FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Saturday night’s match at Gillette Stadium was a true rollercoaster, as the Revolution came back from a three-goal deficit against the Colorado Rapids to tie the game 3-3 and secure a hard-fought point at home. The action had fans on the edge of their seats, filling the building with chants until the final whistle. But it was more than just a dramatic result – Saturday’s match was the first time in club history that the Revolution made a three-goal comeback to earn a point.
“It was an unbelievable comeback. Down 3-0, staring at perhaps another loss, and most teams down 3-0, the game is done. What I’m proud of is that the group refused to lose,” said head coach Caleb Porter. “I’ve been in this league now 400 games and I’ve never had a team come back from three goals down to get a point.”
While it ultimately became a true show of character for the Revs, the match naturally had its frustrating moments – it's hard to trail by three without them. Colorado led 2-0 by halftime and scored a third soon after the break.
New England were in need of a boost, and after Carles Gil forced an own goal by Colorado’s Sam Vines, the Revolution gained momentum and never let it go.
“When you are losing at home 3-0, we need a goal first. Maybe a goal like we had, an own goal. And then the energy is going up, the fans help us too, and we believe again,” said Gil. “We see in the last moments, the last minutes, we can win games like this. That’s very important.”
Following that first goal for the Revolution, Gil converted his fourth penalty of the season, making it 3-2 in the 86th minute. With less than five minutes remaining in normal time, the Revolution had clawed their way to within a goal.
Tanner Beason, one of several late-game substitutes who brought a crucial spark to New England’s drive, delivered a cross into the box that fellow substitute Maxi Urruti headed home for the game-tying finish in the third minute of stoppage time. The assist was Beason’s first in his six-year MLS career.
While it marked a first for Beason – and a milestone moment for the club – Urruti is no stranger to late-game heroics. The veteran striker has now come off the bench twice to rescue a result, having previously scored a late equalizer against Sporting Kansas City to seal a 3-3 draw for the Revolution on May 24.
“Tanner [Beason] did really well. He's very good. I thought Maxi [Urruti] came in and he just brings great energy. Then to score the goal, good for him and good for the team,” explained Porter.
The Revolution wrap up their three-game homestand with just a single point, but their focus now shifts westward with optimism for the next match. Next weekend, New England will make the cross-country trek to Portland, Oregon, where they'll face off against the Timbers in a bid to bounce back and claim valuable points against another Western Conference opponent.
Following Saturday night’s result, Porter is confident that it can be a turning point for the Revolution.
“How we can make this a building block is to do what we always do, look at the film and reflect on where we can be better. There’s a lot of positives today. We got punished on three transitions, but other than that, there was a lot of positive play today.” said Porter. “The lesson is: we need to be more aggressive in dictating the game.”
