Henry Kessler headlined a stout defensive performance from the New England Revolution on Saturday night at Lower.com Field, where the Revs kept their fourth clean sheet of the season in a 0-0 draw with the Columbus Crew. Kessler led the Revolution with three tackles, while he added three clearances and an 85.7 passing percentage.
Kessler's standout moment arrived in the 24th minute, when a heads up play prevented Columbus from making the breakthrough. Djordje Petrović first made a stellar stop on a rocket of a volley from Pedro Santos, and Kessler was alert to slide into position and clear the follow-up header from Lucas Zelarayán off the line.
"He's had a tough run coming back from an injury and he needs to be more consistent," sporting director and head coach Bruce Arena said of Kessler's performance. "Tonight was his most consistent game since he came back from his injury. He missed a big part of the season so he's still in the early part of the season for him, and he's getting fitter, getting sharper. Tonight, he was mistake free, which was an impressive performance.”
New England's draw in Columbus closed a three-game road swing, and the Revs will now return to Gillette Stadium on Saturday, July 30, for an 8 p.m. ET kickoff against Toronto FC, which trails the Revolution by four points in the Eastern Conference standings. Tickets for Saturday night's showdown are available HERE.
