ORLANDO, Fla. – The same old issues plagued the New England Revolution on Saturday night at Orlando City Stadium, where the Revs conceded a pair of goals from set pieces – including Scott Sutter’s equalizer in the third minute of stoppage time – as they settled for a frustrating 3-3 draw.
It was the fifth time this season the Revs have dropped points when leading at halftime – they’re 5-1-4 in those scenarios – and the third time they’ve dropped points when leading after the 75th minute.
While the draw snapped New England’s three-game skid and provided what could prove to be a vital point in the tight Eastern Conference playoff race, it was – much like the Revs’ 3-3 draw in Vancouver earlier this season – a result that felt more like a loss.
“Everyone should know that at the end of halves, that’s when teams can kind of gain an edge, gain a mental advantage, and right now we’re lacking in that area, to be honest,” said Teal Bunbury, who featured as a substitute for the first time this season and bagged his team-leading 11th goal. “We try to be positive and we’re going to keep working and keep grinding, but enough is enough.”
A dominant first-half performance saw the visitors take a 2-0 lead inside 20 minutes through Juan Agudelo and Cristian Penilla, and although Orlando pulled level at 2-2 in the 71st minute, Bunbury’s slick finish five minutes later had the Revs in position to take the three points.
Head coach Brad Friedel pointed to several factors in letting the lead slip – including an inability to kill the game off in the first half and a lack of focus on set pieces – but in many senses he was pleased with his side’s effort on a hot and humid Florida night.
That, perhaps, is what made the end result most maddening.
“It’s a difficult one, because I’m really upset, but I’m also really happy with the performance and the effort of the guys,” said Friedel. “We’re playing away from home – I thought we made it our home pitch. So many things were so good, and again, those little details.
“I didn’t see them hardly getting a shot, let alone three goals. So that side of things is disappointing, but it is what it is. We got the draw, we’ll have to wait and see how results go, and then we have a week of training and another big one next weekend.”
That big one next weekend is against the Philadelphia Union, two points back of the Revs for the final playoff spot in the East before a late-night Saturday meeting with the Portland Timbers.
It’ll be the Revolution’s first home game since July 14 and their only home game in the month of August, and with a road trip to Philadelphia looming in just three weeks, it’s an opportunity the Revs know they simply cannot let slip away.
“You might hear it a lot, but for us, it should be a must-win game,” said Bunbury. “We’re at home, we’re close with Philly right there, there’s not many games left in the season, and we have to take full advantage of playing at home in front of our fans and making sure we get three points.”
“We have to take the next game like a final,” added Diego Fagundez, who put together a strong performance while playing as a false nine in Orlando. “Make sure that we win in front of our crowd, make sure that we take three points. That’s the only way to start a streak.”
