Penilla’s PK propels Revs
FOXBORO — Not even 17 days off could derail the Revolution’s winning ways.
Cristian Penilla scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner on a
78th minute penalty kick, and Teal Bunbury added his team-high 10th of the season, as the Revs returned from their World Cup hiatus with a 3-2 victory over D.C. United in front of 19,371 fans at Gillette Stadium.
The Revs went unbeaten in June (2-0-2) and extended their MLS unbeaten run to six matches (2-0-4) to move to 7-4-6 — good for fifth place in the Eastern Conference but just a win behind third-place Columbus.
Diego Fagundez celebrated his 200th career appearance — making him the youngest player in MLS history to reach that mark at 23 years and 136 days. He carried his infant daughter Maria in his arms out for the national anthem, then soon got to work giving the hosts the lead.
Keeper Matt Turner pulled down a free kick and quickly fed Krisztian Nemeth up field. The forward turned and found Fagundez free down the right flank. His cutback was touched by Nemeth onward to the onrushing Penilla, who one-timed it home in the 18th minute.
Turner denied United’s Luciana Acosta by turning a free kick over the bar, but the visitors pulled even on another set piece chance in the 42nd minute. Zoltan Stieber’s shot struck the shoulder of Yamil Asad — standing astride the Revs’ wall — deflecting past a helpless Turner.
The deadlock only lasted three minutes. Jalil Anibaba sent a long ball that the D.C. defense allowed to go over their heads. Bunbury reached the ball first and snuck a shot into the far corner a minute into stoppage time.
Revs coach Brad Friedel, who was clearly upset at the meager 42-percent of duels-won in the opening half, made two substitutions after halftime, bringing on Kelyn Rowe for Wilfried Zahibo and Juan Agudelo for Nemeth.
“I felt that up until we scored the first goal that we were the better team. Once we scored we stopped playing, we stopped moving when we had the lead. So I wasn’t too happy. Some words were said,” Friedel said.
United got back even in the 73rd minute. After Claude Dielna fouled Darren Mattocks in the area, Asad put the spot-kick home. But just four minutes later Andrew Farrell juked around D.C. defender Oniel Fisher, who grabbed Farrell and then stumbled, tripping the Revs defender. Penilla expertly buried the PK high to the right to give the Revs the victory.
“I won’t repeat all the words that were said at halftime. We knew (Friedel) was upset — rightly so. We let D.C. dictate the tempo. The second half we came out and took it to them. We were more compact. We were able to get three points,” said Bunbury.