FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution advanced to the 2016 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final with a 3-1 victory against the Chicago Fire at Gillette Stadium on Tuesday night. With the win, New England clinches its third trip to the Open Cup Final and its first appearance since 2007, when it won the tournament. The Revolution will play for the 2016 U.S. Open Cup title on the road against the winner of Wednesday’s Semifinal matchup between LA Galaxy and FC Dallas. The winner of the tournament will earn a berth in the 2017-18 CONCACAF Champions League.

Kei Kamara opened the scoring in the 16^th minute with a penalty kick, which was awarded to the Revolution after Kelyn Rowe drew a foul inside of Chicago’s penalty area. David Accam equalized for Chicago in the 40^th minute, but Je-Vaughn Watson quickly answered with a headed goal just two minutes later, which would prove to be the game winner. Watson also scored New England’s lone goal and added the game-clinching penalty kick in the club’s Quarterfinal win against the Philadelphia Union on July 20. Teal Bunbury put the game out of reach in the 85^th minute with a left-footed shot from distance – his third goal of this year’s Open Cup.

Full match statistics can be found HERE.

The Revolution return to MLS action on Saturday, August 13, when the club hosts the Philadelphia Union at Gillette Stadium for the second and final League meeting between the two sides this season. The match kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast locally on Comcast SportsNet with Brad Feldman, Paul Mariner, and Jessie Coffield calling the action. The game can also be heard locally on the radio on 98.5 The Sports Hub in English and on WMVX 1570 AM “Nossa Radio” in Portuguese.

New England Revolution 3, Chicago Fire 1
August 9, 2016 – Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, Mass.)
Revolution Advance to Third U.S. Open Cup Final in Club History; Seek Second Tournament Title

• The Revolution defeated the Chicago Fire, 3-1, to advance to the third U.S. Open Cup Final in club history. New England improves to 2-2 all-time in Semifinal matches and will appear in the Final for the first time since winning it all in 2007.
• In the championship match, the Revolution will face one of their two previous Open Cup Final opponents in the LA Galaxy (2001) or FC Dallas (2007), who face off in their Semifinal contest on Wednesday, August 10 in Carson, Calif.
• In the 2007 U.S. Open Cup Final, the Revolution defeated FC Dallas, 3-2, in Frisco, Texas to secure the team’s first Open Cup trophy. In that match, the Revs were lifted by goals from Pat Noonan, Taylor Twellman, and a game winner from Wells Thompson.
• The Revolution advanced to the team’s first Open Cup Final in 2001, but fell to the LA Galaxy, 2-1, after overtime in Fullerton, Calif.

First Open Cup Semifinal at Gillette Draws Nearly 10,000

• The announced attendance for tonight’s match, the first ever U.S. Open Cup Semifinal at Gillette Stadium, was 9,801. That marks the sixth highest attendance for an Open Cup Semifinal in the modern era of the competition (since 1995).
• The Revolution previously hosted Open Cup Semifinal matches in 2007 and 2001. The first Semifinal hosted by the Revolution took place at Foxboro Stadium on Aug. 22, 2001, which the team won, 2-0, over D.C. United to claim a berth in the Final. The announced attendance for that match was 7,128. On Sept. 4, 2007, a crowd of 4,203 attended the Revolution’s 2-1 win over the Carolina RailHawks at Veterans Memorial Stadium in New Britain, Conn.

Heaps Advances to Third Open Cup Final, First as Coach

• Revolution Head Coach Jay Heaps will be participating in his third U.S. Open Cup Final with the club, but his first as the team’s head coach. Heaps started in both of the Revs’ previous Open Cup Final appearances in 2001 and 2007, helping the club win the tournament in 2007.
• Heaps started all five games during the 2001 run to the Open Cup Final, and three of the team’s four matches during the 2007 Open Cup campaign.
• In his Open Cup playing career, Heaps appeared in 12 games, with 11 starts, and totaled one goal and one assist in 1,096 minutes.

Kamara Scores Opening Goal from Penalty Spot, Adds Late Assist

• Forward Kei Kamara scored the game’s opening goal from the penalty spot in the 18^th minute after midfielder Kelyn Rowe drew a foul inside Chicago’s penalty area. The penalty conversion was Kamara’s first penalty attempt as a member of the Revolution.
• Kamara has now scored two goals in the 2016 U.S. Open Cup, having scored previously on June 29 at the New York Cosmos in the Round of 16. The goal is Kamara’s sixth goal across all competitions for the Revolution.
• Kamara’s goal was the earliest goal scored by a Revolution player in the 2016 Open Cup, breaking the mark set by forward Teal Bunbury’s 43^rd minute goal on June 29 at the New York Cosmos in the Round of 16.
• Kamara also added an assist in the game on Bunbury’s 85^th minute goal, which gave the Revs a 3-1 lead.

