists).
Kamara Heads Home Late Game-Winner
- Forward Kei Kamara scored his 12th goal of the season in the 87th minute of tonight's contest. The Kenema, Sierra Leone native leads all Revolution players in goals this season, and has now recorded 12 goals in a single season for just the second time in his career.
- Kamara has scored eight goals since the beginning of July, tied for fourth most among all MLS players in that span.
Bunbury Makes 125th Career MLS Start
- Forward Teal Bunbury earned his 125th career MLS start in tonight's contest. The Revolution forward has played a significant role for the Revolution since the beginning of July, appearing in all 13 matches, including 10 starts. During that time, Bunbury has recorded seven goals and one assist for the Revs.
- In his 201 career appearances, Bunbury has scored 36 goals and has recorded 21 assists with Kansas City (2010-13) and New England (2014-present).
Caldwell Registers 150th Career MLS Appearance
- Midfielder Scott Caldwell made his 150th career MLS and Revolution appearance in tonight's match. In 2017, the Revolution midfielder has made 28 appearances, including 21 starts, where he has scored one goal and has tied his previous single-season high of five assists.
- Earlier this season, Caldwell became the second MLS Homegrown field player to reach 10,000 career minutes played.
Revolution Make Four Changes to Starting XI
- Revolution Interim Head Coach Tom Soehn made four changes to the club’s starting lineup from its most recent MLS match on Sept. 16 at Sporting Kansas City, as Juan Agudelo, Cody Cropper, Antonio Delamea, and Diego Fagundez replaced Andrew Farrell, Brad Knighton, Krisztián Németh, and Lee Nguyen.
- Midfielder Krisztián Németh was unavailable for selection due to red card suspension.
- Defender Donnie Smith was unavailable for selection as he remains on loan with the Charlotte Independence (USL).
GAME CAPSULE
Referee: Alan Kelly
Assistant Referees: Matthew Nelson (AR1), Kyle Longville (AR2)
Fourth Official: Chris Penso
VAR: Guido Gonzales Jr.
Weather: 75 Degrees and Clear
Attendance: 19,303
Scoring Summary:
NE – Lee Nguyen 10 (Chris Tierney 4) 82'
TOR – Nicolas Hasler 3 (Michael Bradley 2) 84'
NE – Kei Kamara 12 (Lee Nguyen 15, Chris Tierney 5) 87'
Misconduct Summary:
TOR – Víctor Vázquez (Yellow Card – Dissent) 61'
NE – Kei Kamara (Yellow Card – Time Wasting) 90'+3'
New England Revolution: Cody Cropper; Chris Tierney ©, Claude Dielna, Antonio Delamea, Benjamin Angoua; Scott Caldwell (Xavier Kouassi 66'), Gershon Koffie, Diego Fagundez (Je-Vaughn Watson 85'), Juan Agudelo; Teal Bunbury (Lee Nguyen 64'), Kei Kamara
Substitutes Not Used: Brad Knighton, Andrew Farrell, Daigo Kobayashi, Femi Hollinger-Janzen
Toronto FC: Clint Irwin; Justin Morrow, Steven Beitashour, Drew Moor; Raheem Edwards, Jonathan Osorio (Jordan Hamilton 68'), Michael Bradley, Marco Delgado, Nicolas Hasler; Victor Vazquez (Jay Chapman 76'); Tosaint Ricketts (Armando Cooper 77')
Substitutes Not Used: Alex Bono, Tsubasa Endoh, Ben Spencer, Oyvind Alseth
