Revolution fall to 0-3 in MLS after hat trick
Atlanta United 4 Revolution 1
ATLANTA — Giorgos Giakoumakis scored three goals in a 19-minute stretch of the second half and Atlanta United routed the Revolution, 4-1, on Saturday night in the MLS home opener for the Five Stripes.
Captain Carles Gil got New England on the scoreboard in the 83rd minute off an assist from Esmir Bajraktarevic.
Giakoumakis, the 2023 MLS Newcomer of the Year, scored on a penalty kick in the 55th minute, added a beautiful header at 60 minutes, and finished the hat trick with a left-footed shot from a sharp angle at the left side of the box in the 74th minute for a 4-0 lead.
The Greek forward earned the first penalty in the final minute of the first half when he was tripped up in the box by Revolution goalkeeper Henrich Ravas, and Thiago Almada converted from the spot.
Atlanta (1-1) secured its first victory in seven matches against the Revolution.
New England had been riding high throughout the week after signing Gil, the 2021 MLS MVP, to an extension that will keep him with the team through 2026 and winning their most recent CONCACAF Champions Cup match, 4-0, over LDA Alajuelense on Wednesday.
Brad Guzan had three saves for Atlanta, which had 67,727 in attendance at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Ravas stopped five shots for New England.
In a fairly even first half, the Revolution’s Tomas Chancalay had the first quality scoring chance, hitting the crossbar in the 14th minute after a pass from Ian Harkes.
New England will next play Thursday in the Champions Cup against Alajuelense in Costa Rica. The Revolution have a three-game homestand in MLS play, beginning with Cincinnati on March 17 at 2 p.m.