Revolution salvage 2-2 draw in season opener in Chicago

The New England Revolution earned a hard point in the season opener against the Chicago Fire on Saturday night at Soldier Field.

The Revs rebounded from an early two-goal deficit to salvage a 2-2 draw in a game where they were outplayed and got some lucky breaks.

The Revolution will play their home opener Saturday against D.C. United at Gillette Stadium.

The game began with an abnormal amount of scoring in the opening 15 minutes. The Fire went up 1-0 in the fifth minute on a back line giveaway outside the box. Defender Boris Sekulic took a feed and streaked into the penalty area with striker Robert Beric on the opposite flank. Sekulic lured center back Andrew Farrell and keeper Matt Turner to his side before setting up Beric to his left for an uncontested kick in.

The Fire went ahead 2-0 on another defensive breakdown inside the scoring area in the 11th minute. Przemysław Frankowski crossed the ball to Beric on the right side of the goal and made a one-touch feed to Luka Stojanovic. The heavy midfielder effortlessly booted the ball past the outstretched arm of Turner in the 11th minute.

The Revolution regrouped, made a deep probe into the Fire zone and cut the lead to 2-1 on a set piece in the 14th minute. Playmaking midfielder Carles Gil lined up a corner kick on the right side and lofted in the middle of the mob that congregated inside the box. Striker Adam Buksa skied about the throng and headed the ball by Chicago keeper Bobby Shuttleworth to the near post.

The Revolution tied the game 2-2 on a hustle play by speedy right winger Tajon Buchanan in the 27th minute. Buchanan got behind the left back to collect a throw in and centered the ball into the box wherea sliding Gustavo Bou redirected Buchanan’s delivery inside the post past Shuttleworth.

The Fire started the second half with energy, aggression and an obvious target. Gil was on the ball in the midfield when he was taken down on a hard foul by Stojanovic in the 55th minute. Center back Andrew Farrell maintained the deadlock with a header that denied Beric a quality bid. Beric would later miss wide far post of an open net in the 85th minute.

Arena made his first substitute when Teal Bunbury replaced Buchanan in the 61st minute. Fire defender Johan Kappelhof drew a yellow card when he undercut midfielder Tommy McNamara in the 79th minute.  Revs rookie Edward Kizza’s header hit the crossbar in the 86th minute.

The Fire got a free kick from just outside the penalty area in stoppage time that resulted in Revs defender DeJuan Jones being shown a red card.

Turner made the save on the free kick and the Revs were able to run out the clock for the hard-earned point.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3mVPt9b