ORLANDO, Fla. – One day after winning the 2021 Supporters’ Shield, the New England Revolution (21-3-7; 70 pts.) battled from behind to earn a 2-2 draw at Orlando City SC (12-8-11; 47 pts.) on Sunday night at Exploria Stadium in the club’s final road match of the season. Orlando City’s Nani scored the opening goal of the match with a header in the 39th minute. The hosts added to their lead in the second half, when Daryl Dike converted on a penalty kick in the 50th minute. Adam Buksa powered the Revolution to the late rally with an 81st-minute tally on Gustavo Bou’s assist before delivering the equalizer in stoppage time. DeJuan Jones and Carles Gil logged assists on Buksa’s second goal.

With tonight’s result, New England becomes the third MLS team to reach the 70-point threshold. The Revolution, now on a nine-game unbeaten streak, need just three more points over the final two games to set a new MLS single-season points record. New England completes the road slate of the regular season with a 10-3-4 record, as the club’s 34 away points stand alone as the second most all-time. The Revs concluded the road schedule by winning nine of their last 11 contests away from home. The result also guarantees the Revolution will finish the season with a new team record for fewest losses, while remaining in contention to match the league record of four defeats.

The Revolution are now the 11th team in MLS history with two 15-goal scorers on the same team. Buksa’s brace gives the Polish striker 16 goals on the season, placing him in a three-way tie for second in the MLS Golden Boot race, one off the league lead (17). He has now tallied in each of his last five starts and own seven goals in his last nine MLS appearances. Gustavo Bou, who trails Buksa by one with 15 tallies, reached the scoresheet for a sixth consecutive match by adding his ninth assist of the season on the first goal.

Carles Gil, who came on at halftime alongside Buksa, registered his MLS-leading 18th assist of the season. Gil needs just one more assist to tie the club’s record, while he needs only five more chances created to set the league’s new single-season mark.

DeJuan Jones also tallied his career-high fifth assist of the season on Buksa’s game-tying goal. His five helpers are tied for third most among all MLS defenders. As a team, the Revs’ 68 assists on the season set a new club mark, while the team-high goals total improves to 64 (2.0 goals per game).

New England closes the regular season with two home matches, starting with a midweek tilt against the Colorado Rapids on Wednesday, October 27. The match kicks off at 7:00 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium and airs on TV38, myRITV, 98.5 The Sports Hub HD2, and 1260 AM Nossa Radio. CBS Boston’s exclusive pregame coverage begins with “Revolution Kickoff” at 6:30 p.m. on TV38.

POSTGAME NOTES
New England Revolution 2, Orlando City SC 2
October 24, 2021 – Exploria Stadium (Orlando, Fla.)

Team Notes: 

• The New England Revolution rallied on the road Sunday night to draw Orlando City SC, 2-2, moving their record to 21-4-7 (70 points) on the season.
• The Revs’ 70 points are the third most in MLS history – two behind LAFC’s record of 72 (2019). 
• New England’s 2.19 points per game pace is on course to set a new MLS record (2.13 - LA Galaxy, 1998).
• The Revolution became the 11th team in MLS history to feature two players with 15 goals or more in a season, and the first since Los Angeles FC in 2019.
• The Revs’ lead in the Eastern Conference now stands at 21 points, and their lead in the Supporters’ Shield standings is now 12 points over Seattle Sounders FC. No MLS team has ever won its conference by more than 16 points. 
• New England’s 34 away points stand alone as the 2nd most all-time behind the 1998 LA Galaxy (37 pts).
• New England’s unbeaten streak is now at nine games (6-0-3), matching their longest run of the season without a loss. 
• The Revs’ 64 goals and 31 first-half tallies both lead the league. New England’s 64 goals and 68 assists are both club record. 
• New England now has 68 assists as a team on the season, a new club record surpassing the previous mark of 66 (1998).
• With only four losses on the season and two games remaining, the Revolution are now guaranteed to break the club mark for fewest losses in a season (7 – 2005). Four losses would tie the MLS record for fewest defeats. 
• All of tonight’s Revolution goals and assists came from substitutes. New England’s bench owned a combined 46 goals and 43 assists this year – more than 17 and 15 MLS teams as a whole, respectively, entering Sunday’s action.
• Bruce Arena’s Starting XI featured nine changes from the club’s most recent contest on Oct. 20 at D.C. United, matching a season high. Goalkeeper Matt Turner and defender Andrew Farrell were the only two Revolution players in tonight’s Starting XI who also started the club’s 3-2 win at D.C. United.

