Fontana’s goal leads Union past Revs again
There’s no taking an opponent easy in MLS, even (especially?) when you’ve seen them four times in a season. It took a little while for that to truly sink in for the Union Monday night, even when up two goals.
But after a frantic finish and the outstanding interventions of Andre Blake in goal, the Union escaped a second trip to Foxborough this season with a 2-1 win over the New England Revolution.
Philadelphia took the lead at halftime thanks to an own goal by the Revs’ Andrew Farrell, the first firsthalf goal in four games between the teams. Anthony Fontana’s spectacular chip seemed to put the game to bed in the 69th minute.
But Tajon Buchanan scored in the 80th minute, triggering a chaotic finish that required Blake to repel seven shots (of 22 total from the hosts) to earn the Union the full points.
“We told our guys it wasn’t going to be about pretty soccer tonight,” manager Jim Curtin said. “It becomes more about winning your individual battle and standing up for the player next to you, helping him out when he needs help, doing all the little things it takes to be a great team.”
The Union (11-3-5, 38 points) kept pace with Toronto FC, three points shy of the summit in the Eastern Conference and in MLS’ regular season. The Union welcome TFC to Subaru Park Saturday.
It’s the first time in franchise history the Union have eight more wins than losses in a season. The win also makes them 3-0-1 against the Revs this season, including a victory in the knockout rounds of the MLS Is Back tournament. And there’s still a Decision Day meeting in Chester Nov. 8.
Familiarity bred boredom early, with the only decent chance of the first 35 minutes coming on a Kai Wagner cross that Farrell hit backwards, off the post, off goalie Matt Turner and in. The Union escaped to halftime with the lead thanks to a Kacper Przybylko shot block, getting in the way of a Teal Bunbury rip in the 45th with what may have been his hand, though it was plastered to his chest.
The Union’s defense was going to be a fly-by-night operation the entire way. With Jose Martinez (quarantine from international duty), Warren Creavalle (injury) and Alejandro Bedoya (yellow-card suspension), the Union went with Jack Elliott in central midfield for the first time in his MLS career. Matej Oravec, signed to hold down that job in the offseason, didn’t make the trip by coach’s decision.
“The thinking was to put our best players on the field,” Curtin said. “Jack certainly is that. He stepped in and did a great job for us. It’s not an easy position to play. Things are happening 360 degrees around you instead of what he’s used to as a center back where everything’s in front of you. Overall I think he did great.”
Elliott performed well, and the Revs’ tactic of strafing in crosses (31 total), suited the Union’s defense, with Elliot and a superb pairing of Jakub Glesnes (back after two games out with a concussion) and Mark McKenzie feasting in the air. The central defenders took turns in the
57th putting out fires in the box, McKenzie supplying two big blocks with the Revs lurking.
Blake made his first major save in the 65th, pawing away a glancing header by Bunbury. Fontana appeared to take the sting out of the game in the 69th, Jamiro Monteiro playing him into space down the left wing and the Homegrown sublimely chipping Turner for his sixth goal of the season.
“What a ball from Miro,” said Fontana, who has three goals against the Revs this season and four of his eight career goals against New England. “I started making the run and when you have someone like Miro passing you the ball, you know you’re going to get it in those dangerous spots. The ball bounced, I checked my shoulder, I saw Matt Turner coming out and just hit a little dink over him. Just happy it went in.”
Instead of dispatching the Revs (7-5-7, 28 points), the goal sent them into a frenzy. Buchanan had a shot from outside the box beaten down by Blake in the 70th, then a header saved in the
79th minute. Buchanan got his goal two minutes later,
marauding down the left flank and, when unattended by the defense, firing a shot from the edge of the box that rocketed into the top corner.
After coughing up a onegoal lead last week at D.C. to settle for a draw, the Union were in danger of doing the same. Instead, they held just firm enough.
“At this time of the season, teams are fighting for points,” Blake said. “They’re fighting to get into the playoffs. They’re fighting for the top four spots. Teams are fighting to win the conference. It’s going to get crazy at the end of games. We just have to find ways to roll up our sleeves and continue to grind and to know it’s going to be good in the end.”
Blake would get his revenge. He leapt to his right to get two hands to a Lee Nguyen free kick in the 85th. Glesnes blocked Bunbury on the ensuing corner kick, and Nguyen fired over the bar in stoppage time with Brenden Aaronson applying pressure from behind, allowing the Union to capture the full points.