Vrioni scores twice in Revolution win over Sporting KC
FOXBOROUGH — The Revolution performed like a firstplace team long enough to hold off Sporting Kansas City, 2-1, before a crowd of 19,281 Saturday night at Gillette Stadium.
Giacomo Vrioni tallied twice in the opening half, but the Revolution (61-2, 20 points) struggled in the second half, despite playing with a numerical advantage most of the way.
Sporting Kansas City (0-6-3, 3 points) rallied behind a Johnny Russell goal, snapping a 405-minute scoreless streak, and nearly equalized as Felipe Hernandez hit the right post in added time.
The Revolution remained tied with FC Cincinnati for the Eastern Conference lead, setting up a showdown for the top spot when the teams meet at Gillette Stadium next Saturday.
Vrioni converted in the 31st and 35th minutes, opening the scoring off an Emmanuel Boateng cross. Carles Gil’s through ball started the sequence, setting up a two-on-one breakaway. Boateng advanced on the left wing, then sent in a low cross, Vrioni onetiming past defender Dany Rosero and goalkeeper Tim Melia.
Boateng then picked off a Kansas City throw-in, crossing for Vrioni to touch back to Gil. Melia blocked Gil’s right-footer and Vrioni finished for a 2-0 lead.
Russell cut the deficit with a back post, right-foot finish of a Daniel Salloi free kick in the 50thminute.
The Revolution seemed on the verge of breaking open the game after Kansas City defender Andreu Fontas was issued a second caution by referee Nima Saghafi in the 57 th minute. But the game stalled as it took four minutes for a VAR review to signal the call being changed to a direct red card, the Revolution attack failed to get untracked.
The Revolution improved their unbeaten streak to six games and are off to the second-best start after nine games in team history. The 2005 Revolution team compiled a 6-0-3 record (21 points) and the 2021 Revolution had a 6-1-2 mark after nine games. Observations from Saturday’s game:
Defining moment: Gil’s through ball to Boateng to set up the opening goal signaled the Revolution would threaten on the left wing, despite missing Dylan Borrero (suspended).
Boateng’s crosses set up both goals, plus two Esmir Bajraktarevic chances, and a Vrioni point-blank attempt. Boateng’s pass launched Vrioni for a breakaway resulting in Fontas’s ejection.
Difference-maker: Vrioni displayed the finishing ability and off-theball runs that earned him a $4 million transfer from Juventus via WSG Tirol last year.
Vrioni, who has totaled three goals this season, completed his first multiple-goal game since the 2021-22 season, when he was performing in the Austrian Bundesliga.
Tactical: The Revolution’s 4-2-3-1 alignment provided support for Gil and Vrioni’s movement up top kept the SKC defense off balance. But once the Revolution opened the wings, they needed to vary their approach and attack through the middle.
Without injured forwards Jozy Altidore, Gustavo Bou, and Bobby Wood, only Vrioni provided a viable target. Three crosses were sent to the lineup’s shortest players — Bajraktarevic, and Boateng, and Gil.
Statistical analysis: The Revolution took 16 shots (to eight for SKC), Melia making seven saves, including difficult stops on Vrioni (eighth minute); and substitutes Justin Rennicks, followed by a save on Vrioni’s rebound (74th), and Damian Rivera (82nd).
Road ahead: The Revolution depth will be tested in home matches against Hartford Athletic Tuesday (US Open Cup) and Cincinnati Saturday.
Latif Blessing (visa issue) could return but the status of Altidore, Bou, and Wood has not been determined.
What they said: Gil called out the Revolution in the locker room after the game (“Carles let everybody know that he wasn’t happy with it,” Boateng said).
In a postgame interview, Gil said: “I think everything was wrong in the second half — 10 players and we showed a team that we didn’t want to show.”