Gustavo Bou scored a second-half stoppage time goal to lift the New England Revolution to victory.
The opening match of the 2020 Major League Soccer Cup playoffs did not disappoint. A thrilling match between the New England Revolution and Montreal Impact ended with a Gustavo Bou last-minute goal in second-half stoppage time. It was a match that was largely dominated by the Revolution but the Impact did well to make it a close contest as they equalized in the second half. Despite putting up a valiant effort to send the match into extra time, the Revolution’s offensive firepower was too much for the visitors to handle as it finished 2-1 in favor of the home side.
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Revolution’s stars shine
Designated Players are expected to show up for their clubs in big moments and that is exactly what the Revolution’s DP’s did in this match. Both Carles Gil and Bou scored for the Revolution to help lead the way to victory. Gil was creating chances left and right throughout the match.
He finished with nine of the Revolution’s 22 key passes in the match. There’s no question the Revolution have benefitted immensely from the return of their star attacking midfielder. Bou’s goal was a fantastic strike from outside the penalty area that was a big moment from a big-time player. These two players were the difference makers in this victory.
Too close for comfort
This match could have certainly seen the Revolution win by a larger margin. There were many chances to put the match away and it could have been a multiple-goal lead at the end of the first 45 minutes. In the second half, they continued to generate high-quality scoring opportunities but the finishing just wasn’t there.
At the end of the day, the Revolution got the job done and are advancing in the playoffs to face the Philadelphia Union but it was a lot closer than it needed to be. They can’t afford to miss high-quality chances against the Union on Tuesday or they will find themselves facing elimination.
Give Thierry Henry credit
In his first playoff match as manager of the Impact, Henry entered this match with the odds against him. The Impact were without Victor Wanyama, Mathieu Choinière, Lassi Lappalainen, and Samuel Piette. Without a strong presence in the midfield, they were dominated in possession by the Revolution.
It was always going to be a difficult task to defeat the Revolution but Henry’s team never quit and they nearly sent the match to extra time. Overall, the first season for Henry in MLS may not have been perfect but he guided them to a spot in the playoffs and that should be looked at as a positive result for his inaugural season.