Individual Notes:   

• Bruce Arena moves his career record to 239-135-112, still one win shy of Sigi Schmid’s all-time MLS record of 240 regular season victories. Arena’s record with New England also shifted to 37-14-23 (.655). 
• Arena locked up his fourth Supporters’ Shield title on Saturday, passing the late Sigi Schmid for the most all-time.
• Adam Buksa tallied both New England goals on the night, giving him 16 on the year – tied for second-most in MLS and just one back of current Golden Boot leader Ola Kamara (17). 
• Buksa, who passed Gustavo Bou (15) for the team lead in goals, recorded his first brace since Aug. 21 vs. FC Cincinnati and has now scored eight goals and two assists in his last nine games.
• Gustavo Bou found the scoresheet for a sixth consecutive game, picking up his ninth assist of the season. 
• Bou, who had a team-high three key passes, continues to lead MLS in combined goals and assists (43) since he entered the league on July 17, 2019 and is now tied for the most combined goals and assists in MLS this season (24).
• Carles Gil recorded his MLS-leading 18th assist of the campaign, moving him within one of tying the club’s single-season assists record (19 – Steve Ralston, 2002). 
• Gil added two chances created, giving him 119 on the year and moving him to within five of Diego Valeri’s MLS record (124).
• DeJuan Jones added his fifth assist of the season on Buksa’s game-tying goal, tied for third-most among MLS defenders. 
• Andrew Farrell put in another 90-minute shift at center back, recording a team-high eight clearances. 
• Jon Bell started for the first time since Sept. 22, recording team highs in duels won (7), tackles (4), and blocked shots (3).
• Maciel made his first MLS appearance since Aug. 28, playing 90 minutes and completing 37 of 39 passes (94.9%). 
• Luis Caicedo made his fourth appearance and second start of the season, featuring for 45 minutes and completing 23 of his 24 passes (95.7%).

GAME CAPSULE

Referee: Chris Penso.
Assistant Referees: Nick Uranga (AR1); Peter Manikowski (AR2).
Fourth Official: Silviu Petrescu.
Video Assistant Referee: Drew Fischer.
Attendance: 17,539
Weather: 77 degrees and rain.

Scoring Summary:
ORL – Nani 10 (João Moutinho 1, Júnior Urso 1) 39’
ORL – Daryl Dike (Penalty Kick) 50’
NE – Adam Buksa 15 (Gustavo Bou 9) 81’
NE – Adam Buksa 16 (DeJuan Jones 5, Carles Gil 18) 90’+3

Misconduct Summary:
ORL – Chris Mueller (Yellow Card – Bad Foul) 46’
NE – Carles Gil (Yellow Card – Dissent) 87’

New England Revolution: Matt Turner; Christian Mafla (DeJuan Jones 64’), Andrew Farrell ©, Jon Bell, A.J. DeLaGarza (Tajon Buchanan 64’); Luis Caicedo (Carles Gil 45’), Maciel; Arnór Traustason (Gustavo Bou 64’), Emmanuel Boateng (Adam Buksa 45’), Wilfrid Kaptoum; Teal Bunbury.

Substitutes Not Used: Brad Knighton, Brandon Bye, Henry Kessler, Tommy McNamara.

Orlando City SC: Pedro Gallese; Ruan, Antônio Carlos, Rodrigo Schlegel, João Moutinho (Emmanuel Más 45’); Chris Mueller (Benji Michel 67’), Jhegson Méndez (Joey Dezart 89’), Júnior Urso, Mauricio Pereyra (Andrés Perea 79’); Daryl Dike, Nani © (Tesho Akindele 79’).

Substitutes Not Used: Mason Stajduhar, Kyle Smith, Alexandre Pato, Silvester van der Water.

Full statistics available HERE.