New England Revolution vs St. Louis CITY SC: 3 Thoughts
New England Revolution vs St. Louis CITY SC: 3 Thoughts
The Tim Parker/Henry Kessler revenge game
The New England Revolution returned to MLS play on Saturday as they faced off against St. Louis CITY SC at Gillette Stadium and secured only a point with a 2-2 draw.
Will Sands, Dave Romney, Tim Parker, and Peyton Miller were the back line in front of goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic. Ian Harkes and Matt Polster served as defensive midfielders.
Captain Carles Gil was back in his familiar No. 10 role while Luca Langoni and Dylan Borrero played on the wings. Giacomo Vrioni was the lone striker up top.
The match was Henry Kessler and Parker’s first match between their former clubs. It was also the first match that saw Vrioni, Borrero, Gil, and Langoni all start the match
But what do you need to know about Saturday’s match? Here are three thoughts.
1 - What Is Time? What Is Handball?
The most crucial point of the match involves an obscure rule that Langoni might not even be familiar with.
Langoni was subbed off in the 72nd minute and was supposed to be replaced by Nacho Gil but that didn’t happen. The newly acquired winger took more than 10 seconds to come off the field and that meant Gil had to wait a minimum of a minute to enter the game as New England played a man down.
Of course, St. Louis tied the match while the Revolution were down a man, leaving Caleb Porter and the Gil brothers furious.
But there was more controversy as the referee went to the monitor to review what looked like a clear handball by a St. Louis player. Even after looking at the screen for a longer time than seemed necessary. No handball was given, leaving fans and the Revolution stunned.
With New England in desperate need of points, this seemingly blown call could have lasting ramifications on the Revolution. If New England just misses out on the playoffs, it would be a brutal way for a season to come to an end.
2 - Legendary Lobster
So far, the club-record signing of Luca Langoni has paid off. After New England went down 1-0, he immediately responded.
Langoni used his pace and toasted Kessler like a hot dog bun. His buttery smooth finish tied the game and gave Langosta his second goal in three matches played.
The confidence to take on defenders and make them look silly is what the Revolution needed. He blew by his opponent and didn’t let the opportunity go to waste.
Langoni seems to have been purchase well worth the expensive price tag. He is a game changer and brings a quality that New England was desperately missing.
Whether it be for the rest of the season or 2025, the winger seems worth the price of admission.
3 - Capi’s Corner
Carles Gil has worked wonders for the Revolution midfielder and he performed his latest trick against St. Louis CITY SC. After Langoni’s goal, the game opened up and New England searched for a goal that would give it the lead.
Gil got the ball at the top of the box and as if the ball was remote-controlled, it just clipped of the post and managed to find the back of the net. The goal was Gil’s sixth of the season and gave the Revolution the necessary momentum entering the locker room after the first 45 minutes.
Those moments of magic are exactly what New England needs from Gil. He needs to constantly be impacting matches if the Revolution want to make the playoffs.
Up until the goal, Gil wasn’t having the best game but that is what makes him such a great player. In the blink of an eye, he can score a goal or make a play that can completely alter the course of a match.
The Revolution will look for three points next weekend when they face Orlando City down in Florida.