Watson Continues Fine Open Cup Form, Nets Game-Winning Goal

• Defender Je-Vaughn Watson scored in U.S. Open Cup play for the second consecutive match with his 43^rd minute goal. Watson previously scored in the 44^th minute on July 20 vs. the Philadelphia Union in the Quarterfinal Round, and also scored the match-clinching penalty.
• The goal was also Watson’s second goal against the Chicago Fire in as many matches across all competitions. The Jamaican international scored the game-winning goal, also a headed effort, when the Revs defeated the Fire, 1-0, in MLS play on July 23 at Gillette Stadium.

Bunbury Records Team-High Third Open Cup Goal

• Forward Teal Bunbury extended the Revolution lead to 3-1 with a left-footed goal in the 85^th minute. The goal was Bunbury’s third in Open Cup play this season, the most of any Revolution player in this year’s tournament.
• Bunbury previously recorded a brace in the Revolution’s Round of 16 win, 3-2, at the New York Cosmos on June 29.

Knighton Earns Third Win in 2016 U.S. Open Cup

• Goalkeeper Brad Knighton stopped four shots en route to his third victory in 2016 Open Cup play. Knighton is now 3-0-0 with 13 saves and a 0.82 goals against average during the tournament.
• Knighton’s previous starts in this year’s Open Cup came in the Fourth Round at Carolina RailHawks on June 15, a 1-0 shutout win, and in the Quarterfinal against Philadelphia on July 20, in which he saved two penalty kicks in the game-deciding shootout.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

• 16^th minute (PENALTY KICK/GOAL) – Midfielder Kelyn Rowe draws a foul from Fire defender Rodrigo Ramos inside Chicago’s 18-yard box, earning the Revolution an early penalty kick. Forward Kei Kamara converts from the spot to put New England ahead, 1-0 (WATCH HERE).

• 32^nd minute (CHANCE) – Forward Kei Kamara delivers a perfectly-paced pass to forward Teal Bunbury, who nearly doubles New England’s lead with a driven right-footed shot from the right end of Chicago’s 18-yard box, but the attempt sails just wide.

• 35^th minute (TACKLE) – Chicago generates one of its best scoring chances of the half, as David Accam leads John Goosens into the scoring area with a through ball. However, defender Jose Goncalves thwarts the chance with a tackle and follows up with another successful challenge on the rebound.

• 42^nd minute (GOAL) – Defender Je-Vaughn Watson puts the Revolution back in the lead with a headed goal off a corner kick. Chris Tierney delivered the service, which Kei Kamara headed off a Fire defender. Watson connected with the ricochet inside the six-yard box and guided it into the net.

• 62^nd minute (CHANCE) – Midfielder Gershon Koffie plays midfielder Kelyn Rowe into a scoring chance with a through ball, but Rowe’s right-footed shot from the right side of the 18-yard box narrowly misses the frame.

• 83^rd minute (CHANCE) – Midfielder Kelyn Rowe exhibits some nifty footwork and sets up midfielder Lee Nguyen for a shot at the top of the box with space. However, Nguyen pushes his low, driven shot wide of the net.

• 85^th minute (GOAL) – Forward Teal Bunbury seals the win for the Revolution with a late tally, smashing a left-footed shot from distance past Fire goalkeeper Matt Lampson’s extended arm and inside the far post.

GAME CAPSULE

Referee: Edvin Jurisevic

Assistant Referees: Kermit Quisenberry (AR1), Claudiu Badea (AR2)

Fourth Official: Randall Kelley

Weather: 78 Degrees and Sunny

Attendance: 9,801

Scoring Summary:

NE – Kei Kamara (Penalty Kick) 16’

CHI – David Accam (Michael de Leeuw) 40’

NE – Je-Vaughn Watson (Unassisted) 42’

NE – Teal Bunbury (Kei Kamara) 85’

Misconduct Summary:

CHI – Johan Kappelhof (Yellow Card – Unsporting Behavior) 43’

NE – Je-Vaughn Watson (Yellow Card – Unsporting Behavior) 51’

CHI – David Accam (Red Card – Violent Conduct) 89’

NE – Kelyn Rowe (Yellow Card – Unsporting Behavior) 89’

CHI – Michael de Leeuw (Yellow Card – Unsporting Behavior) 90’+1’

New England Revolution: Brad Knighton; Chris Tierney, José Gonçalves ©, Je-Vaughn Watson (Zachary Herivaux 87’), Andrew Farrell; Scott Caldwell, Gershon Koffie (London Woodberry 75’); Diego Fagundez (Lee Nguyen 62’), Kelyn Rowe, Teal Bunbury; Kei Kamara

Substitutes Not Used: Bobby Shuttleworth, Darrius Barnes, Daigo Kobayashi, Steve Neumann

Chicago Fire: Matt Lampson; Michael Harrington (Joey Calistri 90’), Jonathan Campbell, Johan Kappelhof, Rodrigo Ramos (Brandon Vincent HT); Khaly Thiam (Matt Polster 66’), Razvan Cocis ©; David Accam, John Goosens, Arturo Alvarez; Michael de Leeuw

Substitutes Not Used: Sean Johnson, Eric Gehrig, Michael Stephens, Nick Labrocca