WHO: Columbus Crew SC at Revolution
WHERE: Gillette Stadium
WHEN: Saturday, March 9, 2 p.m.
TV/RADIO: NBC Sports Boston/WBZ-FM 98.5/AM 1260 (Portuguese)
WHAT’S UP: It’s Match Day 2 for the Revolution, who’ll look to get onto the winning side of the ledger in the home opener; it has a good chance of happening, seeing as New England has remained unbeaten in the last 12 home openers. But Columbus is also in the same boat as The Boys In Blue, as the Crew also came away with a draw last weekend.
Sean here at Gillette, and Tom is here, too. We're underway at Gillette. The lineups are available, with your game notes below them.
And this says it all:
Great to be home. #NERevs pic.twitter.com/UQhOVnuGDr
— Sean Sweeney (@MrSeanMSweeney) March 9, 2019
New England in the home navy blues, Columbus in the gold. Revs headed to the Banner End in the first half, Crew toward The Fort. Periodic updates to follow below. Enjoy the game.
9' Penilla gets a little bit of a telling off. Crew defenders have, so far, kept him honest.... free kick by Columbus, and Knighton saves it.
10' Revs have had a good amount of the ball, and have done so with the ball in the Columbus half. Pleased with what we've seen so far, but it be a touch hard to get industrial today. The big thing? If they give the ball away, they work to take it back instantly. Don't believe we saw that last season.
14' Columbus with its first serious foray into the attacking third sees the Crew switch the point of attack, and it goes out for a corner.... which Knighton corrals easily... but the distribution is lacking. Columbus ball.
16' Santos with a volley after Agudelo took it away and gave it back sent play the other way.
20' No flow to this match at the mo... kinda just pinging it.
23' First Revs shot is by Gil, and it sails wide. Going build-up by Bye to Bunbury, good hold-up play... the finish lacked.
26' GOAL COLUMBUS, and that finish didn't lack at all. Santos with a dagger of a cross, and Zardes headed it in with authority. He got behind Mancienne, and I don't think Knighton could have done anything about that. 1-0 Columbus.
Perfect cross, perfect finish. ? @gyasinho scores his first of the year to put @ColumbusCrewSC in front. #NEvCLB https://t.co/iyT1S3iiLl
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 9, 2019
29' Crew's second corner. Knighton punches it, but Columbus gets it back.
31' Bye gets in deep and crosses, but the Crew clear it.
35' Zahibo gets his name taken down for the second consecutive week. Reckless challenge on Higuain.
36' Wil Trapp gets his name taken down after a reckless boot to the chest on Agudelo. Evan Allen out to check on him; the four attacking options on the bench warming up out by the Lighthouse Tunnel.
38' Agudelo looks OK.
40' Loose ball in a dangerous area sees Agudelo go for it, only to be too late... Castillo gets the clearance drives in, slides to Bunbury after Agudelo would have been offside, and Bunbury curls it through the mouth of the goal... no one at the back post to pull level.
43' Penilla sends Steffen into a dive after CP70 and Caldwell play some neat 1-2 football. Most serious effort by the Revolution yet.
45' Two minutes minimum stoppages... Castillo with a drive, over the bar, after an interception following a Gil giveaway.
HALFTIME
Halftime thoughts:
Revs had good play in the first 10 minutes, but not much between then and the last five minutes of the half. Having difficulty in breaking this Crew defense down.
Columbus' goal was about as accurate as you can get on a volley from the entrance to the attacking third. Outside of the midfielders not getting in Santos' face... it was an exquisite goal.
Second half underway... and the Revs have two changes: Diego Fagundez and Justin Rennicks, making his MLS debut, for Juan Agudelo and Cristian Penilla. Penilla didn't show me much, neither did Agudelo... outside of JA17's hold-up play in the first 10-15 minutes. Rennicks to the right, DF14 into Penilla's slot out on the left. Bunbury as the No. 9.
48' Rennicks with a neat backheel layoff, but the cross is wide.
49' Bunbury goes on a counter, and he gets fouled just outside the box. Gil and Fagundez over the ball.... Fagundez spears it, Steffen parries it...
51' Nice play, Justin Rennicks! He cracks all the way back to get the ball away from Justin Meram, and gets fouled for his efforts. Sends play the other way
53' Delamea with a takeaway to flatten a Crew attack... and Zahibo gives it away.
55' Gil is down, Evan Allen coming out. He's fouled by Sauro. He's up, but favoring his ankle. Fagundez to the 10 for the time being, I would think.
57' Fagundez and Castillo over the free kick.... Fagundez takes it, Zahibo goes down... Dave Ganter points to the spot, PENALTY TO NEW ENGLAND... Zahibo flopped. Second consecutive home opener with a tactical flop by Zahibo.
59' SAVE STEFFEN. Fagundez takes the pen, and Steffen guesses rightly. Gil back on for New England. And now Santos is down in the aftermath of the pen save.
61' Gil with a cross that's headed out by Columbus, Bunbury gets it, but he gives it away and play goes toward the Banner End.
71' Higuain with a nice thru-ball to Santos, Knighton saves the close-range shot.... and then Afful steals, and Knighton makes another save...
72' Zardes finds himself saved by Knighton.
ATTENDANCE (Announced): 13,808
73' Bunbury with a backheel to Gil, and Gil drives it toward the corner.
74' Columbus sub, Robinho on for Meram.
75' Bye with a drive, Steffen punches....
77' Santos goes into the book.
81' Tajon Buchanan making his MLS debut as Caldwell comes off.
82' Knighton comes out to make a clearance outside of his box, and Columbus tries to have a go as Knighton's racing back. He makes the stop, though.
84' Bye with a cross into the box... Buchanan heads it wide.
84' STRAIGHT RED. Brandon Bye gets his marching orders after he grazed his elbow on Santos. Santos is down.... oh dear, who gets the right back slot next Sunday? Bye was shocked that Gantar went to his pocket on that.....
87' VAR reviews it... and Gantar changes his mind! It's a caution instead of a sending off.... wow. That was close.
89' Mancienne with a great tackle on Zardes in the box, no penalty.... goes the other way, Rennicks on his horse, changes the point of attack to Buchanan, he fires wide of the far post.
90' Six minutes of stoppage time, minimum. Rennicks gets the ball, swings and fires... into the Fort.
90+3' Jimenez on for Santos.
90+6' GOAL COLUMBUS, and that'll send nearly 14,000 fans to the exits. Zardes locks it up with the hard goal on the counter. 2-0
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This evening's #NERevs Starting XI ⚽️⚽️
BENCH: Cropper, Anibaba, Jones, L. Caicedo, Buchanan, Rennicks and Fagundez pic.twitter.com/RbGGfyNxJK
— New England Revolution (@NERevolution) March 9, 2019
The #Crew96 Starting XI vs. @NERevolution ⏬
Coverage begins at 1:30pm ET on @SportsTimeOhio ?#NEvCLB pic.twitter.com/er4BD5g6uk
— Columbus Crew SC (@ColumbusCrewSC) March 9, 2019
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